You may not know this, but Kiss My Face is a local business; established right in Gardiner NY, where it's current world headquarters can be found. KMF has stayed true to it's original values as a company dedicated to using only the finest, cruelty-free resources to create a healthy, high end line of skincare, without the colossal price tag. In the 1980's, two vegetarian farmers, Bob Macleod and Steve Byckiewicz, began their line of products with a goal inline with that of their farming; to make organic, natural and cruelty-free commodities. In fact, their venture developed even before those words held any magnitude in the skincare market. What originated as a door-to-door exchange of handcrafted olive bar soaps, soon turned into a high demand product line of natural goods. Since then, the company has grown significantly from it's humble beginnings 30 years ago and its products are now distributed in every state and in 19 countries worldwide. We love Kiss My Face because it's a company that stands behind it's original promises; to keep all kisses natural and show consumers why kisses truly are the best way to make it better.
The official sunscreen of the Sunflower Art Festival
Passionately Natural, Incredibly Effective. Words like oxybenzones, parabens, aluminum chlorohydrate, triclosan and phthalates don't exist among the natural ingredients found on a label of your favorite Kiss My Face product. That's because as a company dedicated to bringing consumers consistently better skincare, it’s merchandise claims a list of ingredients that are recognizable, and most importantly, good for your body. And both Heather Halpern, Director of R & D, and Mia DiFrancesco, Trainer, agree that KMF's products are some of the best on the market. DiFrancesco, who previously worked as a makeup artist for top of the line brand names, goes on to further explain that she "used to marvel looking at jars of creams that were selling for $300 that paled in comparison to the ingredients that Kiss My Face uses.” On top of having high quality ingredients, all of the products are guaranteed cruelty-free. Halpern confirms frankly by saying, "We don't do any animal testing. Most [of the products] get tested on me, actually." And after 10 years as a Product Developer, we think she's perfected the art of incredibly effective skincare that’s consistently better.
These are a few of my Favorite Things. While every commodity that Kiss My Face carries is extraordinarily natural, the girls shared a few of the products they're especially excited about. The new line of natural and effective spray deodorants are a favorite of Halpern's because they're "cleaner and greener" than leading brands. She further reveals that "there aren't very many companies in our realm that are offering spray deodorants... we're ahead of the curve." And with fresh ingredients like thyme, green tea and cucumber that give you 24 hour odor protection, it's one of our favorite things, too. DiFrancesca explains that she loves the sun care line and further discloses that "I think of it like, skincare meets sun care... just really good ingredients that can be used every day; not just for sun care." Sunscreen that doubles as an every day moisturizer; could this be the end of leftover sunscreen as we know it? With the winter season quickly approaching, I think that's a movement we can easily get behind.
Small Town, Big Things. Placed at the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains, Gardiner is a truly special region that claims an exciting array of businesses rich in history. Kiss My Face is no exception to this. Beginning as an idea sparked by two farmers with high hopes, with the support of locals and out-of-towners alike, Kiss My Face has turned into a skincare empire rooted in the heart of our small town. DiFrancesco adds, "How many organizations can say that one of their first customers is now working for the company? A lot of our employees have been here since the beginning.” Halpern laughs in response by saying "You should really talk to Mary, she remembers when there was an outhouse out back." Yeah, it's that local. So, the next time you're at the supermarket and you're in need of some skincare relief, a natural toothpaste or even some hand soap, remember: a kiss always makes it better.
To learn more about Kiss My Face, click here.
Pictures and Article by:
Lucia Civile
LACE Photo Media