Stuff We Love: Violet Peony Face Cream

The more we learn about what goes into skin-care products that are mass-produced (think: formaldehyde and chemicals that mess with your hormones), the more dedicated we become to hunting down safer, simpler products. Violet Skin Boutique makes the hunt unnecessary.

Violet Mkhitaryan, the owner and founder of the spa (which offers fabulous facials, natch), has a background in biochemistry and makes all her products by hand, fresh, every Monday. There are no bizarre ingredients with names you can’t pronounce, and only natural essential oils are used for fragrance.

Winter has taken quite a toll on our nose and cheeks, but the Peony Face Cream worked wonders on our dry skin and smells divine. “What you put on your face should be like what you put in your body,” says Mkhitaryan. “It should be fresh. You don’t want something that sits on the shelf for years and years.”