Luminance Skincare – Organic, Vegan, Handmade…Perfect!

My relationship with Luminance Skincare began in April of this year. I noticed one of their ads on Facebook and thought to myself…hmmm, that sounds promising but I really want to make more of an effort to buy locally. A week or two went by and while I was tweeting, I noticed them once again. Whether it was a sign or just the fact that the internet knows everything I have ever looked at and done online, I decided it was time to learn more. What I found out is that not only does Luminance Skincare offer vegan, organic, (mostly) raw and always toxin free products but it IS local! Kim Emanuel, the founder and formulator of Luminance Skincare, handcrafts all of his products from his studio in Benicia. It all began when they found that his wife Priscilla’s migraines were triggered by synthetic and toxic ingredients in her skincare products. Specifically, it was the synthetic petrochemical fragrances that precipitated these severe, debilitating headaches for Priscilla. Their search for “clean”, toxin-free products was made nearly impossible by the fact that almost everything being manufactured these days is loaded with harmful ingredients ranging from those synthetic fragrances to petrochemical oils, nano-particle metals and gums made of animal products. Scary stuff! All of this resonated so loudly with me. I have always had sensitive skin and the longer I consume a diet free of animal products and processed ingredients, the more sensitive I am when some of these nasties touch my skin! And though I don’t get migraines like Priscilla, when I am exposed to the sometimes as many as 200+ ingredients used to create one artificial fragrance, I begin to cough, sneeze and am sometimes congested for days. In their search, they found out the same thing that most of us have. That no matter how “natural” these products claim to be…they aren’t! And not that I trust much the FDA has to say anyway but though many of the most commonly used ingredients are known carcinogens they remain completely unregulated because we do not consume them. I guess the FDA is the only one who didn’t know that what we put on our skin ends up in our blood stream and our baby’s umbilical cord too! So, instead of giving up and accepting the sad state of our skincare products, Kim left Silicon Valley and his pilgrimage to help his wife turned into his passion to create the finest, cleanest skincare products on the planet!

My opinion is that one of the biggest downfalls of using a product based on someone else’s review is the fact that the product is never used for long. The person doing the review may use the product for three days or a week but as far as I am concerned, even with skin as sensitive as mine, I can typically use anything for a couple days without seeing any reaction or outbreak. It is really the long-term affect and benefits that I want to know about. So I set out to really learn what these products would do for me and if they were something I could commit to for the long-term and finally end my search for perfect skincare! I placed my first order in April and began my research. After having great success for several months, Kim invited me out to visit his studio. It was really cool to meet him and to stand right at the table where my moisturizer was made! Kim gave me a bag full of more of his products to try. And then earlier this fall I ordered a few more products to try. This allowed me to not only try many of Kim’s products but also to see how my skin would react (or better yet, NOT react) over an extended period of time and from Spring to Summer through Fall and Winter. Here is what I found…

My three favorites are also the three I have been using the longest – about 8 months – the Deep Hydration Facial Moisturizer, the Organic Sunscreen and the Organic Eye Cream with German Blue Chamomile. These are all a part of the Mature collection which is proven to be most effective for those of us over 35 years old.

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My anti-aging trifecta!

The moisturizer was a success right away. It is not only light and penetrates quickly but I did not have any breakouts which is typically how my skin reacts when it isn’t happy. And having used it for the last 8 months, I have noticed the it is helping improve the elasticity of my skin. This nourishing moisturizer has become my own special anti-aging potion!

The eye cream is hands down the best I have EVER used. In the past, the creams I tried always dried the skin out under my eyes and made the fine lines look even worse. But not this time. Using this once in the morning and once at bedtime, has not only added more hydration to the sensitive skin around my eyes but also has been very therapeutic and has actually improved the fine lines under my eyes! My upper eyelids also look more smooth and youthful.

