The Story
Our own, innovative take on the powder-form face mask is a healing, hydrating, firming, and invigorating powerhouse blend of just active ingredients: finely milled herbs and green algae. From the first application, you can expect ultra-clean, breathing skin that is moisturized and energized, yet with its natural protective barrier preserved.
Benefits
There are so many different types of masks, and many have drawbacks: some are drying, some pore clogging, and some contain potentially irritant or allergy-causing preservatives or emulsifiers. Catharsis removes impurities and provides a strong detox and skin brightening effect, but is nonstripping, nondrying, moisturizing, and gentle. It contains no gritty or overly scrubby particles that might scratch the surface of the skin and cause irritation or scars. There is no clay to avoid any drying effects and to make the mask easier to remove, and no isolated nutrients.
What the mask does contain is a plethora of powerfully detoxifying and hydrating ingredients, including:
Aloe: Aloe leaves (containing naturally active skin-damage-correcting vitamin C), gently dried and ground into a fine powder, are this mask's moisturizing base. The aloe particles are like miniature sponges, waiting to become transformed by water. What happens when you give these cactus sponges water? They re-hydrate, creating waterlogged bits that deliver moisture and gentle scrubbing action for a highly effective cleansing that hydrates with the water and the plant's juices. The intelligence of a desert plant is to hold on to water; in your skin cells, this results in plumped-up, thoroughly moisturized skin.
Neem: The Indian neem tree has been revered by Ayurveda for thousands of years and has often been called for to heal and beautify the skin. It is strongly antimicrobial, healing for acne of all types (yet it isn't drying), and its cooling nature is of great help with inflammatory conditions (apparent as redness on the face) such as rosacea. Neem regenerates healthy skin cells and encourages a healthy skin coloring.
Green algae: Our organically grown spirulina and chlorella algae clean the pores, detox, and nourish the skin with their wide range of phytonutrients, from amino acids, B vitamins, and beta-carotene, to vitamin K. Green algae have a firming, cooling, and strengthening effect.
The Scent and Energetic Impact
The scent is bitter and green, powerfully "re-awakening" to the senses. The aromatherapy benefits of this formula can help to shake off sluggishness of body or spirit, drowsiness, or spacey feelings. The energetic impact is thoroughly revitalizing, and promotes mental sharpness and focus. (Smell the prepared paste, not the powder.)
Compare
If you are wondering which face mask is the right choice for you:
Catharsis is extremely versatile and offers visible, immediate results, even though it is mild, with no essential oils, preservatives, or clays. It has an invigorating, slightly bitter and green scent from the algae, aloe, and neem, and works well when time is limited as an in-the-shower mask. The soft powder has a long shelf life, does not need to be refrigerated, and is easy and exciting to customize by adding a hydrosol, honey, and/or a few drops of facial oil. We particularly recommend Catharsis for acne-prone skin and as a spot-treatment mask for blemishes.
While Catharsis is cooling, our Sungod mask is nurturing. With Catharsis, you can expect immediate results after each use, while Sungod is designed to produce longer-term changes and heal the skin gradually over time. We particularly recommend it for signs of premature aging and for dull or mature skin.
Our third powder-format mask, Imhotep's Balsam, is hydrating and nourishing, with a scent that is evocative of mystical temples and a cedar forest. We particularly recommend this mask for dry or sensitive skin.
Catharsis and Imhotep's Balsam are both vegan and do not contain clay, while Sungod contains humanely-gathered flower pollen and a small amount of mild clay.
This is an incredibly effective product. . .I loved the experience of the mask. It felt very comfortable, and the aroma was not intrusive. My skin is no longer prone to bad breakouts, thank goodness. . . . The results of the mask, once washed away, were immediately noticeable: refreshed, clear, glowing, and firm [skin], with a somehow "revived" appearance."
- Justine
Skin Types
For all skin types, especially acne-prone, mature, and with rosacea, psoriasis, or eczema.
Neem is a powerful plant that can send out a message when its healing has been accomplished and it is time to take a break from it: either you may start forgetting to use the mask, or no longer feel drawn to its powers, or, if you overlook the subtle messages and continue using neem religiously, you may even develop a mild rash or itching. If neem tells you that it is time to take a break, heed its advice and switch to a different mask for a while. (This phenomenon happened to Ava's husband on one occasion, and then several years later she read about exactly the same chain of events in a renowned book on the science of aromatherapy, in an anecdote about a different strong antimicrobial, bay laurel.)
Ingredients
Aloe barbadensis leaf powder*, Azadirachta indica (neem) leaf powder* (India), organic Spirulina platensis powder, organic broken-cell Chlorella vulgaris powder, Citrus sinensis (orange) peel powder*.
*Certified organic.
Certified cruelty free, vegan, handcrafted, small batch, no fragrance added. Gluten free.
Directions
Measure out 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the powder into a ceramic bowl and mix with a very small amount of warm (not hot) water, adding the water drop by drop, to achieve a paste consistency. We also recommend adding a small amount of honey. Apply onto freshly washed, towel-dried skin and leave on for 10 to 30 minutes, then rinse off. Also try it as an in-the-shower mask or spot-treatment mask for blemishes. The mask can be used as often as desired. Avoid inhaling the powder.
More and more customers and green beauty bloggers have suggested a very savvy tip that we recommend as well: mist the face with any hydrosol, facial toner or mist, or even just water periodically while the mask is on; this will keep the mask moist. This reduces the drying effect of any mask and enhances the nourishing benefits of our Catharsis Face Mask ingredients.
For a cooling, detoxing whole-body treatment (particularly recommended during hay fever season or at the end of a hot summer day), use in a shower: separate a small amount of Catharsis into a dry bowl, taking care not to introduce water into the jar, then sprinkle onto a wet natural body brush, rub the powder all over the body, avoiding sensitive areas, leave it on for a minute or a few, then rinse off.
Full sizes 24 g/50 ml jar (0.8 oz), 20 g/30 ml jar (0.7 oz); travel/sample size 4.2 g/5 ml jar (0.15 oz).
Due to the very high cost of our ingredients and the labor-intensive (highly time consuming) small-batch production process, we are unable to accept returns of opened or unopened products at this time. But most products have a sample size option for purchase, so we encourage you to buy a sample first to ensure that the product suits your skin's needs and that you enjoy the texture, fragrance, and healing properties.
