A potent pairing of pure super-botanical ingredients with age-old rituals reveal the secrets to the glow of the Nordics.
Nordic beauty and wellness are fast becoming the buzzwords of its burgeoning wellness industry at home and abroad, but the beauty and well-being secrets of Nordic women have been passed down through the generations for centuries. Purity and sustainability are deeply ingrained in Nordic women and the region’s wellness DNA, fuelled by the power of nature.
The rituals of Nordic women derive from a genuine and age-old belief in self-care and respect for women from all genders and generations; the understanding of investment in health for future wealth; and are rooted in the land itself - there is nowhere on earth that has the quality of pure arctic super ingredients like the Nordics.
The commitment to self-care and wellness rituals are a cultural phenomenon inherent in Nordic women - from a true belief in inner beauty to a deep love and respect for nature; cold water swimming and sauna rituals; a minimalist and holistic approach to beauty where the quality of ingredients and regular exercise in nature are the focus; to understanding the importance of protecting skin from the harmful environment and through the seasons; to adopting a ‘hygge’ state of mind where wellbeing, pampering rituals at home are encouraged.
There is an unparalleled well of natural resources from the Nordic region - from bioactive chitosan polymer found only in the Arctic Ocean to native organic healing herbs hand-picked from the mountains to geothermal silica; cold pressed, traceable fish oil; volcanic ash mud and so much more.
Nordic skincare and wellness brands are known for their sustainable practices and the credentials are impressive - sourcing local ingredients, owning their production, utilising natural raw materials, ethical extraction techniques, traceable production lines, the use of sustainable by-products, never testing on animals or using synthetic chemicals, using recyclable packaging, and ultimately investing in the future of their product, their country and their customers.
Nordic Glow is born from these principles of cultural self-care and pure ingredients and the desire to share wellness rituals, nature’s bounty, and zest for life with other parts of the world.
The stories of the Nordic wellbeing brands are enlightening and in an era where customers are choosing their products with greater awareness and responsibility, they have pure intentions as well as ingredients…
Inspired by her great-great-grandmother - a midwife and healer who harnessed the powers of Iceland’s native herbs to save countless lives, Icelandic actress Sóley Elíasdóttir the founder of Sóley Organics continues this tradition today. Sóley Organics handpicks wild organic herbs from certified lands, working closely with Forestry Iceland in the summer when they're at their best. These herbs are the active ingredients in Sóley products, which are made in a charming village of 300 people, nestled between a northern fjord and the majestic Kaldbakur mountain. The products are infused with water from Kaldbakur's pristine spring, which is so pure you can drink straight from it.
As the first rays of sunshine appear on the horizon, local fishermen in Bolungarvík prepare for their daily catch, sailing out to the ocean on their longliners. Capturing the quest for clean products and conscious consumerism, Dropi proudly represents a revolutionary category - Clean Fish Oil. Each traceable bottle contains a QR code that lets you track the bottle and meet the fishermen who caught the fish where the oil has been extracted.
Chitosan - the super ingredient behind ChitoCare beauty’s award-winning range, is another example of the sustainable practices of Nordic brands as it’s created from a by-product - discarded crustacean shells, It is a natural, renewable, and nontoxic organic polymer with excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. After Korea became highly interested in the super-ingredient, the world has followed.
For the founder of ANGAN Skincare, Iris Laxdal - the rituals of self-care are very personal and not only changed her health journey but was the catalyst for developing her own skincare brand rooted in rituals. “I was originally working as an architect, but I was not giving myself the time to nurture my body and mind which led to burnout and I was covered in rashes as a result of stress. I realised that I had to do something for myself to care for my body and my mind’’, she reveals. “When I was not able to find the right products for my sensitive skin that do not include synthetics and known irritants, I knew I had to create my own. By turning my kitchen into a beauty lab the first products came to life.”
Sourced from geothermal water within Iceland's volcanic earth, GeoSilica products contain no artificial chemicals, additives, or preservatives to develop daily silica supplements that naturally repair, recover, and renew the body and mind. Using advanced technology to harvest and process the minerals, the product range is 100% natural and registered with the Vegan Society.
From a deep understanding of wellness rituals and topical super-ingredient regimens to enhance beauty and wellbeing coupled with an inbuilt respect and appreciation of nature, Nordic women take a holistic approach to beauty and now the rest of the world wants to know how to get the glow too.
