Beauty Q&A with Sarah Gibbs, Trilogy

Founded in 2002, New Zealand-based Trilogy is the brainchild of sisters Sarah Gibbs and Catherine de Groot (pictured, left), who stumbled upon a fantastic item—certified organic rosehip oil—and made it the key ingredient in most of their skin and hair care products. Sarah calls it “pure plant goodness,” and it works for every skin type to balance, nourish, and hydrate the skin.

The company is committed to natural skincare and has a passion for the environment; they work to create exquisite products that have a maximum effect on your skin and a minimum effect on the environment.

Beautorium: Tell us a little bit about your journey as a beauty expert. How did you get into natural skincare? What inspired you to create Trilogy?

Sarah Gibbs: I used to run a manufacturing business…and we discovered the Rosehip Oil. We’d always wanted to work together. We wanted to keep it really simple: Products that not only are good for your skin but make you feel great. We still apply those principles strongly.

B: What Trilogy product are you most proud of?

SG: Vital moisturizer. [It has] significant amounts of [certified organic] rosehip oil. I always recommend vital moisturizer. It also smells amazing.

B: You mentioned the magical Certified Organic Rosehip Oil, which is the key ingredient in most Trilogy products—what makes it so effective?

SG: When I started manufacturing it, we started using it ourselves. It has fantastic moisturization qualities. Now we’ve scientifically verified its functionality. We have the technology to produce it in this really pure form. It’s a happy little natural product.

B: Trilogy was the first carbon neutral beauty company in New Zealand. Why was that important to you? How does it support your philosophy?

SG: It does fall into our philosophy [to have a minimum effect on the environment]. I think we’ve been carbon neutral for three, four years now. It was sort of like a no-brainer from Trilogy. Needless to say we’re an international company, so we travel a lot. We need to be mindful of our impact on the environment.

B: Is there a Trilogy product that you can’t get enough of right now?

SG: There’s one at the moment I’m addicted to, the Firming Serum. I’ve got a bit of a thing going with the toner as well.

B: What’s the process of creating new products like for Trilogy?

SG: It’s mainly customer-driven. We get a lot of feedback from customers—directly from customers. The Everything Balm is a good example of that. Our customers would ask, “Is there anything I can use on the whole family? Anything I can talk my husband into trying?” That’s where the Everything Balm came from. Seriously, it’s used from babies on up.

B: What’s the latest project you’re working on?

SG: Well, I’ve got some breaking news. We have a big initiative going on around orangutan welfare. Some of the orangutans at our local zoo get very dry hands and cheeks, so they’re using the Certified Organic Rosehip Oil. And they’re getting great results—once we stopped them from eating it!

(Note from Beautorium: This orangutan welfare program is pretty groundbreaking! Orangutans’ natural habitat is quickly being destroyed, and the orangutans are headed toward extinction. Beginning in September, as part of the company’s commitment to animal welfare—they have always committed to never testing their products on animals—will kick off a campaign to donate $1 from the sale of each specially-marked box of Certified Organic Rosehip Oil sold in New Zealand, Australia, and the U.K. to the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, the world’s largest orangutan rescue sanctuary. For more information about the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, visit www.orangutanrescue.org.au.)

B: It’s great to see a company really take a stand to work towards the principles it stands for.

SG: We’re about responsibility. We’re doing everything we can. That’s really what Trilogy means.

-Aleigh Acerni

Naturally Youthful: Anti-aging Dos and Don’ts

Whether you have a little or a lot of grey hair (or even if you have yet to see a single one), it’s never the wrong time to start thinking about slowing down your skin’s aging process. The good news is that there are a lot of little ways to make a difference in how your skin ages, and none of them require a needle or a visit to the dermatologist! We’ve pulled together a list of “dos” and “don’ts” that will help keep you naturally wrinkle-free for years to come.

DO: Exfoliate. At least once a week, use an exfoliating lotion or scrub to reveal fresh, new skin. Try Sophyto Dual Action Exfoliating Treatment, Suki Exfoliating Foaming Cleanser or Juice Beauty Exfoliating Cleanser, or for especially sensitive skin, try Logona Age Protection Cleansing Foam.

