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Unique Skincare at Top Beauty Destinations

by Sandra Ramani

Top hotels and spas create a sense of place with their own unique, locally inspired skincare lines

When these hotels and spas couldn’t find personal-care products that met their standards, they created their own—including, in some cases, a full range of effective skincare. From a legendary destination spa in Mexico to a villa hotel on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, these spots offer both top-notch pampering and the chance to pick up some very exclusive souvenirs.

Trisara

Phuket, Thailand

For the recent relaunch of its spa, this secluded resort on the northwestern tip of Phuket took inspiration from its lush, seaside setting in an old-growth rainforest thick with bamboo trees and tropical flora.

In addition to treatments based on local healing traditions, the JARA Spa (whose name translates to “Journey”) partnered with Bangkok-based Lemongrass House to create a 100-percent organic line of essential oils (in local scents like lemongrass, ginger and lime), massage oils based on sweet almond and jojoba, and pure virgin coconut oil. (They also stock a deeply moisturizing coconut oil lip balm made for them by villagers on neighboring Raya island.) Guests can relax in their rooms with new natural bath amenities (shower gel, lotion, shampoo and conditioner) that help hydrate sun-worn skin and hair with rich jojoba oil and fragrant frangipani. trisara.com

Hotel D’Angleterre

Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen’s dedication to organic and natural is not limited to its famous food scene. Tucked beneath the historic Hotel D’Angleterre—an elegant Leading Hotels of the World member—the Amazing Space spa recently launched a line of high-tech skincare and wellness products (including supplements) packed with clean, active natural and organic ingredients. Even the packaging is eco-friendly.

Blending Asian and Nordic influences, the line includes standouts like the detoxifying Deep Charcoal Black Facial Scrub; Bio Lightening Kojic Acid Serum (with Japanese rice wine extract to help even out pigment and lighten scars); and the Formula E Healing Face Balm, which repairs skin and protects from future environmental stressors with vitamin E, geranium and primrose butter. The products are used in the spa’s face and body treatments, including Nordic-inspired services that incorporate warm Icelandic lava stones. dangleterre.com

Palazzo Avino

Ravello, Italy

Upon taking the reins of the family business—a luxury hotel perched high in the town of Ravello, overlooking Italy’s Amalfi Coast—sisters Mariella and Attilia Avino set about making updates to the historic property, including the creation of a high-quality “cosmetic food” line for their garden-set spa. The line of facial products, body oils, scrubs and masks harnesses the power of three ingredients from the surrounding Campania region (each extracted without heat or additives).

The Lemon line uses the famous citrus from Sorrento to balance, brighten and improve elasticity; the Apricot line draws upon mineral-rich fruit from the volcanic Vesuvius area to soothe and hydrate; and the Apple line uses the ancient, Annurca varietal, loaded with antioxidants to help refine and moisturize. The products are featured in the spa’s targeted facials and body treatments, and available for purchase. palazzoavino.com

Rancho La Puerta

Tecate, Mexico

Launched this spring from the legendary destination spa, La Puerta Core Essentials skin and body care line is a “bounty-to-beauty” range inspired by the stunning gardens, mountains and six-acre organic farm that surround the retreat—so that guests can “embrace the essence of The Ranch experience at home,” explains CEO and General Manager Roberto Arjona.

Made from sustainably harvested, wild-crafted and eco-certified ingredients, using a mix of plant-based medicine with aromatherapy formulations, the range includes 37 skincare products, with standouts like Calendula Moisturizing Crème, Nourishing Facial Oil (with jojoba and essential oils of neroli, rose and carrot seed), and an Intensive Eye and Lip Serum with ghee, basil, licorice and Ayurvedic herbs. A Pomegranate Enzyme Mask, Lavender Sage Body Wash, herb- or organic cocoa-infused Body Oils, and a Sun Restore collection (with an aloe vera and lavender Recovery Gel) round out the goodness. rancholapuerta.com

Sunrise Springs/ Ojo Caliente

New Mexico, U.S.

When Jen Scott, co-owner and steward of these two legendary hot spring resorts in Northern New Mexico, couldn’t find effective skincare products that “honored the beauty and resilience” of the surrounding landscape, she created her own. After over a year of product development and testing, Scott launched Round Barn Apothecary (roundbarnapothecary.com), a uniquely beautiful and sustainable line of skincare crafted in small batches, featuring healing plant-based ingredients foraged and wild-harvested across the Southwest.

You’ll be transported to those breathtaking desert landscapes with products like the Luminous Cleanse, made with prickly pear juice and the Brightening Moisturizer, with aloe vera and lemon peel. The products—made with organic ingredients—were so popular that Round Barn Apothecary has become a stand-alone line now available at spas, hotels and shops across the country, as well as at the two properties that helped inspire it. sunrisesprings.ojospa.com

White Key Villas

Greece

Athens-based White Key Villas prides itself on creating services and experiences that are both luxurious and unique for the guests who book their island vacation villas—right down to the bath and body products used in the homes. “We got tired of having to put name brand products in the rooms that might be from high-end lines, but weren’t that special—and that didn’t have a sense of place,” says Elena Fotiadi, marketing director. So they embarked on a “preposterous plan” to craft their own. Relaunched with new packaging this summer, the products were developed to fit the needs of guests enjoying a beach holiday; the hair products, for example, help balance the effects of seawater.

The formulations feature Greek ingredients like lime, honey, cherry and wild thyme, with only a light lingering scent—so as not to interfere with the fresh, natural fragrance of the sun and sea. whitekeyvillas.com

Four Seasons Hotel Florence

Florence, Italy

Italian brand Arangara Cosmetics takes sustainability seriously: Not only are all the farm-grown ingredients 100-percent organic and traceable, but the company proudly states that it can even tell you what day each element was harvested. The products all draw on Italian regional bounty (think olives, oranges and honey)—but when the brand saw the vast historic gardens surrounding Four Seasons Florence hotel, it felt inspired to create a separate line that pays homage to the flowers and herbs found on the grounds. Exclusive to the hotel’s garden-view spa, and used in signature facials and body treatments, the Il Giardino products include a purifying facial cleanser, brightening mask, and moisturizer featuring extracts of melissa, bergamot, rose, honeysuckle and more. fourseasons.com

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