Reset your Skin

DOS Cosmetics, Verolive, Soap by Eleni and Euthalia

I adore the Greek summer, the carefree and seemingly endless summer days and the sun which envelopes me in a warm caress, soothing body and mind. However, as September fades, my skin, even though still bronzed, can look cracked and in need of care and moisture.

You can either perceive autumn as the prelude to winter or as a mellow and still warm lull, a lingering on of summer and an ideal time for self-care and the adoption of restorative beauty rituals.

I was particularly drawn to the four brands below, selected for our proposed self-care routine, because of their intrinsic purity.

DOS Cosmetics

Even though many of Dos’s products are scientifically oriented, their huge choice of base oils offers a luxuriant way to softer skin parched by sun exposure. You can indulge yourself in oils of apricot, avocado, coconut, grapeseed, jojoba or argan, which if applied warm to your hair, renders it unbelievably soft after only an hour!

You can mix these base oils with drops of essential ones or use them alone to massage your skin. They are also ideal for pampering children and babies. The bottles of dark glass, which protects the precious contents, have labels of many different hues so they add a great aesthetic to any bathroom. Dos’s luxury jade roller is a must for pampering your face, stimulating blood flow and relaxing tense facial muscles.

The brand is based in Larissa, in Thessalia and was founded by Chrysanthi Papadopoulou, a pharmacist and acupuncturist who is passionate about alternative therapies and natural remedies.The formulation of the products is the result of the collaboration of Chrysanthi and her father, Vaio Papadopoulos who is also a pharmacist.

Verolive

Verolive’s products are infused with luscious Cretan olive oil, a miraculous skin ingredient. Their face creams have jasmine or green apple essence blended into an already rich texture and their pomegranate massage oil extracted from a very Greek fruit, cherished for its antioxidant properties, is a great moisturizer.

The brand was founded in 2010 in Heraklion, Crete, by Yiannis Tzortzakakis. They use environmentally friendly production methods, creating zero waste, and use recyclable packaging. They are against any animal testing and only try out their products on volunteers.

The company was first established as an olive oil producer in 1975 by Yiannis’ father, Michalis, rooted in tradition and true to nature as Cretan olive oil is recognized worldwide for its purity. They then moved on to cosmetic production, utilizing carefully sourced prickly pear and aloe vera, while using innovative combinations.

Soap by Eleni

Soap by Eleni is one of my beloved brands because of its authenticity and the passion of its founder for her native isle of Andros. Her soaps are unusual and refreshing with a rich olive oil base. The soap with citrus water makes you imagine an orange tree in full blossom has been transported into your bathroom. The mint soap is delightfully soothing for the days you feel fragile and the soap with essential oils looks like the white lace curtains woven by the stalwart ladies of Andros for the windows of their houses.

Soap by Eleni was established in 2014. The 4 letter Es in the logo stand for the founder Eleni, her two granddaughters, Elena and Eugenia, and the four chemical compounds, known as esters, formed during saponification.

Eleni utilizes Andros’s premium ingredients for making her soaps. Her workshop is located in her family home in Stenies on the estate of around 122,000 square meters, where they cultivate vines, olive and almond trees.

Eleni spent her childhood summers in Stenies and her overriding memory is the smell of laurel oil soap on her bed sheets. Local women still wash their clothes in the local water fountain and let them dry on a surface made from the famous Karystos stones from Southern Euboea. When Eleni was younger, she used to wash her clothes with the women in order to get some tips on soap making.

Euthalia

Finally the brand Euthalia is named for its founder and features the miraculous cistus herb from the lush island of Skopelos. Her premium product, which I love the most, is the rare and precious Multipurpose Dry Oil to be used all over, on hair, body or face, leaving no stickiness.

Euthalia Natural Cosmetics Values was founded in 2012 by Euthalia Stamataki. The company produces 100% natural, preservative-free, cosmetics from Greek bioactive herbs, known for their regenerative and anti-oxidant properties.

All the products include organic olive oil from Skopelos and cistus, a Greek herb with high anti-oxidant properties due to its high levels of vitamin P, known for helping the skin’s elasticity. Their other ingredients, including lemon, calendula and lavender, are sourced from certified producers on the island of Skopelos.

Euthalia designs her products and works with a chemist who realizes them. She draws inspiration from the aromas and traditions of Skopelos, handed down to her from her grandmother after whom the brand is named. Her grandmother’s recipes are the basis for the products which are further upgraded by modern cosmetology.