I’ve wanted to do a post about Nordic (note that my use of the word “Nordic” is quite loose, including also the Baltics) skincare since I started the blog, but felt that I hadn’t done enough research and testing. I still haven’t done enough and the selection here is in no way comprehensive: I have not yet tried Skyn Island, the Danish Tromborg or Finnish Supermood, nor the very stylish Sprekenhus from Norway – the latter is targeted at men, but I will of course not be deterred by this. I’ve also only included the brands I like and think might be worth checking out.

1. Lumi is an Estonian skincare brand and the most exciting thing to happen on the Estonian beauty landscape for a while. It’s a scienc-y endeavor with inspiration from nature, hemp seed oil being the star ingredient. I have written about their cleanser before and I am still a fan, I also like their hydrating mask with hyaluronic acid. As I’ve said earlier, I would in particular recommend their products to people with dry skin, as the formulas are rich.

2. Estelle & Thild is a Swedish eco brand and although still niche, it’s quite well known outside Scandinavia, too. Everything is good quality, pretty and nice – but in a Swedish way, so without too many frills. I have tried their oils and the hydrating products and liked them. If you’re looking for an eco line minus the hippy aesthetic, this is well worth looking into. They also do lovely baby products.

3. Another eco option is Latvian Madara and they have upped their game recently. I’ve just bought their Superseed Radiant Energy Organic Facial Oil and everything from the packaging to the performance is impressive. At 46 euros, it’s the most expensive item in the line, but I do think it is comparable to oils from much more famous brands. Plus it includes cloudberry seed oil! I plan to try a couple of other things, based on this experience.

4. As soon as you set your eyes on Verso products, you’ll suspect they come from Scandinavia. The packaging is cool and minimal and Verso’s samples are the best in terms of style and functionality that I’ve ever seen. And indeed, the brand is Swedish. This is serious, anti-aging retinol-based skincare and if you have the funds (this stuff is not cheap), their serum and dark spot fix are great products. Especially worth checking out if you have been looking for effective, but non-irritating retinol products.

5. In the other end of the price scale is the Estonian Joik. I mostly love them for their scented candles (they have the best lilac candle and a lovely honeysuckle and many other nice ones) and wonderful soaps, but they do skincare as well. Everything is very reasonably priced and the things I’ve tried are of decent quality. The packaging is not fancy, but perfectly acceptable.

6. Ole Henriksen is definitely the best known Danish skincare brand and with a good reason – although as the founder is now based in LA, maybe it already qualifies as an American brand. In any case, this is some great quality skincare for OK prices. The Truth Serum is the bestseller of the line and has been praised by Caroline Hirons, among others. I like their starter/travel sets and when I’m forced to use wipes, I have Henriksen’s The Clean Truth ones standing by.

7. I have to confess that I haven’t used anything from Lumene for a while, but I wanted to include something Finnish and I have used Lumene in the past. This Nivea of the North is a trustworthy mainstream brand, so if you cannot really be bothered to hunt down the exclusive niche offerings but want to try something Nordic, this is probably the easiest option (depending on where you live, of course – if you have to order online anyway, it doesn’t really make a difference).

As I said, this is by no means an exhaustive list, so if you have something to add, please do. I’m always on the lookout for great things from the neighborhood.