Vicky Sanderson Scent can be such a powerful trigger. The chamomile, rosemary, pansy, calendula, and sunflower in Weleda’s Skin Food line, for example, takes me instantly back to being 18, riding a train through the Swiss Alps with the windows open in late spring—breathing in the sweetest air I’d ever inhaled. And that’s saying something: I grew up in southern Ontario countryside, where warm-weather air can hold its own in the fragrance department.
My thanks to Weleda for offering pleasant new associations with a line extension that includes day/night Skin Food face creams in Canada. They are already my favourite skincare of 2023. It would take a miracle to beat them for ingredients and performance.
BOTANICAL SKIN CARE FRAGRANCE
If possible, the scent of the creams is even dreamier than the original ultra-rich formula, maybe because of the addition of olive leaf extract, plant-based squalane, lacquer tree berry, sacha inchi oil, and Asiatic pennywort.
I use the day and night creams interchangeably, depending on how my skin feels. In fact, I usually switch full-time to night cream throughout February because winter weather. Both feel very light, and while they absorb quickly, the effect is lasting, and keeps my skin hydrated throughout the day. Of course I occasionally run up at lunch to apply more if I’m in the mood. Who among us does not?
An indescribably light but nourishing cleanser may be my favourite product, partly because it’s so versatile. For primary use, you warm the oil-to-milk balm in your hands, emulsify with water and gently massage on your face before rinsing. It takes everything off – makeup, grease from working at a stove, grime from city streets—but leaves skin so soft. I use it twice a week as an overnight mask, and it’s superb after a shower. Avoid your eyes, but do give your neck, shoulders and décolletage a swipe.
MY BEST SKIN CARE HACK
I also use the cleanser on my cuticles, elbows, and heels, sometimes with cotton gloves or socks. The main ingredient is sunflower seed oil from Austria and Croatia. It has a high proportion of ingredients like linoleic and oleic acids, which I have found to have good anti-inflammatory and humectant properties. Makeup artist and skin care expert Pati Dubroff is a fan, further pointing to the line’s quality and performance.
WORTH NOTING: The Weleda Biodynamic Gardens in Schwabisch Gmund, Germany are among the largest in Europe. There, regenerative farming principles are used that the company says inspire and reflect the authenticity of Weleda product today.
