Top 2015 Natural Beauty Favorites: Skincare

As, promised, here is part two of my annual favorites for 2015! In this post I’m concentrating on my favorite natural skincare products of the year (in part one, I went over my makeup favorites). For skincare I narrowed it down to 21 items – again, not an easy task! I tried so many great things in 2015. These are the ones that I reached for again and again and would award a ‘best of’ title for the year.

Body Wash:  Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Soothing Shower Gel. This was by far my favorite product to take into the shower with me this year, and in fact might be my favorite shower gel I’ve found in many years. The scent of real roses, hydrating aloe, coconut water, argan oils + rosehips, and rose stem cells sooth, hydrate, cleanse, make this a major winner in the paraben + sulfate free body wash category. It’s also vegan, cruelty-free, and non-GMO.

Body Scrub: Hand in Hand White Tea Sugar Scrub. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll include it here again as I have yet to find a body scrub to surpass it. This scrub does wonders for dry skin, and I am in love with the scent. Unlike chunky salt scrubs, this one is super fine and gentle but extremely effective to smooth out all your rough spots.

Bath Oil: Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Mind Bath & Shower Oil. This has become one of my favorite things on my bathroom shelf. I use it at least twice a week to have an extra relaxing shower and clear my mind. I’m always more calm after using this and am obsessed with their Deep Relax Balm that I always apply before bed, too.

Face Wash: Acure Organics Sensitive Facial Cleanser. I went through two of these in the second half of the year (amidst trying other products) and will be getting another. My skin just really loved this blend of organic Argan oil, probiotics, peony stem cell, and pumpkin seed oil. It is rich in omega fatty acids, is gentle, creamy, and soothing. There are several cleansers that I like, but this one I love.

Cleansing Oil: Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil. Cleansing oils are becoming increasingly popular and so I thought I’d mention the one I love. Occasionally, when I have a full face of makeup, or mascara that is harder to get off I will reach for this. The beautiful blend of camellia and rice bran oils melts away makeup (even waterproof mascara). I massage two pumps onto dry skin (until I have “panda” eyes) and then wash away with warm water. It does not contain mineral oil.

Sunscreen: Tatcha Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen SPF 35. Although on the pricey side, this is my favorite sunscreen (for the face) ever. You can read my review here. It  is formulated with Japanese Wild Rose, Loquat Leaf and Silk extracts to reduce the appearance of pores. It is non-greasy, weightless and works great under makeup. Almost like a primer + sunscreen. Doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin either.

Detoxifying Mask: 100% Pure Herbal Detox Mask. This mask is intense but in a good way. The first time I used it tears welled up and streamed down my face…the scent of eucalyptus is strong and helps clear up your sinuses as well as your skin. After that first time I learned to leave a wider space around my eyes so as not to cause tears. This mask is packed with powerful ingredients (including French green clay) to clarify skin. After using this my skin feels extra clean, soft and radiant. Lately I’ve just been using it to spot treat trouble areas.

Moisturizing Mask: Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Rosewater Mask. Ohhh the scent of this! I also love the day and night moisturizers from this line (see my review here). This mask is ultra gentle and perfect for sensitive, dry, or mature skin. I have combination/sensitive skin and really enjoy this mask.

Toner / Hydrosol: Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence. I really came to love this product. It delivers a lightweight mist with bioidentical Hyaluronic Acid and a blend of natural humectants. I used it right after washing my face and before applying moisturizer and noticed a definite difference in my skin feeling hydrated and even all day. It smells more on the green side of floral, rather than the typical flowery floral, which I was’t sure about at first but now I love it!

Lip Scrub: Eco Lips Organic Lip Scrub. I’ve tried maybe five different lip scrubs and so far, this one wins. Made with organic, Fair Trade sugar it gently exfoliates and polishes your lips. The coconut oil, olive oil and jojoba oil leave lips silky soft and smooth. I have it in the mint flavor but it also comes in vanilla bean or brown sugar. It is 100% edible so if a little gets in your mouth, no worries! Gluten free, cruelty free, GMO free.

Nail Care: Julep Essential Cuticle Oil. This has helped transform my cuticles, which tend to be dry and (used to be) hard to push back. Now they are soft, and easier to maintain and don’t give me any issues. I think this has also made my nails stronger and just all around healthier. Love that it has a little roller-ball to apply the all-natural blend of carrier and essential oils.

Eye Cream: Spa Technologies Age Defense for Luminous Eyes. There are a lot of good eye creams out there, but this one just seemed to give me more noticeable results. It quickly reduces puffiness, smooths the under-eye area, and brightens. I discovered this via a Spa Heroes box. You can read more about why I love this here.

Eye Makeup Remover: Caudalie Make-up Remover Cleansing Water. They changed the look a bit and renamed it Micellar Cleansing Water recently. This is my favorite way to get stubborn eye liner off, or fix mascara that has smudged etc. I dampen a cotton bud with it to use as a little magic eraser. Of course you can also use it on your entire face, but I prefer to use it for the details.

Shampoo: Acure Organics Triple Moisture Repairing Shampoo. I think I’ve tried all of this brand’s shampoo and though I like all of them, this is the one I think I like the best. It smells sort of like almonds, I want to say… It contains a blend of Moroccan Argan oil, Argan stem cells, coQ10, Sea Buckthorn oil, and Pumpkin Seed oil for intense moisture.

Conditioner: Organic Beauty Now Daily Conditioner. This conditioner really stood out to me this year. It helped detangle my hair more than any other conditioner, and left it feeling silky/glossy and renewed. It is cruelty-free and vegan, and 100% natural. It has an aloe base and essential oil blend that also smells good (like lavender, geranium, and grapefruit). The only thing is with my long hair I went through it too fast!

Moisturizer: Red Flower Arctic Berry Cloud Milk Cream. I mentioned this in my October Favorites post. It was definitely my favorite face moisturizer of the year. The formula is perfect for combination dry/oily skin and contains concentrated antioxidants from the precious cloudberry (rich in fatty acids and vitamins). The scent “from thousands of spring buds” is beautiful.

Serum: It was really hard to pick just one serum… I it has be be 100% Pure Purist Rose and Calendula Water Serum though. I wrote about this in my spring skincare routine post. My skin really loved the pure formula of just six natural ingredients, especially the calendula which helps with irritation and inflammation.

Hand Soap: I feel this category is often overlooked in “favorites” posts. But I’ve had a favorite I’ve been meaning to mention for a long time. The CleanWell Natural Antibacterial Foaming Soap. It is biodegradable, Paraben and Triclosan-free, and kills germs naturally with Thymus Vulgaris Oil (Thyme). It was one of the first things I switched when clearing my house of parabens and triclosan almost two years ago now. I love it in lavender or orange vanilla and keep one at every sink in the house.

Body Butter: I’m mentioning this one last because I truly could not pick just one favorite. It is a tie between three different body butters that I love equally. What one I use depends on what mood I’m in. All are nourishing, keep my skin soft, and smell great + free of all the bad stuff. Andalou Naturals Kukui Cocoa Body Butter
Acure Organics Calming Body Lotion (with Lavender + Sacred Lotus Stem Cell)
100% Pure Nourishing Body Cream (in White Peach or Mangosteen)

I’d love to hear what your natural skincare favorites were for 2015! Let me know in the comments below. Let me know if there is something you think I should try. I love hearing from you guys and look forward to another great year of natural beauty! xo – Naomi

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