Written by Kate Fish - Published on September, 2023
How to use Castor Oil for slow hair growth, over-plucked brows & lashes that need rehab.
How to Use Castor Oil to Brows and Lashes
How to Use Castor Oil for Acne and Blackheads
What is Black Castor Oil - making, ingredient, sourcing, etc.
Castor Oil or Black Castor Oil has been used since antiquity to help with skin and hair issues. It is even known to help grow hair. But is it true? And if it is true, how long does it take and how do you use it to achieve the best results?
Here is pretty much the same information in video format. Watch, Share and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
Black Castor Oil actually does not grow hair. So what does it do and why many claim that Black Castor or Castor Oil grows hair? Castor Oil moisturizes, nourishes and protects hair follicles. This allows hair follicles to get stronger. And stronger hair follicles by default result in healthier and faster hair growth. And when hair is not dry and scalp is well conditioned, hair also grows better. Castor Oil also helps awaken hair follicles and this along with stronger growth results in more volume. So hair growth is a wonderful side effect from other incredible benefits of Castor Oil. Before we get to how to use Castor Oil, let's explore who can benefit from it - what types of hair (and skin) issues does Castor Oil address.
Brittle, dry hair: self-explanatory, do not need to waste 'ink' here. If you have dry hair you will know it. And it often comes with dry itchy scalp, dandruff and split hair ends.
Brows & Lashes in need of rehab: 20 years ago thin brows were a thing and I am as guilty as many of us for waxing and overplucking my naturally thick brows. Now that natural, thick brows are in vogue, I got none to brag about. And after two pregnancies, the brows are just not growing any more. I am happy about the mustache not coming back, but not so happy about the brows situation. Same with the lashes - mascara, fake lashes, extensions - we do a lot to the poor lashes and sometimes we just need to help them get back to looking long and beautiful again.
Slow hair growth and hair loss: Regrowing hair after medical treatments, growing hair for those with textured hair might be a lengthy process. And when hair just starts shedding, it is not fun at all for ladies or gents. For gents, we say bold is beautiful, but the migration of hair to the back can be at least slowed down. And for some of that migration you can blame hormones, even Castor Oil cannot help there.
Acne and blackheads: Shockingly I need to dedicate a fair portion of this article to talking about Castor Oil for acne and clean pores.
Dry and brittle hair is a side effect of something else and the root cause of brittle hair needs to be dealt with. Here is from the hair expert, Olga, an owner of Kudri Hair Salon in Denver. "The hair treatments sold over the counter and professional hair treatments do not actually help fix hair. They help glue broken hair together to make it look smooth and feel healthy. The best way to deal with hair that is already unhealthy is to cut it off and work on treating and conditioning scalp and hair roots to enhance healthy growth.
Olga is Katari's resident hair expert. She spent over 20 years working in esthetics and in hair styling after graduating from a college in Europe, where esthetics and hair is a 5-year college degree, not a 6-weeks course.
Here is how we would use Black Castor Oil for a hair treatment. We love using Castor Oil on hair a warm oil treatment once a week for 2 or 3 months for 20-30 minutes. That is enough to get a benefit and see an effect.
Hair Masque tips from Olga: to get a benefit from an oil treatment or any hair treatment, make sure to wash your hair before each treatment. Do not apply any hair treatments or oil treatments on unwashed, dirty hair or hair that has styling products in it. The best way to make sure you hair is clean is to use a volumizing shampoo, as it has ability to cleanse deeply (in addition to creating volume). And you really want to get rid of all the mechnical build-up on your hair before treating it.
All you need to do is warm up some Castor Oil in water bath (by pouring 2-3 tbsps of oil into a tall glass and putting this glass inside of a bowl of hot water for a few minutes, letting the oil to warm up). Do not microwave or use stove to heat the oil. When oil is warm to touch but not hot you can use a brush (a masque brush) or fingers to apply the oil to the wet roots of your hair. Wear something you can easily take off when you are ready to rinse you hair. Have a towel around your shoulders if you want to make sure that no oil gets on the carpet or areas around you. It is easy enough to contain it all and not make a mess, but here are just some tips from experience.
We suggest keeping your hair under a shower cap for your hair warm and for Castor Oil to continue doing its work. After 20-30 minutes rinse the oil with warm water in the shower. Shampoo and condition as usual. It could take a few shampoos to get the oil rinsed out. Lather well and condition well. You can add a dash of Henna or Hoba Oil or Pomegranate Seed Oil to seal the moisture and to add some shine and extra conditioning to your hair.
Olga suggests not having an overnight oil treatment as it does not add more benefits and suggests to always dry hair (preferably air dry) before going to bed.
Michelle, an owner of Brows on Upper 15, @browsdenver, is a firm advocate for slow beauty. She shares her insights on how to effectively use Black Castor Oil as a remedy to naturally rehabilitate and grow lashes and brows. Michelle has been doing brows before brows were 'cool' and she is the guru when it comes to natural and beautiful brows and lashes. According to Michelle, "Many pharmaceutical and over-the-counter lash and brow growth products contain an active ingredient called Bimatoprost. While these products can show relatively quick results by altering the natural growth cycle, they have a downside. If you discontinue their use, the brow and lash hairs revert back to their previous state."
According to Michelle, 'Slow Beauty' creates long-lasting effects. "Castor oil has immediate cosmetic effects, providing sheen and control, especially to laminated brows. It locks in moisture, enhancing the health and strength of each hair. But its real beauty lies in its long-term effects."
This is how Michelle would use Black Castor Oil on brows: "Apply Castor Oil sparingly to the root area and distribute evenly to the ends. The oil is quite viscous and has a medium to low pH, so not much is required. It's easier to distribute over a slightly damp lash and brow area." She suggests combing through some Roseau (Katari Rose Water) first, then dabbing a tiny amount of Castor at the root area, as many of the benefits originate from skin absorption.
"Castor oil contains ricinoleic acid, which is known for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. These characteristics can help improve scalp health and promote hair growth," explains Michelle. "Ricinoleic acid is thought to reduce inflammation and increase circulation to the hair follicle, thus allowing the follicle to do its hair-building magic more effectively. Brushing the brows and lashes can physically stimulate circulation as well, doubling up the effect. The antimicrobial properties of castor oil also help prevent breakout and inflammation, making it an all-around beneficial treatment for lashes and brows."
And for lashes, the same concept as above applies, but you do not need to apply Castor Oil to your lashes directly. Only apply a thin layer on the top eyelid. Do not massage or rub it in. Just leave it on. Since Castor Oil is thick in consistency, using it at night might be a good idea. And as with all natural ingredients, please stay patient, give it time and you will see the results.
The root cause of hair loss might be more than skin deep. It can be your nutrition, stress level, hydration, internal medical conditions and so much more. While natural ingredients like Castor Oil are not suitable replacements for medical advice and professional help to tackle the actual issue that causes your hair to be unhappy, it can still provide some relief and help with re-growing stronger and healthier hair faster once you know what the culprit for the hair misadventures is. Remember, it is healthy to trim your hair - you cannot fix the broken hair.
Using Black Castor On Hair
Step 1: Assemble All Accessories, Warm up Oil, Slightly Wet Your Hair
Suggested tools and accessories: a towel, hot water bath accessories (bowls, glass), shower cap, Castor Oil, masque brush, hair brush.
Step 2: Apply Castor Oil to Roots, Scalp and Hair Lengths
Part hair and apply Castor Oil to scalp and hair roots and smooth the rest of the oil over the lengths of the hair. Cover hair with a shower cap.
Step 3: Keep for 20-30 minutes and rinse.
Rinse, shampoo, condition and repeat the treatment a few more times. Repeat Castor Oil treatments monthly once you start seeing healthier hair growth.
Use Castor Oil for 6-8 weeks once or twice a week as a warm oil bath (warm oil scalp conditioning treatment) leaving oil on your hair roots overnight. Wash your hair before an oil treatment to make sure the scalp is clean so that the oil can penetrate into the skin and hair follicles and help re-activate and nourish them. Using a shower cap over your hair and a towel over your pillow will be essential to keep the oil on your hair, keep the hair slightly wet and warm and to avoid the oily mess. Rinse with warm water and your favorite shampoo and condition as usual. Remember, give your hair some time. Everything takes time and strong results will follow if you keep doing what is best for your body. And also consistency matters a lot!
An unlikely ingredient that not too many people know, Black Castor Oil can be used to clear skin of blackheads. It goes deep into the pores and brings up comedones, little hard particles trapped in the skin. Here is how to use Castor Oil to deeply cleanse pores and help skin rid of blackheads and minimize acneic bacteria. To take advantage of the cleansing superpowers of the Black Castor Oil, all you need to do is to slightly wet your face (it will make it a little bit easier), and apply a small amount of oil to your fingertips. Massage skin for 5-7 minutes in circular motion with your fingertips until you feel little sand-like tiny grains form under your fingertips. Those are the comedones and all the yucky stuff leaving your pores. Pretty easy, eh? Then just rinse your face with warm water and apply your favorite daily moisturizer, like Katari Hoba Oil.
You can repeat this process weekly. No need for a daily Castor Oil cleanse. If your have drier skin, you can use 100% Castor Oil. If your skin is more oily, you can mix Castor Oil with Katari Hoba Oil - it will make the application a little bit easier, as Castor Oil is very viscous and thick. But do not let the consistency of the oil deter you from using it - it is amazing!
What is Black Castor Oil?
Let's start with the magic beans of Ricinus Communisep or Ricine Noir or Black Castor Oil. Castor Oil comes from a bean that is rich in anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory Ricinoleic (fatty) acid. The pretty light brown bean has a brittle beige shell. When the bean is harvested, it is actually poisonous (if you ingest it). So, if you stumble across a lovely field of castor plants, do not eat them.
But when those beans are roasted, similar process to roasting coffee beans, and cold-pressed into a thick, viscous oil, the poison is no longer there. So don't get scared. It is safe to use externally. Still we do not recommend snacking on Black Castor Oil. I wonder though who was the first person said, let me roast this bean and see if that makes it less deadly. LOL!
We know a bit about Black Castor Oil because we source it directly from the farms in the Egypt's Nile Delta. It is one of the special places on Earth where organic farming is actually still very organic. The rich sediments from the central Africa flow north to flood the lands in Lower Egypt, keeping this soil one of the most fertile on Earth. Plants that grow there are naturally filled with vitamins and microelements that are not as powerful elsewhere. If you want to know more about what and how we source, you might want to read more of our articles and watch our videos. It is not easy, but this is the only proper way to get the full story.
Castor Oil
I remember my grandmother used to put caster oil on my eyelashes when I was a little girl. I thought it was something she invented because I never heard of it again until I found Katari, and now I discovered that it also helps with dark circles and puffy eyes since I started using again. Thanks Katari!
Martha C.
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Love, Per Usual
Honestly, if you aren't using Katari products, you really need to reevaluate your life choices. These products will change your life.
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Brow Serum
We have seen great results for our clients trying to grow their brows back in using this oil-
bonus, the thicker consistency has really helped my super dry skin in this winter season.
Michelle D.
