Greek Organic Cosmetics That Made my Summer!

Over the last decade, Greek cosmetics companies have seriously upped their game and are now creating products that can easily compete with some of the world’s best brands.

High-quality cosmetics made with pure, innovative, natural, and sweet-smelling ingredients make me very happy. They don’t just make me feel and look better, they help reverse problems, offer deep nurturing, and prevent future issues. As with almost everything by now, I like to shop local, not only for environmental reasons but also to support the many charismatic producers around the country. 

This summer I stocked up on sophisticated products to use on my one-month island holiday as well as the city, choosing from three of the country’s top natural/organic brands: Eolia Cosmetics, Dos Cosmetics, and BioSelect. Here are the tried and tested products that have added beauty, joy, feel-good textures, and aromas – not to mention noticeably impressive results – to my summer:

Eolia Cosmetics 

GOLD STAR!
Eolia Lip Balm with St John’s Wort Oil
The only lip balm I’ve ever used that has a light texture and immediately and ongoingly soothes my lips. The sweet smell of St John’s Wort herb with honey, propolis & beeswax reminds me of the delicious aromatic wafts that come from island fields that have been sitting under the sun. 

GOLD STAR!
Greek Sun-kissed Bronzer
This dry oil bronzer with Argan oil, vitamin E oil, and olive oil for deep moisturisation & nourishment has added daily nourishment and glamour to my arms, chest, legs, thighs and even hair. It’s perfect for adding a glow any time of day and helps to prolong your suntan while soothing the skin from sun exposure.

Pomegranate & Aloe Vera body butter
A mix of fruits and herbs from Laconia, plus St John’s wort oil, natural beeswax, and honey that smells soothingly sweet and fruity and has a rich, nutritive texture. A bedside buddy that I used regularly on my hands, legs, and feet before sleep. 

  • Insights Greece - Greek Organic Cosmetics That Made my Summer!
  • Insights Greece - Greek Organic Cosmetics That Made my Summer!
  • Insights Greece - Greek Organic Cosmetics That Made my Summer!

Instant Lift Serum
Lifting active pearls combine hyaluronic acid molecules with natural bio-saccharides that form a three-dimensional grid of instant tightening and are proven to provide deep and lasting hydration, improve skin appearance, reduce blemishes, smoothen wrinkles and give a bright, youthful, restful look. This gel dries quickly and revives the skin, making it perfect for application before makeup on evenings when I’m heading out.

GOLD STAR!
After Sun
This incredibly cooling cream-gel with aloe, Greek yogurt, cucumber, and vitamin E instantly soothes away any kind of redness, dryness, or irritation that can result from overexposure to the sun (guilty as charged!). Even better when kept in the refrigerator.

  • Insights Greece - Greek Organic Cosmetics That Made my Summer!
  • Insights Greece - Greek Organic Cosmetics That Made my Summer!

DOS Cosmetics 
A 100% natural glitter oil was my other secret weapon in creating post-beach glow!

GOLD STAR!
Tanning Oil
This tanning oil only has a 3SPF, with oils that accelerate the natural tan while protecting the skin from premature aging. It contains antioxidants that bind free radicals while maintaining the elasticity and moisture of the skin. The best part is the delightfully exotic aroma that Dos describes as a Californian-Caribbean-Greek blend!

GOLD STAR!
Sunscreen 50+ SPF | UVA UVB Light Serum
This face sunscreen was my daily face serum, which I applied pre-sun and again at the beach after several hours. With 50SPF it protects from UVA / UVB rays while preventing dark spots and hyperpigmentation through its powerful antioxidant action. 

  • Insights Greece - Greek Organic Cosmetics That Made my Summer!
  • Insights Greece - Greek Organic Cosmetics That Made my Summer!

 

BIOSELECT Naturals 

Face Tonic Lotion
This gentle skin toner with dictamelia, hibiscus, aloe (which soothes, softens and revitalizes) and green tea, which protects from oxidative damage was part of my morning skincare routine. It helped wipe away any greasiness from the night and tighten my pores.

Nourishing Body Butter
A rich, natural buttery cream, which provides intensive hydration to your skin also has dictamelia, which protects from oxidative damage as well as shea butter, which is rich in vitamin E and aloe, so it offered my sun-kissed body a deep nourishing action.

 

  • Insights Greece - Greek Organic Cosmetics That Made my Summer!
  • Insights Greece - Greek Organic Cosmetics That Made my Summer!


GOLD STAR!
Hair & Body Fragrance Mist Piña Colada
Several people asked me what fragranced I was wearing whenever I liberally spritzed this cheering stuff on myself. With exotic coconut and monoi de tiare oils and a light hint of pineapple, it both revived and soothed me. 


