While pledging to #ShopBCLocal is commendable and so awesome, finding everything you need locally sometimes proves difficult, especially with skin and hair care needs. Our team is always on the look-out for brands that are high-quality, have a healthy track record of customer satisfaction, and most importantly, deliver promised results. With this in mind, we want to introduce you to Carina Organics!
This long-standing North Shore-based clean hair and skincare brand has been creating farm-to-bottle, fresh-to-order formulas since 1972. Since its inception, the brand has developed 100% natural products from sustainably sourced and certified organic ingredients that are free-from cortisone, steroids, DEA, sulphates, aluminum, synthetic fragrances, dyes, and more.
Decades of Experimenting
The company was founded by Helmut Gollner, a German barber and stylist who immigrated to Canada in the 1960s. It was his passion for homeopathic skin and hair care and one interesting discovery in a Granville Street barber shop that led Helmut to an idea. A mere chunk of rough soap in a silver foil soapbox labelled ‘tree tar’ set him on a journey to discover Pacific Northwest tree essences to incorporate into his own barbershop formulations. Today, Helmut, along with his son still harvests ingredients for Carina’s product lines.
Natural, Safe & Available
The brand strives to make natural skincare the new status quo. Their long-lived history speaks to an appreciation of nature and organic ingredients for self-care, leading them to create formulas that out-perform other synthetic products in the market. In reality, most of these readily available products use inexpensive synthetics that are made to appear high in quality through foam enhancing, thickening or moisture-retaining properties. Most commonly used chemical ingredients have been recognized as potentially harmful to you and the environment.
Carina Organics replaces chemical and synthetic ingredients with natural and organic plant extracts, essences, and oils to create straightforward plant-powered products. Some of their ingredients, such as organic palm kernel extract and coconut, provide their rich shampoo products with delicate yet effective cleansing properties. Other ingredients such as organic essences and oils from avocado, olive, flax seed, pumpkin seed and sunflower found in their creams and conditioners help the skin to retain and maintain an optimal moisture level and hydration naturally.
Hand-picked for You
Their personal hands-on approach is something the company prides itself in. A wide variety of their ingredients are hand-picked and harvested from various forests and farms across the Pacific Northwest. Some of these ingredients include alfalfa, chamomile, echinacea, nettle, red clover, and a variety of botanical tree essences. With a focus on holistic remedies, purity, and quality, all of their products are made by hand on Vancouver’s North Shore.
It can be challenging to accurately discern which products are truly natural, organic, and eco-friendly in a heavily saturated green-washed market. Learning to read labels before making purchases and familiarizing yourself with which ingredients are harmful will help you find the best products for you and your skin.
Not only are these products below vegan and cruelty-free, but they are also 100% biodegradable, meaning they are safe to use in rivers, lakes and oceans.
Daily Face Wash
This hypoallergenic, gluten and soy-free, scent-free daily face wash is formulated with certified organic plant, vegetable, and fruit extracts. It restores your skin’s natural pH while clearing away oils, makeup, and impurities. Use daily to cleanse your face. Apply the desired amount to your hands, bring lather on the skin, then rinse.
Daily Organic Toner
A nutrient-rich toner that is non-comedogenic and alcohol-free, that also restores moisture to the skin. Formulated with certified organic plant, vegetable, and fruit extracts, the toner also combats bacteria through its active organic ingredients. Apply it to the face daily following your cleansing routine and before moisturizing. Use it to remove makeup from the ear and neck area.
Daily Face Moisturizer
This daily facial moisturizer is nutrient-rich, restoring moisture to the skin and combating bacteria with organic actives. Apply daily, following your cleansing routine. Use on both the ear and neck area as well.
Order these products directly from the Carina website for your made-to-order bottle.
Author Profile
- Giovanna Lazzarini
- Gio showcases and shines spotlights on Canadian brands and women-led businesses that promote sustainable lifestyles through innovative products and offerings.
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