Lotions & Potions: Your Guide To Icelandic Skincare

With the unpredictable weather and harsh conditions of Iceland, it’s no wonder the women here have had to get creative to save their skin. With a rich beauty history of using unusual ingredients like barley, lanolin, seaweed, and silica, Icelandic skincare brands serve up intensely hydrating products strong enough to withstand the harshest wind, rain, or hail. So if you want to get pretty while you’re here, these are the products to add to your arsenal.

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Bioeffect EGF Day Serum

Bioeffect is the crème de la crème of Icelandic skincare and this day serum is their holy grail. Icelandic women—without exaggeration—swear by it. Derived from barley seeds grown in Icelandic greenhouses, this serum mimics facial proteins to thicken skin and target dry spots, fine lines, sun damage, and wrinkles. For skincare junkies: Don’t worry, the epidermal growth factor here is man-made, not human-derived, so it’s safe for everyone.

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Taramar Purifying Treatment

Dr. Guðrún Marteinsdóttir, a professor at the University of Iceland, started Taramar to create high-quality skincare products with natural Icelandic ingredients. While all her products are sublime, this purifying treatment is a particular godsend for dehydrated skin. Made with Icelandic kelp, seaweed and Vitamin E, the oily blend will firm your skin and replenish it back to its bright and radiant true self.

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Blue Lagoon Silica Mud Mask

Mud: That blissful non-comedogenic substance put on Earth by God to make every skin type soft and glowy. Take that, add a touch of collagen-boosting algae straight from the depths of geothermal silica, and you’ve got Blue Lagoon’s stellar Silica Mud Mask. The product is a standard in the routine of Icelandic women and for good reason. It’s good for all types of skin, from oily to sensitive to even rosacea prone, and has that rare quality of being gentle yet intense. The mask is undeniably potent, feeling more akin to a chemical peel versus your average Aztec Secret or Bioré charcoal, but it leaves your skin butter soft and blemish free. Note: While it is good for all skin types, their Algae Mask would be a better choice for mature skin.

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Dr Bragi Age Management Moisturiser

No parabens. No lipids. No lanolin. No silicons. Dr Bragi’s products are totally free of potential hazards, instead, using active Icelandic marine enzymes with plumping hyaluronic acid to reduce ageing and prevent the breakdown of collagen. Grab one of these moisturisers if you want to brighten your complexion and destroy dark circles much faster than your average Vitamin C serum. Take that, time.

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ANGAN Bath Salts

ANGAN is all about sustainability and bringing old Icelandic skincare remedies into the modern age. Their line of bath salts, which are made from Icelandic sea salt, is a particular standout. The three products contain blends with birch, thyme, and seaweed—all locally sourced. Add a handful to a bath and drift off into the past, except, uh, one where they have indoor plumbing.