DON’T: Forget to moisturize. Finding the right moisturizer is a must for skin of all ages, but especially for older skin, since skin naturally loses moisture as it ages. Trust us; it’s important. Use moisturizer generously, and add in a hydrating treatment (Logona’s Age Protection Hydro Lipid Balance is a great one) for an extra boost of moisture.

DO: Use an eye cream. Because the skin around your eyes is some of the most delicate on your body, it’s often the first place to show the signs of aging. Use an eye cream twice a day, and if you tend to wake up with puffy eyes, keep your eye cream in the refrigerator for a soothing, cooling effect. (It’ll help you wake up, too.) We like Korres Materia Herba Anti-aging Eye Cream, Logona Age Protection Eye Wrinkle Cream, and Suki Eye Repair Balm.

DON’T: Go without shades. Squinting isn’t the most attractive look, for starters, but if you spend a lot of time doing it, you run the risk of increasing the amount of wrinkles and fine lines around your eyes. Crow’s feet, be gone!

DO: Use lip-plumping glosses. As you age, your lips get thinner, so be sure to try a lip-plumping gloss over your lipstick (or alone). We love the Juice Beauty Lip Plumper, which is packed full of amino acids—use it alone or over your favorite shade of lipstick.

DON’T: Forget sunscreen. There’s no reason to skip sunscreen, regardless of the season. Your skin is exposed to the sun’s rays every day, and it’s easy to sneak in at least a little protection against the sun by using moisturizers, foundation, or glosses with SPF. Here are some options: Juice Beauty Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturizer (it has a long list of anti-aging benefits), Juice Beauty Lip Trio SPF8 Lip Moisturizers (for your pout), and Suki Liquid Concealer (for your face).

DO: Use products that contain antioxidants. Antioxidants are the most powerful anti-aging ingredients; they work to eliminate wrinkles, fine lines, and perk up sagging skin. Try John Masters Calendula Hydrating Mask for a pampering treat or the Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel.

DON’T: Ignore décolleté. The delicate skin on your neck and chest can be an easy place to spot the signs of aging; so don’t neglect those areas during your skincare routine. You’ll love Cattier Songe Fleuri’s soothing Renewing Night Cream.

-Aleigh Acerni

Spotlight: Suki

Suki’s 100% natural skincare and cosmetics line is beloved by celebrities (Hayden Pannetiere, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts and Katherine Heigl, to name a few), and it’s easy to see why—it’s hard to go wrong when so much attention is paid to the process. All of the products in Suki’s line get their start in the Suki Organic Innovation Lab, where they’re created from hand-chosen raw materials, then blended in-house, and finally stored in (beautiful) environmentally responsible packaging. What’s not to love?

What we tested:

Suki Pure Cream Stain Lip & Cheek in Chestnut.

Suki Rich Pigment Mascara in Copper Brown.

The verdict: We love Suki’s sleek, earth-friendly packaging; we’re so glad that the glass containers and recycled cartons (printed with vegetable-based inks, no less) mean that we don’t have to feel guilty for admiring it.

We were pleasantly surprised with the amount of product in the jar of Suki Pure Cream Stain Lip & Cheek—especially when we realized that just a dab of this stuff goes a long way. Its slightly tacky (but not sticky) consistency makes it best applied with fingers or the Suki Cream Color Applicator Puff; swipe your finger or the puff over the product, tap the puff or a finger along your cheekbones to distribute the color, then blend—repeat if you’re going for a more dramatic look. It sinks right into your skin for a natural-looking glow. We love that the stain’s moisture-rich formula smells of chamomile; and that it was a great base on our lips, as well. Top it with gloss and the color will stay put on your lips all day.

The Rich Pigment Mascara in Copper Brown is a flattering, inky brown color, very smooth and ultra-moisturizing. Its hypo-allergenic formula left our lashes plumper and fuller, and at the end of the day, it hadn’t smudged. (Gotta love that.) This nourishing mascara is wetter than the conventional formulas you may be used to; we had the best results when we applied a coat of mascara and let it dry for about 30 seconds before applying a second coat. We love that it’s 100% natural, and we swear our lashes felt softer after a few days of using the Suki mascara. No more brittle lashes for us!

