Natural Winter Skincare Tips + Interview with Luminance Skincare

We all know it’s coming……. super dry air, harsh winds, and bone-chilling cold. Living in a northern state, our skin is certainly at a disadvantage. It seems every winter, my bare white legs can’t hold the moisture I give them, and the hot showers that feel so good only make it worse. My face seems to have trouble finding balance, and to no avail, I’m always fighting dry, flaky skin.

As part of my new column here on the blog, Well + Good, I’m excited to be sharing more natural skincare ideas with you, and DIY beauty “recipes” (here’s the easy Hand Repair Cream in case you missed it). And today it’s all about keeping your skin feeling invigorated, fresh and soft throughout the winter months, naturally.

As I’ve mentioned before, this year I took a long hard look at the products I was using on my body. I started from scratch with my medicine cabinet and makeup bag in seeking out natural ways to nourish my skin, I connected with Elena & Kim from Luminance Skincare. Just as the story behind food is important to me, I feel a similar pull towards many things, whether that be a scarf I’m wearing or in this case, what I’m putting on my skin. I was taken back by Kim’s (the founder) story, and embraced their philosophy of creating handmade, raw organic products without anything synthetic or toxic. From the hydrating moisturizer (my favorite!) to the sunscreen, skin butter and eye serum, they’re all made with high quality oils that have essential fatty acids, exactly what our skin needs.

With the change in skincare, my face has become soft, clear, and refreshed. Hence, the no make-up picture above.

So today I’m talking with Kim to share his passionate thoughts on skincare, dispell common myths, and prepare with natural winter skincare tips. PLUS THERE’S A GIVEAWAY FOR THESE FOUR PRODUCTS, MY MUST-HAVES! 

• What inspired you to start Luminance Skincare, and how does your passion continue to blossom?

After years of battling migraines, we discovered that my wife’s pain was being triggered by the synthetic, and largely toxic ingredients found in almost all commercially available products and many of the so called “hand crafted and natural” skincare products, especially the synthetic fragrances, used in making them. Even “unscented” products use toxic Masking Scent to cover all the nasty smells of the awful commercial ingredients (it’s why most unscented products smell the same regardless of what’s in them or who makes them). Regardless of claims and declarations of purity most products from companies large and small, many contain synthetic fragrances and preservatives to a wide range of petrochemical derivative oils, and animal part derived gums. It really is a mess.

An engineer by trade, I decided we were going to embark on a journey to create safe, clean, and nourishing products, that are perceived by the skin as nutrients, and do no harm to anyone or anything. I took to the extreme and put on my engineering hat, studying skincare used in ancient times, throwing out conventional wisdom, and getting back to basics. Everything is organic, vegan and raw. Without anything synthetic. Toxic. Or harmful in any way, all handmade by me.

• What does our skin crave most?

Water! And good nutrition. And fatty acids, which is why you’ll notice that all of our products are made with nourishing oils like Tamarind, Kukui, Argan, Avocado, Apricot Kernel, Tamanu and Borage.

The geek in me is fascinated by the fact that our skin is a self replicating, a dynamic protective membrane from what it senses from our outside world, and what we’re putting into it. It recreates to protect us.

• What innocent mistakes do you typically see when people are trying to treat their skin naturally?

When most people decide to dabble in natural skincare, they typically turn to coconut oil based products. Our bodies love to digest the good fats and nutrition benefits of coconut, but only via eating it. Topically used, coconut oil coagulates and actually clogs pores, sitting on top of the skin and never getting deep enough to moisturize.

• And finally what are your top winter skincare tips, besides moving to California like you ;)?

1. In really dry climates, it’s especially important to prep your skin beforehand by balancing the PH. This allows it to absorb the nutrients you’re feeding it, and provide a steady base. This can easily and quickly be done with a few sprays of rosewater, which also feels fresh and invigorating.

2. Cleansing is a must, but gently. You don’t want to strip away the natural oils. Our delicate cleanser is a very pure handmade liquid soap with it’s pH naturally adjusted with carefully selected organic ingredients to compliment and nourish your skin.

Funny thing about soap. There’s no better way to cleanse your facial skin than a properly made and properly pH balanced soap. When people say “Don’t put soap on your face” it’s because they don’t really understand skin. What they should be saying is don’t use anything on your skin that challenges the natural pH balance of your skin.

3. Moisturizing is critical to keep your skin balanced, feeding it with the nutrients in needs to replicate. Our deep hydration lotion is rich with Tamarind Seed and Tamanu Oils; together acting very much like collagen to help your skin retain moisture and regain elasticity. It all starts with a base of Organic Lavender Water; a very calming antioxidant, and is blended with the oils of Argan, Kukui Nut, Borage, Sunflower and Meadow Foam.

Perhaps what’s best is the quick complete penetration leaving your skin silky and smooth. Never greasy, allowing make up application in a minute or two. And when the cold, dry air just gets to be too much, our skin butter will be your best friend.

Or if you struggle with eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis. While it won’t cure the condition, it will help with the itching and the scaliness. Also, swimmers, desert or high mountain dwellers swear by it.