Fashion, Evolved

Clairvoyant Beauty has something no other line of organic skincare has:  a pedigree.

Founder Lexie Masterson’s grandmother, a renowned southern beauty taught her everything she needed to know about keeping her face healthy and glowing for a lifetime.  At an early age, Masterson knew her grandmother’s all-natural secrets for taking care of her prized skin.

But her mother had her own type of  influence on Masterson:

“My mother back in the early 1970′s was one of the founding members of a group called Consumer Action Now in NYC – they were an organization that was there to draw attention to the evils of what is in all of our products.  Things like pollution, toxic chemicals in products in our bodies and food.  No one else was doing this at the time.  My brother and sister and I woke up one day and found wheat bread on the table and were shocked.  I remember my mother dragging me around to post fliers at grocery stores with warnings about products.  It basically started then when I was seven, and it’s been that way ever since.  Way before the “green movement” started.  I’m thrilled that more people are becoming aware of what they are eating and putting into their bodies.”

As she set out to create Clairvoyant Beauty products, Masterson designed her line to make the most of each woman’s potential, accentuating the beauty nature has given her rather than to ‘cover up’ any perceived flaws.

“I think some people may have a feeling that if it’s natural it’s not going to work.  They don’t realize that these herbs and flowers and fruits have amazing properties that heal.  People have been using these for thousands of years.  It helps your body heal itself, rather than just slopping some chemical on your face to treat the symptoms.  Our products go under your skin from the deepest layers and heal from the inside.  And because they’re all plant-based they are not harsh.  They work with your body’s natural processes.”

Indeed, Clairvoyant Beauty boasts an impressive line which is as effective as any high-end department store brand.  They combine all the luxury of a European-style apothecary with the goodness of organic, natural ingredients.

Additionally, Masterson donates a portion of her proceeds to The Rainforest Alliance, an organization near and dear to her heart.

Find Clairvoyant Beauty at their online store, or visit their Facebook Page to stay up on the company’s latest offerings.  The Clairvoyant team is extremely responsive and will be happy to answer any questions you have about their company or products.

My favorite Clairvoyant product?  Try the Depuffing Cucumber & Cranberry Eye Gel.   Particularly if you spend a lot of time on the computer like I do.

It feels like HEAVEN in a jar, people:

When most women can’t find a product that works for them, they embark on an endless search for the perfect solution by trying product after product which inevitably go to waste.  But Dannette Evans isn’t most women.  She decided that if she couldn’t find products that worked right, she’d just make her own–and Danni Davis Skin was born.

With a full line of natural, organic products for face, lips, body, feet and mind Danni David Skin is designed specifically to help a woman’s skin remain elastic, soft and youthful.  The company’s motto is:  Soft Skin is…beautiful, sexy & ageless.  But physical beauty is so much greater when it’s built on a foundation of good, and Dannette has made every effort to keep green practices in both her business and manufacturing including sourcing her ingredients as close to home as possible, using biodegradable packaging, and a recycling program for the glass containers and bottles her products come in.

Even better, Danni Davis Skin gives a portion of the proceeds of her sales to Kiva.org and Women For Women International.

Find out more about this exquisite line of beauty products on DanniDavisSkin.com.  You can also follow the company’s success on Twitter and Facebook.

Some of the most popular products include…

Gently buff your body with the fruits of pineapple, papaya, watermelon, lemon and orange. Benefit from the exfoliating effects of papain and bromelain. Pineapple contains the fruit enzyme ‘bromelain’ which is effective in exfoliating dead cells on the surface of the skin and also hydrolyze proteins. Papaya contains Vitamin A, a property that benefits skin repair through increasing the rate of new cell formation. Vitamin C is also an anti-oxidant with wonderful proteins for smoother, softer skin. The Watermelon extract, rich in Vitamin C and naturally occurring carbohydrates and amino acids. It supports the UV-stressed immune system of the skin and can be used to prevent photo-aging. This extract also helps to protect the skin from every day toxins and promotes cell-renewal.

I have the most straightforward skin care routine on the face of the earth and I’m not always excited about trying new skin care lines.  Mainly because I have experimented so much in the past and have not seen many products that live up to their claims.  But I was totally intrigued by Dr. Alkaitis‘ line of products which were developed by this research scientist who has been studying the affects of various plant life on cancer cells. So when they offered to send me some samples I accepted and made up my mind to try the whole line.

The company’s slogan is:  If You Can’t Eat It, Don’t Put It On Your Skin. I’ll admit I first pictured mashed avocado and yogurt when I read it.  But the products arrived in innocuous looking containers and appeared to be regular skin care products.  I opened a couple of the containers up and was surprised that they didn’t smell like much of anything.  That was a good start, because I’m pretty sensitive to weird smelling stuff that I have to put on my face.  That night, I began my routine using the Organic Purifying Facial Cleanser, Organic Herbal Toner, and Organic Night Cream.  The products were light, refreshing, and absorbed beautifully into my skin.  When I woke up the next day I started in with the same products but used the Organic Day Cream to moisturize.  I used the entire line (including some of the masks, the eye cream, and the nourishing oil) for about a week and a half and my skin responded.  It looked healthy and smooth, with an amazing glow.

