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Behind the scenes with Shay: on being a natural skincare formulator, how botanical ingredients work topically, and what really makes a skincare brand ethical + sustainable.

amber glass facial serum bottle with fresh orange slices

No oil has vitamin C naturally

I know. Everybody says it. But it's simply not true. No vegetable oil, not even the famed Rosehip, naturally has vitamin C.

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Tags: ingredients
closeup of Bladderwrack, a brown seaweed which helps maintain moisture levels in skin

Why you want to wear seaweed

Seaweeds are humectant, drawing moisture from the air to keep skin hydrated. Preventing dryness improves skin's texture and elasticity, softening and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

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raw cupuaçu butter

Cupuaçu curious?

If you love African Shea and Indian Mango butters but want their skin benefits with alot less carbon miles, Cupuaçu is for you. Native to the Amazon, Cupuaçu butter benefits dry or damaged skin by improving elasticity and supporting skin's natural moisture barrier.

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Is eco-friendly packaging even a thing?

Is eco-friendly packaging even a thing?

You can't see it but I've got my hands thrown way up in the air. Not in a good way. Not in “the band playing on stage told me to throw my hands up in the air" way. How did my knickers get in such a twist, you ask? Packaging. I hate packaging.

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Tags: ingredients
Cupuaçu fruit hanging on tree

Petrocarbon? I'm soaking in it.

or, How I learned to stop worrying and love Amazonian Rainforest ingredients. I'm trying to do all I can to be a responsible human so have been looking at my carbon footprint...

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Mauritia flexuosa palm tree fruits

Buriti oil saved my skin

I found out the hard way how different the sun is in North Carolina than back in Massachusetts. Different meaning intense. One summer here and my hands and forearms became covered in sunspots. Luckily, I'd just discovered Buriti (pronounced bur-ree-chee) oil...

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Face the elements with no worries

Face the elements with no worries

Something about the term "anti-aging" rubs me the wrong way but hitting my 50s and leaving the farm to go sailing has me warming up to it. Not that I'm against growing older. I just don't want to look my age.

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rosemary spring, fresh lemon slices, coconut oil, soap, natural ingredients on table with wooden spoon

Read any good labels lately?

If you’re a compulsive label-reader like me, you know a good label is hard to find! Most annoying is when ingredients aren’t fully disclosed. Hiding preservatives under the name ‘parfum’ is pretty low, and hiding essential oils under the term ‘proprietary blend’ is not much better.

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Golden-colored anhydrous, natural cream made with calendula, bladderwrack, and buriti oil

Showing a bit of cheek

It happened on Instagram. I couldn't help myself. After reading the list of ingredients for a 'daily skin repair lotion' of a well-known skincare brand made especially for sailors, I couldn't stay quiet.

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