by Jennifer McKinley, Founder, COR Silver Skincare
Skincare and beauty trends come and go. Anybody remember facial oils for "dewy" skin? The ever-so-complicated 10-step facial routine? Yoga skin?
Sometimes these fads not only fade, but turn out to be bad for your skin or for the environment — not too many years ago, even well-regarded brands were putting microplastic "exfoliant microbeads" in their products!
We won't miss a lot of those fussy routines and products. But it is a bit sad seeing some good skincare and beauty companies come and go, and that's happened quite a bit in recent years too. H20+, Lilah B., Bodhi & Birch, Vapour, and many more have shut their doors.
It's a pain when your skincare routine includes a product that you can't get anymore!
Instead of getting caught up in trends or trying whatever new formula the beauty industry is pushing this month, the smart way to build healthy, resilient, clear skin is to rely on simple products that use time-tested ingredients.
Skincare ingredients that stand the test of time
Like every company, COR was the new kid on the block once upon a time. We launched our Silver Soap in 2008. (The whole backstory is here if you want the juicy details. We needed some help with our own skin.)
Our brand-new skincare product included ingredients that weren't so 'trendy' at the time. But COR is still going strong after more than 15 years, and aging quite gracefully, thank you 🙂
The main reason is quality ingredients that really work.
For example, here are four now-popular ingredients COR has included from the very beginning:
- Hyaluronic acid. It's nice to see more people (and companies) starting to recognize this moisturizing agent. Hyaluronic acid is naturally produced by your body, and it's a natural humectant, meaning it attracts and retains moisture in your skin.
(Don't be confused by a very different substance, salicylic acid, that's become trendy now in other brands' products. We do NOT use it in COR—too harsh. It actually destroys bonds in your skin, and is an especially bad match for people with dry skin. There are gentler ways to exfoliate skin and fight breakouts.)
- Peptides. You'll see more and more folks singing the praises of peptides, which is great. Peptides are protein fragments. Your skin loves them. Collagen is actually made up of peptides, but peptides are easier for your skin to absorb than whole collagen. Again, they've been part of COR from Day One.
- Retinol. This is a natural form of Vitamin A, good for reducing the effects of aging, and it's popping up now in serums, creams, masks, gels, 'complexes' and formulas. Welcome to the party!
- And of course, the colloidal silver that provides so many benefits to facial skin. Silver is antibacterial and anti-inflammation. This isn't news! Early "silverware" was created because, even thousands of years ago, people recognized that silver helped prevent contamination. Nano-sized particles of silver, smaller than the pores of your skin, are our not-so-secret secret weapon for clear complexions and a healthy glow.
Of course, a skincare brand needs some serious know-how to get the best effect from these and other ingredients.
A healthier skincare routine
We could go on with our list, but the point is: We really believe that the best skincare routine is simple and focused on using fewer, but more effective products that stand the test of time.
We believe it so strongly, it's our mission statement:
COR's mission: Healthier skin, with less time and effort, and fewer products. That's it.
Want resilient skin? Choose resilient brands with proven ingredients.
Jen McKinley created COR in 2008 to revitalize her sun-damaged and breakout-prone skin.