Body Sugar Scrub – Exfoliate & Polish – Piña Colada
I used this delicious organic sugar scrub with coconut oil, organic olive oil, orange essential oil & monoi de tiare oil in the shower every four to five days to scrub off dead cells and enjoy a smooth, silky result.

  • Insights Greece - Greek Organic Cosmetics That Made my Summer!
  • Insights Greece - Greek Organic Cosmetics That Made my Summer!

Tried & Tested: DOS Cosmetics’ Awarded Night Products

Several months ago I discovered DOS Cosmetics, a new beauty company run by a dynamic female duo (see our interview here). For over two decades I have loved exploring and professionally reviewing beauty and wellbeing products from around the world, but especially those made in Greece.

There are more and more exciting, highly sophisticated and effective products – from supplements to skincare cosmetics – being produced here, and made using organic native ingredients. DOS definitely fits this category and there was no doubt that I wanted to try two of their most well known and awarded products out for myself. I was promised that even within a week I would see results, but I waited for five weeks before writing this review.

The Products:

After taking DOS’ awarded Personalised Skin Diagnosis (a test one can take in 5 minutes online) I was recommended the Ascorbin Night Serum and the Mandelicum Night Solution, as well as a rose quartz Gua Sha tool for facial massage.

PRODUCT 1: Ascorbin Night Serum DOS

Description: A serum designed with 7 pure active ingredients, offers anti-aging, antioxidant, moisturizing, repairing and antimicrobial action. It soothes skin, maintains moisture at normal levels, discolors pigmentations, cleanses clogged pores and tightens Insights Greece - Tried & Tested: DOS Cosmetics’ Awarded Night Productsthem while enhancing natural metabolism of cells. Active ingredients: high concentrated and stabilized form of Vitamin C with a combination of antioxidants (such as plasma of curcumin, sea buckthorn and black rice).

My skin before

I’m in my mid 40s and my combination skin is thankfully not yet too affected by wrinkles, apart from on my forehead when I frown and on the sides of my mouth, but after several months of high stress from work overload and moving home, my skin was definitely in need of brightening, smoothing and toning, which is what these products promised to offer.

Experience

The serum is thick and comes in a sturdy white bottle with a pipette. Two or three drops dispensed in the hands or directly onto the face and massaged well into the skin suffice. Massage can be carried out using the fingers of the gua sha stone, which is said to help boost circulation and help smooth lines.

Results

Never one to skip on my beauty routine, I religiously used the serum every night. I actually looked forward to its lovely smell and thick texture, as well as the deep yet lightweight feeling of hydration it left in my skin. A few close friends and family remarked that my skin looked more glowy. I couldn’t see that as much as that it had become firmer and smoother, with a much better texture. Especially, as I mentioned above. Considering the stressful days and sleepless nights I experienced over the last few months.

PRODUCT 2: Mandelicum Night Solution (Pure Beauty Global Awards Winner 2020)

Description: A refreshing, gently exfoliating and toning lotion that deeply cleanses skin, enhances cellular longevity and protects against oxidative stress. Shields and enhances cell longevity, protecting their DNA on cellular level. Using macromolecular AHAs of Mandelic Acid derived from bitter almonds, we gently exfoliate the skin surface offering Insights Greece - Tried & Tested: DOS Cosmetics’ Awarded Night Productsantimicrobial and antibacterial action to control oil secretions and decongest the skin harmoniously. We thus allow skin pores to shrink to their normal size. With a natural combination of powerful antioxidants, such as plasma serum of curcuma and Greek mountain tea, using the product every other day is the ideal solution for all skin types.

Experience

This exfoliating lotion is to be used every other night, after cleansing and pre-serum. If I felt particularly fatigued, I sometimes used it two nights in a row, but generally tried to stick to the rules. This too has a lovely aroma and refreshing yet soothing texture that I looked forward to feeling on my skin every evening.

Results

When you’re trying two new products at the same time it’s difficult to differentiate which one is doing exactly what, but in conclusion I feel that this product actually offered me bigger benefits than the serum. Although I loved both, I feel that the Mandelicum lotion made my skin firmer by tightening my pores and always left my skin feeling squeaky clean, without feeling at all dried out. Also, since I’m sometimes prone to adult acne, I noticed a significant reduction in breakouts of any kind.

Conclusion

I loved using both these cosmetics. I really enjoyed knowing I was using products made with love that contain organic, Greek ingredients grown by DOS. The textures and smells as well as the way they made my skin look and feel were all very rewarding. I definitely recommend them both and am very curious to keep trying other DOS cosmetics too, probably next their Collagen range.

