By Taylor Smith 

CAP Beauty is an unusual beauty store. 

Beyond makeup, lotions, and potions, CAP Beauty prides itself on holistic beauty with the philosophy that what you put into and onto your body can actually improve the quality of your thought and life. 

CAP Beauty’s flagship store is located at 238 West 10th Street in New York City. This location is home to both the spa and CAP Grocery. Food products, such as teas, snacks, adaptogens, and other herbs taken orally can be added to your kitchen pantry or medicine cabinet. 

Adaptogens are all the rage, with companies like Moon Juice making them accessible to the masses. Once relegated to traditional Chinese medicine, adaptogens are super herbs (typically mushrooms) that have been processed into a highly-potent powdered form, which can be used to make medicinal tonics or added to teas, coffee, cereals, and oatmeal. Noted for their strong earthy flavor, adaptogen-based tonics take some getting used to, but the medicinal benefits are lauded. These formulas (Sun Potion is a popular brand carried by CAP Beauty) are especially helpful for stress management. There is no sedative effect and they are safe to use for any age. King of the mushrooms, Ashwagandha, is noted for its ability to support immune function, regulate hormones, and promote brain function. He Shou Wu is often taken to boost circulation for shiny hair and radiant skin. Reishi mushrooms can be used to combat chronic health issues, as well as promote balance and calmness. For the adaptogen curious, Moon Juice’s dust sachets are a low-cost entry point. With names like Beauty Dust, Dream Dust, Brain Dust, and Power Dust, a small sachet of powdered mixture can be added to a beverage or food on the go. 

Other popular CAP Grocery items are Activist Manuka Honey (raw, unprocessed Manuka Honey), which is a natural antibacterial, and 4th & Heart’s Ghee Butter, a grass-fed clarified butter from Northern California that is often used in Ayurvedic medicine. To help consumers better understand how to use these items in their daily diet, CAP Beauty’s founders recently penned their own cookbook and wellness guide, High Vibration Beauty: Recipes and Rituals for Radical Self-Care. 

Browsing the beauty products, customers will quickly notice that CAP Beauty is big on the use of oil-based serums for almost everything. These oils can be applied to the skin on your face, body, hands, feet, hair, and nails. They act as a moisturizer, redness remover, makeup remover, clarifier, and more. The philosophy is that oils do not strip the skin of anything; rather, they nourish the skin all over your body and improve skin elasticity and luminosity. Using oils on your face takes some getting used to, especially for those who have a history of oily skin or acne. CAP Beauty proponents will tell you that adding oils to clean skin actually balances oil levels on the face and body and, again, can reduce redness, irritation, and inflammation. The oils also create a clean, smooth protective barrier to which you can then apply makeup. Still unsure? Experiment with using an oil on your face as part of your nightly moisturizing routine. You can then better assess if you need to use an oil on your face during the day as well. 

All of the CAP Beauty products available in-store can also be purchased online at capbeauty.com. The site does an excellent job of reflecting the latest and greatest additions to the store, so even if you are not planning on visiting the West Village anytime soon, you can still try the products out for yourself. 

Happy experimenting!