As important as it is to limit my exposure to the sun, I have been unable to use sunscreen for years. Whether it is the toxic chemical sunscreen or the heavy metal sunscreen, they both made my skin erupt in blemishes. It has been a real challenge to protect myself especially because I love convertibles and exercising outside. When I get ready now in the morning, I add a squirt or two of the organic sunscreen to my moisturizer and give it 5 or 10 minutes to soak in before applying my makeup. Not only does the sunscreen protect my face, neck and chest but the fatty acids in the red raspberry seed oil are also making my skin look younger!

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The facial cream cleanser and delicate facial cleanser.

When it comes to cleansing my skin, I typically have two issues – first, the cleansers often make my skin breakout and second, they tend to cause excessive dryness. For years, I gave up and just used water and a wash cloth to cleanse my face. But after reading Kim’s website and spending 3 fascinating hours with him, I decided it was time to give facial cleanser another try!

 

When I first began using the Delicate Facial Cleaner this spring, I did feel that it had a bit of a drying effect on my skin. Though my skin  felt cleansed and moisturized in the shower, I always needed to moisturize with my deep hydrating moisturizer afterward. I tend to use the cleanser every other day so as not to dry my skin too much. When I was a teenager and in my early 20s, I had excessively oily skin. But over the years it has become more and more dry. Now I am in the midst of menopause and my facial skin is the driest it has ever been. So, keeping that in mind, this issue could have more to do with my hormones than the product! This fall I decided to try Kim’s facial Cream Cleanser to see if it worked with my skin type a bit better. What I found was that it is an excellent cleanser for removing makeup and I have never seen the pores in my skin any cleaner! I alternate using the two cleansers and have found that they are not as drying as when I first began using them. If you have oily or combination skin (or your hormones aren’t doing crazy things to you!), you will probably love both cleansers!
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Organic Antioxidant Spray, Facial Mask and Foot Cream!

I alternate using the Organic Rosewater Toner and the Organic Antioxidant Spray.  The rosewater is pure organic rosewater and is perfect for spritzing on after I’ve washed my face to level out the PH balance. The Antioxidant Spray gives me all those wonderful antioxidants that my aging skin no longer produces on its own! I use it primarily in the morning and evening but sometimes I just give myself a spritz to protect and refresh my skin.

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Skin Butter, Body Lotion and Organic deodorant!

For my body, my three favorite products are the Organic Lotion, Skin Butter and Organic Deodorant. Because of all of the toxic fragrances that I find in most body lotions, I got to the point that I gave up on lotion and only used pure coconut oil as a moisturizer. It smells great and kept my skin moisturized but it was so greasy that I had to wait 10 or 15 minutes for it to soak in before I could get dressed. Not especially convenient on a busy day. Since I was having such good luck with the rest of Kim’s products, I ordered the lotion and skin butter.  The lotion is  very similar to the Deep Hydration Facial Cream so it should be no surprise that I love it too. It absorbs quickly and keeps my hands and legs creamy and moisturized.

And though my husband loves the Organic Foot Cream – it smells wonderful – an energizing combination of peppermint and spearmint and is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, I prefer to use the Skin Butter on my feet before bedtime. I exercise a lot and abuse my feet so this butter is exactly what my tired feet need to keep them moisturized and feeling good!
No breast cancer causing heavy metals in Kim’s deodorant either. Instead, it is a combination of rose water and essential oils and keeps me fresh and smelling good all day!
Just like me, you have probably really struggled to find a vegan lip balm. They typically contain beeswax or paraffin. Kim’s balm not only smells like tangerines but is vegan and is made of candilla wax which is made from the leaves of a small shrub, essential oils and extracts. It is like a lotion for my lips and keeps them supple and smooth.
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Sweet little handwritten notes that come with my orders!

And though I know that the improvement to my skin has been a combination of these wonderful products over the last 3 to 8 months, I have to finish with the Facial Serum. I use the serum every night after cleansing. It not only has helped me get back a bit of that glow we all took for granted when we were in our 20s but I feel like I am smearing collagen on my face every time I use it. I have watched my skin become smoother and those lines along my neck (those things will always give your age away no matter how good you look!) have almost disappeared. In the past I was never good at sticking with a skincare regiment for long but after seeing the results from Kim’s products, I am committed to Luminance Skincare! It has been a wonderful 8 months and I look forward to many years to come.