Extras: Suki’s environmental policies are worth a mention. Not only do they work to create products that are safe for pregnant women, nursing moms, and babies; their gentle, effective products are created from cruelty-free, fair trade, organic ingredients, and they consider fuel emissions and travel when choosing their suppliers. Their handmade products are made fresh, with virtually no carbon output.

In addition to their natural ingredients and stringent quality standards, Suki supports more than 16 nonprofit organizations that work to generate awareness and progress, including the Organic Trade Association, OASIS, Breast Cancer Action, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and even Brad Pitt’s Make It Right coalition, which is working to restore New Orleans’ hurricane-ravaged Lower 9th Ward.

-Aleigh Acerni

9 Secrets to Traveling Pretty

Whether you’re taking a redeye to a Monday morning meeting or a luxurious cruise through the Mediterranean, you want to look your best, even after hours of travel. Believe it or not, it’s possible to look fresh, even when you have to pack light or adhere to the airlines’ strict security policies. We’ve gathered nine beauty secrets for the pretty traveler—so that you can look as fantastic as you feel on your vacation (or fake it during that business trip)!

1.    Get your beauty sleep. This is beauty prep work; after all, the more rested you are when you get on the plane, the more rested you’ll be when you get off—even if you have a hard time sleeping in uncomfortable airplane seats.

2.    Stay hydrated—inside and out. Drink lots of water (altitude is no friend of hydration), and use a hydrating spray every so often to keep your skin feeling fresh. (We recommend the John Masters Rose & Aloe Hydrating Mist or Pangea Organics French Rosemary with Sweet Orange Facial Toner. No need to re-apply your makeup; just spritz yourself and go.

3.    Keep it covered. Pack a concealer, even if you don’t normally need one (lucky you!)—it will come in handy for last-minute touch-ups to smudged eye makeup or the dark circles that emerged after that redeye flight. We love the easy-to-blend Dr. Hauschka Concealer.

4.    Go au naturale. When traveling, go light on the foundation to keep pores clear and your makeup from smudging. If you’re blessed with perfect (or close-to-perfect) skin, skip the foundation entirely. If you can’t bear to show your face without a little something, we recommend starting with a primer to act as a protective barrier, to keep skin moisturized and to give your makeup extra staying power. Sophyto has a great, moisturizing formula to try.

5.    Don’t skimp on lips. Ditch the long-lasting lipsticks for travel—they might seem like a good idea, but they’ll just dry out your pout. Instead, try a base color with either a lipliner or lip stain, and top it with a clear or slightly-tinted gloss that you can re-apply throughout your travels for a fresh look. Try: Suki Pure Cream Stain Lip & Cheek or Dr. Hauschka Lipliner, and top with a sheer Logona Lip Gloss. This is a great tip for workday lip wear, too—no need to save this tip for travel!

6.    Let your lashes go naked. Mascara has a tendency to migrate south onto cheeks and underneath your eyes, so if you’ll be traveling (especially if you’re hoping to get some shuteye while on the go), just leave off the mascara altogether. It’s easy to apply a quick coat once you reach your destination.

7.    Don’t neglect your hands. Make sure to tote your favorite hand cream on your travels—apply liberally throughout your trip to keep hands moisturized and protect your skin from the harsh soaps in public restrooms. Our absolute favorite is the Dr. Hauschka Hand Cream; it’s quickly-absorbed, non-greasy, smells divine, and it’s the perfect size for your purse or carry-on.

8.    Give yourself a boost with aromatherapy. Essential oil is a great way to refresh your sinuses after being stuck on an airplane, breathing in all of that re-circulated air. Dab a little on your temples and neck, and then take deep breaths for an instant mood boost. We like Rain Africa’s “Focus” blend, with peppermint, rosemary, eucalyptus and lemongrass. We also love Naturopatch aromatherapy patches, like the Citrus Fusion, which is perfect for an extra energy boost when you’re on the go.

9.    Pack light; but not too light. You’ll probably want to step up the glamour during your trip, so don’t forget to add some favorites to your makeup bag for when you’ve made it to your destination. An easy way to glam up a muted daytime look is to add a bit of shimmer; mix a shimmery shadow with your everyday color (or layer the shimmery shade on top) for an alluring look that easily transitions from daytime to playtime. Try Afterglow Organics’ Mineral Eye Shadow in Halo, Sage, or Lyric.