Verified Buyer
Castor Oil Benefits
Protects Hair
Stimulates Hair Follicles
Reduces Hair Dryness
Moisturizes Skin & Hair
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We travel and source the purest single-ingredient Mediterranean beauty staples and handmade accessories. We are for slow beauty and more connected and sustainable world. We work with a very small number of ingredients (10 to be exact) and we know them really well.
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We are so thrilled to share with you that Katari Beauty just got featured in Bloomberg!
This is a huge honor for us and a huge validation of our efforts. They say, 'overnight success takes 15 years', we are not there yet, but it surely feels great to finally get noticed, especially by huge publications like Bloomberg.
Thanks to an incredible new platform @beautyologie where Katari Beauty products are also offered for retail, and its founder, Robin Tolkan (read more about her in the article below), brands like Katari, who go through all the trouble to shorten supply chain and work with artisans directly, have more of a voice and more visibility now.
I can tell you that for many years a lot of my friends have been doubting what I was doing, asking why I was going to all these countries so far away, going through all the trouble of doing everything A to Z myself from sourcing to international logistics, and not buying from distributors, outsourcing my shipping department, writing personal thank you notes, instead of spending time making pretty photos on Instagram, for which I never have time :)!
Well, because it does not fill my heart. I want to make sure the impact I make on this planet, however small, is DIRECT and MEASURABLE. And this is why I source everything from hand blown glass to every single ingredient directly by working with masters of their crafts.
I hope you can share this article with your family and friends and give us more support. I need it, so that I can do more for people who make the beauty you call Katari!
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 | Hoba (jojoba oil) - chemistry of the oil
Chapter 2 | Zinc in jojoba oil
Chapter 3 | Copper in jojoba oil
Chapter 4 | 10 best uses of jojoba oil
This article is written by Kerri Repta, our incredible holistic beauty guru and esthetician with over 20 years of clean beauty and wellness experience.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 | Cleopatra and King Tut used it
Chapter 2 | Theraputic qualities of Black Seed Oil
Chapter 3 | Perfect oil for oily skin
Chapter 4 | Chemistry of Black Seed Oil
Chapter 5 | Uses & Benefits
This article is written by Kerri Repta, our incredible holistic beauty guru and esthetician with over 20 years of clean beauty and wellness experience.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 | I have great jojoba oil, why look for another one?
Chapter 2 | Meeting Amr
Chapter 3 | "You have good jojoba oil, but my is better", said Amr
Chapter 4 | Soils of Egypt - does location matter?
Chapter 5 | What's so special about Hoba (jojoba oil)
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 | What is Barie Powder?
Chapter 2 | How is Barie Powder made
Chapter 3 | Benefits of Barie Powder
Chapter 4 | How to use Barie Powder
Chapter 5 | Pro Tips
Let us introduce you to our incredible Barie powder! It is the newest addition to our product line-up, and we know you will love it on your skin!
We have many performing multi-taskers in the Katari Collections, but we realized we were missing a key component of an all-encompassing skin care ritual – exfoliation! Hmmm, how do we keep to our vision of single ingredient products and have a method of gently exfoliating?
Well, that’s when we put our thinking caps on and looked closely at all our ingredients and processes and realized we had a perfect exofoliant already - the seeds that we press for our luxurious Barie Prickly Pear Cactus Oil! That was easy! Now we are even more sustainable in our practices—once the oil has been pressed, the remaining seed still contains copious amounts of the golden oil and all its collagen-boosting properties! It is literally Mother Nature’s botox substitute!
Watch as we perform alchemy!!
Katari’s Prickly Pear Cactus Seed Oil is 100% pure, organic, wild-grown and cold pressed.
We source our Barie oil from beautiful wild harvested fields in Tunisia. In this gorgeous country it is known as the King of Fruit for its incredible health benefits, and the fields of cacti actually play an important role in preventing soil erosion.
It is quite a chore to harvest these juicy fruits! The outside of the fruit is covered in fine thorns to protect the extraordinary delicacy it contains. You can imagine how time consuming and meticulous it is to collect these gems and then peel them to reveal the fruit. Then comes the tedious process of extracting all the seeds from the pulp…
The seeds are then dried in the sun after they are removed from the fruit. It is an arduous process and worth every second and every step to create the most magical oil. It takes over 36 hours of manual labour, and over 1 million prickly pear cactus seeds to extract 1 litre of precious Barie oil.
Once the seeds have been dried and cold-pressed one time only, we use the core remaining from the pressing of the oil and grind it into a powder and voila — our Poudre de Barie is born! Fun fact—40-50% of the oil remains in the seeds after pressing, so this powder is full of all the nutrients that the oil contains.
What an amazing way to upcycle these potent seeds!
There is a reason we go to all that trouble to source the purest seeds — the incredible benefits of prickly pear cactus oil are to be worshipped!
Here is a list of key reasons it is so revered and so performing on the skin:
Our Barie powder remains infused with all the potency of the oil, with the added bonus of acting as a manual exfoliant. We highly recommend leaving the powder on your skin for a few minutes so it can absorb all the goodness.
Our favourite way to use it is mixed into one of our Katari oils, or our Argil green clay.
Here are the steps to use Barie Powder at home:
1. Simply take a small amount of oil or Argil clay into your palm or a ph neutral mixing bowl and add about a pea sized portion of powder. If you are adding powder to clay, then add an equal amount of water and mix your clay first, before adding powder to it
2. Mix with your finger, a spatula, or a mask brush and apply gently to face
3. Use fingertips to gently move in a circular motion all around contours of the face and neck
4. Pay special attention to the areas that accumulate oil, like the T-zone, beside the nose, etc
5. Add more oil or clay if you desire a less assertive exfoliation
6. Add a bit more Barie powder if you want a more assertive exfoliation, especially on thicker skin or when you really want a deep cleanse
7. Leave on like a mask for a few minutes to absorb the benefits of the oil
8. Remove with a warm wet cloth and apply our Roseau or Geran floral waters and a Katari oil to moisturize
9. Do not overexfoliate! (especially, if you had any skin treatments in the last week)
You can add Barie Powder to a natural organic honey or Greek yogurt for a DIY homemade exfoliating scrub!
On a more fragile or compromised skin you need very little powder and you may choose to work it as a manual exfoliant for less time, with more gentle movements. On a thicker, resilient, oilier skin you can add more powder and be more vigorous with your movements.
The Barie Powder mixture can be used on the decollete, arms, hands and feet of your client also. It could actually be used as a full body “scrub” if you choose to use it that way.
Here are the professional tips on using Barie Powder:
This article is written by our incredible team member, a holistic esthetician and a veteran of clean beauty and spa industry, Kerri Repta.
The name Adra means the purest... And our first collection of Mediterranean beauty staples with 5 single-ingredient products is just as pure.
We spent years assembling this small number of the most powerful, multi-tasking natural ingredients that can do wonders for your skin and hair.
Not science but centuries and generations of people in the Mediterranean attest to the effectiveness of these simple ingredients.
]]>We spent years assembling this small number of the most powerful, multi-tasking natural ingredients that can do wonders for your skin and hair.
Not science but centuries and generations of people in the Mediterranean attest to the effectiveness of these simple ingredients.
Watch our little video of the collection...
Here are the staples in Adra collection and why they make an absolute must in a daily beauty regimen for any human:
ARGIL [arr-zheel'] - our handpicked rare Tunisian green clay. Naturally hypoallergenic and pH-neutral, it is the only clay suitable for any skin type, even extremely sensitive. We admit to being pretty obsessed with Argil Green Clay. It deeply cleanses, balances, restores and detoxes all skin types, and is as much of a miracle for hair & scalp as it is for facial skin!
HOBA [ho-buh] - pure liquid wax cold-pressed from jojoba seeds. Hoba is your go-to oil for everything from removing makeup and cleansing to moisturizing skin, hair and scalp. It replaces an arsenal of products and is safe for your entire family from newborns through Mommies and Daddies.
ROSEAU [ro-zo] - 100% pure first distillation vapor-distilled rose water (hydrosol). Rose water tightens pores, hydrates, improves overall skin tone and reduces fine lines. This amazing water reduces redness and acne, and is super mild for dry and mature skin.
GERAN [zhe-run] - 100% pure first distillation, vapor-distilled geranium flower water (hydrosol). Geranium water balances, deeply hydrates, calms down, cools and heals skin - this naturally antibacterial water can reduce stress with it’s the calming fragrance.
BARIE [buh-rie] - 100% wild-grown cold pressed prickly pear cactus seed oil. Lovingly referred to as Botox in a Bottle - an incredibly pure, powerful source of vitamin E and fatty acids (Omega 3, 6 & 9) is the only natural single ingredient known to rebuild collagen, smooth fine lines and prevent new ones from forming. heal scars and dark spots...it's a game changer.
The entire collection contains all you will need for clean, pure, simple and very effective skin and hair care for you and your entire family!
]]>Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 | What is Binge-Masking
Chapter 2 | Binge-Masking Rules
Chapter 3 | DIY Facial Binge-Masque Recipe
Going to keep this short and recipe card-like. I just posted on Instagram about binge-masking. If you already read about it, you can jump into the next section directly to recipes. Otherwise, take a read.
And this recipe is all about PORE PERFECTION - who does not want that?
What Is Binge-Masking? The New Facial Mask Trend.
Maybe you’ve heard of binge-masking or maybe we have you totally confused. Binge and mask? Do those words really go together?
The answer is a resounding yes! If you’ve been asking what is binge-masking and how do I do it, then you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to lead you through the latest trend in facial masks and give you the knowledge do it at home.
So what is binge-masking exactly? It is the leisurely process of applying two to three face masks, one right after the other, and rinsing them off entirely before applying the next mask. This is an easy way to give your skin a higher concentration of beneficial ingredients and tackle multiple concerns in one go.
The concept is simple, but you don’t just do it willy-nilly.
Here are some basic rules to stick to:
1. Only do it once a week
2. Do not use more than one face mask with chemical or physical exfoliants in it
3. Apply them in the right order
Binge-Masque Recipe for Deeply Clean & Minimized Pores
Step 1
Ingredients: Katari Argil Green Clay (1 teaspoon), warm water (2 teaspoons)
Apply Argil Clay Mask for 5-15 min (rinse off completely when your skin feels tight). I usually explain it like this - "when you cannot smile, rinse it off". You will know...
Step 2
Ingredients: Baking Soda, Apple Cider Vinegar, and Lemon Juice
How to mix: Use a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and a teaspoon of lemon juice and pour enough baking soda powder to form a paste. Baking soda is my true love in terms of skin cleansers, balancing skin's pH level and gingerly removing dead skin cells and oil build-up.
Step 3
Ingredients: Oatmeal, Nutmeg, and Garlic
Trust me, the scent of garlic is not as offensive as you think! Oatmeal is an amazing exfoliate and is even listed with the FDA as a natural treatment for many skin conditions. Nutmeg is a natural anti-inflammatory with antiseptic properties that will clean the crap out of your skin and as a known antiseptic, it will provide additional help cleansing. Don't even think about substituting another ingredient for garlic — this is going to be your jam for minimizing pores and in conjunction with the other ingredients, you'll be getting that deep cleanse you need for oil build-up.
And... always mix your ingredients in and with NEUTRAL accessories!
