Before we start diving into the world of green beauty essentials, I want so share a little story..
You know those times when you meet somebody for the first time and immediately feel like you can talk for ages? That’s what happened with today’s guest, Nicole Gustaffson, who I met in Ko Samui, Thailand during a wonderful vacation and while we were sitting on a boat hoping to spot pink dolphins.
Not only is Nic a smart, passionate and outspoken woman (all features that make it very fun to hang out with her), she is also a green beauty blogger and connoisseur, and I love to pick her brain about organic skin care products. (Can you believe she even left me some of her favorite products – that you see pictured above – before she left the island?!)
In today’s post, I asked her to share with us her favorite 10 Green Beauty Essentials to take care of our skin: from cleansers to moisturizers to sunscreens.
And because she knows everything when it comes to skincare… I definitely trust her picks!!

Nicole Gustafsson is a green beauty blogger, founder of OrgaNic Obsessions and contributor of The Peridot magazine.
Half Swedish-Japanese and currently living in Stockholm, Sweden, Nic’s passion for green beauty started when her sister handed her a cleanser from an Australian brand…
And she has never looked back since!
On her Instagram she shares beauty tips, product reviews, and photos of her favorite things: her lovely dog Saskia and pink skies.
10 Green Beauty Essentials from Nic @ "OragaNic Obsessions"
Best Face Wash:
I use two different types of products for morning and evening. In the AM I like something I can use without too much fuss but that will still provide that clean (not stripped mind!) feel and I have fallen in love with Kalima Coconut Cream Cleanser by Leahlani Skincare.
I’m a huge fan of Leah’s products and have written a number of reviews of nearly her whole line. It’s that good! Kalima is a powder cleanser so you need to mix it with water to reach desired consistency. The scent is amazing and keeping it on an extra few minutes as a mask in the shower amps it up even more. Soft, clean, hydrated skin guaranteed.


In the PM I use Bless Beauty Balm from the same line and it’s an incredible sensory experience. I prefer using a balm in the evenings to ensure that I really get rid of a day’s accumulated dirt and grime, even if I don’t wear a lot of makeup.
No product will sink in and do its magic unless you start with a clean canvas so this is really important. Bless removes makeup and deeply cleanses your face without stripping the skin of excess oil.
Best Exfoliator:
For a quick fix I really like True Botanicals Resurfacing Moisture Mask. You only need to leave it on for 5 minutes to see and feel results and those with sensitive skins, even less depending on your skin. The main exfoliating ingredient is lactic acid which stimulates the production of natural ceramides.
It definitely tingles but once you wash it off your skin feels super soft and smooth.
Best Toner:
Tricky this one…but a repurchase is usually a sign of something that is well loved in which case it would be Leahlani’s Bohemian Ruby Balancing Toner and May Lindstrom’s The Jasmine Garden. Both work brilliantly on my combo reactive skin, very quickly quelling any reactions I sometimes have not to mention how incredible they both smell.
There is a real and present danger of misting too much with these! 😉
Best Eye Serum:
Hands down Kahina Giving Beauty’s Eye Serum. It’s a potent little bottle and you only need the tiniest amount so believe it or not 15ml will last you 6 months, which is really good value.
It soothes, hydrates, brightens and sinks in very quickly – if it could fetch me a coffee in the mornings it pretty much would do everything I’d want from an eye serum!
Best Face Moisturizer:
I love Yoshimomo Botanique’s Quench with hyaluronic acid. Moisturizers that I really like are difficult to find as many leave me looking greasy when dewy is the goal.
Quench has so far been the only one that truly and deeply hydrates without leaving me looking like an oil slick at the end of the day. It doesn’t contain any essential oils so perfect for sensitive skins as well.
Best Sunblock
Confession – I really don’t get on with sunscreen. They leave me feeling icky and the ones that didn’t feel heavy left me feeling dry instead.
Until I came upon Kari Gran’s Three Sixty Five spf 28 that was featured in a Beauty Heroes box last year.
I love this product because it’s light and sinks in to match my skin tone. No Casper the Ghost here no matter how cute he is. It also doesn’t dry me out. And holds up tremendously well in Thai sunshine!
Best Hand Cream:
I actually don’t use a specific hand product – no need when a product like Leahlani’s Bless (mentioned above) is a multitasker and by far one of my favorite green beauty essentials.
I maybe should’ve added that Bless can be used for pretty much anything but my preferred use is as a balm cleanser. That being said, it performs beautifully as a hand balm as well. Wherever you’re dry basically!
Best All Round Face Mask:
Anyone who knows me knows the answer to this one: Mermaid Mask by Leahlani! I’ve been using this emerald beauty close to over 2 years now, weekly, and I always have a back up pot because I can’t bear to be without it.
It softens, hydrates, soothes, brightens and cooks me dinner. Well, almost. It does taste delicious when a little “happens” to get in to your mouth…
Best Hand Wash:
Kosmatology’s Orange Sweetness Foaming Hand Soap. I don’t know a product that lasts as long as this one!
It’s the perfect hand wash because it comes out as a foam, lasts for ages and cleans your hands without leaving them paper dry – precisely what you want your hand wash to do!
Best Body Oil:
I have to mention two here – Jasmine Body Oil by Herbivore Botanicals and Chinois Blue by Bodhi & Birch. Both are distinctly different to each other when it comes to the scents but are so ridiculously decadent.
I love coming out of the shower, still dripping and massaging these onto damp skin. Not only does it help with absorption but it also makes the scent linger a while longer. I go for one or the other depending on my mood – flirty and light with Jasmine, feminine and sultry with Chinois Blue.
Now it’s on you: what are your favorite Green Beauty Essentials? Is there anything you’d want to add to this list?
Leave a comment below and let us know some of your favorites!
Kisses from Ambra & Nic


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