Plant-based guide to haircare & skincare

Portrait by Agnes Maltesdotter

I have to admit, I really love natural beauty products. And I have my whole bathroom cabinet filled of them! Natural plant-based beauty products made of only a few (or in some cases only one) ingredients which I can really pronounce, which gives my skin a soft feel and which are made by brands with an ethical, sustainable and passionated viewpoint. Oils, serums, sprays, masks and cleansing gels are what I use most (and of course sun block during summer!). Some days though I don’t use anything at all. Both because I believe in letting my skin “rest” (call it a “beauty product detox”) and letting it sort itself out from time to time (pretty sure it can handle it, and likes it too). And because sometimes I don’t feel like spending as much as a minute on putting oils and serums in my face, and that’s okay!

Throughout the recent years I’ve come to discover and test quite a few different brands and products, however to be honest I’ve never had to work too much on my skin since it’s (almost) always been quite happy and clear. So, with that starting point most natural products that I’ve tried have worked out fine. However, I do have a few favourites - and below you find them!

I wanted to write this blog post as I myself have spent sooo many hours on goole trying to find the best plant based products, testing them, googling a bit more, reading articles etc etc. I’m definitely not an expert on haircare or skincare but I do know what I like to put on my skin and I’ve learnt what my skin likes best. Also, I try to make as mindful decisions as possible every day (it’s not always easy but I’m trying anyway and that’s good enough!) and all of these companies mentioned below are companies who really LOVES what they’re doing and their products. Those stuff are important to me!

Note: This isn’t a sponsored post. Worth mentioning though is that I’ve received most of the products as gifts from the brands mentioned to try their products. However these are products that I’d really recommend since I like them and they work for me.

Lernberger Stafsing

Haircare & skincare

When I first started using these products for my hair I was surprised about who I noticed difference after just one wash! Also, when getting in touch with these ones it was the first time ever I put effort in taking care of my scalp specifically, something which I learnt is very important for a happy and healthy hair. Besides haircare Lernberger Stafsing also offers natural skincare. All products are made in Sweden, are without any harmful ingredients and made from the founders Patrik and Mattias own recipes and thoughts on great haircare, collected after quite a few years in the industry!

Favourite products

SCALP SERUM makes wonders for the scalp. Use it 1-2 times daily, and also remembers to give my scalp a couple of minutes of massage each time.

SHAMPOO FOR SENSITIVE SCALPS is a great addition to the scalp serum. I try to spend a few extra seconds to give my scalp a quick massage when shampooing my hair with this one.

HAIR VITAMINS A combination of vitamins and minerals which nourishes the hair. It takes quite a few months before you’d notice any difference because that’s who it works it hair. After a couple of months using this one I experienced that my hair was stronger and happier. Always make sure to take these especially during winter as I tend to lose more hair during that period.

HAIR MAQUE - RECOND AND RESTORE Simple as that. A hair mask which gives the hair a whole lot of love. Really noticed the difference the first time I used this one! My hair was light, curls perfectly curly and no frizziness.

BB CREAM LEAVE-IN TREATMENT A leave in balm with I use every time after I’ve washed my hair. Leaves the hair softer, shiny and less frizzy. A must for my hair which naturally is a bit frizzy and dry rather then oily.

Read more about the products and how to use them here.

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The Ordinary

Skincare

The Ordinary offers a collection of skin treatments derived from clinical technologies, and the fact that they already exists (and have been used at a salons for quite some time) makes the prices very affordable. The range of products are huge and after several recommendations I found a few products that really fitted my needs.

Favourite products

Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG. I sometimes find that I look tired around my eyes, and I’ve tried a few different eye formulas but this one is the only one I keep using. It feels cold and nice on the thing skin around the eyes and I notice how it’s minimizes the appearance of any dark circles and puffiness.

Granactive Retinoid 5% Started using this one after I experienced some widened pores in some areas of my face. Use it most evenings as a part of my evening routine and think I’ve noticed good results!

AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution A 10-minute peeling mask (however I only tend to have it on for around 5 because it feels enough) that exfoliates the skin which is good if you have any impurities (which we all do from time to time). I’ve heard both good and not-so-good thoughts on acids on the skin, so I’m a bit careful when it comes to using it too often. Every now and then, when I feel my skin needs some treatment, works for me. Gives a brighter and clearer look to the skin.