You do not want to alter pH of the masque and make it useless? Nope. So, do not use metal. Use wooden or glass accessories. This is why we made our beautiful accessories. Here is a little video to brag about them. But anything will do, as long as it is not metal. :)
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 | Why Hair Does not Grow
Chapter 2 | Why Scalp Matters the Most
Chapter 3 | Unorthodox Products that DO Work
Chapter 4 | How to Use Natural Hair Products
When I launched Katari in 2010 I was so excited to tell the world about my most favorite single-ingredient product, Katari Argil - a rare green clay from the Atlas Mountains. When I was 18-years of age and traveled to Tunisia for the first time, I fell in love with what this clay did for hair and could not stop thinking about it until Katari Beauty was founded. Yet, somehow, talking about hair was on a backburner.
It is time to talk about hair, clay and other things hair to bring a completely different view point on hair care. Ready? :)
Trap a seedling under a layer of concrete - you get a visual.... and the seedling suffocates, stagnates and dies. Think of your hair as seedlings, sprouting and attempting to grow beautifully strong, lash and healthy. What prevents them from doing so? Typically, it is you. And like me, who killed plenty of plants from too much love and overwatering, too much for hair is typically too much as well.
Being an overzealous over-washer with multitude of products layered on your hair, creating build-up on top of your scalp does nothing to promote growth. It only causes hair to desperately hope for air (literally) and some relief from too much love.
What does work is clean scalp, able to breath. Healthy hair starts with healthy scalp, allowing hair follicles to grow stonger and healthier. And stripping scalp's natural oils with drying shampoos, overwashing and using too much product all can lead to hair that does not thrive.
How do you turn this around?
Scalp is the 'root' of the hair and the beggining and end of all problems you might have. After all hair growth starts at your scalp.
Scalp is also one of four (feet, hands and genital area are in this group as well) areas of the body through which we absorb impurities and toxins the fastest. Cleansing scalp from environmental toxins, mechanical build-up (aka beauty products) and not stripping natural defenses of the skin - oils that we naturally produce to protect our hair follicles - is the most important thing you can do for your hair health.
Detoxing scalp should be on your beauty agenda if it is not yet. Not only it will help with hair, it will help with overall health and wellbeing of you.
It is pretty awemome to say that most Katari products are not only suitable for use on hair and/or scalp, but are absolutely PERFECT for your mane.
I will do a quick summary of what each product does and you can always learn more on product pages - after all, I am a data junkie and love information so much that I can pour it on you in huge amounts, as long as you are willing to read!
Argil - green clay - detoxes scalp, gently cleanses scalp and hair without stripping natural oils, promotes healthy hair growth, reduces hair pigmentation loss that leads to hair greying and provides noutrients for healthy hair and strong locks with less shedding. So you can use Argil green clay INSTEAD of shampoo and if you skip conditioning, your hair will also benefit from additional volume. Caution: it is not a conditioning treatment! Read more about green clay.
Roseau - rose water - YES, rose water! Unusual benefits and smells oh so decandenly fresh! Rose water contains vitamin A, C, D, E, and B3, all of which strengthen the hair. It's also loaded with flavonoids, tannins, and antioxidants, which combat aging of the scalp and follicle cells. Rose water reduces hair loss as well. Rose water is a mild astringent, which may help to reduce oiliness and dandruff. It can also reduce or lessen dandruff caused by fungal infections. Who knew rose water could do all of that for the hair???
Hoba - jojoba oil - famous enough ingredient in a lot of hair products and conditioners. Though sadly such a small amount is used in formulations, why bother even mentioning? Using pure jojoba oil on your strands and on your scalp is perfect for those who braid hair - makes the itch go away, helps with brushing and combing those curly locks and absorbs so amazingly quick. And if you have a newborn with a cradle cap? Wash that little head with warm water and a super soft cloth and apply some Hoba on the scalp.
Rosehip Oil - yes, really! That is a cool one. Believe it or not you can use rosehip oil to repair damaged hair, renew damaged scalp tissue, and moisturize hair. The soothing oil is also ideal for calming itchy, dry or irritated skin and reducing scalp conditions such as dandruff. As a rule of thumb, hair growth depends on healthy roots. Certain properties in rosehip oil might help increase the strength of your hair, thereby promoting overall growth. These properties include fatty acids, lycopene, and vitamin C.
Pomegranate Oil - a dry oil. What is a dry oil? Seasonal changes can make this worse, which is why the free-radical fighting power of pomegranate seed oil proves helpful to hair. Regardless, a few drops of pomegranate seed oil added to your favorite conditioner or smoothed into towel-dried ends results in a noticeable improvement, both in texture and appearance. And since it is a dry oil, a blow dry with a few drops of it is HEAVENLY. You can even access the anti-fungal properties of pomegranate seed oil and fight scalp conditions, like dandruff, by enhancing your shampoo with drops of pomegranate seed oil.
Henna Oil- unlike henna paste being a natural hair dye, henna oil is beautifully green and does not stain hair. It adds to the dreamy depth of your hair color (for darker hair tones) and nourishes and deeply moisturizes scalp and helps with dandruff and other scalp ailments. Since brows and lashes are also from the hair family, you can use henna oil for stronger and healthier brows and lashes.
Black Castor Oil - the reason castor oil is used to 'grow' hair is because it is so thick and so protective and moisturizing, than it cannot help but add strength and vitality to hair follicles. Growth is a side effect and it is caused by castor oil's ability to protect hair and allow it to grow healthier and stronger.
Let's define natural, as arsenic is quite natural too...
Natural in the world of Katari Beauty is wild-grown, unrefined, vegan, unprocessed, cold-pressed, made using ancient techniques that require no preservatives and done with lots of love by artisans who are highly educated professionals in what they do.
Here is how to use flower water (rose water) on your hair:
After washing hair, pour a small amount onto your palms and work the water through starting from scalp and hair roots. If you have time, massage the scalp to increase blood circulation.
Here is how to use a clay shampoo on your hair:
Mix 1 tablespoon of Argil green clay with 4-5 oz of warm water and work the mixture in the shower into your already wet hair. Massage scalp and rinse the hair to remove all clay. Condition with your favorite conditioner - add a few drops of pomegranate seed or jojoba (Hoba) oil to your conditioner.
Here is how to use an oil (rosehip, pomegranate or jojoba) on your hair:
1. Always test for skin sensitivities (except for Hoba, which can be used even on newborns, so it is as cool as it gets).
2. Apply a drop at a time to freshly washed damp or wet hair. For a blow dry with pomegranate oil - put a drop or two in your hands, rub them together and then apply oil throughout your hair from roots to ends.
3. For a hair masque, warm oil in a water bath or just rub oil between your hands to warm it up and massage into scalp. Leave covered under a cap or towel for 30-40 minutes or even overnight. Rinse if needed and condition before styling with a few more drops of oil.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 | How we met
Chapter 2 | In Cairo's workshop
Chapter 3 | From Lamyaa
As a child I was fascinated by Egyptian history. "Pharaoh" by Boleslav Proust was and is my favorite book; and to visit Egypt was on my bucket list. Years later my dream of Egypt came to life in more than just a trip. It became a partnership of a lifetime and a transformative journey I owe to an incredible Egyptian woman. Her name is Lamyaa.
My first communication with Lamyaa was over WhatsApp about 2 years ago after an introduction from my Egyptian oil maker friend.
The selection was down to two artisans groups to get started on Katari handmade glass project. Both groups had great products and great recommendations. Quality was similar, prices too. This is where I could either hit a jackpot or ruin my project. I hit a jackpot because I picked Lamyaa - the ONLY person I can ever imagine doing this project with.
I have to tell you WHY I made a decision to go with Lamyaa. It was because of how she talked. As a trained psycholinguist, I pick on voices, intonation patters, and semantics. Integrity is one word that comes to mind if I have to summarize Lamyaa. She was not overpromising. She told me what can and cannot be done and how long it will all take. She was strong and she handled it with such grace too. She was simply unfallable.
It was time to make the trip to Egypt to meet in person and finalize it all.
As we drove from our hotel near the pyramids in Cairo (not to be seen because of very poor air quality) to the other side of town through horrific daily traffic, we got to the ourskirts of town to Lamyaa's workshop.
Goats, kids, garbage, half-built houses, a field somewhere on the horizon lined with palm trees... and then I walked into the workshop and I forgot where I was.It was not because the place was so beautiful.
On contrary, it was what you would expect from a working workshop - glass everywhere, light music, smell of fresh coffee. But then I saw my beautilful bottles and jars sitting there waiting for me. The time stopped. The dream just came true. This dream would not be possible without this one person - Lamyaa.
I asked Lamyaa for years now to write a little something about her. Finally I got a little bio from her and I want to share it so that you can feel what it means to be a sucessful business person and a woman, leading dozens of glassmakers (most of them are men) in a male-dominated society.
Here is from Lamyya:
Hi, I am Lamyaa, a co-founder of Egyptian handmade glass company. We founded it 5 years ago. In fact, this magnificent industry was transferred to me by my uncle, he was the godfather of this industry. I used to work with him since I was 18 years old, while was studying at Faculty of Tourism and hotels and continued to work with him for 10 years. I obtained superior technical knowledge. Yet, I felt there is something missing. I quit and joined a different career.
During that time, I challenged myself to improve my sales and marketing skills. So, I obtained a diploma in marketing and MBA as well. This added a lot to my skills and the way I think about doing business. I always believe, the world is full of infinite possibilities and countless opportunities. So, at the age of 40, I decided to venture into my business and start a new challenge in my life. It was too tough, pressuring, ups and downs.
This continued for 2 years, being a woman working with craftsmen with different mentalities and attitudes wasn’t easy. To discipline and teach them about commitment and the importance of creating quality products was big issue. Slowly, I managed to build a very strong and long-lasting connection with my workers being as one family. I thought them that every member has important role in our business. Another challenge was marketing and sales.
It was compelling to create good business profile and unique products, picking photos of every product we produce, over 500 items. Even to find the correct photographer to undertake the task was a headache and sure too expensive. Searching for the right and cost-effective marketing channels and effective tool was a panic. Reaching out to customers, building credibility with a lot of communications and product trials to deliver their need was the most important and challenging matter. It took long time to build our customer base and grow our business together.
These days I see Fair-Trade certification logo on a lot on packaging. As a consumer I immediately have a warm and fuzzy feeling about a company that cares about its practices and its sourcing. What would a brand owner who does her own sourcing say?
Let’s ask her.
Hello, I am Kate and I am the founder of Katari Beauty. I source my own ingredients because I trust no one and no certification is enough for me to give you the information you can only get when you see it for yourself.
I was asked before if Katari is Fair Trade certified and I said no. Not because I do not support the concept but because I believe that impact is more meaningful when it is direct. For some companies having this certification makes total sense, as they are not traveling around the globe scouting villages and working with artisans. They buy from suppliers. I do not buy from suppliers. I buy direct. What does it mean? And is it Fair Trade?
I have my own definition of Fair Trade.
When I was looking for the best in flower waters, (rose water, for instance), I searched high and low, on streets, local souks, artisan markets, through word of mouth, simply driving the roads and stopping by road side stalls in the villages famous for making rose water, taking down info, talking, discussing prices, and buying samples.
