Love them or hate them, there’s a fair chance we’ve all owned a pair of Birkenstocks at one time in our lives. Worn with everything from dresses and jeans to cut-offs and even, dare we say it, tights, those shoes sure did earn their cost-per-wear.
While the comfy cork sandal might have fallen under the radar for a while (well until ex-Celine creative director Phoebe Philo sent them back down the runway in 2013), it turns out that cork also has many powerful skin benefits, which has inspired the brand’s first foray into skincare. The best news? After a successful launch in Europe last year, it’s now headed to our shores so we can all get a piece of the action.
From feet to face, while the new line might sound slightly strange to some, cork – or, to be more precise, the extract taken from the outer layer of the bark of the cork oak called suberin – provides fabulous anti-ageing action for the skin, and the new range boasts everything from cleansers and moisturisers, to serums, oils and exfoliators. Birkenstock has been working with cork for years, so now that its complexion-perfecting properties have been realised, it really is a no-brainer.
What’s more, most the products are vegan and no animal-based ingredients are used – plus they are completely cruelty-free. What’s not to love? Even the packaging is sustainable, using renewable raw materials such as natural cork and recyclable tubes and bottles.
The brand will be launching with four products initially – the moisturising foot balm, cooling foot cream, nourishing leg and foot oil, and moisturising hand and nail cream, with all 20 products set to launch in the coming year. And of course, cork oak extract isn’t the only ingredient used to formulate the skincare range, which will also come loaded with avocado oil, jojoba oil, aloe vera and more. Every formula has also been awarded the COSMOS NATURAL seal of approval, an international natural cosmetics standard that represents one of the world's largest certification systems for natural and organic cosmetics, it’s great for both our skin and the environment too.
We can’t wait to try them all.
