Annmarie Skin Care
The skin care industry is riddled with questionable practices and toxic ingredients. It’s the very thing that inspired Annmarie Skin Care´s founders to create an intentional line with your health and the planet’s health in mind, formulated with organic and wildcrafted ingredients. So, back in 2008, healthy living bloggers Annmarie and Kevin Gianni powered up a vegetable oil-powered RV and embarked on a 2½-year journey across North and South America. Their goal: to track down the best natural-care products and protocols to share with viewers of their popular YouTube videocast, The Renegade Health Show. While Annmarie and Kevin were posting interviews with healthcare experts, manufacturers, growers, and healers, their viewers were posting a question of their own: “Annmarie, what products do you use for your skin?”
After a six-month search, Annmarie Skin Care was launched in 2009. Each product is made with intention, and all ingredients are hand-selected, then infused in base oils and aloe juice, and then crafted using additional plant extracts and ingredients to make them as effective as possible. The result is beautiful, glowing skin.
In the decade since Annmarie Skin Care was founded, little has changed in terms of regulation or legislation—despite the marketplace being more crowded than ever. The concept of conscious, non-toxic beauty is now commonplace, along with buzzwords like clean, real, pure, safe, green, and, of course, natural. What does it all mean for your health? Do these terms equate to safety?
The truth is: not always so. Annmarie Skin Care wants to ensure that there is trust and understanding on exactly what “clean beauty” means. There’s a lot of misinformation surrounding the different terminology to describe a product, so the brand has created an outline to provide context and a benchmark for where Annmarie stands exactly, and how they define clean. Let’s start with some broadly used terms:
Natural. Although “natural” suggests purity and safety, that may not always be the case. It often isn’t, in fact. There is no official regulation by the FDA around the word “natural” and so companies can simply claim their products are “natural”, even if they’re aware of harmful ingredients. These products may even contain a plant-based ingredient or a trendy botanical for marketing purposes… when the formula is actually full of toxic or chemical-synthetic ingredients. This is called greenwashing and, sadly, it’s a common occurrence in the industry. Ultimately, everyone has their own opinion of what could be claimed “natural”, from virgin and unprocessed oils, to organic oils that may not be virgin. Some may even consider petroleum to be natural, as crude oil is technically derived from the earth. And you probably know that some makeup lines contain talc—another potentially damaging ingredient that is, again, technically “natural”. Annmarie Skin Care doesn’t use any of these last ingredients. At Annmarie, the word “natural” means safe, effective, and proven plant-based ingredients—which include all of their extracts, oils, and even preservatives—that promote gorgeous skin without compromising your health.
Organic. At one time, everything we were eating and applying to our skin was organic. It wasn’t until around the 1930s that scientists started discovering how certain chemicals can be used to kill insects and other agricultural pests that they started to be used in our food and body products. As far as cosmetics today, a product can say it’s “made with organic ingredients” and only 70% of the ingredients in a given formula need to be made with those organic ingredients. As for the remaining 30%? That’s where potentially harmful ingredients can hide—including parabens (Propyl-, Isopropyl-, Butyl- and Isobutyl-), which are known endocrine disruptors. There is always the option of the USDA organic seal, which requires a product to contain at least 95% certified organic ingredients. Although the brand utilizes a lot of individual ingredients that are certified organic, Annmarie Skin Care has opted out of organic certification for their line as a whole for a few reasons.
To begin with, it is widely-known that the USDA offers agricultural grants to select farmers, and that those farmers have paid the USDA for organic certification. This feels strange—especially when the USDA spends around $3 billion every year to promote monoculture farming and the increased production of genetically-engineered crops like soy and corn, as reported by the Yale Center for Business and the Environment.
Second, it’s costly. But more than that, they’re allowed greater flexibility when it comes to sourcing wildcrafted and small farmed ingredients. Which ultimately improves the quality, effectiveness, and safety of our products.
To explain: Sometimes Annmarie finds a source for, say, lavender, that’s grown without any pesticides, on a farm that uses sustainable practices and treats their workers well, but isn’t certified organic and simply cannot afford the certification. Oftentimes, this source will be higher in quality than lavender grown on a large-scale, certified organic farm. If their products were certified organic, they wouldn’t be able to use the lavender from that first farm—the higher quality source. While it may seem impossible to return to a system free of harmful additives, it’s heartening to remember that this world is actually in the not-so-distant past.
Wildcrafted. The term “wildcrafted” refers to plants that are harvested or foraged straight from the wild. Because they’re not farmed, they can’t be certified organic… but they’re actually the most organic ingredients out there. That’s why Annmarie has made conscious efforts to source wildcrafted whenever possible, and it’s always been their top goal when developing formulas, whether for the herbs in the herb-infused oils, or for the seed oils that are added into the blend thereafter. Of course, preservation is key when wildcrafting ingredients. Annmarie has spent the last 11 years developing close relationships with vendors who respect the planet and follow ethical guidelines with wildcrafted ingredients, harvesting only a small amount in a given environment.
