We're a group of people who started a skin care line after 20 years of researching and experimenting ingredients to help our sensitive and/or breakout-prone skin types look their very best. We met with chemists who helped us formulate the very best options for addressing our various skin care concerns (clearing up our faces, and reducing the visible signs of aging, for example). We've tested these products and our proposed skin care routines on ourselves and tweaked formulas based on client feedback for 10 years now, and we feel really great about our offerings. We can't wait for you to try them, and we're here to help you get the very best results. Please feel free to reach out with any questions you might have if the following FAQ list doesn't answer them! Just click the contact button on the main page.
Yes, we are committed to cruelty-free skin care and cosmetics, and our product line is 100% vegan.
Are your products "clean"?
We certainly consider our line "clean," in the sense we pay very close attention to our ingredients (see our yes/no lists!) and are committed to safety and accountability (we're third-party tested and adhere to good manufacturing practices). The meaning of "clean" varies from line to line, and in our opinion it's kind of a nebulous concept and not extremely scientific. Concerns about a particular ingredient/allergen? Email us (click our contact button on the main page)! We're here to help.
Are you products natural/organic?
We use and love natural and organic ingredients if they're non-irritating and safe. We don't subscribe to the philosophy that "natural" is inherently safe or more effective, though. Many natural ingredients can trigger irritation, breakouts and cause skin to age prematurely. Safe synthetics exist, and we use ones that deliver great results without the irritation potential. We're all about science and results--not into fear-mongering and oversimplification, we respect our clients too much for that. So even though it's trendy and makes for nice marketing copy to say "all-natural," we have to keep it real with our clients and not pander. The science of skin care is so interesting, and we're here to explain and demonstrate that. See our ingredients page to learn which natural ingredients we like best and which ones we avoid.
In what order do I use my products?
After cleansing, use your liquid toners on pads to remove dirt and oil, then follow with moisturizer over dry or sensitive areas, then choose your other actives to apply where needed. The main thing is to know what you're using and why. Make sure you're putting products that control oil for example (like salicylic acid and niacinamide) only to the t-zone and products meant to be stimulating like Serum C only to non-sensitive areas or just to the under eyes. Basically, after cleansing and toning, just be strategic and specific!
What do the different acids you use do?
We use quite a few active acids in our skin care line and each has a unique effect on skin. Contrary to what you might assume, you really can't feel our acids working! they're so gentle and mild they don't even tingle. But you can SEE them working, and it's one reason our line is so popular. We're about providing immediate, noticeable benefit without the irritation potential!