I can’t get enough of clean beauty. There’s just something about non-toxic skin care that seems like a no-brainer to me.

Think about it. Everything we put on our skin is a chemical in some form or another. And I’m not just talking about synthetic ingredients in contrast to natural ingredients.

I’m taking about the nature of things — the chemical make up of everything our bodies interact with — from a lightweight, broad-spectrum sunscreen to a rich, lathering shampoo — and of course, the serums, moisturizers and cleansers we use on our skin.

It’s all chemicals! That’s the reality of things. And all those chemicals are absorbed by our bodies. Some of that’s good, some is bad — and we all have to start paying more attention to what we put on our skin.

Sure, chemicals in the form of vitamins, antioxidants, humectants and nourishing plant oils are really good for the skin. Our skin processes them well and benefits from their pro-skin health nature.

But our skin also processes whatever else is in the formulas of the products that we use every day. Products that we can’t imagine would do us any harm. Who would allow that to happen?

Do you really think that governments are paying close enough attention? Do you believe that skincare marketers are? Why would someone sell you something that wasn’t good for you? It’s not like snake oil salesmen are still running around the town square, right?

The truth is, a lot of the skin care we use contains potential toxins and toxic skin irritants — like synthetic preservatives, fragrant plant “essential” oils, artificial fragrance and the dreaded denatured alcohol.

Sure, in tiny amounts they seem relatively innocuous. Take any number of wonderfully aromatherapeutic essential oils like orange peel oil or lemon peel oil. And the preservative phenoxyethanol that’s only allowed in skincare formulas at 1%. For a reason.

And while skin does a good enough job of managing it all, over time, all those compromising chemicals add up and can overload and overwhelm the skin — leading to sudden sensitization that comes out of nowhere. (Umm, I’m guilty of that, too!)

Why not give skin a break whenever you can. I look at clean skin care as doing just that — giving my skin a break from it all. Hey, clean skin care is like #selfcaresunday…every day of the week!

It’s time to take clean skin care seriously. Twenty-nineteen was a year of extraordinary innovation in skin care. New, exciting brands emerged as both indie beauty and clean beauty caught fire. Clean beauty brands like Codex Beauty, Herbivore, Solara Suncare, and Purito lead the way with clean, non-toxic, worry-free formulas. We have enough to worry about! Our skin care should pamper us, enhance the health of our skin, not give us anxiety and sensitivity.

Hello, Herbivore!

The first clean beauty brand I ever came across was Herbivore Botanicals, back in 2018. I’m not even sure I recognized it as “clean beauty” at the time. I just thought it seemed cool AF.

One day, I was meandering the aisles of Sephora — one of my favorite past-times — and I noticed a few select products from this new indie brand with the genius name and gorgeous, heavy glass bottles.

Hey, Siri. What’s a herbivore?

“Hello, Carmine. A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet.”

Yeah, so I was awestruck by Herbivore — name and all! The names were simple, the aesthetic fresh and modern. And the products just popped off the shelf.

I think the Herbivore Phoenix oil was the one that first caught my eye — with its fiery orange, electric hue and heavily weighted rectangular glass bottle.

There were the Lapis Blue Tansy Face Oil and Orchid Antioxidant Beauty Face Oil, too. And the exquisite, brilliant green Emerald oil — before it was put on steroids with the addition of CBD, or cannabidiol. I felt like a kid in a candy store, aka Sephora.

My love affair with Herbivore has only grown as the brand has continued to innovate. Products like Prism 12% AHA + 3% BHA Exfoliating Glow Serum and Blue Tansy Resurfacing Clarity Mask have made me glow — inside and out.

And, of course, there’s the Bakuchiol Retinol Alternative Serum, which I declared the Skincarma Product of the Year for 2019. Herbivore’s Bakuchiol treatment singlehandedly made me a convert. I don’t think I’ve used Retinol on my skin for about six months now. And I’m not going back.

So, let’s take a look at three of my favorite Herbivore products. It was hard to narrow it down, I’m not gonna lie…

Herbivore | Phoenix Facial Oil

One of the most nourishing, pro-skin health, non-fragrant plant oils is Sea Buckthorn Oil. It’s simply a fantastic natural substance that delivers benefits to the skin beyond the simple moisture and skin-replenishment delivered by the vast majority of plant oils.

Herbivore’s Phoenix Rosehip Anti-Aging Face Oil contains significant levels of several beneficial plant oils, including Rosehip Oil, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Chia Seed Oil and Sea Buckthorn Oil — from which the formula derives that electric orange hue. And why Herbivore popped off the shelf at Sephora, catching my eye for the first time.

Just how unique a plant oil is Sea Buckthorn? Well, my skincare muse, Paula Begoun, rates it among the best actives for the skin in her go-to ingredient dictionary.

Paula and her team of experts explain it this way:

“Also known as seaberry, [Sea Buckthorn] is a good source of vitamin C as well as various B vitamins, vitamin E, lycopene, phytosterols, and numerous phenolic compounds that provide antioxidant benefit. A unique aspect of this fruit extract is its ability to help stabilize elements in skin that would normally break down in the presence of peroxide and other types of free radicals. Like other berries, it also has a pronounced soothing effect on skin.”

Herbivore | Emerald CBD + Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil

Sure CBD, or Cannabidiol, is one of the hottest ingredients in skin care right now. But most “big brands” are simply too risk averse to formulate with it — even today.

Most are opting to capture the “hemp glow” by formulating with Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil (aka Hemp Seed Oil), a non-fragrant plant oil that has similar skin-soothing benefits as Rosehip Seed Oil and Bisabolol — the active component of chamomile.

