After years in front of the camera, these models and actresses have tested every beauty product imaginable. From learning what makes their skin glow to what causes breakouts, all of that experimentation went to good use. Because when it came to creating or curating their own products, they knew exactly what they wanted: natural and organic ingredients.
Spirit Demerson: Teneshia Carr
Spirit Demerson, Spirit Beauty Lounge, spiritbeautylounge.com
When it comes to getting that ubiquitous model glow, Spirit Demerson learned that the secret is what you put on your skin. “Natural pigments and organic cosmetics don’t work very well in photo shoots, but conversely, the products they use in photo shoots to create amazing looks are often unflattering and downright ridiculous in natural light,” she explains. She wanted to capture that radiant beauty with natural and organic beauty products, instead of the conventional synthetic ones used on set. But finding a chic collection wasn’t so easy.
“I wanted there to be a place where all of the products were as uncompromisingly clean and green as they were beautiful,” Demerson says. “That place didn’t exist, so I created it.” She launched Spirit Beauty Lounge to offer a carefully curated selection of organic beauty and skincare products. Every item is researched to ensure it is authentically natural and sustainable and comes from ethical, humane and eco-conscious companies. “Spirit Beauty Lounge is more of a service than a store,” Demerson says.
Demerson believes you don’t have to sacrifice style for ethics. “I still have a taste for very beautiful packaging and high-end luxury quality finishes, aromas and textures,” she says. “The challenge was always to try to achieve that with only natural ingredients. Our bodies and beauty have an innate affinity to natural ingredients and I think it shows.”
DEMERSON’S PICKS
May Lindstrom Skin The Clean Dirt, $60. “It’s like the analog Clarisonic brush that makes pores seem to disappear.”
YÜLI Metamorphic Elixir 50 ml/1.7 oz, $48. “This instantly plumps and hydrates and happens to smell really lovely too.”
May Lindstrom, May Lindstrom Skin, maylindstrom.com
Photo by Courtney Dailey, courtneydailey.com
Throughout her modeling career, May Lindstrom’s sensitive skin was a battleground, constantly breaking out in rashes and hives. “Keeping my complexion clear and healthy was a struggle,” Lindstrom recalls. “Being covered day in and day out with mainstream cosmetics was a nightmare. The more I worked, the worse my complexion would be. I had to schedule regular periods of rest for my skin in order to maintain any kind of balance—not always the easiest thing to do in such an industry.”
Lindstrom took matters into her own hands by whipping up potions to soothe her skin. “I love the process of creating a new product, dissecting exactly what effect I hoped to achieve with it, and what sensory experience I can deliver in that bottle,” she says. Lindstrom decided to share that by founding May Lindstrom Skin, which is dedicated to simple, natural ingredients. “Your skin absorbs whatever you put on it, so I follow the same philosophy for skincare as I would in my diet,” she explains. “There is simply no place for pesticides, preservatives or unnecessary synthetics.”
With her eponymous line, Lindstrom hopes to gradually transform skin over time, with permanent results. “My goal is always to restore your own natural balance, to bring health to your skin and to illuminate the vibrancy of your beauty in a way that will grow as you do, sustainably and naturally,” she says. “My treats create a shift in not just your skin, but in how you move through the world in it.”
LINDSTROM’S PICKS
The Youth Dew, $120. “The ultimate glow potion provides gorgeous hydration while balancing your natural oil production and slowing the onset of lines and wrinkles.”
The Problem Solver, $90. “This is a real miracle worker: It brightens, heals inflammation and irritation, fades spots and discoloration, and treats and prevents breakouts.”
Shannon Vaughn, Pursoma, pursomalife.com
Photo by Timothy Devine
Beauty comes from within. That’s a lesson Shannon Vaughn learned years ago. “Nothing is as effective as good dietary practices and living a healthy lifestyle,” she says. “When your skin suffers, there is internal work that needs be done to fix it. Drinking a lot of water is important, of course, but to really get results you need to replenish the system with nutrients, like those found in our products, rather than just treat it superficially.”
While she was modeling, Vaughn tried practically every product, but her skin, eyes, hair and nails always looked best when she was healthy. That led her to launch Pursoma, a beauty line that works from the inside out. “Our lives today are fast-paced and we face environmental stress on a constant basis,” she says. “This is the opposite of healthy living, and requires more than a simple topical treatment if we want to get our health back on track. We develop products that combat these environmental stressors by reducing the effects of toxicity and also adding nourishment back into the system on a deeper level.”
Pursoma uses clean ingredients that are close to their origin. “The closer you get to the source of something, the more potent and pure it is,” Vaughn says. “We look and feel like a beauty brand but our real aim is to create products that not only beautify, but heal.”
VAUGHN’S PICKS
Resurrection Bath, $32. “I really love its digital detox power and the added nourishment of sea minerals.”
Sea Spray Nasal Rinse, $14. “I use it five times a week in a Neti Pot and I never get colds.”
