|
|
Babussu
Inara Organic
By Tonie Minsal
Inara Organic
is a line that focuses on babassu oil as their
main ingredient. A rain forest product, babassu oil is
obtained from the fruit kernels of the babassu palm.
The first thing I noticed about Inara was the packaging.
These
products pass my bathroom cabinet test - they’re pretty enough
for me to display in my bathroom cabinet, not hide away in a
drawer. Inara also scores those all-important glass container
points - their packaging is obviously well thought out.
Inara’s entire line is available in three fragrances: Enliven
(a grapefruity fragrance containing essential oils of
grapefruit, rose geranium, mandarin and sage), Ignite (a jasminy, citrusy scent containing
essential oils of
grapefruit, bergamot and jasmine), and Quiet (a sandalwoody one,
containing essential oils of mandarin, Roman chamomile and rose
geranium). I tried all of the scents; Ignite was my
favorite.
Babassu Milk Bath ($32.00 for a 10 oz. tin) is dee-lightful!
This milk bath, made with organic buttermilk, is a winner! I
tried it in both the Ignite and Enliven fragrances, and I
preferred the Ignite - it smelled very jasminey with a touch of
citrus - very nice. It comes in a cute little tin with a wooden
spoon attached. I liked this product best - my only complaint
about milk baths is that I want to put about a pound of them
in my bath!
Inara's Babassu Sugar Rub ($18.00 and $45.50) is
available in two
different sizes: a
 4.5oz jar and a 15.5oz crock. The crock
looks rad, but it was a tad inconvenient - I had to open a
little bag and empty it in, but the fragrance was so
nice that it almost made up for it.
I tried it in Quiet and
Enliven - which smelled like grapefruit and rose geranium. Very
gentle - I even used it on my face, and I have sensitive skin -
but extremely greasy.
Personally, I found the jar to be more
practical, but aesthetically, the crock is great. It took some
real maneuvering to use the crock in the bath, and I didn’t
even attempt to try it in the shower.
I found that this scrub
was not as moisturizing as I like, but again, I have sensitive
skin and live in a very dry climate.
I also tried their Soap
($22.00 for a trio). While there wasn’t much fragrance to
speak of, what I did like about this soap was its smooth,
silky, long lasting lather - very nice for shaving your legs.
I
have sensitive skin and I live in the high desert, so I
found this soap to be too harsh and drying for me, but
others who have a different skin type and live in a different
climate might enjoy it.
Babassu Bath Oil ($18.50 for an 8oz bottle) is made
with a combination
of soybean and babassu oils; it is too light for my liking, but gals
with heartier, oilier skin may like it. Not too much fragrance
to speak of - and as I’ve told you before, dear bathers, Tonie is a
fragrance fiend! I tried it both as a bath oil and après bain,
hoping for promising results, but alas, it just wasn’t the
right blend for me.
Babassu Body Crème ($34.00 for a 5.5oz jar) is a balm,
not an actual crème, and it contains honey, a natural humectant.
Alas, once again I experienced the trouble of too
much grease and not enough moisturizing.
This line turned out to be difficult for me to review;
although the packaging was nice (definitely upscale) and the
products were fun to use, I didn’t care for the way my skin
felt after using the oils and soaps.
Judging by the dryness,
irritation, and itching I experienced, I may even be allergic
to this line. I suspect it has to do with the blend of soybean
and babassu oils - I just don’t think it was the right blend
for me. It was weird - I found the blend to be oily, but not
moisturizing and soothing.
I am not easily impressed by
products; I eschew what others champion. Although a few of Inara’s products
didn’t do it for me, this line may be just
fine and dandy for the majority of bathers. Their presentation
is nice - when my package arrived my Mom oohed and ahhed and
expressed a lot of interest in the line. On a positive note,
the milk baths did get a thumbs up.
Although it’s a very
pricey line, I think InaraOrganic.com is a great line for gift giving;
the packaging is unique and upscale, the ingredients are fab,
the products are nice, and I’m sure any chick would be really
happy to receive these products as a gift.
[Organic Bath & Body Main]
|
|