I hope this review is helpful in choosing the skincare products that work best for you. Kim and his team have a wonderful return policy. If you don’t like it, return it for a full refund. His mobile phone number is also on each page of his website. I found him to be genuine and passionate with nothing to hide. They also have two introductory gift boxes that range from $35 to $97 so you can give the products a try and shipping is free for orders over $75. I get a little handwritten note with my order and they have sent me a free gift every time I’ve ordered something. They offer the type of personal service that I have never received from a skincare company before! I am thrilled that I found Luminance Skincare. I hope you enjoy the products as much as I do and as always…eat, drink and be vegan!
Tags: #veganskincare, Kim Emanuel, Luminance Skincare, nontoxic, organic, paraben free, Raw, synthetic free, vegan, vegan skincare

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Comments

    • Jo
    • June 19, 2016
    Reply

    Hi! Just wondering, are you still using these products now?

      • toniabrow@napavalleyvegan.com
      • July 11, 2016
      Reply

      Hi! Yes, I still use the raspberry seed sunscreen, deep hydration moisturizer and eye cream daily. I plan to order more of the serum too. I love it!

    • toniabrow@napavalleyvegan.com
    • March 17, 2016
    Reply

    Thanks! I really appreciate it!

    • toniabrow@napavalleyvegan.com
    • March 17, 2016
    Reply

    HI! Thanks…I’m really glad you enjoy my blog. I started the blog using a free WordPress site and only recently transitioned to a self-hosted site. I love writing and though I knew nothing about blogging, I taught myself through trial and error. It was a bit tricky switching from a free blog to a paid blog but I’m still glad that is how I started out. Best of luck!

    • toniabrow@napavalleyvegan.com
    • March 17, 2016
    Reply

    Thanks for the feedback! I will take a look and get it fixed! I’m glad you enjoy my blog. Please keep reading and as always…eat, drink and be vegan!

  1. Reply

    I really love your website.. Great colors & theme. Did you build this site yourself?

    Please reply back as I’m wanting to create my own site and want to know where you got this from or what the theme is named.
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      • toniabrow@napavalleyvegan.com
      • March 17, 2016
      Reply

      Thanks for the kind words! I looked at a lot of blog themes before finally falling in love with this one! It is called Anarcho Notepad by Arthur “Berserkr” Gareginyan. Good luck creating your own site. It is a lot of fun. I hope you will continue reading my posts and as always…eat, drink and be vegan!

  2. Reply

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      • toniabrow@napavalleyvegan.com
      • March 17, 2016
      Reply

      I’m glad you enjoy my writing. I hope you continue following my vegan adventures. Thanks and as always…eat, drink and be vegan!

  3. Reply

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      • toniabrow@napavalleyvegan.com
      • March 17, 2016
      Reply

      After my unintended hiatus, I plan to keep writing for as long as someone would like to read it. I appreciate you following my vegan adventures and as always…eat, drink and be vegan!

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      • toniabrow@napavalleyvegan.com
      • March 17, 2016
      Reply

      I’m so glad you are enjoying it. Yes, I’d love to add your writing to my blog! I hope you’ll continue following my vegan adventures and as always…eat, drink and be vegan!

  5. Reply

    First of all I would like to say terrific blog!
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      • toniabrow@napavalleyvegan.com
      • March 17, 2016
      Reply

      Hi Rachele,

      I’m sure everyone has their own system. But when I start writing the blog post in my head (no matter what time of day or night it is!), I know it is time to sit down and write! Sometimes when I am really blocked, I sit in front of my computer and make myself get started. The first 10 minutes or so are challenging but then things seem to open up. Best of luck to you! I’d love to see your writing!

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