Tag Archives: Organic Skin Care

BOOTS: New Skin Treats From An Old-School Brand

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THE GIST:144978072

1. Do yourself (and your face) a favor and get to your nearest Walgreen’s or Duane Read for the incredibly affordable, high quality Boots Botanics Organic Facial Oil!

2. Boots has put out a few good quality products at a great price point that are definitely worth checking out. I’ve listed them in order of my personal enjoyment of each:

  • Botanics Organic Facial Oil—amazing moisture, high-quality, clean and simple organic ingredients, great price. Perfect replacement for Dr. Hauschka Normalizing Day Oil. As always, make sure you are not reactive to any of the natural oils before use, since even natural and essential oils can be irritants to certain skin sensitivities. Ingredients-wise: much better than what you would expect from a mainstream, drugstore product.
  • No.7 Fanomenal Lashes—quick and easy application, gives my lashes instant, full, furry, wow-factor at a drugstore price. I love the brown/black for a more natural look. Very impressive. I actually use this every day. Ingredients-wise: well…it’s make-up!
  • Botanics Tinted Lip Balm—very comfortable, moisturizing balm with great tint. I have “pomegranate” which is a very natural, reddish-berry, flushed lip color. “Botanics” is a stretch here though. It is not organic and has some good ingredients mixed with some of the not-so-great stuff. Ingredients-wise: what you would expect from a mainstream, drugstore cosmetic.
  • Botanics Organic Body Moisturizing Lotion—while I’m not totally amazed with the feel of this lotion (a little greasy/sticky), it’s ingredients are safe and organic, which is a big plus. If you’re concerned about the toxicity of main-stream products but can’t afford really posh brands like Dr. Hauschka or Jurlique, this is a great alternative and it’s more affordable. Ingredients-wise: much better than what you would expect from a mainstream, drugstore product.
  • Botanics Organic Body Butter—this one also has a slightly less than perfect feel, but I’m more comfortable using this over another body butter like The Body Shop’s simply because of it’s non-toxic ingredients. It’s also more affordable! Ingredients-wise: much better than than what you would expect from a mainstream, drugstore product.

THE DETAILS:

I’m obsessed with deeply moisturizing skin-care products. Dry skin is so uncomfortable, plus it can look cracked, deflated and flaky. But I don’t like things that just sit on top of my skin or feel greasy (there’s a difference between oil and grease in my book). I also don’t like products with too many ingredients- especially chemical and synthetic ones. The products that fit this bill are few and far between and often carry a hefty price tag. Historically, the unparalleled products I have sworn by for deep, healthy moisturizing that my skin gladly drinks up are:

  1. Dr. Hauschka’s Normalizing Day Oil—a luxurious, organic, sophisticated and exquisitely, naturally scented oil.
  2. BoomSilk*—a thick and rich, all natural, organic, hand-made moisturizer.

While BoomSilk continues to be a mainstay product that it would be hard to live without, Dr. Hauschka’s products, with their exorbitant price point, have become a rare treat that I indulge in only when I’m feeling flush.

Well…over the course of the last few years, the Walgreen’s and Duane Read stores of New York City have been getting a major make-over, filling their shelves with some thoughtfully curated beauty products to help customers with their own make-overs. One day I happened into one of these fancy new Walgreen’s and came across a make-up line with very attractive (and effective!) packaging that drew me in for a closer look. At first glance it appeared to be a brand call BOTANICS. Skeptical, I investigated further, reading ingredient listings and sampling available testers. It looked promising and I was intrigued but, being in a rush, I had to make note of it for a later revisit.

Then, while perusing my local Duane Read, I noticed similar packaging in the skin-care aisle, but these bottles and boxes said BOTANICS ORGANIC. I honed in on a little bottle called ORGANIC FACIAL OIL. I was at once excited, hopeful and skeptical. But I read the ingredients and, not only were they few in number, they were high in quality. To top it off, it was eight dollars! (Dr. Hauschka Normalizing Day Oil is a whopping $40 for 1 oz.) Upon first use, I was madly in love and totally devoted. I keep a bottle in my bathroom cabinet, one next to my bed, one at my boyfriend’s house and one in my kit. LOVE!!!

ABOUT BOOTS: Shortly after discovering the facial oil, I did some research and found that the brand is a subsidiary of Boots. I went to a job and raved about it at which point the British stylist and model said, “Oh, it’s Boot’s?!” You see, Boots is a ubiquitous, English pharmacy chain, founded in 1849. It’s cosmetics don’t exactly have the highest reputation in England, being considered kind of old-hat, but after partnering with Walgreen’s in the US in 2012 it seems they’ve done some revamping, first with their No.7 line and now Botanics and Botanics Organic.

After writing a positive review on the Boots site for the facial oil, I received a lovely note from one of their representatives saying how glad they were that I was enjoying the product. They eventually sent me some other things to try. Overall, the facial oil remains the one that truly blew me away, but the products I’ve listed here are those that I found to be noteworthy and deserving of recommendation.

*Full disclosure: BoomSilk is part of my mother, Cindy Joseph’s, Boom! line. Objectively speaking, however, she has put out an awesome product that we both swear by and use every day. 😉