Packing for any trip can be a chore, but we’ve made it especially easy for you; Beautorium.com is offering 20% off travel kits this week, so you can score all of your favorite organic products in convenient travel sizes. Bon voyage!

-Aleigh Acerni

Pretty Natural: Battle Acne Organically

Whether you’ve struggled with acne for years or have stumbled into an uncharacteristic (and unfortunate) outbreak, acne is never fun to deal with. While your instincts may tell you to run for the harshest products you can find and wage a full-on war with your blemishes, there are plenty of gentle-yet-strong natural and organic products that are effective—no need to douse yourself in harsh-smelling, stinging chemicals! Here’s a roundup of some of our favorites, and a three-step routine to get your facial freak-outs under control.

Step 1: Cleanse. Clean skin is the first step to clear skin. Be sure to wash your face at night (we don’t recommend sleeping in your makeup, even if it’s organic!), and in the morning before you put any other products on your face. For acne-prone skin, we suggest Sophyto’s Deep Pore Cleanser, a foaming cleanser with bio-compatible fruit acids and enzymes or Saaf’s Organic Pure Face Cleanser, which has a purifying blend of natural ingredients in an ultra-gentle formula.

Step 2: Tone. Using toner on a clean face will improve your skin’s quality and texture, particularly with oily complexions. If you find that using a toner is drying out your skin, switch to a gentler formula or switch to using it every other day instead of every day. Two to try: Dr. Hauschka’s Skin Clarifying Toner, a great daily toner for oily, irritated skin, or skin with large pores. We like it for its ability to help prevent and minimize the appearance of blemishes and blackheads, and shrink pores, and Exuberance’s best-selling product, the Believe Balancing Facial Tonic, with sugar maple and Vitamin C to help brighten and balance skin while fighting aging and acne.

Step 3: Moisturize. Even oily skin needs to be moisturized; it will keep dry skin from drying out and oily skin from over-producing oil. We recommend Suki Balancing Day Lotion, a lightweight, greaseless day lotion to calm and soothe the complexion, or Saaf Organic Complexion Boosting Serum, with purifying botanicals that clear breakouts, balance oily skin, help to eliminate blemishes, and improve skin tone.

Bonus treatments: When you’re suffering from a breakout, have a big event coming up, or want a little something extra as an acne preventative, pamper your face with a little something extra. We love the smoothness we get from facial masks, and how much smaller (and clearer) our pores are after a facial steam bath. Try the Dr. Hauschka Facial Steam Bath, an herbal steam bath that opens pores and helps soften blackheads and impurities with extracts of nasturtium, daisy, and witch hazel, leaving your skin perfectly prepped for a clay mask like the (vegan!) Suki Transformative Cleansing Clay Mask with soothing lavender and antibacterial zinc to combat blemishes, or the John Masters Morrocan Clay Purifying Mask, with balsam copaiba resin (an anti-inflammatory), lavender, sunflower, and aspen bark.

-Aleigh Acerni

11 Organic Beauty Experts Who Tweet!

If you’ve been avoiding the Twitter craze, here’s a great reason to reconsider: there are a lot of great, green-minded companies, celebrities, and people that are using Twitter to connect with each other. Why not follow some fellow eco-friendly people and get a peek into their lives? We’ve put together a list of 11 top organic beauty experts who tweet; add them to your Twitter roster for some great green beauty resources. And if we’ve convinced you to take Twitter for a test drive, you can sign up here.

Summer Rayne Oaks, model/TV host/author, @sroakes. Nicknamed the “eco model,” Summer is an entomologist and environmental scientist, author of Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion and Beauty, and the host of Planet Green, Discovery Network’s eco-lifestyle network.

Elizabeth King, Dr. Hauschka skincare expert, @lovehauschka. Dr. Hauschka Skin Care was launched in 1967 in the U.K. Elizabeth tweets about everything from her favorite Dr. H products (you can find them at Beautorium.com) to mentions of their celebrity clientele.

Fig + Sage, eco beauty/fashion/home/kids blog, @figandsage. Follow them for everything from online deals, giveaways, tips, and great eco recommendations and reviews.

Weleda Beauty, natural cosmetics company, @weleda_beauty. Weleda has been creating 100% certified natural products (for grown-ups and baby) since 1921; their tweets are highly interactive and full of great information and links.

