Game-Changing Beauty & Wellness Products From Female-Founded Brands — As Seen On CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin”
March is Women’s History Month, so it’s the perfect time to celebrate some of the sheroes making history in the beauty space. To that end, I visited CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin” to chat about some truly extraordinary products from female-founded beauty and wellness brands. To watch the segment on CBSAustin.com, click here!
From vegan lipsticks to adaptogen-infused herbal deodorants, glam hair extensions, and salad-inspired facial toners, check out these brilliant offerings from visionary, female-helmed brands.
TOUCHLAND GLOW MIST
If there’s anything we’ve learned in the last couple of years, it’s the importance of good hand hygiene practices. And yet reapplying hand sanitizer over and over again throughout the course of the day can leave hands looking and feeling dry and chafed. Moreover, the entire process can feel tedious and unsavory due to the oft-sticky consistency and pungent smell of most hand sanitizer gels. The good news: you can clean your hands and still leave them feeling petal-soft when you opt for one of Touchland’s skin-forward hand sanitizers. Founded by Andrea Lisbona, Touchland offers truly chic, smart, great-smelling hand sanitizer mists that hydrate and soften skin.
Its most recent launch is the Touchland Glow Mist ($16 at Touchland.com and Sephora), the world’s first anti-aging hand sanitizer. The hand sanitizer features a delicate rosewater scent that opens with juicy top notes of lychee, strawberry and blackcurrant buds, then forays into a feminine heart of rose petal, pink peony and rosewater notes, with base notes of orris, musk and ambretta seed adding a sensual element to the fragrance.
The fast-evaporating, mist-on formula includes 70% ethyl alcohol, lemon essential oil, and radish root ferment to kill germs and bacteria, as well as two advanced skin-forward ingredients, Vitasource and Detoskin, which purify skin while also visibly restoring its youthful glow.
Vitasource is an anti-aging ingredient that’s derived from the roots of the Scutellaria Baicalensis Georgi, an herb colloquially known as Chincese skullcap. Rich in flavonoids such as baicalin, this ingredient helps to delay senescence, the process by which older cells stop dividing to create new cells. As such, then, it helps to delay skin aging, while also helping to boost cellular regeneration to help skin appear younger.
Detoskin, meanwhile, is derived from the peony flower, and it helps to detoxify cells from reactive oxygen species (a subset of what’s commonly known as free radicals), inhibit blue light photodamage, and increase collagen production.
Together, then, these ingredients help to lock in hydration, minimize fine lines, even skin tone, and improve firmness, so that hands are visibly rejuvenated with just a few spritzes.
CTZN COSMETICS CODE RED LINE
Pakistani sisters Aleena, Aleezeh and Naseeha Khan were inspired to create CTZN Cosmetics after noticing first-hand a need for greater inclusivity in the beauty space. When shopping for cosmetics, they realized that many brands were rolling out makeup shades without considering the multitude of skin tones and undertones of those in the Middle Eastern or Southeast Asian communities. Adapting a “be the change you want to see” ethos, they set out to create CTZN Cosmetics, a fully inclusive, genderless, cruelty-free makeup brand.
After earning massive acclaim for developing a spectacularly expansive and top-notch nude lipstick collection, CTZN Cosmetics has set out to repeat the operation – but this time, with red lip colors. To that end, the team spent nearly 4 years producing and perfecting its new Code Red lipstick collection, which is comprised of 6 ultra-creamy, long-lasting, matte red lipsticks designed to flatter all skin tones. The lipsticks are vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free and carmine-free, and they’re formulated with raspberry leaf extract and shea butter to hydrate, soften and protect lips.
And true to its commitment to representing beauty in all its forms, CTZN Cosmetics created a lovely marketing campaign for the Code Red line that features a diverse group of models with different skin tones, and some with distinctive features like freckles, piercings, and even braces. Similarly, the CTZN team gave each lipstick shade a name that means “red” in a different language — a beautiful nod to the brand’s appreciation for different cultures, languages, and ethnicities.
Moreover, the Code Red line is yet another way for the sisters to practice their brand of social activism. As part of a call to action, CTZN partnered with the brand partnered with beauty entrepreneur, influencer, and activist Diipa Kohsla and her NGO Post for Change to address the period poverty crisis in India and Pakistan. To that end, 8% of Code Red sales will help provide free menstruation kits and menstrual health education seminars to citizens in underprivileged areas in these countries. Each lipstick is $28 at CTZNcosmetics.com
The late Brazilian theater legend Augusto Boal once said: “Being a good citizen is not living in society, it is changing it.” And that’s precisely what CTZN Cosmetics is doing.
