SKIN CARE

BALANCE

By Liza Grant Smith

VIKING BEAUTY SECRETS

SKIN CARE Embracing THE COLD

Nordic beauties are known for their flawless, glowing skin—and the key to achieving the same may lie beyond good genes. Former Miss Estonia runner-up Eha Urbsalu learned that the hard way after she moved to New York. Working as a model and body-double for A-list actresses meant she was wearing makeup 14 hours a day or more. The toll it took on her skin led Urbsalu to undertake skin care research, which culminated in the creation of her own skin care brand. Viking Beauty Secrets (vikingbeauty.com) harnesses the power of the Nordic ingredients she grew up with.

“Most American women don’t know that the FDA has only banned about 11 harmful chemicals from skin care products, while the European Union has banned over 1,300,” says Urbsalu. “Given that we absorb about 30 percent of what we put on our skin, imagine the amount of toxins women absorb over a decade of using skin care products.”

In contrast, West Palm Beach-based Viking Beauty Secrets’ organic products are made with the purest ingredients from northern Europe, including Nordic superberries. Turn the page to learn more about these beauty blockbusters.

Former Miss Estonia runner-up Eha Urbsalu relies on Nordic ingredients to keep her skin glowing.