At last, after several lockdowns and quarantine obstacles, a proper trip to the shops in Denmark to check Scandi beauty products on offer. And it’s almost been worth the wait: shelves are bursting with good, clean and often organic products. And the packaging is as simple and beautiful as ever.
Emphasis is on clean, healthy products – not ‘miracle’ potions which promise to take 20 years off in no time. Those products rarely deliver. On the other hand, carefully researched and produced creams and cleansers by highly experienced professionals do.
We counted over a dozen Danish beauty products in one department store alone – quite something for a tiny country. The first brand we zoomed in on as we browsed among the beauty counters was Tromborg. It’s a family owned line promising a ‘commitment to simplicity, biointelligence, purity and the science behind beauty’. You can tell time, expertise and money has been poured into the product to deliver.
Indeed, the simplicity of its little boxes, pots and tubes. White dominates the colour palette. It looks so delicious… and eatable. For that alone Tromborg couldn’t look more Scandi if it tried. It’s only about 19 years old, started by former make up artist Marianne Tromborg. Her husband is a biochemist with years of scientific experience from the pharmaceutical and biotech industry – including research and knowledge about skincare. What could go wrong!
‘Smuk’ and other Scandi cosmetics lines
Another brand that stood out was Smuk – if ony for its cutesy name which means bautiful in English. Smuk offers an array of serums, cooling lip balms, body butter, soaps and beauty tools. It is also launched by a former make up artist, Miabella Ristorp. A natural look and sustainability are key ingredients in the brand’s message.
Rudolph Care stood out too on the shelves with eye catching packaging and brochures. The brand is as nerdy about skin care as we at DU, except more expertly so, of course. The product line was launched after founder Andrea Rudolph was tested for harmful chemicals and discovered, she says, that those chemicals in her blood came from the luxurious, expensive creams, oils and soaps she had pampered herself with for years.
Food for your Skin: Ingredients for Health and Beauty
Ecooking, as the name suggests, is “food for your skin”. Launched from the kitchen table of Danish Tina Søgard, it promises to spoil our skin with animal and eco-friendly products. The name relates to the way she created her first cremes: stirring pots of ingredients at home.
Explains Søgaard, who was struck by a crisis which spurred her on: “The crisis affected the skin on my face. Suddenly my skin became more ‘tired’ and ‘grey’ than ever before. Because I also lost a lot of weight in a short space of time, my skin completely collapsed.¨
Karmameju has an international ring to it, but it was founded by Danish model Mette Skjærbæk after 10 years in front of the cameras. Regenerate, soothe and balance are keywords in her face cremes. Natural beauty, health and a positive outlook drive her brand.
Apart from an extensive choice in face and body cremes, Karmameju has a number of top tips for staying healthy and beautiful. And tips for looking younger for longer. For healthy skin eat avocado, blueberries, broccoli, spinach, lemon carrot, beans, beetroots, chilli, nuts and drink coconut water and aloe vera. Sleep, hydration, breathing and ‘digital ‘detoxing (switch them off to give eyes and mind a rest) are also part of their advice regime for better skin and health.
Scandi beauty products – Eco and Naturalness
There are a many Scandi beauty products on offer, which offer purity and expertise – but also sustainability and eco- and animal friendly production methods are key. Emphasis is not on each brand’s miracle cure but how we can also help ourselves to a better natural look.
Regular cleansing, and particularly a deep cleanse every night (using spring water) before bed to let the skin regenerate and benefit from the products overnight, is something we at DU subscribe to wholeheartedly.