BYROE BITTER GREEN ESSENCE TONER
Most of us spend a great deal of time and energy ensuring that we properly fuel our bodies — whether that involves a conscious effort to “eat the rainbow,”a meal prep system, or going to farmers’ markets to find the best organic produce. And yet, oftentimes we pay little to no attention to what we put on our skin and whether we’re feeding it the nutrients it truly needs to thrive. BYROE founder Amy Roe decided a more holistic approach to skincare was in order, and so she developed a luxurious, salad-inspired collection , harnessing both the power of nutrient-dense natural ingredients and cutting-edge research to create efficacious, clean, cruelty-free skincare products.
Why salad, you ask? Well, if you think of a quick, nutritious, fresh meal that you can customize to suit your own individual needs, a salad will likely come to mind, Moreover, there’s an art to making a salad that involves following a series of steps — a process that’s very similar to the orderly way in which we apply the various products in our skincare regimen.
The second step in your salad-inspired skincare routine would involve applying the BYROE Bitter Green Essence Toner ($95 at BYROE.com). After cleansing your skin, you’d reach for this ultra-soothing and balancing toner, which is packed with 33 different greens including artichoke, broccoli and matcha green tea. These nutrient-rich ingredients purify and hydrate skin while also giving the complexion a smoother texture, minimizing the appearance of pores, soothing inflammation, and preventing premature aging signs.
JUICE BEAUTY STEM CELLULAR ANTI-AGING RETINOL OVERNIGHT SERUM
When it comes to natural beauty, Juice Beauty has, well, juice! Founded by Karen Behnke, Juice Beauty has been a leader in the organic, clean beauty space for over 15 years. Ever the innovator, Juice Beauty just gets better with age, and its latest skincare offering will ensure we can all do so as well!
Made with certified organic ingredients, the Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Retinol Overnight Serum ($72 at JuiceBeauty.com) is a nighttime serum that features a combination of vegan retinol and bio-retinol at a 2.5% concentration for maximum efficacy. This retinol combo is then complemented by soothing and hydrating botanicals like cotton seed oil, linseed oil, organic shea butter, aloe leaf juice, and murumuru butter in order to deliver the age-defying benefits associated with retinol without causing any dryness or irritation.
This is the cleanest retinol formulation to date—and that’s because the retinol is encapsulated in evening primrose, which guarantees that ingredients remain stable without having to rely on toxic processing or encasement chemicals.
GREEN GOO “PLANTS FOR YOUR PITS” HERBAL DEODORANTS
What’s more of a must-have than deodorant, right? Well, Green Goo’s new “Plants for Your Pits” line of natural, aluminum- and baking-soda free deodorants help to curb odor and wetness, but they also provide additional wellness benefits. Each deodorant is formulated with botanicals and adaptogens such as Reishi mushrooms, ashwagandha, and elderberry to enhance cognitive function, support the immune system and promote calm. The Green Goo “Plants For Your Pits” Herbal Deodorants come in 3 varieties: Clarity + Focus, which features the crisp aroma of grapefruit balanced by earthy patchouli and zesty ginger, and which is infused with rosemary, sage, and gingko to help keep you focused and centered on even the most frantic of days; Immunity + Defense, which features the earthy and spicy aroma of cedarwood, Siberian fir, and cardamom, and which is infused with immunity-boosting ingredients like Reishi mushrooms and echinacea; and Relax + Adapt, which features the relaxing scent of lavender and clary sage along with the uplifting scent of bergamot, and which is infused with ashwagandha, lemon balm, and holy basil to promote calm. Each is $10.99 at GreenGoo.com — and 5 cents out of every deodorant sale goes to the Keep a Breast Foundation, an organization dedicated to breast cancer prevention and education.
The “Plants for Your Pits” line of herbal deodorants is just one of the many offerings you’ll want to discover from Green Goo, a women-owned, plant-based body care brand based in Colorado.Founded by two sisters and their mother, Green Goo offers natural products ranging from first aid salves to castille soaps, natural toothpaste, hand sanitizers, and gentle, safe, plant-based products for pregnant and nursing moms, babies, and pets. You can find some of Green Goo’s products at HE-B stores and, of course, you can visit GreenGoo.com to check out all their offerings.