Pangea Organics, ecocentric bodycare company, @pangeaorganics. This company, based in Boulder, Colorado, is a Beautorium favorite, with great packaging and even better products. Follow them for giveaways, product tips, and links.

Jodi Fedor, CEO of Exuberance Beauty, @jodi_exuberance. Jodi’s passion for supporting women is evident in her entrepreneurship and her tweets! Follow her for an inside look at the life of a beauty CEO—she’s all about full disclosure. You won’t be disappointed.

Naturopatch, aromatherapy body patches, @naturopatch. Naturopatch tweets about aromatherapy on the go, tips, and more.

Afterglow Cosmetics, organic/bioactive beauty, @afterglow. Follow them for makeup tips, celebrity looks, and great tutorials.

Red Flower, chemical-free fragrances, @redflowernyc. Red Flower’s engaging Twitter stream is a combination of daily observations, interactions, tips and techniques.

Suki Kramer, founder of Suki, @sukipure. Suki is new to Twitter, but so far she’s using it to connect with the people who love her products—follow her for a great way to forge a personal connection with an expert in organic beauty.

Sara Snow, green lifestyle expert/TV host, @sarasnow. Sara’s tweets are an informative mix of events, blog posts, links, tips, and green living advice.

And if you’re not already, be sure to follow Beautorium (@Beautorium) and Greenopia (@greenopia) on Twitter. We love having more ways to interact with you, and we’ll keep you on your toes; you never know when we’ll have something amazing to give away, and of course, we keep you informed on all things green and beautiful!

-Aleigh Acerni

Happy Feet: Treats to Perk Up Tired Tootsies

If your feet are looking frightful from running around in flip-flops or sandals (or, if you’re like us, they’re a fright because you prefer to go without shoes whenever possible), fear not—we’ve got some treats to keep your feet looking fab.

Soak. Dr. Hauschka’s Organic Sage Bath is great for bathing, but it also can work wonders as a footbath. Sage essential oil’s natural antibacterial and antifungal qualities make it great for healing cracked skin on your feet and discourages fungal infections (like athlete’s foot, yuck!).

Scrub. We recommend some foot exfoliation after a good soak—try Rain Africa’s Terracotta Foot Scrubber. It’s pretty any useful for removing dry, calloused skin from your feet.

Moisturize. Once your feet are soothed and scrubbed, slap on something to lock in the moisture. Try Weleda Foot Balm, a cooling, easily-absorbed balm with myrrh and biodynamic calendula to soften callouses and strengthen the skin—which means less blisters on your feet!

Pamper. You really can’t over-moisturize your feet, so make it a habit to rub something soothing onto them at the end of every day. We recommend Saaf Organic Foot Softening Balm. The ultimate hydration treat for feet, it’s enriched with cocoa butter, beeswax, olive oil, and vitamin E to help soothe and revitalize rough, dry, chapped feet overnight—plus, it provides a protective barrier to help prevent future dryness.

-Aleigh Acerni

Spotlight: Juice Beauty SPF 20 Mineral Moisturizer

Juice Beauty’s Mineral Moisturizer is a great way to keep your skin happy and protected in the summertime heat. Formulated with a base of fresh-squeezed organic juice concentrates (instead of water), Juice Beauty’s products are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, phytonutrients and powerful hydroxy acids—and claim the highest organic content in skincare, up to 95%, as well as a natural, chemical-free, full spectrum sun SPF 20 sun protection plus organic white grape and pomegranate juices. 

How we use it: Alone, to protect against sun exposure and even out skin tone; underneath our favorite foundation (especially works great as a thin moisturizing layer beneath mineral makeup), or even mixed with something a little shimmery for extra coverage.  

Why we think it’s great for summer: It gives you just enough coverage to get by without foundation on a hot day (so you don’t feel like your face is melting). Plus, it’s quickly absorbed, so it lets your skin breathe—your face won’t be left feeling greasy, and your pores will stay clear.  

Extras: It simply just feels good, and its clean, earthy scent is soothing. We love that Juice Beauty’s products are made with 100% vegetarian ingredients, and come in 100% recycled packaging. This moisturizer comes in a glass bottle; so when you’ve used it all up, toss it in your recycling bin!

