I'm a skincare snob, the kind of person who has her favorite brands and is picky about ingredients. Therefore, I'm disappointed in myself that I didn't discover the Pantry a lot earlier. The only way I knew about it was through a friend asking me to pick up moisturizer for her while she was down.
I've thanked my friend, of course, because even upon walking into the shop, the smell tells you you're in a place that values quality ingredients. I wish the owner would make a Pantry Products candle that smells just like the shop. I'd buy it in bulk.
Because I have dry skin, I'm careful about products with oil because they tend to sit on my skin instead of moisturizing it. Therefore, I've hesitatingly used products with oils, but the Pantry has changed my mind. The serum is my favorite product, hands down--not only does it smell wonderful (to the point where I've had people ask me what I'm wearing) but it also moisturizes my skin beautifully, and I can't stop touching my face because it feels so soft. It's a relief, too, to know that these products aren't harmful to my body or the environment, something that's become even more important to me since reading an article about the cancer-causing chemicals in talc. I also use the face cleanser, with jojoba oil, and it's moved to the top of my cleansers, since my skin feels a lot less dry when using it.
I also like the customer service, which is informative and friendly without being pushy. The people working at the store know their stuff and have effectively steered me toward the right products. Finally, check out the Instagram feed if you haven't already: the owner is highly engaging without being overly performative, and her aesthetic reflects the shop and the products.
My only quibble--and I feel terrible writing this because I love this shop and love to support small businesses, having worked for one myself--is that a batch of my moisturizer never seemed to work for me, as it was broken no matter how many times I tried to stir it. When I went in to get more serum, I mentioned that the moisturizer hadn't worked well for me/was way too oily. The person behind the counter said she wished I'd brought it in to replace it as long as I hadn't used it all and that they'd had a problem with a certain batch number. She mentioned, too, that another person brought her empty tin in after trying to use this faulty moisturizer, but it couldn't be replaced because she'd used it all. This seemed kind of curious to me: why not just replace it then? I mean, I understand people can be sketchy at times, but it was obvious I and the other customer weren't being that way. In a previous business I'd worked for, we would have replaced that, no questions asked. This also would have encouraged me to try the moisturizer again. I'd encourage the company to replace known faulty products, even if the user had mistakenly used all of it up.
Overall, though? If you love skincare products like I do, you *must* try this place. Don't wait for a friend to tell you about it. Don't think that, Oh, maybe some day I'll go there. No. Go. Small businesses are an important pillar of our community, but even more, your skin will look, feel, and smell wonderful, and you won't be putting a bunch of nasty chemicals in your skin and body. So glad I discovered this place! read more