PERELEL WOMEN’S DAILY VITAMIN TRIO
Women’s nutritional needs change throughout their lives – particularly as it corresponds to the various phases in their reproductive lives (i.e. when trying to conceive, throughout the different stages of pregnancy, when nursing, etc. As moms, Alex Taylor and Victoria Thain Gouia knew that the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional prenatal vitamins was inherently flawed. The two decided to team up with OB/GYN Banafsheh Bayati (also a woman and Victoria’s doctor) to develop a family of truly efficacious products with targeted nutrients for each distinct stage of a woman’s reproductive life cycle. Thus, Perelel, the only OB/GYN-founded vitamin brand, was born.
ACADERMA BETTER WITH AGE MOISTURIZERS
Founded by cosmetic chemist Dr. Shuting Hu, Acaderma specializes in science-backed clean beauty products that bring pioneering technology and innovative ingredients from the realm of academia to that of skincare. Recently, Acaderma unveiled its Better With Age moisturizers, featuring two distinct formulations.
Designed for normal to dry skin, the Better With Age Rejuvenating Rich Cream ($80 at Acaderma.com) is a deeply nourishing and hydrating moisturizer that reduces inflammation while targeting existing aging signs. It’s powered by bakuchiol, a plant-derived active that has rejuvenating properties akin to those of retinol but without the harsh side effects. It also contains nourishing coffee seed oil, shea butter, and moringa oil, along with six skin-firming peptides and hemp seed oil to soothe any redness and irritation.
And for combination and oily skin, there’s the Better with Age Replenishing Light Cream ($68 at Acaderma.com), prevents and targets aging signs without clogging pores. The ultra lightweight formula features hyaluronic acid to instantly deliver a surge of hydration and ceramides to strengthen the skin’s barrier and lock in hydration. Peptides, meanwhile, help to give the skin a smoother look and to boost collagen synthesis, while prebiotics help to balance the skin’s microbiome and SeH-Haw EX™ (a cutting-edge active derived from kinkeliba tea) soothes inflammation and helps to combat fine lines, wrinkles, and premature aging signs.
And since Acaderma is so deeply committed to sustainability, both moisturizers are sold in reusable containers, and you can purchase refill pods — a system that reduces plastic consumption and waste by over 55%.
BEAUTYOLOGIE
Right before the pandemic, veteran beauty publicist and media maven Robin Doyle traveled to India and witnesses first-hand how western consumer behaviors were adversely affecting this wonderful developing country. She wanted to do her part to end the vicious cycle by creating an online marketplace that prioritized fair trade practices, that gave consumers access to brands that treated workers fairly and ethically. And so she created Beautyologie.com, an online retailer offering exclusively fair trade and ethically sourced beauty products — many of them founded by women,
Hailing from Guatemala, the Latina-owned Tierra & Lava is among the great brands you can find on Beautyologie. Its creator, Lucy Ashman, builds relationships with local farmers and financially supports them so they can carry on the legacy of their disappearing traditional cultural practices. As a result, many of the ingredients in Tierra & Lava’s products — which range from face serums and balms to deodorants — are formulated using organic, lovingly garden-grown ingredients like rose and hibiscus. Its motto, then, is “conscious care with Mayan wisdom.”
Silktáge is another great brand available on the site, and it specializes in facial and hair oils formulated with botanical ingredients — 95% of which are indigenous to Africa, Asia and South America such as argan, camellia and monoi oils. Silktáge places a spotlight on these botanical ingredients, which have been used by ancient civilizations and hailed for their beauty benefits, at the forefronf of its formulations and ensures that all natural oils are ethically sourced from women-led co-ops throughout the world.
Visit Beautyologie.com to learn more about these brands and others!
LUXY HAIR HALO HAIR EXTENSIONS
Your hair is your crown but sometimes you may want to swap out that tiara for a different one, right? After all, just like we love a good outfit change, we enjoy the thrill of wearing our hair in a multitude of ways. And that’s the magic of hair extensions – they allow you to flaunt the hair of your dreams, whether you’re struggling to grow out your strands or you want to try a different look without the long-tern commitment.
Luxy Hair is the highest-rated, clip-in hair extensions brand in the world, and its Halo Collection is the perfect one-and-done solution for adding natural volume and length. All Halo extensions are made from 100% Remy human hair and they feature a combination of varied hair lengths that taper off at the ends to mimic natural hair. They’re available in a myriad of colors — including those in the newly launched Gray/Silver collection, which is a fantastically visionary collection that applauds all those beautiful silver sisters who have ditched the hair dye and chosen to rock their gray strands proudly.
The 16″ Light Gray Halo Hair Extensions are available for $225 at LuxyHair.com
Visit LuxyHair.com and use the virtual color-matching tool to find your match.