When you do not bargain with a vendor at a market, does it mean you paid them a fair price? I think so. They name the price. I pay it. I call it fair.
I have no idea what organizations who support fair trade really do, but do they do anything specifically to support artisans that I work with? Unlikely. You know what supports my artisans? My orders. SUSTAINABLE earnings. Earnings that grow from the orders I place because you support me and trust me to buy Katari products.
We do get into discussions about inflation in Tunisia or prices of utilities in Egypt and how they affect cost of living and subsequent adjustments to costs and ultimately the price of products I buy. It is an open conversation. I welcome it, because I cannot have products without artisans. Artisans cannot create if they are strapped for cash and cannot function.
It is a symbiotic relationship and one of a direct nature. I chose to go to direct sourcing because I wanted to pay the full price directly to the artisan, bypassing a distributor, who can bargain with them and cut profits for artisans to below the level of sustainable earnings.
Another reason I wanted to source products directly is because then I can tell you the entire story of the product or ingredient. When you read articles about a certain product and you do not know anything about how it is made, you can nod and think yep, this is how it is made. And website after website, restates the same facts, until you go to the field yourself and realize that it is not in fact how it works. It is more complex, more involved, or sometimes just not accurate.
There is nothing easy about doing your own sourcing. You are subject to enormous amount of work and variables. Let me just list a few:
So why do I do it when I can get a Fair Trade certification, buy from a reputable supplier and spare myself agony, stress, expense and aggravation of doing it all myself?
My mission is to bring pure, timeless and elemental beauty staples from Mediterranean artisans. I had to find them for myself. No one can find them for me and tell the story of how each is made, who are the people behind the process, how they live and what motivates them to make most incredible ingredients for countless generations. When you fall in love the people, the process no matter how stressful, becomes a part of the beautiful story that I want you all to know.
So, what is Fair Trade?
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Does it sound like an informercial yet?
Well, informercials get attention. I do want to bring your attention to a very simple solution to getting better, stronger and faster growing hair. Ready?
Healthy hair starts at the root. Hair follicles or hair roots are located where the scalp is.
Consult with any hair pro and they’ll emphatically explain: healthy tresses start at the scalp. The number one rule?
Don't clog the hair follicle!!!
Not unlike the skin on your body, the scalp sheds cells that need to be routinely sloughed away, giving hair room to grow. Run-of-the-mill cleansing does an okay job at this, but a legit exfoliation would do wonders. A good detox will absorb deep-rooted buildup and banish dead skin and slough away grit and grime and leave you with shiny, manageable locks.
So what you can do to get those gorgeous locks you dream about?
There are a few things you can do.
Today, I opt to discuss a natural alternative (a do-it-yourself 1-minute alternative) to clarifying shampoo.
Clarifying shampoo can do a lot of things, but it can strip natural oils and it does not detox your scalp or heal your hair from environmental damage. It works to remove mechanical build-up and deeply cleanses hair and scalp. BUT, it is not enough.
How about when you have something so simple and proven that works better and is simple and has just one ingredient vs. clarifying shampoo that can have dozens of ingredients, preservatives, dyes, fragrance and stabilizers?
Without further adue, let me introduce Green Clay Hair Detox masque.
Katari Green Clay, Argil, is the most potent green clay for naturally detoxing and cleansing skin and scalp. It can be used for skin, hair and body – after all, scalp is skin too!
To make your own shampoo, simply pour 1 tablespoon of Argil green clay, add 4 oz of warm water and shake to dissolve. Use any non-metal cup, bottle or re-use a hair dye applicator bottle if you have one. Wet hair and apply greenish clay water to your hair. Massage scalp and hair roots. If you want to let the mixture sit for a few minutes while you shower, clay will have even more time to get deep into pores (under steam). Leftovers can be used to wash face (avoiding direct contact with eyes) or wash skin on entire body.
After you rinse your DIY clay shampoo, condition with your favorite conditioner and put a few drops of Katari Hoba oil or Henna oil for extra luxurious hair treatment.
Scalp detox with Katari Argil WILL NOT leave hair silky smooth. It is NOT a moisturizing treatment. It is scalp-detoxing, cleansing, and re-mineralizing treatment. Clay will leave hair feeling a bit waxy; and if you happen to have hair that needs more volume, you can skip conditioning and try the results of Argil clay shampoo you just made just by itself. Hair will have more volume and you will not need to add any other products, which usually lead again to build up on the scalp not allowing it to breath.
Caution for these hair types:
General Info on Argil Green Clay:
Big hug and choose pure, timeless, and elemental remedies when you can. They work and do not harm you, your skin or our planet. ~ Kate
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Please welcome Noria, Katari Beauty First Ambassador. @randomlynoria
You will see Noria's beautiful smile and hear her explain how to do clean beauty right. I could not be more proud, happy, and excited to have this strong and beautiful human being add her beautiful voice to our story...
]]>What we lack in $ capital, we make it up in human capital - our artisans, our customers... and now our FIRST Ambassador.
Please welcome Noria, Katari Beauty First Ambassador. @randomlynoria
And this is why it is SO extra special! To have an incredible human being like Noria join Katari to help us tell our story to more people is not an easy task. I did not ask Noria to do it. I did not pay her to do it. She called me to ask me to be a part of Katari Beauty because she believes in what I do and just wants to do it.
You will see Noria's beautiful smile and hear her explain how to do clean beauty right. I could not be more proud, happy, and excited to have this strong and beautiful human being add her beautiful voice to our story...
Welcome Noria, thank you, and let's make this world better and more beautiful together! It is a hard task when we have to walk slow but there is nothing more gratifying than making EVERY face smile with happiness, no matter how long it takes....
]]>All I need to do it just post this... This pretty much describes how I feel about Hoba oil as well...
"Words cannot describe how life changing the Hoba oil has been for me. I really want to be the person that has one of those SUPER intense and glamorous skincare routines but I just never can commit. That all changed when my friend introduced me to Katari. This is the first brand that I have been able to commit to. My skin is SUPER soft since using Hoba and clear of any breakouts and this product is an easy makeup remover. I get SO many compliments on my skin and half the time I don't even wear foundation. I glow without the help of bronzers or highlighters. For someone who wouldn't leave the house without makeup on, this is a miracle in that it gave me the confidence to not wear makeup. LOVE LOVE LOVE." ~ Shelby
Hoba oil is so perfectly versatile, I NEVER travel without it and use it for so many things:
Also, Hoba or jojoba oil that we cold-press from the seeds collected from small farms south of Aswan in Egypt, is naturally neutral. It has a neutral pH balance. Skin does not react to it, which makes it so perfect for keeping acne away. And for daily use, it will absorb quickly and will not shine, because it is really not an oil, but a plant wax.
Once you try it, just like Shelby, you will love it. It is hard not to!
Simplicity is yours!
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We will get back to Wafa and why what she makes is an absolute golden standard of any toner. But first, let's explore what the heck this thing called toner IS...
Toner, adj. as described by Merriam-Webster Dictionary is 'a liquid cosmetic for cleansing the skin and contracting the pores'. Simple enough!
A slight disagreement here with the esteemed dictionary, as not all toners are good cleansers and vice versa, some might combined the properties described but do they? Some toners do not cleanse skin period. Some cleansers, if not all, do not tone. Hmmmmm.... Today we will talk only about toners that do the toning job, which is described in the second part of the 'toner' definition - 'contracting the pores'.
Other products apart from toners, can shrink pores, like some masque (see Argil facial masque, for instance). So, I guess, various products can have 'toning' properties.
My favorite toner is rose water toner.
Putting toners in one category or even remotely thinking that they are all the same is like comparing Ugo and Tesla when it comes to cars. Both are cars, though Ugo used to come with a bus schedule as standard equipment in the glove box (ha-ha). There is no comparison when it comes to describing what separates toners in general and rose toners in particular.
I can go on an on about ingredients, active ingredients, their concentration, the purity of ingredients, the temperature of their extraction, the season and freshness of the crop, the location of the crop, the pH of the product, the mixture of ingredients and whether the preservatives were involved and which ones. Oh my, the list can go on and on and this is why it is so hard for me to narrow it all down, for there are SO many darn variables and all can make or break a wonderful product. And you, as a consumer, rely on shiny label, on advertising and hoping that you get the freaking best toner in the world.
Most of the time you would not. A word toner, by itself does not mean you are getting a toner. Just spray your face with some alcohol-containing toner. Would it feel dry? Yep. It will and fast. Regular water will tighten your skin faster then you think - just pour a few gallons on your face while in the shower. This the effect and the typical feel from most commercially produced toners.
It is virtually impossible for companies to produce toners without the use of preservatives. Think of product 'shelf life' and you get an idea. When you introduce preservatives, often times they are alcohol-based. Alcohol dries skin. Fact.
A toner, does a very different job. It goes into capillaries and shrinks those broken and damage capilaries and restricts enlarged pores. At least this is what it should do. With that, it also creates lifted and more tight effect without dry feel. So, you skin will be lifted, tight and youthful and redness and capilllary damage will be diminished because of the active ingredients in a toner that regular this skin function that affects pores, redness, capillary damage and rosacea.
Why do I love Wafa's rose water so much and why did I spend 10 year scouting Mediterranean in search of the best rose water toner?
Artisanal Rose Water from Katari from Katari Beauty on Vimeo.
Well, because when you tone skin, skin feels tight. Rose water when it is created the way ancients did, as Wafa does now, does not make skin feel tight. Katari Rose water (Roseau) has the most coveted rose essential oil in. It is nourishing and healing skin inflammations and SUPER DUPER TONING! We do not REMOVE the rose essential oil, we do not ADD anything. We let roses and their ancient toning and healing powers do their job.
So, when you are on a quest to buy a multi-tasking toner that heals skin from rosacea, acne, inflammation and tones it like no other, give Katari Roseau a try. Worst case you will be obsessed. Best case, you will be emailing me to take you on a trip in May when we make a very tiny amount of the best rose water in the world... with Wafa.... and eat the best cookies in the world she makes.... with rose water.
Hugs and stay toned!
~ Kate (who wasted 5 lbs of rose petals, distrubed the 2019 distillation process and ate most of the cookies Wafa made).
]]>If you are set on using good ingredients, give henna a try and it will help you with some of these hair and skin conditions:
And when I hear about products that are going to be launched (not by Katari) that have dozens of ingredients and their cost to make is $0.25 altogether, I have to wonder - what the heck are those ingredients and do I really want them even near my hair?
You cannot tell brands and companies what to do, they will still try to sell you products that are cheaply made with questionable ingredients. That is on them. I will do my thing of educating myself and all of you who would like to listed about single-ingredients that work well, and do not hurt anything or anyone.
Today's ingredient and hero for hair rehab is Henna Oil.
Henna leaf has been used since ancient times to promote wellbeing of hair and add its natural color pigment to hair.
Henna oil is a cold-pressed oil we get from pressing of the dried henna leaves, which creates this beautiful green and very mysterious looking oil. Unlike henna paste that you would use as hair dye, henna oil has a very mild and very pleasant fragrance. And, henna oil does not dye your skin or hair.
If you are set on using good ingredients, give henna a try and it will help you with some of these hair and skin conditions:
It is ok to go single-ingredient with hair products. I think your hair will love it. I personally love the simplicity of it. And also, I love it because I know where my ingredients come from and that they do not cost $0.25. Because nothing good does.
