Fab Find of the Week: Hibernicis bodycare
Mermaids, sign up here. And that includes us, long-term converts to the power of seaweed, for nurturing skin. But there is seaweed – and there is seaweed.
And Hibernicis, a new-to-us luxurious bodycare brand, is very careful about where they source the marine ingredients for what is really a very gorgeous collection of bodycare and handcare – one which is grabbing a fair bit of space on the bedside and in our bathrooms, right now.
If you’ve ever rubbed seaweed on your skin, you’ll know that it has an amazing action: softening, nourishing, smoothing and replenishing, with its almost jelly-like natural texture. Well, Hibernicis’s range features several seaweeds harvested from the wild Atlantic coast of Ireland – if you visit their website, you can see some wonderful footage of that coastline in all its raw, powerful glory. Laminaria digitata (a large brown algae), Porphyra umbilicalis (laver) and fucus vesiculosus (bladder wrack) extracts, among other botanicals, which have a wonderful softening effect. (Overall, the range is a minimum of 95% natural and naturally-derived ingredients.)
Fragrances are subtle but beautiful, textures rich and skin-friendly. And we are especially enjoying…
Sólas Shower Oil/£69 for 110ml. Such a lovely, nurturing way to get skin clean – and you don’t need a shower; we like this on a sponge or a flannel, and it’s great for shaving shins. The blend of six seaweed extracts, grapeseed, sunflower, jojoba and avocado oils leaves skin so soft it really doesn’t need further moisturising; the scent’s also pushing our buttons, from essential oils of mandarin, lavender, bergamot, ylang ylang and sandalwood. (Sólas translates as ‘comfort’, in Celtic language.)
Glan Bath & Shower Gel/£39 for 250ml. If you prefer something that suds a little more, reach for this. Skin will be gently, aromatically fragranced with mandarin, geranium and sandalwood, and it cleans without leaving skin stripped or tight. (‘Glan’ is Celtic for clean, BTW.)
Cara Hand Cream/£39 for 75ml. Again, seven seaweed extracts, here – and we swear our hands are responding to every one. It’s luxuriously-textured, incredibly softening, yet not at all greasy – a real encouragement to slather generously and regularly, and we think we’re seeing a real difference in skin nourishment. Lavender and mandarin are the essential oils, here – just gorgeous. (‘Cara’ means friend.)
Wonderful products, to make us stop, pause, breathe – and dream of the ocean.
PS Look out for an upcoming ‘7 Secrets of Beauty & Wellbeing’ with Hibernicis’s founder, the fascinating Catherine Logue, on the site.