The line Inara organic body care products which combines raw, organic ingredients and healing properties of Babassu oil.

At the heart of Inara's 100% organic line is Babassu Oil, a rich, emollient, organic moisturizing agent from Amazon, harvested for Inara by women's cooperatives in Brazil. When applied to the skin, Babassu reacts with your body temperature, simultaneously melting to increase absorption and cooling to provide a velvety soft sheen without the oily shine.

Inara bath and body products and candles are all functionally aromatherapeutic and are available in three different essential oil blends. Quiet, a calming blend, inspires peace with Roman Chamomile, Mandarin and Rose Geranium. Enliven, an energizing blend, awakens the senses with Grapefruit, Rose Geranium, Mandarin and Sage. Ignite, an enticing, sensual blend, kindles romance with Jasmine, Bergamot and Grapefruit. Currently, oar Babassu Up Balm is available exclusively in rich Vanilla essence. All the ingredients have healing properties.

Ultra-luxurious organic personal care products from Inara are created using exclusively certified organic ingredients. Simply put, zero synthetics, preservatives or chemicals – in any product!

The secret: Inara’s signature ingredient, Babassu, is a rich, moisturizing oil obtained from the kernels of the Babassu palm which grows in Amazon region of Brazil. Babassu is exceptionally rich in lauric and myristic acids, whose melting points are relatively close to the body temperature. When topically applied, Babassu draws heat from the skin to initiate melting, and this heat transfer produces a cooling effect on the skin.

The Products:
Babassu Body Creme is a rich balmy substance with olive oil base that provides intensive hydration. We loved the fact this cream contains no water but Babassu oil, Rosemary leaf extract, honey and an essential oil blend. When applied to face it creates a healthy glow minus oily shine. Amazing!

Babassu Sugar Rub is a signature product for Inara. It is basically raw Turbinado sugar in Babassu and soybean oils, scented with essential oil blend. When massaged into skin it polishes it to perfection while deeply moisturizing. It comes in a beautiful custom pottery crock with a wooden spatula. A must-have!

Babassu Milk Bath is a fragrant and deeply moisturizing bath product that can be used for both body and facial skin care. It contains Babassu oil and organic powdered buttermilk blend sweetened with raw sugar and scented with essential oils. Dissolves into a milky mist in the water and washes off the tube without a trace.

Babassu Bath and Body Oil is the most versatile product of all – if you can buy just one product from the line, buy this one! It contains certified organic Babassu and soybean oil scented with Ignite, Enliven, and Quiet essential oil blend. This oil is quite light and can be used on face, body, hands and heels. And of course it can be poured into bath!

Babassu Soap is an essential face and body cleanser with saponified Babassu oil and honey. We appreciate the fact it contains no sodium lauryl sulphate which is considered to be potentially carcinogenic.

Another basic multitasker is a beeswax-based Babassu lip balm with healing honey, pure non-alcoholic vanilla from Madagascar beans and rosemary leaf extracts and soy lecithin – great for chapped or sunburned lips, and for cuticles, too!

Something for the father (and not just for Father’s Day) – the Amate Bark Lantern Candle which has no-fuss masculine ambience about it. Hand-made with Amatd paper, beeswax, and essential oil blends, the candle creates a lantern-like effect while it burns, and looks fantastic both in a library or on the dinner table.

Pros: Babassu oil works amazingly well for both dry and oily complexions. We applied the rich balmy Babassu Body Crème to our hands and even to the face – it penetrated quickly in both cases, gently moisturizing the skin without producing any oily sheen. Our skin was glowing!

Plus, all products in Inara line are multi-tasking since all of them are used in spas. For example, Babassu Body Creme can be used for massage, as a scalp treatment or even a hair pomade. Babassu Sugar Rub become the less abrasive alterative for face and even lips. Babassu Lip Balm grooms brows and does double-duty as a cuticle cream. Babassu Milk Bath becomes a facial mask, and the most versatile of all, Babassu Bath and Body Oils can scent body products and moisturize face in colder seasons.

Cons: Using oils in bath can be tricky, but once you get used to them, you are going to be hooked for life.

Added bonus: Inara purchases Babassu oil via fair trade from women's cooperative in Maranhao, Brazil. Inara supports the women who "break the Babassu" through fair trade practices - every product sold helps women make a better life for themselves and their families in their native country.

Another Bonus: these products look extremely elegant in your bathroom. No wonder Inara's innovative packaging snatched the Mobius Award for the excellence in packaging design which for the industry are the equivalent of the Oscars for cinema, or the Grammy's for music.

Cost: Not cheap, as you can guess. Prepare to splurge $10 for the soap, $30 for 9oz body oil bottle, $40 for a body rub and $48 for the milk bath. These prices are suggested, marked in US$, and may vary depending on the retailer.

Where to buy: Inara treatments and products are available at fine spas and resorts, online at www.inarainternational.com or by calling 888-840-8826.

In Canada, Inara organic line can be found at:
Grail Springs Health & Wellness Spa in Bancroft, Ontario
Jade Aesthetics in Bolton, Ontario

(c) Julie Gabriel, 2005. 

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