Read more about the products and how to use them here

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Bare origin

Skincare + haircare

Since the first day I got to try these natural oils from one of my favourite brands I’ve loved them, and since the first day I tried them I almost stopped used anything but cold pressed oils for my face! The oils are composed of 100% pure, cold pressed, organic or wild-harvested ingredients - which you also feel when using them as they smell natural, penetrates your skin easily and gives you a lovely glow. The method is as following: pump out a couple of drops of oil from 2 different oils in you palm (guess you could take 4 from one but I like to combine them as they focus on different things), add a couple of sprays of the Linden flower toner and “whisk” together using your finger, then massage in to your face! Voilá! If you feel that oil in your face 2 times a day is too much I’d recommend to use the oils only a time / day and then use a natural creme during your other routine (based on one morning routine and one evening routine).

Except from the face that this company have great products I also really like how they work; They source each ingredient directly from small family owned businesses or female cooperatives. Really nice and admirable, plus they’re 100 % transparent when it comes to their methods which I value very high.

Favorite products

LINDEN FLOWER TONER A must! Smells lovely, gives a nice fresh and bright feeling to the skin and also it makes the oils even lighter when mixing them together.

WILD ROSEHIP OIL The smell is lovely, plus I’ve heard from honestly sooo many people that my skin got an extra glow after using this one!

RASPBERRY SEEDS OIL Great smell, great feel, great glow!

HEMP SEED OIL This has become one of my faves too, because of the glow it gives my skin and because I like hemp seeds in general. However this has a quite special smell to it, so if you’re sensitive (or has someone in your family who are…I do) you might want to use this during your evening routine.

Read more about the products and how to use them here.

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Previse

Skincare

Previse is all about to previse and to be one step ahead your skin, and they have products for all skin types and genders. What Precise products you’re supposed to use depends on the melanin levels in your skin.

Previse offer both skincare for you face with easy 3-step-metohods (and lots more) but also have a range of skincare for your whole body. At their website (find a link below) you can find out what skin type you have and which one of the 3-step-methods that would fit your needs.

All products are made of ingredients from a sustainable perspective (as in no “trendy” ingredients which might cause problems at other ends"). Also, they have one range that is fragrance free which they’ve found is especially appreciated by pregnant woman and those who are allergic (worth mentioning though is that no synthetic perfume fragrances are used in any of the other products either, but only natural ones).

Favourite products

BODYMIST VITAMIN E BODY OIL As you might know by now I really like oils, and therefore this spray body oil works great for me! Penetrates the skin easily and moisturise the skin very well without any greasiness. Also this range from Previse is fragrance free!

HYDROFOAM HYALURONIC MOISTURIZER Hard word to pronounce but a super easy feel on the skin! This is a super light foam moisturizer which leaves your skin feeling refreshed and light. Also fragrance free!

EXFOLIATING MOUSSE Super soft peeling which I love to tenderly massage my face with. The peeling is made from algae extract and small grains of jojoba wax. What you can do is mix with with your cleanser a couple of times a week to get a nice and refreshing facial was + peeling in one!

Read more about the products and how to use them here.

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Estrid

Skincare & shaving

Before I learnt about Estrid I actually didn’t know most razorblades have gel on them made from animal products. Estrid is all vegan and the gel are made of aloe very and vitamin E. Leaves your with a nice, smooth and moisturised feeling - and very (!) important no skin irritation at all (even on intimate parts)! Also, it’s both easy to use since it fits very well in the hand and follow every movement PLUS it’s pretty to look at and to put up on your bathroom wall!

Another great thing is that you can set up a cartridge subscription and, depending on how often you shave / need new cartridges, get them sent home to you!

Favourite products

PEACH RAZOR HANDLE + SHOWER HOOK + TRAVEL CASE The essential trio in my favourite color!

Read more about the products and how to use them here.

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Maria Åkerberg

Skincare + haircare

Swedish, organic skincare - made not far from where I live! This brand was one of the first natural brands I started using many years ago, and some of the products still hang with me even though I’ve tried quite a few others during the last years. Every part of a good skincare routine is well thought through at Maria Åkerberg and you can find both serums, oils, cremes och balms fitted for your skins needs.

Favourite products

PAPAYA PEELING A so called enzym peeling (don’t ask me what it means really...but it feels great and tender) made of papaya extract which get a lovely texture when massaged in to your face. Have been using this one for a long time!

