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Hidden Gems - Lesser known brands we love

Hidden Gems - Lesser known brands we love

The title says it all in this one, let’s introduce you to some hidden gems in the HelloAva family.

Ghost Democracy

Beautiful brand, beautiful standards, and beautiful formulas. Ghost Democracy focuses on a higher standard of clean skincare going beyond “no sulfates and no parabens”. With less unnecessary chemicals, their products have more room for science-backed active ingredients. They are also very transparent as a brand and you can actually view their list of restricted ingredients here. Their formulas are also research-based, which is something that we are definitely a fan of. Take the Lightbulb Vitamin C Serum for instance, it’s an anhydrous formula that contains 18% tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (THD) which is a potent and more stable form of vitamin C. It also contains vitamin E to help nourish the skin and support the vitamin c, as well as bakuchiol which increases cellular turnover in the skin (similar to retinol). While this serum is labeled as a vitamin C serum, it’s truly a powerhouse when it comes to preventing and correcting dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles.

DIME Beauty

A lovely brand with a lovely story. Created by founders Baylee and Ryan Relf, DIME Beauty was started with the idea to develop an optimized, clean skincare line for all ages. Baylee started out as a skincare and beauty enthusiast who was looking for a way to take her knowledge of the industry to the next level. After obtaining her Esthetician license from the National Institute of Medical Aesthetics, Baylee reflected on her studies and quickly learned that at each stage of our lives, our skin has new challenges and needs. Baylee thought about this further as her mother was having a difficult time finding products that were suited for her specific stage in life. Shortly after, everything fell into place for the Relf family when Ryan Relf landed a job in product development in the beauty industry and Baylee began sharing her concerns about the current skincare selection. This confirmed her view that the industry needed more brands that addressed concerns for any stage of life whether that be teen years, 20’s, 30’s-50’s, or 65+. Thus she and Ryan created DIME Beauty, a beauty brand that is accessible, inclusive, and formulated with clean, but effective ingredients. The TBT Serum reflects all of their values as a company and includes an array of powerful ingredients. Containing mandelic acid to increase cellular turnover, niacinamide to brighten and refine pores, and resveratrol to bring dull skin back to life, this serum is not one to skip out on.

Control Corrective 

Professional skincare with a purpose. Control Corrective is a skincare line that is all about transformation and has been attaining fantastic results with their skincare since 1997. Ellen Clark, the founder of Control Corrective, truly knows the industry like the back of her hand being a licensed Esthetician and successful spa owner. For Ellen, it was never about her own needs, but the needs of others which is exactly why she began pursuing aesthetics in the 1980s. You see, skin clinics weren’t common then and Ellen was on a mission to find not only a curative fix for her skin troubles, but for others as well. This led to Ellen being one of the first pioneering entrepreneurs to open skincare clinics in multiple locations, making skincare solutions more accessible. After building multiple successful skincare clinics (and helping others build theirs as well), Ellen decided that she wanted skincare solutions to be even more accessible by putting the power of beautiful skin into consumer’s hands. Which brings us to the introduction of a solution focused skincare that provides clinical results for any skin type, aka, Control Corrective. The Sensitive Skin Enzyme Mask is a perfect example of what accessible, skin type inclusive skincare looks like. This mask avoids harsh exfoliants and focuses on enzymes to gently remove dead skin. It also contains sorbitol to condition the skin and safflower oil to help with inflammation. Not to mention the addition of bentonite clay and kaolin clay to draw out impurities.