Back in January when I was in LA, I went to meet May Lindstrom in her LA office. There was a pot of Combat-Ready Balm in the bathroom and I picked it up. Obviously. In my defence, it was out in the open, I don't go snooping in people's bathrooms. (No really I don't.)
May's team were very complimentary about the brand so I of course had to get some. (Another reason I love May, she and her team spread the love.)
After I Instagrammed the above photo, the founder of skincando, Sara Damelio, reached out to me and sent me a travel/gift pack.
To say I have been blown away is an understatement. I love this brand. I do not foresee a time when I will not have Combat-Ready Balm in my house. I've used it on my face (spots), my body, the kids, the husband, everywhere. The Mr. burnt a small patch of the back of his neck while we were away (his fault) and I applied this directly on it for a couple of days. It both soothed it and prevented it blistering.
I've used the lip balms non-stop since I got my hands on them. I am obsessed. The Combat-Ready Lip Balm and the Brew Lip Balm are honestly brilliant.
The Bug Repellant spray, while it does actually work to repel bugs, actually smells so nice that I randomly spray it in the house to wake me up. Think Caudalie Beauty Elixir for mosquitos. :) Unlike a lot of repellents, the spray is child, animal and earth-friendly.
There are three different sections to the brand, Combat-Ready, Luxe and Kids. Sara also offers a vegan version of her Miracle Cream, knowing that not everyone wants to use beeswax. Each product is made by hand in small batches to keep it fresh.
There is a lovely back story to the Combat-Ready balm involving a soldier sending a letter asking for more of the 'magic balm' to soothe his skin in Iraq. This led to Sara starting Operation Sand Flea. A brilliant initiative where customers can shop online for the troops overseas and skincando will cover the shipping and donate extra products in each parcel. How great is that?
skincando is available from www.skincando.com and they ship worldwide for free.
For a limited time, Sara will include one free Travel Miracle Cream per order over $50.00 exclusively for you lovely readers.
More information on Operation Sand Flea is here: www.skincando.com/donations
Finding brands like this are my absolute favourite part of my job - the smaller start-ups get me the most excited.
For the gorgeousness of the products, the affordability and the ethos of the brand, skincando, in its entirety, is going in the Hall Of Fame.
*Not sponsored in any way. No affiliate links.