FACE MASK BLACK I use this one from time to time when I feel that my skin really needs some balance (and rest) + I experience impurities in my face. It’s a good idea to use a brush to put it on for a more even layer in the face. Afterwards the skin really feels super smooth and bright! Activated charcoal is what makes it black and it draws dirt and other unwanted things to the surface of the skin which gives you a happy complexion.

FOAMING WASH My go to washing product. Have been using this for a long time and like everything with it. Comes in two different types, one for sensitive skin and one for all the others.

Read more about the products and how to use them here.

The fine art of Alone time

Photo by Agnes Maltesdotter

This is a blog post about choosing to hang out with yourself. Not always, but sometimes. About being an extrovert loving to be surrounded by family and friends, but still appreciating alone-time. About daring to feel things and notice thoughts that appear when you cut of the buzz that is constantly around.

There was I time when being at home, all alone, watching a movie a Friday night was a “failure” and something that made me feel extremely lonely. However, if I would do the exact same thing but having someone sitting there next to me in the sofa it would be a “casual movie night at home”, and furthermore a legit Friday evening activity. My guess is that lots of people out there can relate to that.

        Today I know why I did have that feeling; because I was depending on - and referring to - my own (and probably many others with me) thoughts of how somethings “should be” to be good enough. What a Friday night should look like. I did’t dare to be with only me, I didn’t believe that my own company would be good enough or that it would give me enough satisfaction. And I was for sure afraid of feeling lonely.

Fast forward to when I realised it was a choice that I did for me, and that during the hours I spent with myself - without input from my phone or computer or other (even loved) people - I really got time to getting to know myself. And to become my own best friend. I’m an extrovert person, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t highly value spending time with just myself. Since that day I try to make room for at least a couple of “Thess dates” every week. And I love those dates.

No matter if you’re in a relationship, have roomies or live by yourself, some time spent alone every now and then is brilliant and will do you good. Trust me! To celebrate the whole “dating yourself-thing I’ve gathered a few pros to help you put a self date in the calendar ASAP + some of my best ideas for making your alone time really great. ENJOY!

(Some of the many) pros of hanging out with yourself sometimes

• Your relationship with yourself is just as meaningful as the relationships to the people around you. Might be even more meaningful to be honest. When you know yourself, your values, learn about your strengths and weaknesses, what gets you going and what triggers you it will be much easier to approach other people, situations and decisions in life.

• Being with yourself, cutting of the buzz, will give you time to discover what you like, what you want to do, what your passions are, what you need more of and what you don’t want in your life.

• We live in a world where we get stimulated from so many directions all. the. time. People, media, magazines - even such a thing as walking in a grocery store seeing all the options at you hand. Cutting of all (or, as much as possible anyway) the buzz every now and then will do you real  good. It might feel a bit scary at first, because you’ll most likely have room to feel and think and notice other things that you normally don’t. But it’s nice.

In other words; developing that relationship is something that could really benefit you in so many ways.

Alone time 5 ways

By Thess

Flight mode

Try being with yourself without buzz such as emails, social media and text messages, things that you most likely mindlessly consume every single day. Sometimes those buzz-things might even give you a feeling of stress/being inadequate. Plus, it’s a nice feeling knowing you don’t have to be available every singe minute of every day. PI’ve found that putting my phone on flight mode is the most effective way to practise this. It gives you time to just be and think more clearly, without the impact of others and other things. Set time to clarify your thoughts - and write them down!! Journaling is the bomb. And it doesn’t have to be a memoar - sporadic words that comes to you also does the trick.

Make plans with yourself #datingyourself

Make plans and set up dates with yourself - just like you would do with a close friend, family member or your partner. Otherwise, being by yourself might end up being something that happens when you “don’t have any other plans”, which is more likely you make you feel lonely than if you would have a “spa date with me” set up in the calender.

    Make plans for a Friday night in with popcorn and a good book, or a flight mode stroll in the woods a Tuesday after work. No biggie, only things that you like and would normally do with someone else!

Create a space were you feel at ease

Tidy up at home, light candles and put on your favourite comfy clothes. Set up a stack of your favourite books (would be cookbooks in my case) in your favourite spot in your home - or whatever you need to do to create a space that calms you down. Other then my apartment I find the woods or the sea to be one such place.