Yun Li, YÜLI Skincare, spiritbeautylounge.com
Most of the modeling gigs Yun Li booked exposed her to a range of makeup, but not much skincare. “Taking care of my skin was something I had to learn by myself, so I developed an appreciation for the importance of high-performance skincare at an early age,” Li says. “After two rounds on Accutane, I decided there had to be a better way to achieve beautiful, healthy skin.” This led Li to study chemistry and natural sciences as an undergraduate and later dietetics as a graduate student.
While she was working as a chemist, in her spare time Li made skincare products for friends, who asked her to help solve issues ranging from acne to jetlag, aging and fatigue. “I started receiving orders from their coworkers and friends who had noticed the improvement in their skin and soon I had large private accounts,” Li says. “Realizing that what we had was special and unique, these same friends and I decided to launch YÜLI.”
The line is built on using pure, raw materials—YÜLI grows many of its own ingredients, which are usually either certified organic or wild-crafted. “We also ensure that we’re processing the ingredients in ways that preserve the active nutrient to maximize their potential,” Li says. “We take the best parts of natural skincare—the clean, potent botanicals, and the best parts of scientific skincare—the advanced skin technology, to create a line of uncompromisingly high-quality, high-performance exceptional skincare.”
LI’S PICKS
Harmony, $80. “It’s an incredibly lightweight, protective body serum that’s been triple-infused with a regenerating flower complex to tone and hydrate skin so arms and legs look gorgeous.”
Halcyon Cleanser, $52. “I use this every night before bed to remove sunscreen and the remnants of the day. There isn’t any alcohol, soap bases or harsh chemical detergents which can strip skin and disturb skin’s moisture barrier.”
Miranda Kerr, KORA Organics, koraorganics.com
After Miranda Kerr started modeling full-time at 18, she realized that most of the skincare she used for work was chock-full of chemicals. “It’s important to be aware of what we are putting on our skin—a recent study found that the average woman applies over 200 chemicals in a day to her skin, and 60 percent are absorbed into the bloodstream,” Kerr says. “These are the main reasons that organic skincare is one of the fastest growing areas of the beauty industry today.”
When Kerr couldn’t find certified organic skincare products that delivered the results she wanted, she decided to create her own. After four years of product development with organic chemists in Australia, Kerr launched KORA Organics. “KORA Organics is the result of my passion for health and well-being, and my love of organic living.”
Designed to nourish, revitalize and hydrate skin, the line uses pure, high-quality active certified-organic and natural ingredients. “Noni is a key ingredient, which I was first introduced to by my grandmother, and it’s been a part of my daily diet and skincare routine ever since,” Kerr says. Noni, an evergreen, is packed with vitamins and minerals and is high in antioxidants. Another of Kerr’s favorites is rose quartz crystal energized water. “Rose quartz is a pink crystal believed to have heart-healing properties,” she explains. “The filtered water in my products is infused with the gentle energy of the rose quartz crystal, so that vibration of love flows through, into the products and onto you!”
KERR’S PICKS
Exfoliating Cream, $58. “I like to use it two to three times a week (after cleansing) on my face, neck and décolletage to remove dead skin, gently refine pores and encourage the production of new cells.”
Tinted Day Cream, $62. “A lighter alternative to foundation, it is quick and easy to apply, providing the added benefits of hydration, a natural SPF and tint for fresh, even coverage.”
Jessica Alba, The Honest Company, honest.com
Photography by Justin Coit
Actress Jessica Alba had to learn the hard way that labels don’t always tell the truth. The mom of two bought kid-safe products for her children, but when they gave her an allergic reaction she wondered how non-toxic they could really be. “How could I trust that with someone even more vulnerable?” she says. “There wasn’t a complete—and completely safe—solution, so I decided to create it. The Honest Company is committed to ensuring that more families have the best possible start safe from toxic chemicals. Without testing for human safety before entering the marketplace, too many products have the potential to affect children every day.”
The Honest Company encompasses a range of products—from cleaning to baby, bath & body, and wellness—that are non-toxic, affordable and effective. Alba learned the value of natural ingredients after spending so much time in the makeup chair on movie sets. “Trying everything really showed me it’s what’s inside that counts when it comes to products,” says Alba, co-founder and president of The Honest Company. “Packaging and promises are no guarantee and ultimately your body tells the truth. It matters because it’s not just skin deep.
What goes on your skin will enter your bloodstream and the air you breathe. It’s already been shown that there are also longer term effects, like hormonal and neurological issues.”
Alba wanted to prove that natural, plant-based solutions can be just as effective as mainstream products, and can change people’s perception of them. “I live the Honest life in my house, so I also understand that having products with design as inspired as all the other choices you make matters,” she says. “The premium performance of Honest products prove they’re a real choice, not a compromise.”
ALBA’S PICKS
Sunscreen Spray, $13.95. “Skincare is very much about healthcare, so of course I’m happy our sunscreen provides protection without any synthetic chemicals—and messy whiteness.”
Healing Balm, $12.95. “I love multi-use products. This is soothing and moisturizing with natural plant-based calmatives.”