You know the feeling when you´ve thought about somebody or something for a while? Thought about getting in contact and how they´re doing. And after a while your paths cross. The person you´ve been thinking about suddenly calls you or walks to you on the street. Nowadays these encounters don´t surprise me any more but every time they make me happy. This is what happened when I got an email from the other side of the world a couple of months ago.
Maryna, the founder of a Hawaiian natural cosmetics brand Mahalo Care contacted me and wanted to send me some of their products for me to try out. For at least six months I had been thinking of ordering these intriguing products packaged in beautiful wooden jars with raw ingredients that make my heart race. You can imagine how happy I was to receive this email from Maryna. She told me that I had been on her mind for a good while as well. I found out that she has relatives in Finland and has visited our country a couple of times and knows even a couple of words in Finnish. Maryna feels particularly fond of Finland and has been dreaming of having her products in the Finnish market. After exchanging a couple of messages with her I felt this familiar flutter and warmth in my belly as I had felt a couple of years ago with May Lindstrom. There´s something magical about these products, and no wonder, after all they are from Hawaii.
A bit over a month ago the post man stood at my door and handed me a package full of Mahalo loveliness and while opening the beautiful wrappings my heart was racing like on the first spring day. I have been waiting to thoroughly test these products in Bali and finally I´m ready to introduce this magical brand to you.
Mahalo products are hand made in Kauai, Hawaii with high-performance and carefully selected nutrient rich 100% plant based raw ingredients. The products contain only skin beneficial ingredients. In my blog I have been talking a lot about the importance of understanding what makes a product high-quality and effective. People value different things in cosmetics- in my point of view a genuinely effective and high-quality product contains as much as possible 100% whole plant raw ingredients and a minimal amount of technical ingredients which are used to enhance the products composition. Fats, moisture and nutrients are the things our skins need, not the artificial emulsifiers and thickeners that are used to create a silky feel to a product. In Mahalo products all the values that I hold important come together: naturally effective raw ingredients, beautiful packaging and a warmth that cannot be drawn on to a label, it either exists or does not.
The brand´s selection is simple: there are two balms for facial care: Rare Indigo and Mahalo Balm, an oil serum Vitality Elixir and two facial masks: the detoxing Pele Mask and brightening The Petal. For body care you will find the Vacation Glow oil serum. The Red My Lips is a lip tint, their most recent product that has been made in collaboration with the Red My Lips charity. The charity´s mission is to reduce sexual violence towards women. For now the brand does not have a cleanser, facial mist or a peel but maybe and hopefully their selection will grow.
Maryna sent me the Rare Indigo and Vitality Elixir and a mini size Pele Mask and The Petal and the Red My Lips lip tint. Every product is fantastic but I will give you a taste of the Rare Indigo and Vitality Elixir which I have had the most thorough time with.
If you have tried May Lindstrom´s Blue Cocoon, you are going to fall in love with Rare Indigo. This beauty balm is purple in color due to the indigo it contains. The balm soothes infections such as rashes, acne, rosacea and other irritations, enhances moisture balance maintaining skins youthfulness, neutralises the damage of free radicals and enhances skins elasticity and overall condition.
I have been using Rare Indigo as a night care. The purple balm seems to lull me into a beauty sleep and in the morning my skin looks well rested and glowing. The delicate scent is an intoxicating combination of vanilla, rose, helichrysum, ylang ylang, chamomile, and iris that calm and relax the mind. I asked my friend Mariko to also try out Rare Indigo. Her skin is extremely challenging and there has been several flare-ups during our trip. The magic of this balm did not stop with my skin. Just after using it once before bedtime Mariko woke up with a calm, glowing and even toned skin in the morning. Mariko remembered that children who are highly sensitive, intuitive and profound are called indigo child. Maybe there´s more to the name of the balm than just the indigo elixir and it´s deep blue color.
Rare Indigo´s nutritious and moisture balancing oil base is a combination of hemp, murumuru, babassu, marula, grape seed, tsubaki thea seed, kukui and acai oils. This cocktail alone contains plenty of essential omega fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants. the oil soluble vitamin C enhances collagen production and moisturises the skin while coenzyme Q10 is one of the strongest antioxidants used in cosmetics to neutralise free radicals. Yarrow, indigo, chamomile and helichrysum are a powerful combination in calming down infection and irritation. The brightening and smoothing effects of this beauty balm are visible in just a couple of days and the jar will last you for months. The outline of the Kahoolawen island has been burned onto the jar, what a lovely detail!
Vitality Elixir is an oil serum containing 15 carefully selected, effective and nutrient rich active ingredients. The serum restores the skin of oxidative stress, calms the skin, prevents from age spots, renews the skin, smoothens wrinkles, scars and fine lines, clarifies and evens skin tone and enhances skins immune defence agains external stressors. What makes this product truly special is the CO2 carbon dioxide extracts, their production process retains even the most sensitive active components of the plants without the need of any solvents. The elixir helps the skin to repair itself: it´s active ingredients consist of vitamins A, B ad C, potassium, zink, selene and copper.
The oil serum does not clog the pores and is thus suitable for a easily clogging skin. The base is of Polynesian tamanu oil which has grown in volcanic soil and is said to be a miracle oil for the skin. The chia seed extract contains a good dose of omega 3 fatty acids which are food for beneficial bacteria and help in maintaining a youthful skin. The turmeric extract soothes acne, age spots and infections. It delivers oxygen to the skin, cleanses and clarifies. Sea buckthorn extract is an excellent source of vitamin E and aminoacids and contains beta carotene that has an anti age effect and gives the skin a beautifully tanned tone. Helichrysmus effects the deeper tissues of the skin renewing skin cells, smoothening scar tissue and skin structure. Nigella sativa is known for it´s antibacterial properties and is excellent for neutralising bacteria that feed acne, rosacea and rashes.
The aromatherapeutic scents of the Vitality Elixir are of rose, bergamoth, frankinsense, and helichrysm essential oils. The scent is crisp, slightly floral and nutty. The island of Oahu is burned on the wooden bottle of the oil serum.
I have been using the Vitality Elixir in the mornings. In the tropical climate of Bali it gives perfect moisturise combined with a facial mist and a serum. I have had no need for a moisturiser so no harm done even though I forgot to pack one with. It´s hard to describe the visible effects of the serum. My skin looks just plain amazing and vibrant.
Red My Lips is a high pigment lip tint, it´s pure red is enough to be the sole accessory of a summer makeup. By using a brush to apply it gives a perfect lining to the lips and there is no need for a lip liner. Due to its thin composition and ample pigment the tint stays beautifully on the lips and fades away evenly. The tint has a lightly tingling and plumping effect. One of these weekends we will head to Uluwatu to party and I´m thinking of red lips and a bronze eye make up even though the only companion the radiant red really needs is a beautifully even skin tone.
After my experience with Rare Indigo and Vacation Glow it´s no wonder these products are Julia Roberts´ and several other superstar´s favorites. In my vanity these products have already owned superstar status- perhaps my hunt for a perfect facial oil has come to completion.
The answer to the question ” will we see Mahalo products in Finland?” is yes. Maryna´s dream of a Finnish retailer has been answered now that a sprinkle of Hawaiian magic hits the shelves of Naturelle.
What do you think of the wooden jars and bottles of Mahalo? What products can´t you wait to try?
Photos of me Mariko Pajalahti, the rest Katja Kokko
Translation Mariko Pajalahti
