Clean & Natural Indie Skincare Picks from Navago (Part I)
Blog posts about clean, natural, and non-toxic beauty are among my most requested, so today I have a whole bunch of mini-reviews for you! [there will be a Part II in a few days] These indie brands were scouted by NAVAGO, an online marketplace dedicated to bringing awareness to mindful, small-batch beauty and wellness companies. The marketplace already features over 50 brands, and the number keeps growing rapidly. If you are in the mood for something new and different, or you want to un-junk your beauty routine, this post is just what you’ve been looking for! I’ve been trialing these products for a few weeks now, so I have a pretty good idea how they work. Shall we take a closer look?
BRAND#1: Klō Organic Beauty
Horrified by all of the potential toxins and harmful chemicals found in their skincare, sisters Nicole Anagnos and Megan Berube started making their own. Klō Organic Beauty products are always formulated with the highest quality organic ingredients; they are non-toxic, vegan, and certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny.
Products below are available as a set.
Note: Always apply SPF when using products with citrus essential oils.
Klō Organic Beauty RE3 Oil Cleanser Normal to Oily ($38 for 2 fl oz) – Don’t you just love a good oil cleanser? I remember the days when cleansing with oils was considered a fad, but now it’s everywhere. After all, oils don’t strip the skin of essential moisture, and they have their own skincare properties too. RE3 was formulated with a blend of Linoleic-rich oils that help normalize the oil production, which makes it especially good for those of us with oily and combo skin [more on that here]. Even though it contains essential oils, the citrusy fragrance is very mild.
Your experience may be different from mine, but I didn’t think it was particularly effective at removing makeup. I use this cleanser on days when I either don’t wear any, or if I’m using minimal products, like some tinted moisturizer, non-waterproof mascara, and a bit of blush. I also sometimes
The cleanser is non-emulsifying, and needs to be removed with a warm, damp washcloth, so it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I don’t mind spending some extra time cleansing the skin, so for me that is not an issue.
You will LOVE it if:
- You prefer natural and organic beauty products.
- You like the hygienic pump packaging.
- You love cleansing with oils.
- You prefer vegan skincare.
- You like supporting cruelty-free companies.
- You have normal to oily skin.
You will HATE it if:
- You have dry skin.
- You prefer cleansing oils that emulsify.
- You are sensitive to any of the ingredients.
Ingredients: Sunflower Oil, Castor Oil, Vitamin E, Grapefruit Essential Oil, Orange Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, Geranium Essential Oil, Lemon Essential Oil, Tea Tree Essential Oil. // (All Organic)
Klō Organic Beauty RE3 Oil Cleanser Normal to Oily, Klō Organic Beauty Anti-Aging Serum Normal to Oily, Double Happiness Skincare Refresh Flower Shower Face Mist
Klō Organic Beauty Anti-Aging Serum Normal to Oily ($58 for 1 fl oz) – If using an oil serum on oily skin sounds crazy, I promise it’s actually not. Different oils have different concentrations of fatty acids, and those of us with extra shiny t-zone can really benefit from Linoleic Acid rich oils, like grape seed oil, sea buckthorn oil, sesame seed oil etc. These oils help regulate oil production, and can even unclog pores by loosening the old thickened sebum. For that reason, Linoleic-rich oils are not recommended for people with dry skin [dry skin type lacks oil.]
Anti-Aging Serum was formulated to balance oil production, help improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, moisturize, and brighten the skin. It will probably take a few more weeks before I start noticing anti-aging benefits, but my t-zone is a lot less shiny ever since I started using the serum. I also like the bright citrusy fragrance, and the tinted bottle with pump dispenser that helps protect the oils inside from sunlight. The serum is not super greasy: it’s more of a dry oil than the sticky, goopy oils that sit on the surface of the skin for hours. I actually wore it under matte foundation once and there was virtually no visible shine whatsoever.
You will LOVE it if:
- You prefer natural and organic beauty products.
- You like the hygienic pump packaging.
- You are looking for all-natural skin brightening alternative.
- You prefer vegan skincare.
- You like the smell of citrus fruits.
- You like supporting cruelty-free companies.
- You have normal to oily skin with visible signs of aging.
You will HATE it if:
- You have dry skin.
- You don’t wear SPF during the day.
- You are sensitive to any of the ingredients.