Stay beautiful!
~ Kate
]]>This morning I woke up and read a few posts on Instagram about 'clean' beauty. There were a few posts about 'cost-effective' green beauty products and one of them was about rose water toners.
Love is one thing. If it works for you and if you love it, that is wonderful and amazing; and I leave you alone. But what I do not agree with is that clean beauty can be cheap. And spreading this opinion is not helpful for anyone. It makes people like me who bring quality products to the world of clean beauty feel that I have to compete on price.
I cannot and I will not.
It is not cheap to make anything that is good. You can either get cheap or good. Pick one. Both do not exist in this universe or in any other.
I am talking from experience.
As a brand owner who actually goes around the world and finds the ingredients, I know first hand how expensive some ingredients are and how hard it is to make some of them.
And when someone shows me a $6 bottle of rose water, I just have to call BS on it.
Let's break it down, shall we?
1. Rose water is not made in the USA. So it has to be brought in. This means customs, logistics, packaging, duties, local taxes (VAT) or otherwise, which are 20%+, etc.
2. You have to pay your artisans. FAIRLY. What is fair? But if you are selling a bottle of amazing rose water wholesale for $3, there is no room for any wages, let alone fair wages.
3. Rose water is heavy, unless of course, someone just purchased rose essential oil from AliBaba or some supplier who got it from who knows where and added it to water and now calls it rose water. It is not. It is water with oil in it. So, this means you have to ship a container with rose water via ocean (start thinking crazy logistics to get water safely to the port and get to your warehouse where you can package it).
4. To sell something for $6 at a store means that you have to sell it to the store at at least 50% off so that stores can keep their doors open. This means you just sold that bottle with a label, and with a spray top, and with rose water in it for $3.
5. The cost of bottles and labels is not as cheap as you might think. Yes, you can buy huge quantities and get a pretty big discount, but really, it is not going to be less than $1 per unit and probably more that $1 per that one $3 bottle.
6. Add labor to package, advertise, marketing, take photos, do the website, ship, aps to take photos and videos, salaries, warehousing, etc, etc, etc.
7. How much out of the $3 bottle do you have left to buy good rose water? Can you buy good rose water for $1 and keep your business going? I am sorry, you cannot.
8. Proper rose water is not produced in huge quantities, because it is impossible. You need to collect all the fresh rose petals that are available only a few weeks in a year and then vapor distill the petals to create the rose hydrosol. And places that make rose water, can make a few hundred liters at a time. That's it. Some produce only a few liters at a time because equipment does not fit more. So, no matter how much you want it, rose water will not be made all year round in unspecified quantities. It is finite.
9. If you received my rose water for a discount or got it for free, it only means that I gave it away below my cost for whatever reason - gift, promotion, giveaway. It does not mean that rose water I have costs me so little. On opposite. BUT to consistently sell my rose water for $6 will not work to keep my artisans happy or Katari in business. To keep price so low I will need to get into a business or selling THAT rose water described in that Instagram post about a 'cost effective' clean beauty rose water and I do not have it and I am not interested in finding out where it comes from because it is not rose water.
What I have is Katari decadent vapor distilled rose water with preserved rose essential oil in it.
I do not know why I got so worked up about reading those posts about 'cheap' clean beauty products. I just do not believe in them. I do not know what other companies put in their products and how do they manage to make rose water in the USA apart from blending oils and H2O.
I DO know what is in my rose water and why it is not cheap and why it is THE BEST. Some things cannot be mass produced and what is not mass produced, cannot be cheap.
Sincerely,
Your very opinionated and stubborn about quality brand owner, Kate.
]]>If I am to pick two most hard-working skincare ingredients in beauty, they will be Argil and Hoba, or Katari Green Clay and Jojoba Oil. Like proverbial snake oil, those two tackle most things you need to do in order to cleanse the skin. AND.... they both are
In addition, I have a heck of a schedule, an international business, and a 3-year old. ARGGH. What skin cleansing, right?
So what works for people like me who operate on a zombie like sleep and down-time deprived schedule, traveling through time zones and impossible committments?
Let me get into what works for me without any further adue. There are two single-ingredient product - Green Clay (Katari Argil) and Jojoba Oil (Katari Hoba).
If I am to pick two most hard-working skincare ingredients in beauty, they will be Argil and Hoba, or Katari Green Clay and Jojoba Oil. Like proverbial snake oil, those two tackle most things you need to do in order to cleanse the skin. AND.... they both are
You know what those items above (1-3) mean? Oh, I am so excited to tell you!!!
It means that Hoba and Argil are naturally neutral to skin and are perfect for ANY skin type, even most sensitive. They will not irritate. They will not clog pores. They will not flare up acne. They will actually cleanse, detox, moisturize, hydrate, and nourish skin and help it stay clean and blemish-free aka CLEAN.
Here are the reason why those two single-ingredient products work:
Hoba (jojoba plant wax) - is very similar to our skin sebum and makes an incredible cleanser. Use it as you would use a cleanser with a cotton round to remove any makeup daily.
Argil (green clay) - literally eats dirt from your skin surface and expells excess oils, toxins, and any blackheads or whiteheads. Argil is not necessary to use daily. Just 2-3 times a week. Apply Argil just before shower and rinse last (and then moisturize with Hoba). Read about Argil and its chemistry here to be amazed at what this single-ingredient product can do.
If you, like many of us, cannot stand products that irriate skin and you also do not have time for BS (surprise!), get 2 things that work - Argil and Hoba and you will not go back. These two staples will not set you behind financially, as just a small bottle will last you months. But the pleasure you will get from skin that smiles and glows in delight is priceless!
Cheers!
~ Kate
]]>DID YOU KNOW THE TRUE BENEFITS OF facial MASQUES (or masks)?
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Estheticians would tell you a regular MASQUE IS A MUST, this is why they would insist on you having regular facials. There is a good reason for it. Most of us just do not do a good job or good enough job cleansing and nourishing skin. As a result we leave the well-being for our most presentable asset, face, to chance...
Let's correct it!
Would I suggest you go see a professional and have someone who LOVES all things skincare create a plan for your natural aging? An absolute yes! Does it mean you need to be there everyday? No. We have not time or funds for it no matter how much we would all love to be pampered.
But most if not all estheticians tell you that if you go for a facial once a month and then go on to buy a face cream and a masque at a 'Walgreens' (sorry, Walgreens, using it here in a generic sense), you are negating all the hard work they did at putting your skin on a track for radiance and well-being.
As a brand owner who cares about how my clients (spas and estheticians) view and can incorporate my products, I want to make sure they have a product they can rely on, professionally be proud of (because of amazing results), and never have to be ashamed of for any reason. ANY at all. This leads me to my favorite product and a work horse of Katari product line when it comes to professional usage - Katari Argil Green Clay Masque.
I will talk about the ingredient that makes this masque so special and unique separately - I have so much love and appreciation for this ingredient that I need volumes to get just some of the information transferred to 'paper'. Right now I will only address the benefits of masques in general and Katari Argil Green Clay Masque in particular.
Here are few things I learned along the way, working with the best in esthetics at JMarie Skin Studio, and Brows15, just to name a few:
1. Masques do not start at forehead and end at the chin - extend that to neck and decolette; and if you can, under your armpits too, hitting spots for lympthatic drainage. An all body 'masque' / wrap or a bath with minerals that have same ingredients as a masque conducted by sea salt is even better!
2. Couple masques with massage to generate better blood flow, which actually helps cellular turnover and reduces issues like cellulite. Blood flow is good. Get it going!
3. Masque is a medium for feeding skin. Properly done, it can function to cleanse, detox, moisturize, hydrate, revitilize and nourish skin.
While a professional can make sure you get as many benefits of a masque as possible and will customize your ingredients and nourishment based on your skin needs, you can do a lot of upkeep and weekly maintainance yourself. Saying, I do not have time is not an excuse. And that is coming from me, a Mom of a very energetic 3-year old baby-boss. :)
When choosing a facial masque, go for the one that can deliver as many benefits to your skin without hurting skin sensitivities or filling skin with non-essential non-active ingredients.
Here is what a good masque might do for you:
⠀
1. Deeply cleanse skin and allow it to breathe better⠀
2. Increase cellular turnover, which helps rejuvenate skin⠀
3. Detox skin, helping skin get rid of environmental pollutans and fight damage and ageing caused by free-radicals⠀
4. Increase moisture barrier protection⠀
5. Get rid of dead skin that is sitting on top of the skin, not letting your skin to breath and renew⠀
6. Replenish minerals and nourish skin to keep it healthy and glowing⠀
7. Improve skin tone and texture⠀
8. Shrink pores⠀
9. Improve skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis by fighting bacteria and normalizing skin cell cycle⠀
10. Draw excess oils for oily skin and balance dry skin⠀
I know this sounds like a lot of stuff to do for one masque. However, Argil [arr-zheel] is not a simple facial masque. It is a combination of hundreds of trace minerals that came from primordial sea. Learn more and see for yourself!⠀
So, if you are looking for a simple masque that will do it all, give Katari Argil Green Clay masque a try. I personally spent over 10 years to find a green clay with this chemical composition and now our team hand-extracts this clay from a tiny quarry deep in the Atlas Mountains of the Mediterranean Tunisia. And I am proud to say that as estheticians add my Katari Argil Green Clay to their procedures they stop using any other clays at a minimum and reduce number of other ingredients they use too. This clay does A LOT!
Just read what Michelle, owner of Brows on Upper 15, a guru of skincare with 30-year experience, and love for single-ingredient esthetics said about our facial masque with Katari Argil:
"I've been a clay fanatic for years, and always alternated for my clients between ones with more drying power to absorb oil and deep clean, and those with a higher mineral content for conditioning. Argil has replaced 4 clays for us! (french green, rhassoul, kaolin, and blue) When we use Argil, it refines the surface, draws out deep oil deposits (blackheads), and leaves the skin soft and supple. It really is our workhorse and pleasant to work with." ~ Michelle, Brows on Upper 15th, Denver
The best way to apply a masque in a spa setting is under steam to let minerals in the masque to do their job penetrating deep into pores.
At home, as a busy Mom, I quickly mix 1 teaspoon of Argil green clay with warm water and apply to slightly wet skin just before jumping in the shower. I do my washing and rinse the masque last. And when I get out of the shower with skin as smooth as my toddler's, I moisturize skin with Katari Hoba oil and then do all my other makeup application if this is what I need to do.
For $22 you get about 5-6 masques, a stunning refillable handblown glass container and for $68 you can get a gorgeous mixing kit, Melanj, meant to last.
Masques are VERY important for daily skin maintainance. But it is even more important to use good stuff. If you can use it on your kids, as I am, you can be sure that it is something that will do good for anyone!
Big hug and mask on!
~ Kate
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My name is Kate.
For those for you who have been following Katari and my travels for years now, this might be somewhat of a refresher course. Thank you for your support and love all this time.
For those of you who just stumbled over this article on the wild wild web or have not been with Katari too long, so glad you found Katari and thank you for reading. Please stay and read, and follow @kataribeauty on Instagram (if you are not) and learn more what it takes to build a beauty brand the right way.
