Bespoke is the new black. Or, rather, bespoke skincare is the newest wisdom in product formulation for skincare products, especially in natural and organic based lines. We've come across two stellar lines this past year who are both formulating skincare product lines specific to personal and individual needs.
Odacité The first, Odacité, is created by founder Romain Gaillard, a French native who makes his home currently in Southern California. For a novel approach and because it's important to remember that our menfolk need TLC too, we tried out his line of products that were formulated specifically for an adult male whose lifestyle includes some sun exposure and late nights. Before the products were formulated, senior Skincoach Nairi Khatchadourian sent along a detailed questionnaire to find out what sorts of skincare concerns our tester had. This is the response, along with the product types and explanations, that were received: Dark circles can appear as a result of several factors: lifestyle, genetic, lack of sleep, aging.
Suntegrity sunscreen is their product to deflect the harmful effects of overexposure to the sun. It's an effective product which is saying a lot for something that is so respectful of natural ingredients use. Sunscreens still are something of the Holy Grail for natural-based skincare products.
Cleanser. The cleanser includes Tamanu oil from the rain-forest of Madagascar which is a super healing oil. They get the wild-crafted oil from Madagascar because wild plants retain the highest potency. Tamanu oil is proven to aid in the elimination of waste material and toxins from the capillaries. The cleanser also comes with two sponges that encourage lymph circulation when used on the face.
Immortelle Toner.Toning helps shrink pores and restores healthy skin Ph balance. They suggest using the Toner as an after shave. Its base is Aloe Vera so it hydrates the skin and reduces puffiness.
The moisturizer is formulated with pure virgin coconut oil and organic aloe. These boost skin hydration by locking in moisture. The fresh organic aloe also heals. It is also, "Formulated with DMAE a natural skin firming agent. Long term use of DMAE has been clinically proven to greatly decrease the appearance of loose and sagging skin. DMAE also helps prevent and reduce age spots."
Our Greening Beauty test subject felt a significant improvement in his skincare quality after using only these products for three weeks. Not any kind of a Metrosexual, it was difficult to convince him to use any kind of skincare. But after using Odacité Bespoke Skincare, we now have a firm believer in natural, crafted to order, skincare.
Absolution
The founder of this organic skincare line from France, Isabelle Carron, describes it as "the first unisex bespoke certified organic cosmetics brand." She has created it from minerals, vitamins and wild plant extracts. The line is formulated with simplicity in mind. It is the founder's goal to offer a few products that can answer a variety of your skin's needs.
This she does with a truly original approach to "bespoke." Basics of the line such as La Crème du Jour and La Solution + Energie are packaged by themselves but formulated to be sold together so that the client, themselves, can mix the ingredients according to their skin's needs at that moment.
This approach earned Carron a Beyond Beauty Jury Award and a Wallpaper Magazine Design Award in 2010. The product line is also Eco Cert-ified. The Day Cream (recyclable)-plastic jar/pump is beveled inward at the top so that when you pump a bit of the cream out onto the little "bowl" it allows you to spritz a drop of the Energy Solution onto it so that you can mix it all up right there with your fingertips, just before applying. Other "La Solution" varieties are: Eclat (Clarifying/brightening), Anti-Age, and Controle.
The product philosophy emphasizes Listening. "Listen to Yourself..." it says, "Listen to your skin! Intimate connection, echo of your soul and body, your skin's needs are like yours: constantly changing.
The ingredients are potent: Olive tree flavonoids, Aloe Vera, Borage oil whose anti-aging actions is combined with a mineral sunscreen (Mica) - all of this in the day cream. And in the booster you have Echinacea, Edelweiss and Extract of Thermus Thermophillus to name a few. [That last-named ingredient is particularly effective in protecting your skin from air pollution, UV ad electromagnetic radiations.]
You can read more on the new Absolution.me Blog.
10-12, 2011
The World Bank
Electronic Recyclers International
Embassy of Finland in Washington DC
