Bodhimed

With the wonderful onslaught of luxury natural skin care products hitting the shelves daily, how do you choose? I'm predisposed to Ayurvedic ingredients, so when I found Duchess Marden products based on Damask rose from India, I was hooked.

The entire line is free of parabens, chemical preservatives, and petrochemicals. The natural fragrances throughout are pure and low-key. If I had to pick a favorite from the line, I'd have to choose Duchess Marden's Damascena Creme Cleanser. It is so rich and creamy, it is moisturizing at the same time as cleansing, and it even removes makeup. The formulation is effective at smoothing wrinkles and lightening sun spots. The cooling properties that Ayurveda attributes to rose make it ideal for rosacea and other inflammatory skin conditions.

The company's founder, Marla Steuer, was inspired by the exquisite rose water she discovered in India, and she developed the line around it. The Duchess Marden products are packaged in beautiful glass pump bottles that are gorgeous to look at and show off on your counter. While I'm the first to try the next greatest natural skin care product, this cleanser's a keeper.