Scandi beauty brands to buy now
SCANDI BEAUTY
A couple of years ago we started to get ‘hygge’ with it – you know, the Danish and Norwegian concept of cosiness; we’ve also fully plundered Scandi style for modernist interior inspiration for our homes.
Then along came: friluftsliv, which translates to 'free air living', i.e. the notion of spending more time outdoors among flora and fauna and fresh air – whatever the weather conditions. Which we seem to have finally embraced in the UK, especially during lockdown No.3. (Hence the rush on hiking boots, hats and duvet-sized puffas.)
Central to all this Scandinavian style is also an understated beauty aesthetic.
Pernille Teisbaek, the Danish creative director and style tour de force, told Into the Gloss: 'The Danish beauty attitude is very relaxed. What I really care about is that everything I wear is comfortable. You feel good; you feel stronger, you look better when you're comfortable.' Point taken.
There's also another USP of the Scandi beauty brands: buzzwords like 'slow beauty' are used aplenty, and they are firm believers that natural, organic, non-toxic and clean are the way to go.
Isabelle Lewenhaupt, CEO of Swedish brand Bjork & Berries, says, 'We believe in the power of nature. In Sweden, dense forests and rugged wilderness cover 97% of our country. Throughout the year, we are exposed to volatile weather changes and we take pride in living with the shifting seasons, adapting our lives and routines. Our formulas are designed to work in these harsh conditions and can accommodate all skin types in any season.'
She continues: 'We believe in slow beauty. Our formulas are never rushed through production; we give ourselves time to get it right. Texture, scent and performance are of equal importance and we never compromise on quality and real results.'
It's not just about what goes onto your hair or face; health is also seen as a prime investment. Almost 30% of Danes cycle to work in the rain, sleet, or snow and while the UK is in pole position when it comes to junk food consumption – the Swedes, on the other hand, consume the least.
Check out Lifesum – a Stockholm-based start-up that is one of the fastest-growing digital health companies globally – with more than 45 million installations of its innovative app, which aims to keep users on a healthy track.
It seems we have much to learn from the Scandi way in beauty – here's the best of the brilliant products you can buy in the UK to help embrace your own Scandi-style regime.
THE SCANDI BEAUTY BRANDS TO BUY NOW
Bjork & Berries
Swedish secrets are perfectly bottled with this luxury eco range. We love pretty much every single oil, the Rescue Cream and the Herbalist Hand Cream to remedy weather-beaten dry skin.
Verso
This Swedish skincare regime employs science to make the formulation eight times more effective than regular retinol. It's brilliant pro-ageing skincare for anyone concerned with lines and pigmentation problems.
Lumene
Wild-crafted, sustainable Nordic beauty at its best. Buy the Lumene Invisible Illumination Instant Glow Beauty Serum – for a minimalist, Finnish radiance.
Bioeffect
Bioeffect was founded by three Icelandic scientists after a decade of research. They have bioengineered a plant-based human replica of EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor), which has been proven to boost collagen and elasticity.
The brand's best-selling serum improves skin density and thickness by 60%, thus reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Skyn Iceland
Clean, 100% vegan and cruelty-free, the formulations contain pollution-free Icelandic glacier water, Arctic superfruits and pure molecular oxygen.
Skandinavisk
A collection of home and body fragrance collections inspired by travels across the Nordic region.
The subtle, refined scents, which can fill a room, offer a lingering whiff of the Northern territories without ever leaving London.
Maria Nila
This is Swedish pop star Zara Larsson's go-to haircare brand, and it also has some significant eco-credentials too.
The brand is affiliated with Peta, Leaping Bunny and The Vegan Society, plus it also offers climate compensation with Zeromission and Plan Vivo to help plant trees in the poorest corners of the world and give farmers another source of revenue.
The products are also sophisticated, lovely to use and offer real results for glossy, healthy hair.