Annmarie Skin Care has provided Clean Beauty since day 1, which is a promise to create products that are safe for you and healthy for the planet. Since the conception of Annmarie Skin Care in 2009, the brand has been creating products that were the purest in the market—formulating with wildcrafted and organic ingredients, using the purest cold pressed seed oils and practicing true intention with every step in production. This commitment has always been full circle, from formulation to carbon footprint. It is rooted in a deep understanding of harm-free ingredients, an ongoing assessment of safety standards and the latest research, and a series of environmental initiatives that benefit wildlife and the ecosystem at large.
ASC formulates as close to nature as possible and this formulating starts with you, the costumer. What skin goals and results are you looking for? From there, intention is everything. Annmarie examines how to create synergy between each and every ingredient. The hydrosols in the Botanical Hydration Mist with Immortelle, for instance, can boost the efficacy of one another. Another important aspect is who Annmarie works with and they prioritize those who respect our planet. Forming relationships with people who are doing good in the world is why they connect with suppliers who are farmers or directly supporting farmers. They supply fair wages and actively forge a deeper connection with the plant material, sourcing directly from their native regions without disrupting a foreign environment.
After finding the ingredient and source they would like to use, they go through a verification process that could take up to 12 months for a complete formula. ASC works with a 3rd party certification program that carefully researches each ingredient to ensure that it is MADE SAFE®. MADE SAFE® certified products have passed ingredient screening for known:
Behavioral toxins
Carcinogens
Developmental toxins
Endocrine disruptors
Fire retardants
Heavy metals
Neurotoxins
High-risk pesticides
Reproductive toxins
Toxic solvents
Harmful VOCs
Each formula has its own unique blend of herbs combined specifically for that product–its purpose and the skin type it’s intended for. These hand-selected herbs are infused into organic aloe vera and skin-nutritive oils at a low heat (never over 95°) to extract all of the beneficial properties of these herbs. These botanical infusions are then left to steep for up to 30 days, while being energized by crystals before serving as a potent base for all our formulas. After the herb-infusion comes the last phase in the unique, intentional process. High-performance seed oils , antioxidant-rich botanicals, and synergistic plant stem cells that deliver skin-supporting nutrients and luxurious aromatherapy are added. This delivers active, supernaturally-effective skin care.
Clean beauty doesn’t stop at what we put on our bodies; it’s about reducing waste and our collective carbon footprint for a healthier planet. Pure skin care warrants a little more thought and intention when it comes to packaging, so the brand has done just that. ASC brings intention into the final creation of our products—our packaging. All products are housed in Miron violet glass, which energizes the organic molecules of the product by filtering in a small percentage of light while protecting it from the harmful rays of the light spectrum.
The brand also makes the commitment to using sustainable materials in every way they can throughout the packaging process. They source materials that are recyclable or made up of post-consumer waste, utilizing non toxic inks and adhesives, while sourcing boxes that have been produced at a wind-powered facility.
Now that you know all the good stuff that is in ASC´s products, it is also important to know what you will never find in their products:
Aluminum
Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Ethylene Glycol
Fragrance
Hydroquinone
Mineral Oil (Paraffin Oil, Paraffin Wax, Petrolatum, Liquid Paraffinum)
Nanoparticles
Oxybenzone
Parabens (Butylparaben, Benzylparaben, Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben)
Polyethylene Glycol Compounds
Phenoxyethanol
Phthalates
Siloxanes and Silanes (Silicon-Based Ingredients)
Styrene
Surfactants such as Alkyl benzene sulfonates (ABS), Ammonium Laureth Sulfate (ALES), Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (ALS), Cocoyl Sarcosine, Lauryl Sarcosine, Linear alkyl benzene sulfonates, Linear alkyl sodium sulfonates, Potassium Coco Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sodium Coco Sulfate (SCS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), TEA (Triethanolamine) Laureth Sulfate, TEA (Triethanolamine) Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Triclosan and Triclocarban
GMOs (genetically modified organisms) or Synthetic Biology
High risk pesticide residue, such as: Acetochlor, Atrazine, Chloropicrin, Chlorpyrifos, Glyphosate, Metolachlor, Metam sodium, Metam potassium, Paraquat, Pendimethalin.
Today, Annmarie and Kevin spread the message about good, clean, effective skin care through consumer education and a natural, organic, wild-crafted product line that speaks for itself. Together with COO Rachel Pachivas, they’ve put together a team that is dedicated to helping people make better decisions about their skin, beauty, and overall health.
The team’s research into industry practices has uncovered hidden processes in ingredient production, chemical derivatives in so-called natural ingredients, and other shortcuts and oversights. These investigations have helped ASC create processes to ensure high quality products that will deliver results customers can count on—now and into the future.
To understand more about Annmarie Skin Care, you can learn more about the company’s values:
Honesty. We are honest with ourselves and each other. We take care of the needs of the team and the company with integrity.
Wild. We think outside of the box, we innovate, and we are committed to ongoing education and growth. We question, give feedback and challenge with direct and sometimes uncomfortable communication.
Beautiful. We maintain beauty in all we do-the way we act, the way we present ourselves and our space, and how we communicate with team members, customers and vendors.
Based: Berkeley, CA, USA.
Ships to: Worldwide.
Products: Energized, botanically-infused skin care. Organic, wildcrafted, non-GMO, MADE SAFE® + Leaping Bunny certified.
Mission: To provide you with unquestionably high quality, honest and effective products to support an organic and natural lifestyle.
Vision: Committed to creating a better, more sustainable—and in turn, more beautiful world.
