Not long ago, I noticed a small refrigerator case in the produce section of Eataly, one of my favorite gourmet markets in New York City. I assumed it contained yogurt, or ice cream. On closer inspection, I realized: not ice cream—skin cream!
Dairyface, a food-grade skincare line that is so fresh it needs to be refrigerated, is the brainchild of Oksana Panasenko, left, a native of Turkmenistan, in Central Asia. As a teenager, her acne was cleared up with a traditional remedy made from fermented milk and local herbs.
Panasenko learned that the milk is rich in pre- and probiotics, which offer skincare benefits ranging from wound-healing to acne-clearing. A recent study from New Zealand showed these bioactive milk proteins have anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, too. So Panasenko gave up her broadcast career and launched Dairyface.
The yogurt and milk-based products (from 100 percent grass-fed cows, whose milk contains high levels of omega 3 fatty acids) feel cool and refreshing and leave the skin super-soft. They are also loaded with lactic acid (a natural alpha hydroxy acid that stimulates cell turnover and collagen production), vitamins and trace elements like magnesium and potassium to nourish depleted skin.
The latest launch is Beauty Mooscow, a hand and body moisturizer that helps reduce hyper-pigmentation over continued use, which debuts this month. Dairyface.com
—Rona Berg