Herbalicious Skincare | Simple. Botanical. Handcrafted.

The Growers' Garden Interview with Carolyn Balint, co-creator of Herbalicious Skincare by Meredith Brady

Have you gone to a yoga class or thought about it? It looks serene and relaxing (albeit, I confess, requiring me to stretch in ways I'm not certain my body can handle). Many people practice yoga or meditation in an effort to provide benefits to their body, to relax, to de-stress, and to renew themselves.

While I interviewed Carolyn of Herbalicious Skincare, the phrase that really stuck in my head was "it's like yoga for your skin".

Their skincare products are made in small batches, locally, using all natural ingredients, and they provide the benefits of balancing, calming and renewing just about anyone's skin. Yes, there are an amazing array of skincare products available on the market. What does clean really mean? What's safe, effective, and gentle enough for everyone (barring allergies to specific ingredients)? As with many of the products I've written about here in the Growers' Garden, Herbalicious started with some products developed for a specific purpose: to meet a need.

Carolyn began her journey with Herbalicious fifteen years ago, when she started studying the properties of different herbs and developed formulas to use for her own skincare. Allergic to many things, with skin that was still breaking out in adulthood, Carolyn developed her own recipes and made small batches for herself and her family. Eventually, she had request for products from a friend who was fighting skin cancer and some of her husband's co-workers. Like the ingredients of the skincare products offered by this local company, the development of the business was natural, growing out of a need.

The first product sales occurred in 2015, when the company didn't even have a name. In 2017, Robin came on board, bringing to the table a focus on sustainability and responsibly produced products packaged in reusable or recycled containers.

What sets Herbalicious apart, I ask, but I think I know: I've already tried a couple of their products, and I have listened to Carolyn's educated and enthusiastic explanation of what brought about the genesis of her business. It comes down to clean and simple: knowing what you are putting on your skin and understanding what each ingredient does.

In Europe, there are more than 1,200 banned ingredients in cosmetics and skincare products. In the United States? Only 11 ingredients are banned, and not every ingredient has to be clearly shown in the label.

When the pandemic isn't limiting gatherings, Carolyn and Robin travel throughout the state, giving talks and workshops on the benefits of natural ingredients. I was fascinated to hear that you can wash your face with just oatmeal, it has natural cleansing properties. I was fascinated to hear about the differences between face oils and moisturizers: all moisturizers contain oils, but they also contain water, and emulsifiers (since, of course, oil and water don't naturally mix). Adding water means adding preservatives, since water can introduce bacteria, and while some emulsifiers may be perfectly safe, they are, by definition, chemical compounds.

I asked Carolyn what she'd recommend that people try, if they want to get a feel for the products, and she suggests the Trial & Travel set, including the basic daily essentials: rosewater cleanser, gentle exfoliating cleanser, balancing toner, and nourishing facial oil. Stop by the Market this Saturday (September 19th) to find out more about Herbalicious and treat your skin to something renewing, relaxing, refreshing, calming, and balancing (yes, that's yoga for your skin!), order from their website at https://www.herbaliciousskincare.com/, or consider pre-order through https://www.letsstartfreshri.com/home.