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.

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!

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!

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.

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 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.