I love simplicity when it comes to skincare. And products that are gentle, natural and supportive of the skin rather than interfering. Vanderohe ticks all these boxes as well as adding something a little extra…
Founder Olivia Thorpe created the brand after struggling with her own skin issues when working in Singapore, and ended up creating her organic plant-oil based facial oil to help ameliorate her issues. It worked so well her friends kept asking her for more, until she decided to properly package up a small line of hand-blended products and so Vanderohe was born.
*Products gifted for review
Made in small batches in London, from using a mix of essential oils – apricot kernel grapeseed, rosehip, cedarwood, geranium, lavender among others (read about the oils here ) – the facial and cleansing oils I’ve been using have such a wonderfully soothing and calming scent and leave your skin feeling just as it should be – cared for, nourished and with a little glow.
I’ve fallen into a nighttime routine of taking a long deep breath in of the cleansing oil (Purifying Cleansing Oil) which I then rub in with fingers to take off the day’s dirt. I remove with water and the brilliant facecloth Olivia eventually settled on (the Sasawashi Exfoliating Cloth is just the right amount of soft while exfoliating) and then straight on with the face oil (No.1 Nourishing Face Serum – which I’d so much about I was dying to try it!). And at the moment, that’s my nighttime skincare in its entirety. It feels more than enough and two-steps only suits my reductivist (when it comes to skincare!) nature perfectly!
Also the illustrations on the boxes are so beautifully done – by artists Lara Pilkington and Susy Paisley – and I keep them in the bathroom as I love looking at them so much! The box, and the label (you can remove this), glass bottle and pipette are all recyclable.
Having met Olivia over a Vanderohe breakfast, I loved hearing her story and wanted to share it here with you. Read on for the interview…
What inspired you to create Vanderohe?
It was a lot of research and experimenting with different oils that led to me to create the formula for my hero product, No.1 Nourishing Face Serum, after my skin rejected everything apart from an organic plant oil.
What type of skin issues had you been dealing with?
I developed an allergic dermatitis whilst living in Singapore and no one could tell me what was causing it. I saw countless doctors, dermatologists, allergy specialists, but it was a renowned facialist called Su-Man who helped me on my path to healing my skin. She told me to ditch all the products, medical and cosmetic, that I was using and to use organic apricot kernel oil instead. I did so and for the first time in roughly two years, I felt my skin begin to heal.
What is the best way to approach looking after your skin?
Use less, but more effective products. Understand your skin and READ what is in the products you’re putting on it. You wouldn’t comfortably eat a meal without knowing what was in it, so just adopt the same mindframe for skincare.
What’s your own skincare routine?
I wash my face using No.1 Purifying Cleansing Oil and our Sasawashi Exfoliating Cloth, pat my skin dry, spray some organic neroli water over my skin and then apply 4-5 drops of No.1 Nourishing Face Serum. Apart from adding a pinch of our Exfoliating Powder every now and again to my cleansing oil, that’s my routine morning and night and it never changes. I cannot possibly imagine having to use another product now.
What other lifestyle factors play a part for your own skincare?
Unfortunately all the good stuff for your skin went out the window when my kids came on the scene. If I were to advise someone on the best way to get great skin, I’d start with their skincare products (obviously switch everything to replicate my routine above ;)) and then assess their lifestyle – do they drink enough water? Do they take supplements? Do they exercise regularly? Do they use non-clogging, non-toxic makeup? Do they drink too much alcohol? Do they smoke? Sleep enough? Etc.
From my own experience, my skincare counts for a lot. Sleep is my next priority. I get a max total of about five hours per night and it’s broken – I’ve been sleeping like that for the last six years. One of my kids is always in my bed and I’ve breastfed all three kids for a total of four years! To counteract the effect that must be having on my skin, I drink loads of water, no more than one coffee, I eat loads of lovely organic fruit, veg and fresh fish. I take a supplement that really helps my nails stay strong, so must be doing some good for my skin too. I try to exercise as much as I can. But I truly think it mostly comes down to my skincare because no matter how wiped out I feel, how little sleep I’ve had, how stressed I am from my kids, Vanderohe products keep my skin feeling lovely and glowing.