Ingredients: Safflower Oil, Pumpkin Seed Oil, Avocado Oil, Jojoba Oil, Vitamin E, Grapefruit Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, Lemon Essential Oil, Carrot Seed Essential Oil, Tea Tree Essential Oil. // (All Organic)
Revival Body Care Rose & Vanilla + Sugar Lip Scrub
BRAND #2: Double Happiness Skincare
Double Happiness Skincare was started by two marketing execs Sonja [who is also a blogger — you go, girl!] and Young, who believe that skincare should be simple and nourishing, like nature itself. Combining Young’s experience creating homeopathic-based medicines and Sonja’s deep knowledge of herbs, they created products that will help strengthen the skin back to a healthy, balanced state, as it’s meant to be.
Double Happiness Skincare Refresh Flower Shower Face Mist ($32 for 2 oz) – I have a love-hate relationship with mists. I like them in the summer, because they are refreshing, but in the winter I prefer to hydrate using other methods, like serums and moisturizers, instead. However, I like spritzing this one on my face after I come out of the shower to seal in some of the moisture while I’m drying, and before I have a chance to apply skincare. It’s a very nice scent, too – fresh, rosy, but not overly so. It’s actually very delicate, and not even as strong as the real flower. The mist comes in a glass bottle, so you would want to keep it out of the way, where it won’t be easily knocked over.
Lovely as it is, there are very few mists that I consider my must-haves, and this is not one of them. It’s nice, but not something I would go out of my way to repurchase.
You will LOVE it if:
- You prefer natural and organic beauty products.
- You like the hygienic packaging.
- You prefer vegan skincare.
- You like the smell of roses.
- You love mists.
- You have sensitive skin. This mist feels very soothing and doesn’t make my face sting.
- You like supporting cruelty-free companies.
You will HATE it if:
- You don’t see the point of facial mists.
- You are sensitive to any of the ingredients.
Ingredients: Rose Damascena (Rose Otto) Flower Water, Jasmine Official (Jasmine) Flower Oil+, Rosa Damascene (Rose Otto) Flower Oil*, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Neroli Flower) Oil, Tantalum Spicatum (Sandalwood) Wood Oil++ // *Organic +Social Enterprise ++Sustainably Harvested
Revival Body Care Rose & Vanilla + Sugar Lip Scrub
BRAND #3: Revival Body Care
Revival Body Care features vegan and cruelty-free products made with the finest organic, fair trade, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly ingredients without using fillers, artificial fragrances, or toxic chemicals. You deserve the best!
Revival Body Care Rose & Vanilla + Sugar Lip Scrub ($7.95 for 1 oz) – If you already use natural sugar lip scrubs, you would like this one, too, as it’s pretty similar to products I tried before. The formula is all-natural, and something you could totally whip up in your own kitchen on a Sunday afternoon. The ingredient list is short and pronounceable, which is always a good thing when it comes to products that you could potentially ingest. The sugar granules help exfoliate the skin, while coconut, jojoba, and sweet almond oils keep them soft and nourished. A little bit of peppermint oil acts as a mild natural lip plumper, making those pesky lip lines temporarily disappear.
All in all, it’s a decent lip scrub, and I thought it worked well for my chronically chapped lips. It took a few uses to really smooth the surface, but I didn’t expect miracles considering how bad my lips can get in the winter.
You will LOVE it if:
- You like natural and organic beauty products.
- You prefer vegan skincare.
- You have badly chapped lips.
- You like supporting cruelty-free companies.
You will HATE it if:
- You avoid products in jar packaging. As an alternative, try lip scrubs that look like chapstick.
- You are sensitive to any of the ingredients.
Ingredients: Fair Trade Cane Sugar, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil & Sweet Almond, Pure Vanilla Essential Oil, Peppermint Essential Oil
Head over to Navago to check out their selection of natural beauty and wellness brands, and stay tuned for Part II where I will feature 4 more products!
NOTE: All ingredient hazard colors were taken from EWG database. Please keep in mind that I do not consider EWG as the be-all end-all for ingredient safety. The company has good intentions and I appreciate the efforts, but they are not totally unbiased. With most ingredients it often all comes down to the concentration, as some compounds are great in small quantities, but in lab tests the dose if often many times higher. Every medicine is a poison if you take too much. 😉
Do you like supporting indie brands? What are your thoughts on clean and non-toxic skincare: is it a fad or a way forward? Let me know in the comments below!
