Green Goddesses: SKIN

Beauty’s Green Goddesses

Part One: Angela Kim of Om Aroma Skin Care

 

For most women, unless you are trying to conceal disfiguring injuries or scars, using an assortment of beauty products every day is really a luxury – an indulgent way to embellish our faces, hair and bodies and our lives. Plus, it’s an easy way to make life a whole lot more fun. Unfortunately, so many of the very beautifying potions we use have an ugly effect on our health and on the planet. Addressing this problem is not a new notion – health-conscious companies have been developing zero-impact products for a while, but the most luxe-minded consumers weren’t switching over to them. Thankfully, the beauty industry as a whole is catching on to the “greening” of our lives and making those sketchy-textured, off-scented, potentially irritating products a thing of the past. Following in the footsteps of organic food and sustainable fashion, earth-friendly, non-toxic brands are now available in all price points, from drugstores and Target to Sephora and niche boutiques and web-tailers.

It’s a virtuous trend for sure, and whether or not a brand has a personal mission behind its formulations probably doesn’t matter as long as we are all collectively being awarded smarter, healthier choices when we go shopping. But, one of my favorite green skin care brands does happen to have a personal mission driving it, Om Aroma Skin Care. Read on to see why its creator, Angela Kim, gets my vote for Green Goddess of Skin Care.

Allergy-prone concert pianist Angela Kim turned a bad skin reaction from a lotion (on her hands, no less) into an ultra-luxe, results-oriented organic skin care line, Om Aroma. After countless trials and tribulations, she developed her line in response to the shockingly long list of synthetic and unpronounceable ingredients on that offensive bottle of lotion that she had believed was harmless. Rather than a mainstream company that went green because of consumer demand and industry trends, Om Aroma was created green – a fact that is not lost on me. Infused with treats like caviar, champagne, chardonnay and white truffles, Om Aroma’s ingredients may sound like overtly pretentious gimmicks but are actually packed with vitamins, minerals and amino acids that protect and rejuvenate the skin. I discovered the eco-friendly and eco-chic line during one bleary-eyed, late night prowl on luxist, and was initially put-off by the prices (all that caviar doesn’t come cheap, you know). My curiosity was piqued after reading more of Kim’s back-story on her own website, www.omaroma.com, and I was so enamored by the details that I invested in the Elixir de Beauté Champagne Exfoliating Cleanser ($48) and the Crème Luxe 1 White Truffle Age-Defy Cream for Oily Skin ($95) and haven’t looked back since.

So what were the details that won me over? Specifically, the Dollars and Scents program, which provides opportunities to women who are re-entering the work force and need a flexible work schedule due to having children, health issues, or a desire for a career change. That generous spirit alone made me want to love Kim’s products, but in truth, they stand on their own merits.