-Aleigh Acerni

Yoga and Natural Beauty: A Match Made in Heaven

For those wanting to live a holistic lifestyle, practicing yoga and using organic beauty products are almost no-brainers; after all, both are good for your body and the planet. But yoga and organic beauty have more in common than you might think—so if your daily mat habit is leaving your skin ultra sensitive, adding gentle but effective organic products into your daily routine can help perfect your complexion while helping you maintain your holistic lifestyle. Here’s how.

Aging. Yoga’s ability to stimulate the body’s detoxification process can go a long way to delay aging; there’s even some anecdotal evidence that some yoga poses, particularly inversions, can stimulate blood flow to hair follicles and even revert gray hairs back to their natural color! Likewise, organic beauty products incorporate natural anti-aging ingredients like antioxidants and vitamins to give your skin a more youthful appearance. Try Juice Beauty Green Apple Antioxidant Moisturizer or Logona Age Protection Wrinkle Therapy.

Relaxation and stress relief. Practicing any kind of yoga is almost guaranteed to have a near-immediate impact on stress levels, relaxation, and help you sleep. Likewise, using organic products in the bath or shower, particularly those with relaxing scents like lavender and rosemary, can have an added impact. Try Dr. Hauschka Lavender Bath or John Masters Lavender Rosemary Shampoo.

Happiness/mood. By creating a strong mind-body connection (and a healthier, stronger body), yoga practice improves overall well-being and mood. Essential oils used in many organic products also have mood-enhancing properties, and the purer formulas in natural products mean they often have a more powerful effect. Try Farfalla Gemstone Oils or Rain Africa Essential Oil Uplift.

Allergies. Deep yoga breathing can help clear nasal passages, while practicing yoga in a heated room often can clear sinuses and make allergy symptoms more mild. Organic products are often more friendly to sensitive or allergy-prone skin, since they’re not packed full of synthetic chemicals and fragrances. Try Dr. Hauschka Eye Solace or Logona Free Body Lotion.

Beautorium recently partnered with CocoaOm.com and LovePeaceYoga.com to offer yogis a chance to test out some organic goodies at a discount—check them out for details and see how incorporating organic products into your routine can enhance your yoga practice.

-Aleigh Acerni

Summer Foods Make For Gorgeous Summer Skin

Summertime is the best time of year for the farmers market—locally grown fresh tomatoes, berries, peppers, herbs, and veggies are in season, plentiful, and delicious. Those fresh fruits and vegetables don’t just taste great, though; they’re loaded with antioxidants and vitamins that work from the inside out to keep you looking (and feeling) healthy. And—surprise!—those yummy, fresh foods you love in the summertime are also good for you when they go on your body instead of just in it.

Summer Raspberries

Berries. Sweet, juicy berries are nature’s superfoods. Chock-full of antioxidants, some berries have even been proven to elevate mood, enhance memory and cognition, and improve balance and coordination. Try: Juice Beauty Cleansing Milk, with red raspberry and white grape juices or Trilogy Age Proof Nutrient Plus Firming Serum with mulberry extracts to help even skin tone.

Cucumber. Use it for more than just slicing and placing on your eyelids—cucumber’s cooling effects make it a great skin soother. To try: Trilogy Balancing Gel Cleanser or Exuberance Optimism’s Periwinkle and Aloe Uplifting Eye Gel.

Citrus. Orange, lemon, grapefruit, and other citrus fruits are great for skin; they fight wrinkles, improve texture, and even clear your pores. Try: Dr. Hauschka Lemon Bath with pure lemon essential oils or Pangea’s Egyptian Fennel with Grapefruit and Sweet Orange Lip Balm.

Herbs. Herbs keep your skin looking and feeling healthy—use them to combat acne or soothe irritated skin. Try: Pangea Organics Egyptian Basil & Mint Hand & Body Lotion (basil is restorative, mint softens and cools the skin) or Argentinean Tangerine and Thyme Facial Toner (tangerine smoothes skin, thyme fights infection).

Carrots

Carrot. Carrots aren’t just good for eyesight; they have natural anti-inflammatory properties and revitalize and tone the skin. Try: Sophyto Mega Omegas Day Moisturizer or Dr. Hauschka Eye Contour Day Balm.

-Aleigh Acerni