This superfood skincare line uses ingredients like spinach and kale to give you glowing skin — I tried the products and can attest that it's not a gimmick

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

• Superfood skincare is marketed as a green smoothie for the skin. Products feature cocktails of antioxidants and nix ingredients such as parabens and phthalates.
• Youth to the People is one of the movement's leading companies. 
• Its products are full of leafy greens and antioxidants and free of soap, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic fragrance, and added color. 
• I tested out a few of the company's products, and they're a great option for a simple skincare routine or a vegan product line.
• You can shop the brand at Sephora, Nordstrom, and Amazon.

A superfood craze has swept through the halls of Sephora, filling its aisles with creams meant to work like "protein shakes for your face."

Unlike many beauty fads, the 'food for your face' trend has solid reasoning. Superfoods such as kale and spinach tend to contain the antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins that provide a host of benefits for your body and your skin simultaneously — boosting hydration, reducing inflammation, and fighting off the damaging free radicals in your environment. When utilized properly, they can be very effective, and you'll likely see the same ingredients included in other iconic skincare products.

Youth to the People — also known as "Superfood for the Skin" — is one of the companies popularizing a juice cleanse for your face. Conceptually, the startup focuses on clean, greens-based products that any skin type can use every day. Each product is formulated like its own superfood — "as whole, clean, and packed with nutrients as the food you put in your body," the brand posits. Its products arrive in recyclable packaging, and, inside, without ingredients like dimethicone, parabens, synthetic fragrance, or phthalates.

Youth to the People is meant to feel like a 'green juice' for your skin

Cousins Greg Gonzalez and Joe Cloyes grew up immersed in their grandmother's skincare business in the Bay Area, and used that background and industry knowledge when creating the vegan, straightforward skincare line they themselves wanted to use. "We're the guys that drink green juice [and] love discovering new herbal supplements… We're the new generation that cares about what we put in our bodies and onto our skin."

Gonzalez and Cloyes were already creating nutrient-rich diets for their bodies' longevity, energy, and health, and they said "not much changed" when the two founded Youth to the People and began engineering a line of skincare products. 

Youth to the People formulas are — like your favorite juices — packed with a concoction of powerful antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients from cold-pressed plant extracts to boost your skin's health without the shady industry ingredients. 

The company works in small batches for maximum freshness, never tests on animals, and doesn't include parabens, sulfates, or dimethicone. 

I tested three of the products from the line. Here's what to expect from some of the company's bestsellers: 

The Superberry Hydrate + Glow Oil ($44) is an "ultra-enriched," fast-absorbing face oil packed with rare super berry antioxidants. The oil combines maqui — the fruit billed as the most antioxidant-dense in the world — with açaí and goji. The rest of its ingredients round out the serum, with intensely hydrating prickly pear and squalene oil to lock in moisture with omega fatty acids and high levels of vitamin C. Jojoba and sunflower oil bump luminosity and moisturize dull skin without adding weight.

All in all, this was the real standout product for me. The Glow Oil is intensely hydrating, a few drops go a long way, and it left my skin feeling smoother, more luminous, and much more hydrated without leaving a slick, grimy film like some oils. If you like the fresh, dewy look or to be described as "glowing," then this is for you.

The Superfood Air-Whip Moisturizer ($48) is the aforementioned Green Smoothie for your skin — packed with kale, spinach, green tea, and the skincare heavyweight hyaluronic acid for added moisture. The operative word here is "whip" — the product hydrates, but one aspect of its lightweight texture is that it's able to be absorbed quickly and without leaving a residue. YTTP recommends using it after a serum, and I'd echo that sentiment for maximum hydration. It worked well for me especially in conjunction with the Glow Oil, but extra dry skin might warrant more product than makes sense at the price.

The Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser ($36) is an antioxidant-rich gel cleanser with many of the same ingredients as the Air-Whip (kale, spinach, green tea) to remove toxins without stripping the skin with harsher ingredients. Like all YTTP products, it's formulated without most of the "don't"s that can lurk in your cleansers, like sulfates, soap, fragrances, or parabens. True to its word, it's gentle, non-drying, and removes makeup easily. As I've said in the past, I'm a big fan of simple skincare routines solely because a line of dermatologists have recommended that (and only that) to me on repeat over the years. YTTP's cleanser is a great basic option: refreshing, effective, and it won't strip, uncomfortably tighten, or dry out your skin. Simply put, it does what it's supposed to, and it does it with "clean" ingredients.

If you want more exposure, it's possible to get a kit at Sephora with five of the company's main products in one, including the cleanser, two face creams, a mask, and the glow oil — or you can pick them up separately. You can also shop the line at Nordstrom, Sephora, and Amazon.

The bottom line

All in all, the Yout to the People products are a great option. At its most base, it prevents you from dumping the equivalent of skincare fast food onto your face and into your body habitually. If you're looking for vegan, simple, clean, or greens-based skincare, you should include Youth to the People in your lineup — especially if it's the Superberry Glow Oil.

Shop Youth to the People at Sephora, Nordstrom, and Amazon.