This article is about Katari Beauty - what it is, why it makes a difference in the congested world of beauty and how it helps you and the world.
First off, I do not believe in unhealthy competition or any competition, really. I believe there is a niche for everyone and there is enough pie for all of us to share and to be successful. So I want this article and any other articles to be helpful for other boss babes, beauty enterpreneurs, spa and boutique owners, and overall anyone who uses, wants to use, deals or wants to deal with natural beauty, international business, and growing a business in a slow and meaningful way.
Traveling in the Mediterranean for many years, I assembled an obssesive collection of beauty staples that transform your skin and hair. So I started a business, called it Katari. That is the short version.
There are so many amazing products on the market. Why even look at Katari? Simply put - I scavenged the world for the best location of the best ingredients that will improve the natural health of your skin and hair. I found 5 ingredients that are ENOUGH for a simple and proven beauty regimen.
Here are the ingredients and the Katari products that they make:
I did not stop there. I worked with artisans in the Mediterranean to develop a set of handmade plastic-free beauty accessories. Why? Because plastic just sucks and metal oxidizes ingredients and messes with the benefits of your products. So, the accessories were born.
Think of Katari accessories as pieces of art for your beauty ritual. They are functional, handmade and each carries countless generations of craftsmanship that we work to preserve by bringing these accessories to you.
All this time I was thinking - dang, I own a natural beauty brand and I do my best to make a difference in the world by working with artisans, sourcing all products directly, yet I am still using plastic to package some of my products.
As a small brand (I am comparing myself to multi-million dollar heritage brands), I did not know how I could create a line of products and avoid plastic. It was simply not an option. All packaging, even glass has an element or plastic (closures, tops, plastic added to glass, etc.)
As they say, when a student is ready, teacher appeares.
So, it happened. A year ago in November, I met my first collection of handblown glass bottles and accessories for all you clean beauty enthusiasts to enjoy.
I did not make this custom glass packaging just for myself. I made it because I have a ton of ideas and already started helping other beauty brands to bring Katari handmade handblown glass packaging for their products.
So, in short, within last year I converted Katari Beauty to a sustainable, green, eco-friendly and plastic-free brand. A brand that helps other beauty companies to replace their packaging and a brand that helps other beauty companies and spas source incredible and rare artisanal ingredients and accessories.
Why not? It helps me, it helps the artisans I work with, and it helps businesses all around, which means it helps you!
The story goes on. This year we launched a collection of decadent oils from Egypt and called this collection "Lotus". I will write a separate article about these incredible oils and the why it is worth the crazy travel to get them!
Meanwhile, thank you so much for reading. Thank you so much for your support and happy Holidays from our entire enternational team!
Big hug,
~ Kate
]]>1. No one gives a damn about you. Like, literally. No one. You are on your own. You are your best friend, your worst enemy, your loudest cheer and most thorough gut checker. So, do you work, do you math ... thrice. Nobody will correct you if you are wrong. NOBODY.
2. Do not assume that if you (like me) grew up in a foreign country but now live in the US of A, doing business with your country of birth will be easy. WRONG. The language and the country have moved on, while you are still stuck in circa 1999. And so did your language, and your mentality, and your sense of what is going on in the country. Do not fool yourself - you are a foreigner in both countries. There is a reason I am saying this; and I will get to the juicy details a little later.
3. Do not rush hiring an international attorney to draft a contract with a foreign entity - you might be surprised how many things will change in the course of a 2-year long attempt to establish a business or sales in a foreign country. Might as well wait and see what you are actually doing and then write a contract around it. And wait a little bit longer just in case to make sure your product actually arrives and you are READY to sell. And when you do write a contract, do yourself a favor and do not do it yourself, use someone with expertise in INTERNATIONAL CONTRACTS! Otherwise, you will spend next half a century doing it and will come out angry, frustrated and with nothing of value to show. Templates online will only confuse you. Every business situation is different. Treat it as such.
4. 'Lost in translation' WILL become a daily game. There is no shortage of ways to misinterpret EVERYTHING you say and do to the point of absurd. Whether your communication is written, verbal (over the phone or in person), 5 people in the meeting will come out with a different idea of what needs to be done. Because no one except for you has your mentality and thought process, you can count on point #4 at all times. Even if you put your drawings of a new product on sketch paper with scale, precise instructions, measurements, specs, etc., it will be interpreted not the same way. Allow 15-45% margin or error in interpretation. Another possibility is that some of your instructions will never make it to the intended party. So micromanagement and repeating yourself in written, video, sketch and other media forms is a must.
5. Plan on everything to take 3-4 times longer at a minimum. It is not a recommendation. It is a 100% statistical probability. You will not regret planning accordingly.
6. Addresses and phone numbers in various countries are so different and postal services SUCK. You might as well count on getting 2 out of 4 packages with samples. And 1 out of 3 small shipments you send regular mail will be send back to you for no reason whatsoever.
7. No good and reasonably priced logistics company will want to work with your on small shipments going in and out of the country. You are too small. The amount of time it will take you to find a good logistics partner and have everything set is staggering. And as soon as you get it figured out, your favorite logistics coordinator will move, quit or the company will close a local office. How to hedge it?
8. You will swear much more often - in multiple languages. That's an easy one. Every morning you will get something to look forward too and to swear about because while you are asleep, across the pond the wheels are turning and you will see the tracks in the beautiful AM.
9. You cannot pretend that you are poor, because you ARE building an international business, so everyone will assume that you are shoveling money with a super large shovel. What does this mean? When you are talking to your vendors and suppliers about COGS, about margins and your costs, all they see is Maui Jim's glasses on your face. Your challenges simply do not register. Everyone is very quick at counting someone else's money. It is very hard for someone from a different country to comprehend the level of expenses and differences in the life style we have here in the beautiful US of A.
It is especially funny in the age of Facebook and Internet, when every artisan you work with who you pay WAY over their local market price for their product, can check on your site and see your prices and decide randomly to hold you hostage and gauge their pricing because they only understand they you are making A TON of money. What COGS?
What are the solutions? I choose transparency and education in dealing with all artisans I work with. Sometimes it works and sometimes you just have to find another person to work with because bi-lateral trust and understanding is critical for long-time success. I know what I do, but if the other side chooses not to trust me, there is NOTHING I can do to change it. We have to find partners that understand that business is a game where everyone has to win. One side cannot lose all the time, or it goes out of business and then there is no more Kate running over to the villages buying products - she is out of money... So, find best partners. It will take a while...
10. Do not assume anything. Check the address, the name, the business name of all your vendors or exporters. Check who owns the business and who owns the business name (if it is the same person). Check if the business has a business bank account and what is the name on this business account. Check that invoices, and packing lists, and contracts have identical information when it comes to buyer's info or seller's info. Most countries are much less lenient when it comes to paperwork. Some have zero tolerance for honest mistakes, which WILL be called a financial crime, which has NO statute of limitations. You will go crazy trying to fix it. And when you have holidays, time zones and multiple languages involved, you will have a prolonged wonderful chance to spend as much time on fixing it as universe allows. I am not even mentioning the money part or the possibility of losing a lot of money. It is like shorting stock - your opportunity for loss in virtually unlimited.
11. You cannot learn it all. Having strong partners in the country where you decided to do business is a MUST. Even if you were born in that country and grew up there; but you have not done business there, do not assume that you can. Rely on current information and your business partners.
12. Only in person. Negotiations over the phone or email do not work. International negotiations especially. People do business with people they like. I am not original here. Set a budget and spend some quality time with your partners. All of them.
13. Be ready to set aside most of everything you do domestically and work on your new international project pretty much full time. You cannot delegate international expansion. You can delegate some of the domestic business work if your business is well established and you have routines well documented.
14. Even before you embark on your international journey organize the heck out of your business - photos, files, programs, passwords, recipes, website files, processes and procedures, specs and product descriptions, design files, etc., etc. When you have a good organized system, it is easier to translate it. If you do not have it - now you have two or three languages to translate it into and actually create it before you do. And you do not have time because you are too busy tracking that package from #6.
And for the fun of it, your partner will tell you that your Russian language sounds like 'google translate' and all that you just spend weeks doing is garbage. Marketing materials written in 'google translate' are only good for, well.... nothing. Use a translation company who can do it and can do it well.
15. Just do not do it. Staying in your own country and taking advantage of easy business rules, no bureaucracy is a winner over attempting to replicate your success in a foreign country. Ain't the same. If I did not have the partners I have in Russia, who are working diligently with me day and night on getting Katari going in Russia, I would have bought 20 therapy sessions to deal with hurt ego, got a day job to pay off incurred debts and called it a day. And I was born and raised in Russia. Go figure. Nothing is easy.
16. Honesty in business - I have seen it both ways. It hurts, really hurts to see people who you trusted for many years lie to you or take advantage of you. Because there is no other way - you gotta give your chosen business partner a chance to prove himself or herself. Every human relationship deserves it. But unlike personal relationships where you can give someone a second chance, business relationships are impossible at accepting or forgiving betrayals. And betrayals will happen too.
17. You are the boss. You ARE. You cannot show weakness. You have to be flexible and you have to figure it all out. Being a boss also means you have to find a way to communicate with every single person you work with in their unique style that suits them. It is a must. Or else you will fail because you cannot fly over the pond every week to have tea and shake hands. Most of your conversations will be over WhatsApp or email when your are tired, busy, distracted or trying to find best words in English that Google Translate will handle with ease.
18. Do not trust information you are given by any official. Let me tell you why. First, go back to #1 and re-read it. Second, just imagine - you spent months if not years working on your business. You call or email a person who works for the government or at an institution who does not know and will never know your business as well you do. This person answers the questions from their limited understanding of your situation. You (like me) might be not the best at succinctly explaining your problem. It is hard to give someone an elevator pitch and assume they read your mind. Double-check. Spot-check. Ask again. Make Sure. Read all references and ask multiple sources. Make sure the question is very precise and if your gut tells you that the answer does not make sense, you are probably right.
19. Trust your gut.
20. Give thanks to all people who you work with. Randomly and regularly. The honey method. It works. We are too stressed too often to even realize that people who create and do things for us only get our attention when something is wrong. When everything is right, we have other issues to worry about. Give yourself a second a day and send a quick 'thank you' to a few people. Just randomly. And I will do mine.
Cheers!
~ Internationally yours, Kate
]]>Chemistry - Chemical composition of this oil (actually liquid plant wax) is most similar to the chemistry of our skin and its sebum. This is exactly why Hoba easily neutralizes skin pH-balance, corrects skin secretions, while moisturizing skin and absorbing rapidly without a trace of oily residue or scent.
Production Process - Katari Hoba, aka jojoba oil is produced by the masters of oil in the Mediterranean. Every dry seed is cold-pressed to extract unrefined, golden and pure oil. Cold-pressing is hard and it yields far less oil because it is so much harder to extract oil without adding temperature. The quality of the pure, cold-pressed oil is unparalleled. The process is what retains all beneficial properties without which any oil is just a greasy useless liquid.
Applications - a daily cleanse and moisturizing with Hoba is more than easy. Yes, you clean skin with an oil. And you prime and condition and moisturize with the oil as well. Hoba is excellent at cleansing skin and clearing it from acne, removing of makeup and moisturizing of dry, irritated skin (just make sure your skin is warm, preferably slightly wet and ready to receive this oil - it works so much better when you do it right!
