Second Nature: Elements of the outdoors translate to skincare with von Natur

Von Natur literally means “of/from nature,” and that’s no joke. Created in the great Northwest, this line of skincare products aims to encapsulate the “essence of the natural setting of the big, little city (of Portland – where it hails from) and bottle it.” I’ve never been to Oregon, but a gal I knew from college was from there. Her photos of home certainly resembled an outdoor oasis of green goodness. It’s a state full of parks, rivers, picturesque mountains and hillsides (you get my drift). Von Natur follows the same suit, metaphorically anyway. Their ingredients, which are certified vegan, non-comedogenic and sulfate/paraben-free, include botanicals from around the globe created through years of research and backed by a broad knowledge of aromatherapy and esthetics. All of the products are made in the U.S., through cruelty-free means. In addition, several of them include a large percentage of organic ingredients.

Von Natur’s products include spa, skin, body and aromatherapy care. They are broken down into six different categories: absoluteâ„¢, balanceâ„¢, chaoticâ„¢, divine, exquisite and fabulous. I sampled three products from exquisite: blue green algae body polish, walnut AHA body exfoliant, and the coffee & salt cellulite body scrub. Some of the ingredients for the body polish include organic olive oil, fine sea salt, shea and kokum butters, apricot kernel oil, avocado and vitamin E. It retails for $19.99 and definitely leaves your skin feeling invigorate””like a new layer has surfaced. Since my skin doesn’t need major repair in general (it’s relatively well cared for all around), I’ve been using this twice a week or so with good results.

For the exfoliant, it incorporates ingredients ranging from walnut shell powder, organic aloe juice and bilberry extract to sugar cane extract, orange fruit extract, cranberry extract and panthenol (vitamin B complex). It retails for $15.99 and is very gentle on the skin. I have used this on a daily basis, and I find it very helpful in maintaining clarity on the trouble spots we all face””elbows, knees, feet, etc. Last but not least, we have the coffee & salt cellulite body scrub. I don’t buy into creams or scrubs that claim to solve this problem because really no one thing can cure what ails us (as all women know by now!). But I do believe that if you exercise, eat right and use a product that aims to control and minimize what you have, you can see results. This product, which retails for $19.99, includes ingredients such as fine sea salt, she butter, coffee, neem oil, rosemary and a proprietary blend of essential oils, among others. It’s gentle enough to use on a daily basis, and my skin texture has felt a bit tighter and firmer. For more information on these and other von Natur products, log on to www.vonnatur.com