Clear Skin From The Kitchen: Klo Organic Beauty
By Amy Krzanik Items that have, at one time or another, been in heavy rotation in my medicine cabinet and on my face: night cream, day cream, medicated face wash, regular face wash for when the medicated was too irritating, a blemish stick, anti-aging gel, toner for…hmmm…not actually sure what toner does, prescription acne cream, prescription cream to treat the redness caused by the acne cream, lotion to treat the dryness caused by the acne cream, and a parade of makeup products to slather on my face since none of the above actually worked all that well. It can take years to find the right products for your complexion, if you ever do, and then your skin needs change as you age or, heaven forbid, you move to a different climate or a store discontinues a product on which you’ve come to rely. Sisters and “klofounders” of Klō Organic Beauty, Nicole Anagnos and Megan Berube, were having these very same issues. “The reason we started the business,” says Berube, “was because we were both making our own skincare products. I was in Williamstown, Mass. and Nicole was in Florida, and we have opposite skin, but there was nothing on the market that was nontoxic and chemical-free that solved either of our problems.” Anagnos eventually moved back to the area and the two joined forces in 2015 to create their company, which officially launched in 2016. Klō, which stands for Kitchen Lab Organics, began as a personal remedy for personal needs. But, says Berube, “friends and family started to use it and we realized there were a lot of people looking for this.” “This” is the RE3™ Oil Cleansing Method, which comes in either “normal/dry” or “oily” and consists of two steps performed each evening. The cleanser removes make-up, sunscreen, bacteria and other impurities; exfoliates; and balances sebum to regulate oil production in the skin. Step two, the serum, takes the place of moisturizer and has anti-aging properties. Over time, the system fades age and sun spots and evens out skin tone. The goal is to get your skin so healthy that you no longer need a cabinet full of make up and other suspect beauty products with questionable ingredients. Anagnos says she had been constantly trying different moisturizers, which still left her skin feeling dry and tight. “What Klo did was regulate my skin so I didn’t need anything else. I’m just using two products now because it changed the way my skin functions. Now my skin is doing what it’s supposed to do, as opposed to me fighting its natural tendencies.” On the other hand, Berube had been fighting oily skin and acne her entire life. “At first, I was hesitant to use oil on my face,” she says. “We were always told that you have to strip your face of oil and dry out your skin to get rid of acne. But, after fighting acne for 20 years, that clearly wasn’t working.” Klō products are made with food-grade, organic, unrefined, non-GMO oils. And although Klō has gotten nods from beauty bloggers and magazines around the world — Vogue, Glamour, Real Simple and Brides have sung their praises — their products continue to be made in small batches in Williamstown. Locals can find Klō in Williamstown at Wild Oats and Amy’s Cottage. They also can be purchased online, where first-timers can sign up for the company’s newsletter and receive 25 percent off their first purchase. Plus, for every purchase made online, Klō donates six months of safe water through water.org. As for pricing, the cleanser ($38) and serum ($58) which can be purchased together for $96, is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive cosmetic item I've purchased to "fix" my skin, but I'm hoping it'll be the last.
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