Hoba does not clog pores - it is non-comedogenic (a good word beauty professionals use) and it is naturally pH-neutral and hypoallergenic, which means it is suitable for even most sensitive skin, even for newborns. Mine grew up on Hoba since day 1 and so did many of my friends' babies, who cannot stop raving about Hoba and using it obsessively for all skin conditions for the entire family.
Ritual - this are the best uses of Hoba based on my experience and that of dozens of happy Hoba fans.
Ladies:
Gents:
Babies:
Do you buy produces based on the company story and the trust this company built with you; or do you only trust certifications?
Until recently I would have been confused if someone asked me this question. Duh! Of course, I want to see the certifications. Organic, shmorganic - all of them.
Now, having lived in the sourcing world of getting ingredients and products from various countries and various artisans and communities, I have a different perspective.
Imagine a farmer in the south of Egypt, growing lemons or pomegranates, irrigating his field from the underground water supply. The sediments from entire African continent come to Egypt when Nile floods and those sediments feed the land and this land feeds its people.
This farmer does not have money for chemicals or pesticides - they are too expensive, in addition to not something people in those lands use. It is not necessary, as soil is rich enough 'as is' and soil is the most prized asset of the people and entire country. When you walk the fields with people who work on the land, they are not hating their 'job', they are not complaining about how hard it is and how hot it gets. NO. They cannot stop talking about each plant and showing off the fruit of their labor, literally. All of them. All of the fruit. They are proud of their land and happy to be there, living simple lives, taking care of their land. And their land returns the favor.
Seeds and fruit from dozens of tiny farms gets gathered to make some of Katari oils. You have to pull resources from many farmers to get just a few quarts of purest of oils. But would you go to the farmer and ask him to pay a few thousand dollars to get his field certified? That's my point...
I have a first hand knowledge of all people and processes behind every Katari product. I also know that sometimes having certification means absolutely nothing and sometimes all it takes is money without actually doing a single thing to prove that the product is actually ‘good’.
Like with anything else in life, there are plenty of honest gems that have those darn certifications and plenty of tiny producers who make incredible products, the best on this planet and have no certifications at all. So, now should we all run away from them or tell them to get certifications or else?
What difference does a certification make if there is no backing of a story and a personal relationship?
Most tiny producers cannot afford to pay for and to maintain certifications. And in some countries - let me not name them right now (not any of the countries where I source products), all you need to do is pay money to ‘test’ your products. No actual products need to be present. Pretty ‘cool’, eh?
The world is rapidly changing - more rapidly every year. It is a great thing - as with this change a better, safer, and more educated world is available for those who are open-minded and who can make decisions based on facts presented to them.
Get your facts and enjoy the beautiful treasures a world that cannot afford certifications can present to you!
Hugs,
Kate
]]>And if you really want to splurge get him some Hoba to go along with.
Hoba is a hypoallergenic moisturizing oil perfect for all skincare needs for any gentleman.
Hoba:
Straws:
Happy Father's Day from Katari! Always be gentlemanly and drink responsibly!
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Now on to the winner... I had my boss help me announce the WTC winner and she choose two runners-up.
Tanya Arnt with CMI is the winner of the entire Katari Collection!
Runner-ups Mary Snellgrove with Epicurean Group and Laquisha Mason with UPS are getting Katari Intro Kits. Congratulations winners!
Everyone is a winner too, use code WTC for 15% off on any purchase through the end of June and get some gifts for your Dads.
Thank you for all of the local support!
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It has been done for hundreds if not thousands of years for a good reason. The product of vapor distillation makes the most perfect flower waters and essential oils. Both have been proven staples for keeping skin naturally refreshed, toned, and healthy since antiquity.
And rose water is the most challenging of all flower waters. Precisely because REAL rose water cannot be produced all year long.
10 lbs of rose petals are needed to produce just mere 5 quarts of decadent flower water. The water collects on the bottom and rose essential oil collects on the top of the distillation container.
Most companies skim the top precious layer and separate the oil from the water. We don't. Our rose water contains rose essential oil, which creates almost a serum-like, rich consistency and delivers incredible benefits of rose plant to the skin with an intensity that rivals no other.
Our favorite part about Katari rose water is that it only has one ingredient. Check the back of the packaging and after you tested our rose water on your skin, you will see the difference. A rose water that only has the rose water name and a bunch of ingredients that do not belong to pure rose water cannot properly help skin stay toned and youthful and irritation-free.
And since it is so difficult to produce the best quality rose water, actual high quality rose water is hard to find. That is why most rose waters available on the market contain rose essential oil, water, alcohol and other ingredients to create a resemblance to the real thing. The alternatives just do not do justice to the name of this luxury ancient product.
Time and again I hear from our customers: "but I tried rose water and it was not anything special...".... "my Grandma used to use it, but I thought it was not that cool..." ... "the smell of rose waters I tried was too strong..."
The reason there were / are so many objections to using rose water, is because it sound so simple (how complex can a water be) and also because it was mass-produced into something it is not. You cannot mass produce good quality rose water. We spent over 8 years to find the best rose water in the Mediterranean. EIGHT YEARS!!!!
Even the same region has variety of producers and their quality varies greatly. Just going to any Mediterranean country and buying rose water will disappoint you. Wrong ratio or petals to water, wrong temperature, wrong conditions of distillation and cooling, wrong equipment and you got a very mediocre flower water.
We chose to work with the artisans who have the highest degree of admiration for the process and the ultimate knowledge (like PH.D. in flower water distillation). Please meet Wafa and Amen - Katari flower water master distillers. Or should I say Doctor Distillers?
Enjoy the best flower water toner, rose water hydrosol out there!
Big hug,
Team Katari
]]>You can get rid of acne fast and you can also get rid of acne naturally. To do so, you need to understand skin chemistry. I will try to explain the best natural ways I have learned from the best in natural beauty, medical beauty and beauty all around the world.
Skin loves balance. And even when you use the best products to help clear acne, you might not get the desired result. Why? Again, because skin loves balance, it is called pH-balance and to treat acne effectively, you need to put skin in a neutral pH-balance zone.
Why is pH-balance so important for skin? Skin, as well as human blood has pH of around 7.00. Anything above or below this neutral level creates an environment too acidic or too alkaline. And while by itself pH might be ok, to keep acne bacteria from growing, you need to neutralize their favorite environment by creating an environment that is great for skin and really really bad for acne.
Acne hates neutral environment and loves anything that helps its bacteria grow. So what makes it a neutral environment and how do you get there? Before we jump into a good protocol for natural acne treatment, let me introduce another important skin mechanic - cell turnover.
Cell turnover or skin cell regeneration cycle - is quite important when you are on a mission to clear skin and make it acne-free. This takes time. Nothing happens quickly. Even the world took 7 days to create (and that was a rush order!). Just kidding. I think it took a bit longer.
Skin has its own regenerative cycle. It takes normal skin 21 days to shed old layer and get another one. Sometimes skin gets out of its normal healthy skin regeneration cycle and starts shedding cells much faster - and you get psoriasis. It is obviously more complex than that, but you get an idea.
Even if you do most advanced procedures and treatments, you cannot possibly get results within hours or overnight. It is just the name of the game - any change takes time. To truly change your face or back (if it is back acne), you need a little bit of time and patience and understanding of the risks and rewards of choosing how fast you want to fix your skin.
The options for clearing acne are plentiful today -
Only you can decide what option fits your lifestyle, budget and timeframe the best. And only you will have to weight any side effects or negative effects from each option and then make an opinion of what's worth it for you. And, honestly, each option has some negatives, depending on what you view as a negative, of course.
Let's take a look at each options to help you decide on the best approach to fixing skin and getting rid of acne.
1. Medications.
Medications can be topical or systemic and your dermatologist can recommend internal applications, like creams to apply on acne-affected skin or pills that you ingest. Medications typically come with a cost - doctor visits and prescription costs. Some medications are over the counter or are available online and might have a monthly subscription. Based on popularity of some of the medications like Clerocyl or other ones; they obviously work, otherwise, no one would be buying them.
However, systemic medications can affect not only skin but other organs too. They can change balance of those organs and potentially affect them; hence, lists of side effects that every medication has. For me personally, the worst effect is on my hormonal balance and with that a lot of other things - mood, headaches and anything that is reproduction-related (for young women it can be of a great concern). Some acne sufferers do start with harsh medications and then back off when something else becomes an issue.
2. Laser / Light Therapy
Proven to work really well, it kills acne bacteria in the skin. It is an amazing alternative to taking pills or applying creams. It is probably not the most time-effective, as you will have quite a few trips to the laser center that come with a cost. Everything in life is a trade off - cost vs. time, quality vs. price, result vs. price, and so on and so forth.
Side effects from lasers might be less harsh, though it is your due diligence to find a true professional experienced in what she or he is doing. Turns out some professionals have a laser but don't have the correct laser or don't know how to properly use it (lack training). Some have the wrong laser that does not do the job.
I did not even think about the 'wrong' or 'bad' laser until I met an esthetician, friend of mine who owns a laser hair removal clinic and a med spa. From blissfully ignorant I became mildly concerned and a bit apprehensive about my overall lack of knowledge about lasers. After being explained more about lasers and intricacies of using them, I quickly realized that for anything that touches my skin I have to do a lot more research both on people who touch my skin and on every item, product or treatment.
Additionally, if you remember the circle of skin cell life - 21 days, it is again pretty important here too. Even when your skin is completely healed and you look perfect, in 21 days you might be running back to the same clinic for more laser! Why? Because what you do with your skin in-between treatments or after you are done with treatments will manifest in acne-free skin for good or in more breakouts.
3. Hormonal Treatments.
Acne can definitely be a result of hormonal dis-balance. Adding hormones on top of hormones can suppress your natural hormonal responses and can potentially affect what you body is capable of doing naturally.
I was on hormones in my early 20-ies and my body did not like them at all. Yes, some hormonal treatments can help with clear skin; but I was having horrible migraines and terrible mood swings on top of belly aches. It was not worth it for me personally. We all have different reactions to hormones.
If a proper level of hormones is balancing your hormonal levels and helps out with the skin, what would stopping this treatment do to you and your skin? Sometimes stopping taking hormonal treatments can throw your system into havoc. Hopefully not; but anything, as we discussed before, takes time. Even after you stopped taking hormones, it will take your system a bit to adjust and to start creating sufficient amounts of hormones to self-regulate all those functions that were previously artificially regulated by added hormones.
Some bodies can start functioning on their own and some go back to old ways or even worse.
4. Oil Cleanse.
Finally, in the United States, cosmetology started using oils for fixing oily skin. Sounds counterintuitive, but actually it works really well. Some recommend a double cleanse - one with water-based cleanser and one with oil.
Why do oils work so well to stop breakouts and curb acne? Let's go back to skin chemistry for a second. Our skin contains natural oils - skin sebum. When we break out (generate extra sebum), our natural reaction is to neutralize or stop oil production. Another natural reaction will be to use something that contains alcohol or something a bit harsh to really get that oil out. Sounds familiar?
