Follain: a natural-beauty boutique in Boston
Eco chic for face, body and hair
When it comes to beauty products, I am by no means a devout user of environmentally friendly, ethically sourced products that are free from preservatives, colours and other unsavoury substances. I simply want the creams, cleansers and cosmetics that work most effectively, and if they happen to be natural, well then, so much the better. But I recently found a boutique – in Boston – that offers the perfect combination of good-for-environment brands and good-for-you results.
Follain – a Gaelic word meaning “healthy, wholesome and sound” – was opened last summer by skincare enthusiast Tara Foley, on a tree-lined street in Boston’s South End. The area is home to interesting shops, but her light-filled beauty emporium really stands out for its carefully curated selection of some 30-plus American-made natural and organic beauty products. In addition to the greatest hits of “clean” care, the space has been designed – using spare white marble and tile finishes throughout – to encourage experimentation with the products. An enormous double-basin sink that looks straight out of Provence is the centrepiece of one room, and thick, stone countertops invite customers to gather and learn about the latest toners and scrubs.
“We encourage our customers to select the best products for their skin type, rather than sticking with a certain brand,” says Foley. My re-education started with my face, and I was introduced to such Follain bestsellers as Amber Blue’s Anti-Aging Serum ($56), a Shamanuti Seaweed Toner ($28) and a thick Intensive Repair Balm by Tammy Fender ($130) that worked immediate wonders on my cracked, winter-weary hands.
Until recently, many of Follain’s products were only available in spas – RICA’s Body Butter ($36) and Soapwalla’s Body Oil ($28) to name two – and while I couldn’t get over the hurdle of all-natural deodorant (Soapwalla’s version, $14, is meant to be terrific), Foley almost convinced me, so fervent is her belief in these hand-selected goods. I walked away from my visit with bottles of Rahua’s Classic shampoo ($32) and conditioner ($34) and each provided an ever so lightly scented, silky finish that has proved to work just as well for my husband’s hair as my own thick, colour-treated mane.
Cosmetics are the hardest switch of all – I tend to be brand loyal out of sheer laziness – but Ilia’s Lip Conditioner ($24) with just a hint of colour and RMS Beauty’s Living Luminizer ($38)were all particularly tempting.In addition to all of this product goodness, Follain embraces the environment by offering select products (liquid hand and body soaps, for example) that are available for refill (second picture), in an effort to cut down on the immense plastic waste generated by bottles.
For those seeking artisanal products sans synthetic chemicals, Follain is a cheerful one-stop shop – whether in person or online.