The reason, of course, is that Dr. Alkaitis products are biologically active.  They use 100% organic aloe veral gel as the base of their products; make everything by hand in-house; and ship within two weeks of being made.  There’s no animal testing, and each product has a one year shelf life.

After trying the entire line, my favorite products are:

Organic Purifying Facial Cleanser

Organic Purifying Facial Cleanser cleans the skin gently, deeply and thoroughly. It removes old skin cells and leaves the skin moist, soft and refreshed. Dr. Alkaitis cures the soap base for a minimum of 6 months.

Organic Day Cream

Organic Day crème is a wonderful moisturizing elixir capable of repairing, healing and protecting skin against daily environmental damage while stimulating the oxygen supply to the skins surface increasing luminosity.

Organic Flower Mask

Organic Flower Mask is an activating and energizing mask that will bring a sallow, lifeless complexion to life. It leaves the skin glowing while improving the overall skin tone. This is an active mask and is not recommended for those with acne and sensitive skin. Excellent for oily and normal skin conditions and may be used as an exfoliating scrub as well.

Experience Dr. Alkaitis and see how well your skin responds.  The natural ingredients, no-nonsense manufacturing and attention to quality make this a luxurious essential.  You can learn more about Dr. Alkaitis on their main website.  You can also become a Fan on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Have you used Dr. Alkaitis on your face?  Leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite product is!

American women spend an average of $600 each year on beauty products.  Most of these have been marketed to us as ‘luxurious’ and ‘pampering’–but even high-end products that you find at places like Neiman Marcus are made in a factory using all kinds of synthetic chemicals.  Really, what is luxurious about that?  In contrast, consider the small, independent company A Natural High, owned and operated by Valkyrie Lang.

Lang boasts an impressive list of credentials, including formal training at the Pacific Northwest Herbal Symposium, the Breitenbush Herbal Conference, Northwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and an apprenticeship with herbalist Colette Gardiner.  She also graduated from the Australasian College of Health Sciences in 2003 with a certificate in Homeonotanical Therapy.

A Natural High was founded in 2000 with an investment of only $2000.  The line features over 100 different premium, personally formulated therapeutic body care items, natural products and herbal extracts which are  sold online and at select boutiques and health food retailers.

I had a chance to ask Val a few questions about her company and the amazing products she’s created:

What is the #1 reason your customers keep coming back for your products?

Although the quality of my products keep my customers happy, let’s face it, there are lots of great bodycare products out there. My customers keep coming back for a very simple reason:  They trust me.  My customers have either met me in person, talked to me personally on the phone, or been referred to me by another ecstatic customer. I don’t get a lot of “drive-by” web traffic. And when I do, I truly believe they take a chance and order from me because they can tell from my website that I am FOR REAL.  I  offer natural, handcrafted products with great ingredients.   Typically, I don’t refer to my “customers” by that name. They are all part of the A Natural High“family” because once someone buys from me, they come back 90% of the time and by again. I have relationships with my customers and although I have not met them all– I have many people I talk to on the phone once a year (and they have been ordering from me for 5 or 6 years)– I recognize their name, or their voice, or remember what they ordered last time- they are like friends to me.

What are your personal favorite products?

If I was stranded on a desert island, I could not live a day without my Intensive Skin Treatment or one of my lip treatments/balms. The Anti-Aging and Facial Firming Serum is also another personal fav that has taken about 5 years off my face!

What do you tell people when they ask about the difference between ANH and regular drugstore products?

There are MANY differences between my products and what someone could buy at Walgreen’s. Firstly, my products are handcrafted in microbatches. What that means is that all products are made by a real person, mixing it up by hand, just like a chef would do. Secondly, I have personally formulated all but 2 of my products– I started formulating in 1995 and it’s an art. More intuition and creativity than science, but chemistry does play a part. Thirdly, I have sourced the globe for the highest quality ingredients and try to buy organic when I can. As a small manufacturer, I can buy the higher grades whereas a huge company has to buy commercial grade ingredients due to quantity and price points.  Lastly, anyone can email or call me directly and ask me anything about a product- the ingredients, how it’s made, why I choose certain essential oils, if it’s indictated for their situation. My ANH “family” likes that! And if someone is not happy for any reason, they can let me know and I can make it right.  Try to do that at Walgreen’s!

What makes ANH sustainable as a whole company?

I have been blessed to be celebrating my 10 year anniversary in a few months. If it wasn’t sustainable, I wouldn’t still be doing it- I would have crashed and burned by now.  However, I will say that I stepped back about a year and a half ago because I was burning the candle at both ends. As an entrepreneur, I have always given 110%, but after having a baby it became too much for a while. My daughter was born on a Tuesday, and I was back at the market selling my goods on Saturday, after being in labor for 27 hours. At the time, I didn’t think anything much of bringing a 4 day old baby with me and breastfeeding her between customers, but now I look back and think I may have been a little crazy! My daughter was known as the “market baby” at the 2 markets  I was doing, she came with me the first 2 years of her life and now she tries to sell product at the ripe age of 5! ANH is going through another transition right now and when it emerges, it will be a even more evolved, sustainable company.