Ecooking, The Natural Danish Skincare Line That Was Born In The Kitchen

It all started in the kitchen.

Tina Søgaard was mixing away her lotions and potions, trying to find a winning formula that would fix her skin once and for all.

Her life was… well, let’s say she was going through a personal crisis – and it showed on her skin. All of a sudden, her face looked tired and “grey”.

Her usual skincare products were failing her, so she took matters into her own hands and decided to make her own.

The result is Ecooking – Eco + Cooking – a line of skincare products developed in the kitchen that are literally food for skin.

Heck, some of them are so pure, you could actually eat them! (Please, don’t! Even Tina says you shouldn’t).

I’ve recently been playing with Ecooking Starter Kit With Cleansing Milk (there’s another Starter Kit with a Cleansing Gel for those of you with oily skin), which features A TON of products in travel-friendly sizes.

Let’s start with the first five products in the kit (I’ll be reviewing the remaining products soon, so stay tuned!):

Ecooking Cleansing Milk

Ecooking Cleansing Milk is a gentle cleanser for dry and sensitive skin.

White in colour, it has a milky texture that gently removes all traces of makeup and impurities while moisturising skin at the same time.

It works thanks to a mixture of oils and surfactants. As the surfactants help oils mix with water so they can be rinsed away, oils melt away the oils on your skin – like sebum, sunscreen and makeup – while providing an extra moisture boost.

It’s the perfect cleanser for this time of the year. My skin always gets a little drier in winter, which makes most cleansers too harsh for me right now. This provides the perfect balance between cleansing and moisture to keep my skin happy.

I also dig the scent. Earthy and deep, it makes using the cleanser even more pleasant.

Related: How To Choose The Best Cleanser For Your Skin Type

Don’t know which skincare products you can mix and match together and which ones deactivate each other? Download your FREE “How To Layer Actives Like A Pro” cheat sheet to get the most out of your skincare products:

Ecooking Day Cream

I wouldn’t call Ecooking Day Cream lightweight, but it’s not thick either. You can tell it has its fair share of oils and butters because it feels a little waxy when you first apply it and takes a couple of minutes to sink in.

The main oil is sweet almond oil, a lightweight moisturizing oil with anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show it can soothe skin condition like eczema and psoriasis.

Shea butter is more to blame for the waxy texture but I don’t mind that. It’s one of my fave moisturisers: it creates a barrier on the skin that slows down water loss and keeps skin hydrated for at least 8 hours!

Plus, the Day Cream features humectants, like glycerin, that attract and bind water to the skin, leaving it softer and plumper.

I slather it on in the morning and my skin feels soft and smooth for the entire day. Even when I dare go for a long walk in the park or visit a market and stay outside for hours, my skin feels nicely hydrated and plump. No tightness or any other sign of dryness.

Plus, it smells good. I know that fragrance isn’t the best thing for your skin, but if you like white floral scents, you’ll dig this. It’s a little intense when you smell it off the jar, but it doesn’t hang around the skin for long.

Did I mention it makes a good base for makeup, too?

Related: Why Shea Butter Is A Godsend For Dry Skin

Ecooking Vitamin A Serum

Ecooking Vitami A Serum is a retinol serum in a lightweight, silicone base that absorbs immediately without leaving a greasy residue behind.

Retinol is an antiaging superstar that fights wrinkles, acne and dark spots. Here’s how:

1. It destroys free radicals before they can give your wrinkles
2. It speeds up cellular turnover (the skin’s natural exfoliating process) to fade away fine lines and dark spots
3. It boosts the production of collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm
4. It prevents pores from getting clogged, helping you to avoid breakouts

The catch? Retinol can be irritating and drying. If you’re new to it, start using the capsules only a couple of times a week and build frequency from there.

I’ve been using retinol for years so I didn’t experience any side effects. The serum smoothed out the surface of my skin without any dryness or irritation.

Another problem with retinol? It goes bad quickly when exposed to light and air. That’s why Ecooking put it into tiny little beige capsules. It may not be environmentally-friendly, but it sure does keep retinol working until you get round to using it.

Oh, don’t let the small size of the capsules fool you. There’s enough in there to cover the whole face – and not an inch more.

Good, because it’s so easy to use more retinol than you need. And more retinol doesn’t equal fewer wrinkles. It’s usually means more irritation!

Related: The Complete Guide To Retinol: What It Is, What It Does & How To Use It

Ecooking Firming Serum

Ecooking Firning Serum is a lightweight, almost runny serum in a silicone base. The liquid is housed in silver capsules, sort of like the vitamin A serum.

But instead of retinol, the Firming Serum uses Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to firm skin. Also known as argireline, this peptide is said to freeze the muscles so they can’t move and form wrinkles. Think of it as Botox in a jar.

Only way less effective. Despite the miraculous claims, studies show it can’t penetrate skin and – you guessed it – it does NOT work as well as Botox.

Ecooking says to use the Vitamin A Serum until you reach 35 and then switch to the Firming Serum. I say ditch the Firming Serum and stick with retinol. That IS proven to work.

P.S. Argireline IS hydrating. If your skin needs the extra moisture, it will appreciate this.

Related: Is Argireline An Effective Alternative To Botox?

Ecooking Multi Oil

Ecooking Multi Oil is a mixture of sesame oil and jojoba oil with a sprinkle of essential oils thrown in to give it a earthy, herbal scent.

FYI, essential oils aren’t suitable for sensitive skin. They smell good but can cause irritations. If you don’t have sensitive skin, read on.

Jojoba oil is pretty much identical to sebum. That means it sinks in quickly without leaving a greasy, heavy residue behind. Plus it’s super moisturizing.

I like to use Multi Oil at the end of my evening skincare routine to seal in my serums and moisturizer. It instantly makes my skin soft like a baby and keeps it plump and hydrated till the morning.

It’s called Multi Oil because it has a dozen other uses:

• Conditioning treatment for your hair
• Oil for your hair
• Shaving oil for both men and women
• Cuticle Oil
• Body Oil
• Serum underneath your Ecooking Day or Night Cream
• If dry and flaky scalp, sleep with the oil applied to scalp and hair
• Remove makeup and eye makeup
• Your footbath
• As massaging Oil

I haven’t tried it on my hair because the last thing it needs is more oil. I have super oily hair and don’t like the idea of using oil there.

But I’ve tried everything else and it works. It removes makeup well (just don’t get it into your eyes – it stings!), makes a good substitute for shaving cream and is good for massages.

If you’re the minimalistic type who likes do-it-all products, you’ll get a lot of use out of this one.

Price & Availability

Cleansing Milk, €27.60; Day Cream, €39.60, Vitamin A Serum, €46,87; Firming Serum, €51,60; Multi Oil, €24.37; Starter Kit With Cleansing Milk, €44.40 at Cult Beauty, Feel Unique and Look Fantastic

About Gio

Hi, I'm Gio. I'm a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is skin coach and writer on a mission to help you achieve your best skin day ever - every day. I bust skincare myths and debunk marketing jargon to help you figure out what's worth the splurge and what's best left on the shelf - using science, not hype. I also offer skincare consultations to help you create the best skincare routine for your unique needs.