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West Skincare is a gender-neutral skin-care brand making clean skin care for active people.
Its formulas rely mostly on plant-based ingredients, and only contain "proven ingredients at effective dose levels" to deliver the best possible results.
I tested the entire line of skin care and while I do find it a bit expensive (products range from $22-$55) appreciated the no-frills branding, the quality ingredients, and most importantly, the results on my skin.
Read on for an overview of West Skincare and my personal review of each product. My absolute favorite was the Recovery Cream ($55).
The world of skin care is a complex one. There are countless brands that rely on the use of masculine or feminine scents, catchy packaging, exaggerated health benefits, and maybe even a celebrity endorsement to make sales, rather than honest and thoughtful ingredients. There are also an immense number of trendy and unnecessary products, ingredients, regimens, and techniques that can complicate the process of finding what works for you.
To put things plainly as possible, there's a lot of BS on the market.
I've tested a good number of these products out (mostly skin-care products aimed specifically and unnecessarily at men), and I'll just say that given how many bad ones I've come across, it takes a lot to impress me. So, when it does happen, I have to share it.
Founded in 2019 by Matthew Ankeny, West Skincare is a clean skin-care brand designed for active people. The brand is gender neutral (there are no distinctly masculine or feminine scents or branding) and it uses a handful of natural. plant-based, and mineral-based ingredients to hydrate, restore, and protect skin from normal everyday life and the rigors of active living. That includes everything from sun, heat, and sweating to natural changes in skin from aging.
Ankeny, who leads an active lifestyle, told Business Insider that the most important considerations when developing the products were the use of quality, effective ingredients, and making skin-care that was accessible to everyone. "If you're going to put your skin through the ringer, you should be using the best," he said of the ingredients they prioritize. "This is 2019. We can move on from gender-based marketing - especially when it's inaccurate. There are differences in men's and women's skin, but the skin-care ingredients that work, work for all."
In addition to its thoughtful formulas, West Skincare is also thoughtful about its environmental impact. All of the products are vegan and cruelty-free, sustainably packaged and shipped, and made locally in Southern California (rather than overseas) to reduce their carbon footprint.
West Skincare sent me their entire product line including the Facial Cleanser, Facial Moisturizer, Recovery Cream, Facial Mask, and Facial Scrub ($25-$55). After using them for about two weeks, I really feel that they have the right approach to skin care. From its no-frills branding and quality ingredients to the results on my skin, I was impressed.
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If you're looking for a simple new skin-care regimen that works for your active lifestyle I recommend West Skincare.
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The cleanser does a wonderful job ridding your skin of everything you don't want on or in it — like dead skin cells and excess oil build-up — without on being too harsh. It's especially great after a long gym session or run when I'm sweaty and my skin is feeling dull.
Oftentimes, facial cleansers strip away everything, including natural oils, giving your face a raw, damaged, and dry sensation. This one doesn't do that. The best way for me to describe the Cleanser is that it gave my skin a clean but not dry slate.
It's also fragrance-free (as are all of its formulas), which is an overall good thing. Most fragrances are made synthetically and can irritate your skin.
The Recovery Cream is easily my favorite product from the collection. A little bit goes a very long way, and it's noticeably effective as a nourishing moisturizer for daytime or nighttime use.
The cream uses ingredients like sea whip extract, sunflower seed oil, jojoba seed oil, shea butter, and rosemary leaf extract to hydrate and restore skin. After washing my face with the Cleanser, I apply a small amount of the Recovery Cream and my skin stays hydrated and smooth all day long.
Although it is thick, it's not uncomfortable to wear. It soothed my skin and didn't clog my pores. Most heavy creams make my face feel irritated (or at the very least like it will become irritated if I leave it on all day), but I didn't experience any irritation at all with the Recovery Cream.
Compared to the Recovery Cream, the Facial Moisturizer is much lighter. Since it dries quickly, it doesn't make your skin greasy or shiny. While I typically like the feeling of formulas with a creamier texture and more intense moisture, I enjoyed using this lightweight one in the summer heat. It didn't feel like I had an extra layer of products caked onto my skin (which is usually uncomfortable in the heat or when you're sweating), but at the same time, I didn't feel dried out.
Even though I enjoyed using the Recovery Cream more, the Facial Moisturizer serves a different purpose as a lighter option for hot days. If you're looking for a lightweight moisturizer, this one will do the trick. If you want something heavier, go for the Recovery Cream instead.
I can't say that I'm the type of person who swears by facials masks and heavily relies on them for clear and healthy skin, but I've used enough of them to know a good one — and this is a good one. It's dark grey/black color comes from two main ingredients: activated coconut charcoal and black mud. The charcoal is used to absorb and remove toxins on the surface of your skin and inside your pores, while the black mud nourishes your skin with minerals and vitamins.
Much like the other products, I found the Facial Mask to be gentle, yet effective. As instructed, I left it on my face for 15 minutes and washed it off. My face didn't feel excessively dry, so I followed it with the lighter facial moisturizer instead of the Recovery Cream. The brand says says you can use it up to three times a week, but once a week served my skin well.
At $45, this isn't something I can see myself paying for since I hardly use masks, and this one, in particular, is so similar to the scrub (in the next slide). However, if you use masks routinely, you might find value in it.
As good as they may feel, not all facial scrubs are beneficial to your skin. In fact, many of them can damage your skin if used too vigorously. West Skincare definitely kept that in consideration when formulating their Facial Scrub. It features charcoal, which makes it similar in consistency to the mask, and volcanic microcrystals to purify and exfoliate dead skin without disrupting the healthy layers.
Compared to super gritty and highly abrasive facial scrubs that use ground-up walnut shells or small plastic beads (neither of which has any real benefit for your skin, the latter of which often end up in our waterways), this formula is a testament to the brand's thoughtfulness about both skin health and environmental impact of its products.
The $45 price might seem high, but the peace of mind knowing that you're not scraping your skin to oblivion is well worth it.
