Category: ingredients

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A Few Reasons Why You Need to Try Our Cacao Face Mask

cacao face mask skin care

Cacao in Skincare

Cacao derives from the Theobroma cacao tree, and is a super star skin care ingredient but most people are not aware of this groundbreaking discovery. If more people knew about how incredibly amazing chocolate is for achieving a radiant and healthy complexion, I am sure we would hear more about it in mainstream beauty. But this is another way that “clean beauty” is making great waves with researched backed ingredients and leading results. Let’s look at some of cacao’s exceptional skin loving qualities.

First of all, we must mention that cacao is potent with vitamin C, which is one of the best known antioxidants to aid in dark spot fading, boosting collagen and neutralizing damaging free radicals. Cacao also boasts ingredients like  magnesium, flavonoids, zinc and omega-6 fatty acids to help calm redness, inflammation and hydrate for plump dewy skin. The cacao powder we use for our Urban Detox  is 100% vegan, raw and non roasted, to preserve all of its amazing qualities and for the benefit of your complexion.

In this post I highlighted the amazing cacao powder as a superb ingredient, but along with cacao powder our Urban Detox features powdered Vitamin C, rose petal powder and willow bark. Rose petal powder has great hydrating properties, while willow bark has be proven to be effective at reducing acne and excess oil, and refine pores.

What makes it special

 As you can probably tell, ingredients matter quite a lot to us and I can go on forever about their amazing factors. But let’s talk about how great this mask smells! It, dangerously, smells like chocolate but in no way do we recommend you to eat it! Just enjoy the scent and allow yourself to relax and unwind. The Theobroma chocolate scent is said to be an antidepressant and an aphrodisiac. We also love a multipurpose product and with our two recent product launches you can see that. This masque is not only a masque but it is also a facial polish. After leaving it on your skin for 15 to 20 minutes you can rehydrate and gently massage the grains onto your skin. Another way to use it is by hydrating the grains with your favorite cleanser and exfoliate for a quick self care routine. 

Two things I love about this mask is one, it creates a nice foamy consistency for a smooth application and second, it washes off super easy.

Skin Type

This masque can be used on all skin types.

Tip: For those with drier skin we’d recommend to make a thinner consistency to benefit from the antioxidants and moisturizing properties without stripping the skin. For oiler skin types a thicker consistency can be used to get deeper detoxing action.

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Ingredient Highlight: Carrot Oil & Beta Carotene

carrots in skincare

Growing up most of us were consistently told to eat our carrots because it helps restore and protect our vision. Is it true? I am not sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised because it also does wonders for your skin! Beta carotene, is a red-orange pigment found in plants and fruits, especially carrots and colorful vegetables.

Carrots are rich in carotene, tocopherols, antioxidants, minerals and vitamin K. Due to its high content of Beta Carotene, it is a precursor to Vitamin A which is responsible for cell regeneration! Cell turn over is essential to turn up the glow in your skin, so adding a little carrot action is a great move to gently increase cell turn over and reveal new and brighter skin.

Carrot oil also has the ability to bring down inflammation which contributes to barrier and tissue damage which then lead to fine lines and wrinkles. We use a mix of Carrot oil, beta Carotene and vitamin C in our Manketti Oil Serum. This mix because of its tocopherol content also protects from the creation of free radicals that cause imbalance and dullness of your complexion.

It’s an all-around great moisturizer and a light serum to add to your skincare routine. And like most vegetables and fruits, if we actually consume them we reap even more benefits from them.  So, I say go for a nice glass of carrot juice as well!

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Ingredient Highlight: Ginseng Root

ginseng in skincare

I’m going to be honest, the ginseng root totally creeps me out! Have you seen it? The roots oddly resemble—some type of living creatures.  They may be odd, but I am convinced that its one of the best ingredients out there for anti-aging, whether it’s used topically in food or tea.  Ginseng originated in China and has been used for centuries in medicinal practices. To this day, ginseng remains a valued herb for its ability to increase energy levels, boost immune system and reduce inflammation.

Adaptogen

Ginseng is a very well known adaptogen in herbal medicine. An adaptogen is  a natural substance considered to help the body adapt to stress and to exert a normalizing effect upon bodily processes.  Instead of pushing the body in one direction it adapts to what the body needs at the time. And just like ginseng is an adaptogen internally it also helps the skin adapt externally!

I am astonished at the ability Ginseng has to help the body relax or enhance micro-circulation.  Micro circulation, is circulation in the smallest blood vessels which really makes an impact in the health of your skin. Blood circulation plays an important role in transportation of gasses, nutrients, waste and hormones; this process detoxifies the skin. If this is not happening at a healthy rate, it results in dull and inflamed skin. It also causes dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles!

Though this herb has been around for centuries, the studies are still in their early stages when it comes to topical use. But it has been proven to combat free radicals caused by sun and aging, which are the ultimate culprits behind damaged skin. Some research also shows that it may help with dark spots as well! Now that is a botanical active to have in your skincare regimen.

Try it !

As you can see this is an amazing plant to consume as food or use topically. You can try it in our Urbana Facial Essence to fight off pollution and start the journey of aging gracefully.