I have been a Dr. Hauschka skincare devotee for quite sometime now. I use their Cleansing Cream and Cleansing Milk religiously, and even go so far as to integrate the Lavender Bath oil into the process. Sometimes I just cleanse with the Milk; sometimes just the Cleansing Cream. Sometimes both. When I have enough time I fill the sink with warm water, add a few drops of Lavender Bath oil and rinse my face with the aromatic brew and feel like I have just treated myself to a relaxing ritual. For those of you unfamiliar with Dr. Hauschka’s products, they are beyond lovely. They employ sustainable farming, fair trade practices, and of course no synthetic ingredients. And because they take into account the cycles of the moon when they plant their flowers that are harvested for their organic formulas, I feel like little celestial fairies have somehow helped create my tubes and bottles of goodness.
The only downside, is that they are a German company. If you are in Germany, that’s great! If you are in a different part of the world, that means your skincare has to be flown over the ocean to get to you. Not ideal if you are trying to decrease your carbon footprint. Not to mention the high cost of their products. It’s an expensive routine. But breaking my Dr. Hauschka skincare habit is a tough one. I’ll illustrate it with a true story.
A few weeks ago I was at a restaurant with my husband and older son. I got a cell phone call that I had to take, and excused myself from the table. While I was away, my son asked who I was talking to. My husband said, “Mommy’s talking to a doctor.” My son then asked, “Oh! Dr. Hauschka?” Yeah, even my son knows about Dr. Hauschka; even how to pronounce the name correctly. I’m a little attached. But, in the spirit of looking for more locally made skincare, at least on this continent, I went shopping.
MyChelle Dermaceuticals has been my first attempt. MyChelle is based in Colorado and does not use phthalates, parabens, or petroleum ingredients in their products. Some, but not all of the ingredients are organic, such as organic honey, blue algae and glycerin in the Honeydew Cleanser. I have heard about their high quality reputation over the years, so I figured this was a good enough place to start. And well, Colorado is a lot closer to the Northwestern US than Germany. I saw a travel sized bottle of their Unscented Honeydew Cleanser at my local health food store about two weeks ago and decided to take the plunge. I am happy to report excellent results thus far.
I like to warm a nickel-sized amount in my palms and massage it on my face. It has a silky slip when applied and rinses nicely with warm water. The consistency is creamy but does not leave a residue. Nor does it leave my skin feeling taut; just clean and soft. (As an FYI, my skin in general is fairly normal, but prone to dryness in the winter and breakouts every now and then). After two weeks’ worth of use, my skin looks as good if not better than it does when I use my beloved Dr. Hauschka routine on a twice daily basis. Even though the Honeydew Cleanser is labeled as “unscented” there is a mild, slightly floral scent that is very pleasant but does not linger.
For those of you who enjoy a cream cleanser, I encourage you to give this one a try. I don’t think I will ever stop using Dr. Hauschka’s Cream Cleanser, which is not creamy but rather granular and more of an exfoliator. And I won’t abandon the aforementioned cleansing ritual entirely. But I think I am ready to let go of the Dr. Hauschka’s Cleansing Milk and allow MyChelle’s Honeydew Cleanser to be its lovely, and far more reasonably priced, replacement.
~MyChelle is sold at Whole Foods and many health food stores. See this link to find a store near you in the US.
photograph by muffet on fllickr
thefloraesthetic.com 
Tish,
This is my all time favorite brand of natural cosmetics! This cleanser is just lovely. You must try other products that MyChelle offers, you will not be disappointed!
Hi Alyssa,
After having such a nice introduction to the MyChelle line, I will most definitely be trying more. What are your favorites?
~Trish
The products I use religiously are del Sol bronzing system, Fabulous Eye Cream, Fruit Enzyme Cleanser (in the summer), Honeydew Cleanser (winter), Pumpkin Renew Cream (in the spring/summer), and Revitalizing Night Cream. I also really enjoy the treatments; mask & serums and in love with the MyChelle hand cream! All the products are my faves to tell you the truth, Trish.
A,
Look out Dr. Hauschka, LOL.
~T
Hello, what a lovely blog.
I am an absolute Dr H devotee too. I don’t always get to do the whole routine but when I do I feel so much better. You can real feel their products working and the freshness.
The lavender bath is especially good, I would like to have all the bath oils eventually.
Thank you Rose 🙂
Yes, Dr H products are so lovely. So expensive though, especially here in the States and their prices just went up! Trying to find some less expensive alternatives for myself and my readers.
But yes, the Lavender Bath is worth every penny IMO. And the Spruce one is amazing as well.
~Trish
Hi Trish,
I too am a fan of Dr. Hauschka. It may just be my head and not my skin talking, but it really does feel exquisitely good for your skin to use the stuff. I think the Facial Toner and the Lip Balm are my favorites. I’ve decided that it’s more for bringing problematic skin in line, so I’ve been using Liz Earle lately with good results, though they really use a ton of comedogenic ingredients. Oh, well. You win some, you lose some.
Dain,
The lip balm is incredible stuff. I have one at the bedside, handbag, car….
I love it. HG for certain.
~Trish
I’m a HUGE Mychelle fan (Alyssa & I could be product twins ;). Their scents are delightful without being overwhelming. I’m especially fond of the Revitalizing Night Cream which smells like gingerbread made from scratch. Even the C Serum reminds me of freshly toasted whole wheat bread. Mmm!
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for commenting 🙂 MyChelle just might be the sleeper hit of the spring for me. Their fruit enzyme scrub is up next for me to try, but the toasted whole wheat bread smellin’ serum sounds quite intriguing!
Hugs,
~T
Hi Sarah,
Have you tried the new formula of the Revitalizing Night Cream? It doesn’t have that wonderful “gingerbread” smell to it anymore. But! it’s still a great if not better product now. I would say the scent is more therapeutic now, aimed for a good nights rest. This is another plus to MyChelle products, the aromatherapy aspect (they feel it’s important) I love this.
Hi Alyssa,
HA! I wasn’t sure if I’d gotten a differently scented batch with my most recent purchase or dreamt up the whole gingerbread affair. If anyone from MyChelle tunes in know that I completely trust your aromatic strategies but will surely miss the sugarplum visions inspired by your original R.N.C. formula. Seasonal treat, perhaps? I’ll take 8! Best, SH
What about for sensitive skin that’s also prone to breakouts? Still searching for that elixir, the miracle product made just for me.
Dominique
Actually – i see that MyChelle has a whole line for sensitive and for acne prone skin. Maybe i’ll try it …
🙂
dom
I haven’t tried the sensitive line yet Dom. The honeydew is my first intro into MyChelle. The travel size is a good way to go, not too much cash up front. I am still really liking the honeydew cleanser and upgraded to the full size 😉