We are what we eat. And drink. And how we sleep, detox, and exercise -- or not.
Nothing new there. But in a world where new-to-market serums, creams, and spiritual berry tonics extracted by hand by Tibetan monks are in our (digital) face every day, we're being presented with so many cool options on how to cleanse, moisturize, and treat wrinkles, lackluster skin, and hair that it's next to impossible to keep up, let alone care for.
And while I won't be ditching my tried-and-true products any time soon, these newer, technologically advanced plant-based offerings are, in truth, quite effective. Products flooded with adaptogens help the body respond and adapt to various kinds of stress and inflammation. And how we weave them into our lifestyle regimens can be fun too.
Rather than barrage you with a ton of products, I thought a conversation regarding upcoming trends that embrace these new, full-circle, inside-and-out additions to our anti-aging routines is in order. We may have to look a little harder for these over-the-counter retail items, but not for long. Keep in mind that several of these brands combine two or three categories as ingestibles and topicals, which include CBD, functional mushrooms, and waterless skin care -- all of it nonpsychoactive, of course.
While recreational and medicinal marijuana are slowly becoming legal in more and more states, it's tempting to get into the weeds with a cannabis/hemp/CBD tutorial. Let's simplify: it all comes from the same hemp plant that's loaded with restorative and preventative properties. CBD is legal (no "high") and widely used for general to advanced wellness. Categories include singular isolates (113+ CBD extracts); broad spectrum (whole plant extract minus THC); and full spectrum (whole plant extract with less than 0.3 percent THC, the legal limit for all CBD products in the U.S.).
Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins presents the Mega-Mushroom line, where luxury meets clean and sustainable with reishi, fermented chaga, and cordyceps for skin strength, immunity, and the fueling of cells. Uh-huh. Relief & Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion is a rare find ($21-$38), as are Relief & Resilience Advanced Face Serum($80-$129), Weightless Hydrating Moisturizer($34), and Soothing Hydra-Mist With Reishi and Snow Mushroom($24). Origins.com
Exclusive: Freeze-dried actives or, better put, waterless skin care cubes, have broken all the barriers. Mitsui J-Beauty has launched these highly transportable, just-add-serum or a drop of water treatment cubes to the market. While they'll be available directly, you'll soon see them being configured in proprietary treatments like brightening, vitamin C, plumping, or retinol formulas under the banner of our favorite brands.
MitsuiJBeauty.com/technologies
Open your eyes with an Eye DetoxBrightening Oil from House of Gro($90). This powerful hemp- and chaga-infused oil is designed to instantly cool and contour the eye area using a stainless-steel roller applicator. Out previously featured the brand's rejuvenating face and neck oil and night serum at launch: Woke ($125) and After Dark ($135). NeimanMarcus.com
707 Flora; it's a full-spectrum luxury line that embodies everything we've discussed perfectly. Award-winning 707 Flora's beauty from within is full circle with CBD + Turmeric Tincture drops (500-1,000 mg) in Berry Bliss, Bright Citrus, or Cozy Cocoa ($69-$99). The complete facial line starts with Core Cleanser Exfoliating Face Wash ($34). Youth Boost SerumFortifying Concentrate is super food for the skin ($72), while the Daily Moisturizer is a one-step skin quencher at ($48). If you're testing the waters, Moisture MatrixCore Cleanser Exfoliating Face Wash ($57) or its 707 Balm for spot treating or on-the-go skin fix ($28) truly heals. 707Flora.com
If you really want to drill down with easy-to-understand, factual, verified knowledge from a true aficionado, author Tero Isokauppila's Healing Mushrooms: A Practical and Culinary Guide to Using Mushrooms for Whole Body Health is a great start. Tero's also the founder of Four Sigmatic and has countless global certifications. Aside from your favorite health food stores -- such as Whole Foods Markets -- its full-on lifestyle wellness is available from most grocers or the website. My favorites? Think Whole Bean Coffee With Lion's Mane & Chaga Mushrooms for focus and steady energy ($16) topped with Functional Creamer that's actually good for you in Think, Gut Health, or Balance formulas ($20). I nourish lightly to keep my head up during the workday, and Plant-Based Protein (added to my broccoli and berry smoothie) has no gums, fillers, soy, or Stevia ($40-$120). Great taste that is USDA Organic means more trust, less guesswork. Four Sigmatic's beauty department rocks too. Superfood Serum ($44-$55) has potent reishi spore oil, Tsubaki seed oil, and grapefruit peel oil. This is one fun(gi) brand! You can spend hours on its website. FourSigmatic.com
Ayuna believes "less is beauty" with its Cellular Oil Skin Revival Serum with micro-lipids. And its blend of rare Mediterranean oils "nourishes and rejuvenates the skin by stimulating energy generation of its own cells," as the brand's website says ($185). Cream III Cannabic Sublimating Cream is plasma rich from select turmeric with rare cannabis stem cell extractions ($78-$225). A beautiful philosophy. Shop.Ayuna.co
Troop presents your daily mushroom gummy. Lion's Mane is brain food to enhance focus and cognitive function. Reishi is a calming stress reducer and antiviral, anti-inflammatory immune responder. Recalibrate and restore with Super Troop for overall wellness and balance. ($45 each)TryTroop.com
CALIXTO is wearing TOMMY HILFIGER all clothing and accessories available tommy.com and Tommy Hilfiger stores.
Beauty & Grooming Editor Marco Medrano is a multi-state licensed cosmetologist and beauty/grooming expert. @mrmarcomedrano
Talent Calixto Quan@keelix
Creative Director Ben Ward@_benjaminward_
Photographer Angela Kohler@angelakohler angelaandithyle.comfor @agencyarts
Grooming Gia Harris@missgiamakeup
This article is part of Out's September/October 2022 issue, out on newsstands August 30. Support queer media and subscribe -- or download the issue through Amazon, Kindle, Nook, or Apple News.
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