So what happens when you do it? Skin freaks out and literally goes on defensive. When you strip natural oils out of the skin, even if those are 'excess oils', skin starts overproducing to compensate for the oils lost. And instead of getting rid of acne and making skin less oily, you get exactly the opposite effect.
In reality, what our skin wants is to have is more oil. When you add oil to oil, it actually curbs natural oil production and hopefully gets it to an optimal level. This is exactly what you need if you have issue with acne. You want natural oils to be balanced.
You can talk to your esthetician about best ways for you to incorporate an oil cleanse into your regimen, or simply try Katari Hoba to cleanse your face after you rinsed it with water and applied anti-inflammatory Roseau or Geran (flower waters).
5. Mineral Masques.
And when I say mineral, they have to be pH-neutral minerals; and of course it is good to know where the heck they came from. Not all minerals are created equal and not all are good for sensitive skin or any skin.
A good way to start is by trying a clay masque, a green clay to be exact.
Why is green clay perfect for skin and especially for acne-affected skin? Simply put, because it has a great combination of minerals to pull impurities and extra oils on the surface. But not only. Clays especially those containing gypsum (an ancient acne-fighting mineral found even in ancient Egyptian recipes) are great for normalizing oily skin and putting skin cell growth into a normal cycle. Remember that 21 day skin cycle we talked about? That's right. Clay does it - normalizes skin building capacity and puts skin cells to work at a normal pace.
Good thing about green clay is that it is the most potent type of clays. When it is extracted from an arid location where there is virtually no rain, it stays super charged and very effective. And when it is also pH-neutral, you got your skin-fixing hero. It does not sting, does not burn, does not irritate and does not clog pores. It is a cool natural way of giving skin a treatment without any side effects.
You can read about Argil (green clay) facial masque and do sign up for our newsletter to read more about recipes and ways to use all-natural single ingredient products like Argil.
6. Do nothing and wait for it to clear on its own.
Sometimes doing nothing is just fine. It could be less damaging to you, your skin, you budget and your time. If acne in your life comes and goes, it might be something you can really figure out or just wait out. Maybe it does not bother you enough to take any action and then it is ok to do nothing. Maybe you can rule out a by answering a few simple questions and changing a few simple things about your daily routine.
Questions to ask yourself before you do anything else to get rid of acne:
Sometimes simple things like changing some of your habits can make a big difference in the way skin feels and looks. They can simply eliminate acne pretty fast and pretty naturally - by doing very little.
Conclusion.
Many solutions are available to treat acne. My suggestion as a trained data junkie and a person obsessed with detail, is to arm yourself with knowledge, data and analyze what you have going on. By simple method of elimination, you can narrow down your issue with acne and pin-point the best solution that works for you.
And while I am not a skin care expert, unlike all the people that I get to work with, I am ingredient expert, obsessed with finding the best ways to simplify life while helping the all the humans in the world.
I welcome your questions and will be happy to share more details, tips and recommendations for what is best for YOU, personally. And bring expert opinions and advise from people I closely work with at Katari Beauty.
~ Kate | Clean Beauty Enthusiast | Purveyor of Simple Ingredients | Founder of Katari Beauty
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I rub my eyes. It is my thing, daily... I want pretty, long lashes but I am miserable every time I get them. I also don't always have time or money or both to spend on getting my lashes done. I wish I had more of both, but the reality is cruel - time and money are not always available. I have a growing business and a toddler with feet growing an inch a day, so what do I do?
Luckily there are choices for people like me with tight schedules and uncertain budget. And they work for me and for many other people - both men and women.
And it is so exciting that a lot of permanent makeup artists are adding these natural solutions to give an alternative to their customers and also to attract another niche of customers who would otherwise not be their customers.
Here are a few contenders and their pluses and minuses, as I see them:
1. Latisse or Lumigan (putting them in one category). There are some preparations on the market already for growing lashes and brows and they came from pretty much the same formulation in ophthalmology, known as Bimatoprost, an eye drop for glaucoma. However, there are some side effects, related to dark circles, allergies and other conditions that are side effects of the medication.
Growing of lashes actually came as unexpected side effect while using glaucoma drops. I am not sold on using glaucoma medication on my perfectly short-sighted and glaucoma-free eyes and potentially getting some other eye issues. Black circles under my eyes are especially bothersome, as not sleeping enough I already have plenty of. Adding that to my look complimented by fuller looking lashes is not exactly what I envision when I think of improving my looks, naturally...
2. Black Castor Oil - a natural favorite for growing lashes and brows. I might consider adding it to Katari collection soon, because it is amazing. Here is what I don't like about Black Castor Oil:
The way I discovered this natural solution was occidental. It also made total sense that this product will do exactly this - grow hair, but I was not concentrated on this exact benefit, since the main benefit of the product was to replace collagen naturally and smooth out appearance of wrinkles - anti-age and rejuvenate skin.
However, my customers started reaching out to me and telling me that they were applying this product on their lashes and brows and over a few weeks saw a very natural difference in appearance of their lashes and brows. First I was telling them, "this product is intended for wrinkles, neck, chest area, under eyes, etc. I did not suggest in my instructions to apply it to the brows or eyes.
But customers always figure out the best way to use a product. And they did.
And, of course, I had to try as well.
3. The miracle natural single-ingredient that is responsible for growing lashes and brows is Katari Barie, an oil derived from the seeds of the prickly pear cactus. It is one of the most labor-intensive and precious oils on the market. If you read more about Barie, you will know why. The bottom line is that is has the highest concentration of Vitamin E and Vitamin E compounds, tocopherols and fatty acids that TOGETHER in their specific combination create an incredible natural solution for regenerating skin sells, boosting collagen, healing and smoothing skin and assisting with hair follicle growth.
One little bottle of Barie will easily last you for a year and you can take it with you on all your trips and use as anti-aging oil every day as well. The best way to use Barie is on wet skin, so that oil is more elastic and less of it spreads across a larger skin area.
I will have to start collecting actual before and after images from my customers and will try to use my own mugshot for proof.
The best thing about Barie, is that it is perfectly good to use for anyone who does not have allergy to topical application of Vitamin E. It is also perfect as aftercare for any permanent makeup procedures, healing skin and boosting your own collagen.
Who is with me to continue rubbing eyes and keeping their routine natural because we can? :) I know my husband (who is an eye-care professional) will continue reprimanding me for rubbing eyes, but I have to have some flaws...and pretty lashes...
Big hug and cheers to great looking lashes.
Naturally yours,
~ Kate
]]>So many brands these days compete in natural and organic, and yet most of them fall short in this one critical aspect - the most critical aspect of brand trust for any consumer, in my opinion.
When I started Katari in 2010, this was the only way I envisioned building a brand.
My passion for travel and history of humanity brought me to starting Katari and its discovery of ancient beauty rituals and recipes starting from artisans in the Mediterranean.
To discover and to tell stories I felt compelled to go and find those stories and meet those people. To sell an incredible flower rose or geranium water or jojoba oil you need to see where it came from, who made it and how, meet people behind the process and deeply understand the history and the story of each and single ingredient. This means going to the fields, knowing about soils, water supplies, methods of farming, families who proudly farm the land and their lives and so much more.
This knowledge does not come from buying bulk oils from a distributor. It comes from traveling to most incredible, yet often isolated and hard to get to places. It comes from roads untravelled, insanely hospitable people and food that makes you salivate every time you think about it. The travels and the process of discovery do not often become a focal point of Katari product story, but they should.
And as brand founder, I need to do more to share this other product story with you. It is the story of the entire product life - from sun and soil, to water to seed, to hands that harvest it and hands that transform it, to hands that get it to you.
Sometimes it is hard to tell stories directly from the places where I travel - simply because Internet does not work there.
It is always easier to bypass all the trouble of misunderstandings, being lost in translation, (not speaking the languages), governments and country-specific peculiarities and just buy from a distributor, but then I cannot tell you the story and explain why Katari collection is the best and how in its simplicity it can answer skin and hair concerns for the entire family. I cannot look you in the eye and tell stories of people I have not met. I cannot describe the process I have not seen. I cannot post pictures of the fields I have not visited and foods I have not eaten. I am just not good enough to make those stories up.
How many people travel to the places where US Department of State recommends and advises not to travel? Not many. I go there because this is where you can find some of the most unique and incredible ingredients and wonderful stories to go with.
Katari is very simple. And very complex. And I believe that what I do and what entire Katari team does now in a few countries around the globe is the movement of unity, learning, understanding and truth-in-beauty; and as all good things they should become a norm.
With love, Kate
]]>There is a trade off (a huge one) between mass producing and quality. Period. You CANNOT make a lot of unique things fast. You cannot make a lot of exquisite products by millions.
When you want something made well, you have to wait. It will not be made or delivered overnight. It takes time to make a good thing. Those who are in business of making high-end, quality products know it too well. Just think of expensive hand-made watches. Hundreds of hours of labor goes into each.
It is not dissimilar for rose water distillation for Katari Roseau or pressing of seeds for anti-aging serums, like Katari Barie. Anything good takes time.
I used to just shrug my shoulders and disregard remarks I occasionally received from my friends telling me they saw jojoba oil or something else much cheaper than I sell it for elsewhere. Or that one of the chain stores now carries rose water toner. It used to slightly upset me, to tell you the truth, because you cannot compare sliced Cheddar with farmer's market aged Cheddar from some artisanal shop that specializes in Cheddar and Cheddar only.
But now I am at the point when I feel that some intervention is needed to explain why quality matters and price is a deceiving point of comparison.
Let's take for example a very simple rose toner and break it apart from the standpoint on ingredients and pricing.
Real and best rose water toner is produced only a few weeks in a year. The labor intensive process of vapor distillation is used, where only pure water and rose petals are used. The result is naturally stable rose water, fragrant without addition of oils, alcohol, preservatives of any nature or anything else to keep it shelf-stable.
Most commercially produced rose toners cannot afford the seasonality, the cost and the labor it takes to make REAL rose water. So, what I see a lot is that rose oil, alcohol and water get mixed together to create a rose toner. Now you have alcohol on your skin to dry it without doing anything good for you. It does a lot of good for shelf-life though. However, if you happen to forego products that contain alcohol as ingredient for a little bit, you will feel it and it does not feel good. Try it.
And really, I need to go on a national tour of explaining how water cannot be organic by definition because it does not contain carbon. :) And that is another story I really want to talk about. ORGANICS.... I will. Soon.
Anyways, it does not mean big box stores are selling the same products cheaper. Just do the math and look at per ounce cost. And often times you will see no real difference in price. If I package rose water toner, Roseau in an 8 oz bottle and a big retailer has a less than 2 oz bottle and sells it for more per ounce, you can see my point.
Packaging products in cheap non-recyclable plastic or small bottles to make you buy more often is easy, but there are other makers who want to make a difference by using materials that ARE more expensive, non-reactive, truly recyclable and who would prefer if you buy their rose water twice a year for many years and tell your friends and not every two weeks once...
Ask yourself a question: does quality matter to you? If it does, please support the little 'guys and gals' who chose to go small-batch, small quantity and make it by hand, by being responsible every step of the way to create products from their heart and soul. It is very hard to produce just a little. Products like this come with a price and will not be found at a discount retailer.
There can be only one grade in quality - the BEST.
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