But Herbivore went all out when they powered up the original Emerald Oil with CBD last year. In fact, they were one of the first to introduce skincare products infused with the non-psychoactive substance.

Herbivore’s Emerald CBD + Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil contains 100mg of full-spectrum CBD in addition to Hemp Seed Oil and several adaptogens that combine to calm reactive skin and soothe redness, irritation and inflammation.

It’s a lighter-textured oil than its fiery brother, Phoenix. And because it’s a lighter texture, it’s more tolerable for a broader range of skin types — including the sensitive and acne-prone skins that it can be most beneficial for.

There’s so much goodness in Emerald — and nary a toxic irritant in sight. The very first ingredient is tried-and-true, bio-compatible Squalane followed by soothing Meadowfoam Seed Oil — an interesting extract with a somewhat storied history.

From Paula,

“Limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil is a non-fragrant, edible plant oil originally developed as an agricultural crop in the 1950s. It functions as an emollient and softening agent in skin care and hair care products.
This plant oil is exceedingly stable because it is primarily composed of long chain fatty acids, the type most resistant to rancidity when exposed to oxygen. Among plant oils, meadowfoam has the highest concentration (95%) of these highly stable fatty acids, making it a valuable addition to products that would otherwise be prone to spoiling quickly.

I don’t know why more brands don’t formulate with it. No matter, Herbivore did!

The Emerald intrigue doesn’t stop there. Ingredient number five, at somewhere between 3-5% of the formula by my estimation, is Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) Root Extract. The mysterious Ashwagandha is a medicinal herb popularized by Ayurvedic healing practices that can help to ease skin stressed out by environmental factors — as well as the daily stress of modern life.

What are adaptogens?

Well, the answer is rather complex. In short, adaptogens are natural substances commonly used in herbal medicine for the purpose of stabilizing the body and mind and promoting homeostasis — the state of equilibrium.

Our bodies are in homeostasis when all systems are functioning properly. In fact, one of the most alluring benefits of cannabidiol is its ability to help maintain homeostasis.

There’s an excellent piece on the unique benefits of adaptogens in The New York Times from last summer called, What Are Adaptogens? You can read it here.

From the article:

Coined in 1947, the term adaptogen refers to substances that theoretically “adapt” to what your body needs and help protect against various stressors. Although the science is as murky as a mushroom drink looks and these supplements are unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration, that hasn’t stopped trendsetters from sharing their purported benefits, which include supporting the body’s adrenal glands, reducing stress levels and regulating hormone responses for an overall sense of homeostasis, or balance.

You see what I mean about the Emerald oil? It’s enchanting! Honestly, if Emerald weren’t green, I’d think it was liquid gold.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Herbivore’s Emerald CBD + Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil for $58 here.

BUY HERBIVORE EMERALD CBD + ADAPTOGENS DEEP MOISTURE GLOW OIL

**WATCH VIDEO REVIEWS OF HERBIVORE BOTANICALS' CLEAN FACIAL SKINCARE ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE.**

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Proude,.jpg — SHOP THE BLOG:

**Herbivore Emerald CBD + Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil**
**Herbivore Phoenix Rosehip Anti-Aging Face Oil**
**Herbivore Prism 20% AHA + 5% BHA Exfoliating Glow Facial**

Herbivore | Prism 20% AHA + 5% BHA Exfoliating Glow Facial

Herbivore has several really well-formulated and supremely pleasurable facial masks. Among them, of course, is the brand’s cult favorite Blue Tansy mask. But until Herbivore introduced their new Prism 20% AHA + 5% BHA Exfoliating Glow Facial, I don’t think I fully understood what the Herbivore chemists were truly capable of!

Herbivore’s product extension of their popular Prism Glow Serum is no joke! The original Prism serum contains a blend of 12% AHAs and 3% BHA. The new ooey, gooey, gel-like Prism mask is significantly more potent — with a 20% AHA complex blended with a 5% BHA. Serious stuff.

My first experience with Herbivore’s Prism Glow Mask left me smooth, glowing — and red AF!

I’m normally quite wary of these types of spa-at-home treatments that you generally seek out an aesthetician for — rather than go it alone at home. But while my concerns aren’t unfounded, I had nothing much to worry about here.

The first time I tried it, I was understandably terrified. It turned my face a deep shade of crimson. Only a cadaver wouldn’t show irritation after a powerful AHA mask like Herbivore’s Prism.

But it went away relatively quickly — which tells me that the formula was also delivering significant soothing actives as it was burning the top layer of skin off my face!

How? To start, the first ingredient is Aloe Leaf Juice followed by soothing, antioxidant Bilberry extract. Next is Glycerin. So what you see here in the top three ingredients alone — likely about 60-70% of the formula if 25% is comprised of the exfoliating acids — is an effort to calm irritation before it starts.

That’s why my skin, normally hypersensitive to Glycolic Acid, was able to tolerate the Prism facial treatment so well. I actually love it!

And I also love this: “Prism Glow Facial is formulated with 100% naturally-derived, non-synthetic ingredients. Prism contains no dyes, fragrances, parabens, phenoxyethanol, micro-plastics or petroleum based ingredients and it’s certified #cleanatsephora.”

To watch me road test it the first time, check out my IGTV here.

The fantastic Prism mask is available from Herbivore for $58. A tiny amount is all you need; you don’t want to burn your face off, do you?

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Herbivore Prism 20% AHA + 5% BHA Exfoliating Glow Facial for $54 here.

BUY HERBIVORE PRISM 20% AHA + 5% BHA EXFOLIATING GLOW FACIAL

That’s it guys! Take a look at what Herbivore has to offer. IMO they’re the most luxurious clean beauty brand on the market today — and their products definitely live up to the hype.

🖤 SKINCARMA