Find your creativity - and be creative

Remember times when you were younger and could sit and draw, build with lego, play with toys, bake or play sports for hours without getting tired? All those things are just a few different ways to be creative. And being creative is really something special; while being creative you are likely to find yourself in a meditative state without even thinking about it. We receive immediate pleasure when being creative, to mention a few pros it’s said to reduce stress and anxiety, allow you to express yourself, increase positive emotions and give you a sense of purpose.

    Ask yourself - how do you get creative today? It doesn’t matter if it’s in the kitchen, when building something, writing music, drawing, dancing, redecorating etc. Give yourself time to explore what gets your creativity going! Lose yourself in whatever makes you happy.

Self care

This whole thing, about spending time with yourself, is a way of self care really - but as I’m a big fan of all sorts of self care routines (including dry brushing, natural facials, massages, oil, adaptogens, meditation etc) this ones gets a heading on it’s own.

    Find things that you want to do for yourself but more often then not find your self not doing. During dates with yourself those things are the perfect activity. I find myself spending almost an hour every morning practicing my routine - before I turn of flight mode

Have fun and enjoy, X

Mindful eating

- Eating with all of your senses

Practising mindful eating is one of my dearest subjects when it comes to self care and a healthy relationship to food. Why? Continue reading and you'll get my view on this practise and way of eating. 

It might sound a bit weird. As if eating in a mindful state would be something complicated. It’s really not. It’s really just about being (really) present when you eat, listening more deeply to your bodys signals, to be able to even better appreciate what you're eating. How? By letting all of your senses register what you’re eating and what you are experiencing. What does the food look like? How does it feel on your tongue, on you palate? How does it smell? How does it REALLY taste? How does it sound when you take a bite? What flavours can you notice? Pay attention to the colors, textures, aromas, flavours, temperatures and sounds. By doing so you can witness the sensations that comes up when you're eating - in a totally different way! Once again, food is magic. 

Slowing down, being more conscious about the food that you’re eating - and all of it's characteristics - will not only most likely make you appreciate the food even more, you will at the same time help your body to better absorb all the nutrition in the food. Also, you’re more likely to eat the amount of food that your body is really asking for instead of over eating. And note - it’s not at all about any diet or not eating if you’re still hungry - it’s about getting to know your body, it's signals, it’s mechanics and what it's asking for. 

As a person who has been thinking A LOT at completely unnecessary stuff when eating for so many years (due to years of eating disorders, read the whole story here), avoiding judgements and criticism when eating has been a really big and relieving thing. Eating and enjoying - instead of eating and judging/over thinking/regretting/planning - has been one of the most life changing things for me. And let's just say I really love the enjoying part.

When we’re talking about getting to know your bodys signals it’s really relevant to mention the feeling known as hunger. Or, what it really is if we were to break it down, special hormones flushing through your body telling your brain the body are now ready to take on some fore food since the thing you ate last time is now taken care of. Easily explained that is. Anyways, sometimes we eat only because we "should" or because the clock says so. Because we feel all these things and don't know how to get rid of them. Because we are really craving something, and think that is the feeling of actual hunger. And not because we actually need more food right now. For me mindful eating has really helped a lot in the work of separating all those situations mentioned above - from the feeling of actual hunger. With this written - I also listen to my cravings sometimes. Some days I eat when I'm not super hungry but because I'm invited to a friends house and he or she made me a great dinner, or I eat something because it's SO NICE to have something to snack on when watching a great movie, or because I just want to eat right now. Get the point? it's not about setting up any rules - it's about finding balance.

And before I let you wander off I want to read this part as well. Yes, sometimes you'll most definitely find me standing with one hand in the fridge munching on some great leftovers. And A) yes, in some way that could probably be done mindfully as well but B) most important there are no rules and nothing will happen if you eat in a non mindful state sometimes too. It's all about finding a balance, not taking life too serious. Try to have at least a few mindful meals with yourself every month. That will be a great thing to do for yourself. Okay?

Mindful eating in 4 steps

* Switch off your television/computer, don't scroll through you SoMe feeds, maybe even try to put your favourite book away while eating sometimes.

* Give yourself time to eat, start by really looking at your food before digging in to it. Then let all of your senses be present. 

* Take a deep breath before digging in, as to tell your body you're at ease - and in for a treat!

* Put down your fork/knife/spoon/hand between your bites, it works as a signal to self to settle down - to slow down.

Enjoy every bite, 

With love from Thess