Kiss My Face, My Hands, My Everything
by Theresa Masek --
Kiss My Face, a 25-year-old company that started with a single variety of olive oil bar soap, now offers over 200 products made under the same philosophy—no artificial colors, no animal testing, no animal ingredients and no unnecessary chemicals.
Based in New York's Hudson River Valley, Kiss My Face now offers several lines, including Obsessively Organic facial products and Sudz cleansers, all priced considerably under comparable products.
I recently sampled several products from both lines and was immediately taken with Sudz Rough Seas Organic Foaming Soap ($6.99 for 8.75 ounces). The lemon and verbena hand soap is delivered in a foamy stream without propellants. What most appealed to me was its exfoliating properties—I wash my hands countless times a day and was tired of the rough, cracked skin on my knuckles and wrists. Rough Seas includes goodies like healing aloe vera, lemongrass for its antiseptic properties, and juniper, which detoxifies and clears skin. I could feel a difference immediately, and two weeks later, my hands are no longer cracked and sore. Hurrah!
| "What most appealed to me was its exfoliating properties—I wash my hands countless times a day and was tired of the rough, cracked skin on my knuckles and wrists." |
Another Sudz product I particularly liked is the Pink Organic Bar Soap, a slick brick of moisture and invigorating grapefruit scent. In the Pink ($4.99 on sale) is a natural vegetable-based soap with palm oil and glycerin, as well as alpha-hydroxy acids for gentle exfoliation (it also comes as a gel in an eight-ounce tube for $7.99). The eight-ounce bar is so big and slippery, I had trouble keeping it in my hand while showering—but I barely made a dent in it with two weeks' use.
I also tried some of the Obsessively Organic products. My favorite by far is the Shea Soy facial cleansing bar ($13 for a five-ounce bar). With 85% organic ingredients, the bar is loaded with palm oil, glycerin, shea butter, soy oil and aloe vera. It comes packaged in a plastic soap box, which keeps the bar from getting goopy and messy (although I kept the lid off so it could dry off). The directions encouraged users to lather the bar in your hands and apply to the face, rather than using a washcloth. I found it incredibly soothing with a great natural scent as no fragrance was added. The company recommends the Shea Soy bar for sensitive skin, but I loved it on my aging combination skin.
After cleansing, I used Obsessively Organic Balancing Act facial toner, which comes in a 5.3-ounce spray bottle ($13.99). I wasn't sure if I was supposed to spritz it onto my face or onto a cotton round. (The directions on the bottle read: "Use after cleansing … ") But I figured it had a spray for some reason, so I would spritz it onto my face. The mist was very gentle and seemed to further cleanse and tone my face without leaving the tight, dry feeling you sometimes get with toners. Sometimes I would let the toner sink in; other times I wiped off the excess with a cotton ball. It is a lovely, light toner, recommended for all skin types.
Kiss My Face products can be found in most natural food stores, including Whole Foods. The company website — www.kissmyface.com — has a store locator, and you can find a retailer that carries Kiss My Face products by searching on zip code, city or state. You also can order online at www.kissmyfacewebstore.com.
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