This new brand is creating “face-grade” skin care for your body

While most of us were slathering our legs with Jergens in college, Christine Bullock and Carrington Snyder were covering their limbs in La Mer and Ayur-Medic face creams, respectively. (Bullock’s mother worked for the department store beauty brand, while Snyder’s mom co-founded the doctors’ office line).

So it’s not exactly surprising that the ultra-discerning, Los Angeles-based pair would eventually launch Kayo Better Body Care, a new line of “face-grade” lotions, serums, and oils, which are free of parabens, phthalates, PEG compounds and other nasty additives—a stark contrast to the average prestige body care product.

“Kayo is just for your body, but formulated with the same amazing ingredients as some of the best face care on the market,” explains Snyder, a personal injury lawyer with experience handling toxic exposure cases. For instance, the brand’s Daily Remodeling Serum ($46) contains copper peptides to heal sun damage and scarring (they’ve long been used to treat burn victims); the Daily Vitamin Boost ($56) is said to protect vulnerable skin from environmental stressors and sun with its combination of vitamins B3, B5, C, D3, E, and K.

Delivery systems were also carefully considered. For example, the Cellular Repair Evening Oil ($68) contains a form of coconut oil that, according to Bullock, has been broken down so it can permeate the skin and deliver the other active ingredients (rather than just sit on top of it, which she says is what happens when you moisturize with the coconut oil from your kitchen).

The five-piece line was developed and produced in SoCal—Snyder’s brother, the founder of chemical-free sunscreen brand Shade, owns a lab in Camarillo. By cutting out the manufacturing middleman, the duo was able to invest more cash into super-potent, highly concentrated, “consciously sourced” ingredients.

“It has traditionally been too expensive to put meaningful and effective ingredients on your entire skin,” says Snyder. “Kayo wants to change that tradition and make total body wellness accessible…Once you start treating your body with the same respect as your face, you will never go back.”

“Women are spending so much money on healthy food, face creams, and workouts, and yet they’re throwing anything on their bodies,” adds Bullock, who worked as a national skin care trainer for Sephora before becoming a top LA fitness pro. “It’s like going into battle and putting on just a face mask instead of full armor, or going to the gym and just doing bicep curls over and over again.”

Over the next few months, Kayo will be dropping a chemical-free sunscreen and “environmental protectants” for the body. The way they see it, body care isn’t just about creating skin that’s soft and glowy; it’s about nourishing and strengthening our biggest barrier to the (often toxic) outside world. “Our skin is our first line of defense,” says Bullock. “We need to start thinking about our bodies and our health in a different way.”

Body oils are bigger than ever—check out 12 of our all-natural favorites. But before you apply, make sure to exfoliate well (Christine Bullock swears by dry brushing). 

(Photo: Bianca Cheah)