Sequoia organic skincare

Warm summer days are leaving and autumn with its beautiful colors and new beginnings is on the door. This time is especially great for regenerating and pampering your sun-kissed skin. During my vacations on the sea, that I love so much, I had the opportunity to try a totally organic all-herbs-and-plants skin care products from Sequoia beauty. This lovely brand from Northern California is driven by Laurel Shaffer, the founder of Sequoia, Herbalist and skin care specialist. I was very inspired about Laurel’s philosophy regarding our body, mind and nature connection. Her points of view are in connection with mine, this is why I decided to take a deep look on her products. And what I discovered is an amazing brand with so organic ingredients and formulations that you can almost eat! However, I encourage everyone to try her brand, especially people who are used to use synthetic cosmetics which has toxic synthetically made scents and extracts, to understand what it means to inhale a natural smell and treat your skin with REAL plant and herbal extracts. The difference is unparalleled! But mostly I love the fact that Laurel “is inspired by how even the energy of healing from one person to another can result in miracles.” I don’t just agree, I also think that this is the future of beauty and healing! I encourage you to read more about Laurel’s philosophy on Sequoia page. (UPDATE: Sequoia beauty is now relaunched under the name Laurel organic skincare)

Review of my favorite Sequoia organic products

I mentioned that I’ve tried Sequoia’s products on my vacation and I have to say they were just the right product at the right time! I want to share with you which products I have tried, my beauty ritual and how the products worked for me. It was especially handy to carry with me many products, because they were (quite big) sample sizes. And as I mention many times: a little goes a long way, because of so many nourishing organic oils and concentrated extracts. I hardly say which product is my favorite because I love the ritual of using a combination of them.

My beauty ritual with Sequoia 

1.step

cleansing the skin with the gentle but effective Almond mineral exfoliator. A product that can be used by every skin type, because its texture and ingredients. I have mixed it with water or Firm and tighten toner to get a quite dense mixture and then applied it to the face and gently massaged it into the skin. Because of grounded almonds, oats and chamomile the feeling on the skin is clean but nourished and soft as well. The beautiful scent that this product leaves is due to essential oils of Rose and Rose Geranium that you can sense inside.

2.step

Because my skin was everyday more tanned and prone to dry, I decided to nourish it everyday with Sequoia’s gorgeous Honey Berry Enzyme Mask, after using the Almond scrub. The result was a soft, nourished and regenerated glowing skin! The Honey berry mask is a product that can be literally eaten! The main ingredient is organic raw honey that is one of my favorites masks in general. Honey is great because has natural antibiotic properties, it nourishes the skin and removes impurities. I love when on the sea I get some pimples, because this way I know that the salt from the sea which is a potent detoxifier, is doing its work and it detoxifies my body. After, I nourished my skin with a boost of all these organic gems! Coming back to Sequoia’s Honey Berry Enzyme Mask: among honey it contains also Organic Strawberries and Blueberries because of their enzyme and cleansing actions as well as being antioxidants. Needles to mention, the ingredient list is the purest ever (as well as all Sequoia products!):

Raw Honey*, Raw Strawberries*, Raw Blueberries*, Raw Royal Jelly*, and White Grapefruit Essential Oil* *Each ingredient is certified organic, raw, and local to the bay area

3.step 

After leaving the mask on my face for about 20 min, I’ve washed my face with water and if needed applied even the toner for refreshment. Then I have massaged around the eyes my 2nd favorite Sequoia product Eye Dream. This is really a dream for the under-eye area: a very hydrating and nourishing eye cream with a vivid yellow color and a strong herbal scent. As stated on Sequoia’s page this cream: Stimulates collagen with rosehip seed oil and sea buckthorn oil, both containing high amounts of vit C. Bilberry for optimal eye health, and in combination Nettle to reduce puffiness, fluid retention, and dark circles. Licorice to reduce inflammation. This cream is a fountain of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A,C,E, and K, and its also filled with plants high in the carotenes for optimal eye health. Rose and Lavender are both gentle and soothing to the eyes. Soft essential oils of Lavender, Sandlewood, and Myrrh are soothing as well as beneficial to aging skin. I don’t have nothing else to add. You have to try this product to understand! It’s also calles Eye am new, so cool!

Eye am New ingredients: Rose*, Chamomile*, Lavender*, Raw and Unrefined Oils of Jojoba*, Rosehip*, Borage*, Sesame*, Grape Seed*, Wheatgerm*, Red Raspberry Seed* and Sea Buckthorn*; Shea Butter*, 11 Plant Eye am New Proprietary Blend*, Vegetable Wax, Vegetable Glycerine, Soy Lecithin*, Licorice*, Gotu Kola*, Rosemary*, Non-GMO Vit E, Red Radish Root Filtrate, Sequoia Beauty Flower Essence*, and Essential Oils* *Signifies certified organic, raw, and unrefined ingredient.

4.step

the last step is the moisturizer and I had to choose among serums or the Transform Daily Moisturizer. Usually I used the moisturizer, a vivid yellow in color and full in moisture, this cream was perfect as a make-up base. It’s also quite full of water because Rose and Calendula hydrosols and thus great for dry skin. The moisturizer as well Sequoia serums have an additional special blend of many herbs that help to nourish and protect the skin. Among many others you can find: Comfrey – for rapid cell reproduction, Gotu Kola – collagen stimulation, Sesame oil – antioxidants, Wheatgerm – nourishing, Sea Buckthorn oil- vit c, reverses/prevents sun damage, stimulates collagen. As you can see these blends are a pure gift of nature!

The second moisturizer that I loved so much is the Nourish Serum. As you know, I love organic oils on my skin and so I apply them in the evening on clean face and neck. Organic oils are elixirs for our skin! Nourish face serum is a very dense orange oil with a nice smell – I noticed mostly the Sea Buckthorn, a great plant delivering us one of the best oils, rich in vitamins C, A, B1, B2, E, essential fatty acids, flavonoids, carotenoids and many other beneficial constituents that provide skin repairing, nourishing, regenerating actions. This oil is quite dense, so you need just a few drops for the entire face. It absorbs quickly in the skin and does not clog pores like synthetic oils. Here is the glorious list with ingredients:
Certified Organic, Raw and Unrefined Oils of Jojoba, Rosehip, Sesame, Almond, Borage, Evening Primrose, Red Raspberry Seed, Sea Buckthorn, Wheatgerm, Meadowfoam, and Tamanu, a Nourish Proprietary Blend of 18 Plants*, Rosemary Extract, and Essential Oils of Bergamot, Rose Geranium, and Clary Sage. *The Nourish proprietary blend is 100% organic and all plants are locally grown in the bay area. All plants are hand pressed by Sequoia Beauty. If you have plant allergies please contact us for more information. **Please note Nourish is absolutely 100% organic in its entirety – from the oils, the plant blend, to the essential oils.

Additional product  Purity Face & Body Balm was my all-around product that I applied especially on the body where I had dry skin areas. This balm has a brown yellow color and it reminds me of indian curry with its scent. It’s a nourishing balm very good especially for dry skin on the body and face as well. It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and at Sequoia they recommend it for those who suffer from eczema or psoriasis, because of the high percentage of nutrients and no water in it.

Purity Team: Unrefined Shea butter*, Tamanu oil*, Rosehip seed oil*, and our essential oil blend* which includes Neroli and Sandalwood. *Each ingredient is certified organic, raw, and unrefined

In conclusion, I encourage you to try Sequoia if you haven’t yet. Especially because you will understand what real organic herb-and-flowers blend means. And invite new scents and benefits in your life!