How New Cosmetic Company DOS is A Glowing Example of Greek Innovation

In only two years since they set up DOS Cosmetics, Chrysanthi and Vasiliki put their heads together to create a line of top-quality cosmetic products.

Stylish and hip, modern and minimal, their line has already received several awards and many accolades. They grow their own organic ingredients, mostly indigenous herbs, flowers and plants and combine their expertise. Impressed by the quality, sophistication and branding excellence of their range, IN+SIGHTS GREECE sought to find out more about the dynamic duo and their plans.

How did you join forces and decide to create DOS Cosmetics?

Chrysanthi: As a teenager I had a bad case of acne. My father, who had trained in Houston, Texas at the PPCA in Pharmaceutical Compounding Specialized for Pharmacists, created some products to treat acne, making elixirs with herbs from Olympus. The combination of various products he created and the order in which I used them managed to resolve the problem. I was deeply inspired and wanted to share this level of expertise in cosmetic-creation and the philosophy behind it with the wider public, which is what led me to create DOS Cosmetics!

Vasiliki:  What brought us together was our shared philosophy. The skin is our largest organ and plays a vital role in keeping our immune system balanced and strong. People’s needs are affected by the seasons as well as a way of life. The combination of products used as part of one’s daily self-care routine is unique to everyone, but of equal importance to all!

Insights Greece - How New Cosmetic Company DOS is A Glowing Example of Greek Innovation

What was the main inspiration & what were the main challenges – if any – of setting up Dos? 

We love seeing beautiful people with glowing skin that brings them confidence. Our greatest challenge came from getting people to understand our inventive philosophy, which is different from what people are used to. Our philosophy is this: “Choose skin care products based on your personal needs, soothe and balance your skin, combine ingredients basing yourself on your individual requirements during different times of the year, create different combinations, familiarise yourself with the power of nature!”

What exactly is the process that goes into making your products?

We cultivate herbs that we need for creating our elixirs. In the spring and summer months we gather and process the herbs to extract the part of each plant that we use for our formulas. During the production process we create fresh elixirs based on different recipes. The fact that our products are so fresh and have such active ingredients is what makes them so innovative and effective.

Who are your products for?

Our products are created for all kinds of people– from teenagers with acne problems to adults seeking products with moisturisation, protection, firming, anti-ageing and antioxidant action. Personalised skin care is a novel conceptand is vital if you want direct results. We were the first to create a Diagnostic Skin Test that’s based on a data input algorithm and was awarded in 2019 as Best Innovation by the globally known Pure Beauty Global Awards. Consumers can take the test for free and discover the exact products they need for their skin type and needs.

  • Insights Greece - How New Cosmetic Company DOS is A Glowing Example of Greek Innovation
  • Insights Greece - How New Cosmetic Company DOS is A Glowing Example of Greek Innovation

 In a short time of being on the market you have already received awards!

We’re thrilled that despite only existing for two years, DOS Cosmetics has already gained a stead local and international fan-base. Last year we were awarded Beauty Stars by Greece’s most important cosmetics panel, Madame Figaro and Dubai’s Pure Beauty Global Awards for our Diagnostic Skin Test. Several of our products have received accolades too, such as our Collagen Face & Eyes Cleanser, our Whitening Night Cream and our Collagen Day Cream, while our Mandelicum Night Solution was awarded two years in a row.

  • Insights Greece - How New Cosmetic Company DOS is A Glowing Example of Greek Innovation
  • Insights Greece - How New Cosmetic Company DOS is A Glowing Example of Greek Innovation

What are your future plans for your range?

In a few months we will be launching a new skincare line designed especially for men! Meanwhile we’re launching a Skincare Premium Line Amenities range for top hotels, including the Four Seasons Astir Hotel Athens which already has our products as travel size, in-room amenities. We’re also very close to presenting our latest two-year project, which is the result of the Diagnostic Skin Test. It’ll come in the form of an app with several tools that will offer consumers personalised advice for their daily skincare routine and more. We want to offer every kind of youth and adult, both male and female, the ideal solutions for their skin and hopefully introduce them to healthier, intelligent self-care habits too.

About DOS’s Creators:

Chrysanthi is a pharmacist and certified acupuncturist who grew up in a family of pharmacists and started experimenting with chemical formulas and herbal properties since an early age. She was always drawn to holistic and natural philosophies and practises, which is what drove her to start creating her own range of products made along those lines, under the guidance of her father Vaios Papadopoulos. Vasiliki, her partner in DOS, is a make-up artist and skin expert who has a long experience working in TV and magazines. She followed a series of workshops in cosmetology by Italian beauty expert Pascal de Firenze and at ‘Paris-Berlin’ in Paris. Having worked with so many kinds of skin throughout her career has offered her a profound understanding of the different needs people have.

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