Apivita Express Calming Face Mask with Dittany of Crete

After the day I've had, I needed a "calming" product. I did my mother's grocery shopping (the store was crazy-crowded at 9:30 am), then got to her house for the first time since the blizzard. Found sheets of ice on the hill I had to navigate to get the groceries into the house. Fell on the fourth trip from the car, and I was being very careful. That left me sore and out of sorts - made worse by the fact that Mom had no heat. Oh yeah, the oil delivery company seems to have forgotten her since they last came in October. Urge to fire someone. Then...traffic...lines...you name it...everywhere I went today. I needed to relax.

Fortunately, I had a sample of the Apivita Express Calming Face Mask with Dittany of Crete ($28), and masks make me happy. This mask promises to gently banish redness and irritation (either from cold weather or frustration?) and leave you with flawless, smooth, and clear skin. The key ingredients are Dittany of Crete (an herb that grows wild only on the remote Aegean island of Crete) to soothe and heal, olive oil to hydrate and nourish, and aloe vera to calm and cool. It's also formulated with other natural ingredients known to have beneficial effects on the skin. The mask is ideal for those with hypersensitive skin who want to soothe and soften their skin. Or for frustrated people who just want to calm body and spirit!

The mask has a fresh and natural fragrance - not at all perfumey. It's very cooling when you apply it. Then, as it starts to dry, it has a slight firming feeling. I rinsed it very well - it seemed to want to stay with me!

I love the packaging. The mask comes in packets so that it stays fresh. You get two treatments from each packet. Very travel-friendly!

So, how do I feel now that I've used the mask? Better, but it may have been the drink I had. My skin? Looks great! Refreshed and relaxed, smooth and clear. I'll use this one again. It's very nice.

Apivita, a Greek natural products company founded in 1979, makes a mask for every skin condition. There's bound to be one that catches your eye. I first wrote about Apivita's products in July when I reviewed their Propoline Lip Aids. The masks belong to the company's Express line, a complete range of creams and masks that use fruit and vegetable extracts to provide a unique "nutritional menu" for the face, body, and hair. You can see the mask lineup at Apivita, SkinCareRx, b~glowing, Amazon, and other online sources.

Photo courtesy of SkinCareRx.com

Propoline Lip Aids

There must be hundreds of lip balms we can choose, and I think I've tried half of them due to my lip balm addiction. A few years ago, a friend recommended the Propline Lip Aids ($8), so naturally I bought a few.

They are pretty nice! Featured in an InStyle Makeover magazine that came last week, the Lip Aids come in six colors and flavors. One of their best features is that they contain a natural base of cocoa butter, beeswax, and olive oil, combined with vitamins, plant extracts, essential oils, and sunscreen agents. It seems like common sense to keep your frequently applied lip products as natural as possible, given that most of us ingest them.

I like Lip-Aid Chamomile SPF 15, formulated specially to give sensitive lips a bit of sun protection. Its active ingredients include chamomile, olive oil, and vitamin B5. For a little color, Lip-Aid Black Currant is very nice. Its active ingredients are vitamins A, E, C, and soya phytosterols (derived from soybeans). I don't use this one frequently because I am sensitive to vitamin A products, but I have never had a problem with it.

Apivita, a Greek natural products company, makes the Propoline products that include hair and body care lines. There is a fabulous shower gel for sensitive skin that contains olive oil, aloe, and chamomile. Check out their Web site. For a list of stores and online sites where you can purchase them, click here. Included in the United States are Nordstrom, Bath & Body Works (flagship stores), and the Apivita online store.

Photo courtesy of Apivita.