Dr. Haushka Rose Day Cream

I was first introduced to the Dr. Hauschka line—strangely enough—in a Sephora fourteen years ago. The salesperson was baffled by its at stringent and out-there manufacturing standards. "All the employees have to pray before they start work," she explained, wide-eyed. "They go out to this rose garden and pick rose petals and bless the bowls they mix their formulas in with a ceremonial feather." I kid you not. I have no idea of knowing whether this was an apocryphal rumor started by an overzealous brand rep or if they indeed go that far.

What I do know is that the ingredients are top notch, and that Germans have a heritage of bathing, spas, and clean simple skincare. This cream by Dr. Hauschka is akin to Weleda's Skin Food in how relentlessly nourishing it is, it's thick and white and takes a bit of effort to work into the skin. But put it on in the morning and you'll still be feeling dewy by the afternoon. It's rich, but not oily. And the rose scent is really special.

Because there's no SPF in it, I use something else in the mornings, but stash a tube of this in my handbag during winter months. I love this cream for traveling and cocooning my face against dry airplane cabin air, and for touch ups during the day—particularly when I was pregnant and would get incredibly dry in the afternoon. I love dabbing this on the cheekbones to impart a little glow, or to take down my makeup down a notch if I'm feeling too done up. (Kind of like that Chanel adage, where you look in the mirror and take off one accessory before heading out the door.)

What's in it? Rose hips and rose petals. And not from your average roses, but Ethiopia's famed Damask roses (apparently, the quality of roses there is on par with Bulgaria and Turkey). The hydrating ingredients are shea butter, avocado oil and rose petal wax. Plus, holistic ingredients like St. John's wort and marshmallow extracts to calm inflammation and soothe.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Alcohol, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Anthyllis Vulneraria Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Bentonite, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Lysolecithin, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Bran Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Fragrance (Parfum), Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Linalool*, Limonene*, Citral*, Farnesol*, Eugenol*, Xanthan Gum, Rosa Damascena Flower Wax.

$42.95 / Pharmaca

 

Rodin Olio Lusso

Photo: Danielle Kosann

The holidays are over, and with the new year comes the old lessons we have to continually relearn: Slow down. Less is more. Focus on the essential few over the insignificant many. Buy less. Donate what you don't need or what doesn't bring you some measure of joy. After the decadence of December—and its residual effects on the wallet and waistline—it does the soul good to sweep away the tinsel, to luxuriate in the simplicity of a cup of hot water with lemon, to light a single white candle or bask in the clean winter light through the window.

In the spirit of this renewed appreciation for simplicity, Linda Rodin's eponymous line, RODIN, and its star product, Olio Lusso, deserve recognition. As does Rodin's pared down beauty routine, which is basically a splash of water in the morning, followed by three drops of her facial oil and either a bright pink or bright orange lipstick. In the evening, she uses a washcloth or a powder exfoliant, more oil, and that's it. 

A 1960s model-turned-stylist, Rodin has honed her personal aesthetic to practically a trademark. Dissatisfied with available oils, she experimented in the kitchen (with best friend and Yves Saint Laurent muse Laetitia Casta), and after much trial and error, she hit on a cocktail that ticked all of her boxes. As she says on her website, “What I longed for was something far simpler—products for the here-and-now, that caress the skin noticeably and without any delay. Nothing out there did quite that.” Olio Lusso—or "luxury oil," in Italian—has rocketed from cult beauty status to a beloved staple in both the green and mainstream beauty industries.

So, this oil...it's expensive and I initially balked at the price and ordered a sample from the obliging folks at Beautyhabit.com. Upon first application, I was really impressed. The scent is quality jasmine and neroli but disappears quickly. The golden oil itself isn't heavy or too viscous, but immediately absorbs, without a greasy sheen. My skin immediately looked healthier, and was still supple when I woke up the next morning (though nine hours of sleep didn't hurt either). Olio Lusso is a blend of carrier and essential oils that are clinically proven and apothecary mainstays: fatty acid-rich sunflower oil, lightweight apricot oil, mineral rich sweet almond oil, and antioxidant-full Jojoba oil. The magic really comes from neroli (orange blossom) for elasticity, de-puffing arnica, soothing calendula, rosehip oil (nature's Retin-A), nourishing evening primrose, and the beauty industry's darling, argan oil. Oh, and the jasmine oil, which lends a romantic vibe and makes you feel prettier and luxurious just for dabbing it on. It's rare that people beg for their nightly skincare's fragrance to be bottled, so it's no wonder why Rodin has launched a fragrance that smells exactly like her famed oil.