I love that it is more than just a typical mud face mask; it removes the dead skin cells without stripping my skin and leaving it dry, clears up my little acne bumps and makes my skin glow. My makeup definitely goes on smoother after this mask and my skin has a certain glow to it, almost as good as getting a professional facial. Very impressed!

Adovia Purifying Dead Sea Mud Mask

This is the time of year for celebration and reflection! I hope you have found time for both… and for yourself. So as not to disappoint in your efforts, I’ve tried another Dead Sea product that is sure to help you along in your goal to take time for yourself.

Basics: Body butters… we love them. There are so many varieties and scents… and frankly they are still my #1 recommendation for the scaly winter skin or the fried and dried summer skin.

Extravagance: What is usually so extravagant about the Dead Sea products is the scents. Oh, the delectable fragrances paired with the creamy goodness. This one is vanilla, though it is less food-like and a little bit more cologne-esque. It is lovely. Also, the texture is very unique. It strikes me less as a butter, and more as a mousse. It smooths on as well as the butters we’ve loved in the past, but it has a slightly frothy texture that feels… well… velvety when you apply it.

Imperfections: In and of itself, this is a beautiful body butter. In comparison to my all-time favorite Dead Sea Premier Milk and Honey Aromatic Body Butter… well, that may be an unfair comparison… the Milk and Honey Body Butter is pretty much perfect.

To Sum it Up: Another treat for our dry winter skin, and our olfactory needs! Have a Happy New Year, and remember to pamper yourself in 2010!

Adovia Shea Body Butter – Vanilla

The menthol content makes it perfect for clearing sinuses, treating migraines, and even soothing itching skin. It is also believed that ingesting peppermint leaves or capsules helps with irritable bowel syndrome, and nausea. Further, the scent of peppermint is said to aid in promoting clear thinking, focus, and restoration of mental fatigue. Read that: Stress relief, people!

Basics: The label on the bottle promises all this: “deep cleansing effect, revives skin, restores softness, refreshing natural scent, revitalizing and rejuvenating, for bath & shower, amazing rich lather.” The label speaks the truth. This product is everything it promises to be.

Extravagances: Wowee, this stuff smells good! For those of you that have used essential oils before, you may note that the smell of a Peppermint Essential Oil is not the same sweet smell that you experience with popular grocery store toothpastes or gum. It is a much earthier smell – kind of like eucalyptus. There is a medicinal quality to it, for sure, but it is so fresh and clean. Plus the fact that there is oil in it does leave your skin very soft. Soft like you don’t really have to moisturize right out of the shower. Don’t get me wrong, while you do have a slickness about your skin when you use this soap, you will not feel ‘scummy’.

Imperfections: Be warned, this is not the mall shower gel… all dense and thick. It is a thinner product… so it is really easy to use too much. The promise of a rich lather is a promise well kept, and a little bit goes a long, long way. Just don’t over-pour this one.

To Sum it Up: I suppose with the awesome healing effects of the dead sea (Dead Sea Minerals are the 5th ingredient), and the soothing properties of peppermint, this is a winner product for those of us trying to do the “right thing” by our bodies. Imagine getting up in the morning and using this as a pick-me-up rather than that desperate grapple for a cup of coffee. (yeah, I know, I’m not giving up my coffee addiction either. but still, it’s a nice idea!)

This product is no longer manufactured. Click here for other great Adovia / SeaOra products

Basics: A mineral body lotion, with Dead Sea Minerals, Shea Butter and GreenTea.

Extravagance: Hello Cucumber & Melon! When you first apply, you’ll really only smell the melon. It is a much more dominant scent, and frankly I’m not sure what cucumber does for the skin. Then… as the lotion absorbs, you start getting hints of… well, freshness. I think that’s the cucumber.

It has a very long-lasting scent on the skin. It is a little more aromatic than I am prone to wearing, but I have to tell you, this stuff smells lovely! It is not overwhelming, or perfumey… it just loiters throughout the day.

Imperfections: Forgive me, but I cannot name one.

To Sum it Up: If you always buy the mall store cucumber & melon, but then wish it were… well, better… check this stuff out. It is done well! It may be a little bit feminine for some of you fellas (who am I to say), but guys, this one is not: Dead Sea Premier Milk and Honey Body Butter

Adovia Mineral Body Lotion Cucumber & Melon

Basics: First ingredient – water, both demineralized & Dead Sea. Seems a good start for a moisturizer! As with all of the products I’ve tried from the Seaora (Adovia) line, this is nice, natural & non-irritating!

Extravagance: I love the way this cream smells. It has that signature Seaora (Adovia) scent. I cannot place it, but it brings back fond memories of my childhood – specific to a beloved Auntie that always loved me and accepted me (even through the ugly teen years). I picked through the ingredients to try my best to identify the scent – and here are some possible elements of this deeeeeeeelishus olfactory delight: Bergamot Oil, Grape Seed Oil, Chamomile… and maybe even Papaya.

Imperfections: It’s a day cream without sunblock. This goes against my very being (I exagerate), but it seems unfair. I love this cream, but I must must must use sunblock – I live in California & have a fair complexion. Grrr.

To Sum it Up: Yay! This is also an amazing night cream – thick and effective without leaving an oil slick on your face! And, though there is no claim of such on the packaging, I’ve found that it is evening out my blotchy red tones. Woohooooo!

Seaora / Adovia Moisturizing Day Cream

Some soaps smell super perfumey. Some leave a slick residue. Some break you out. Some don’t last very long. Some soaps suck.

This one… I can’t say ANY of those things about this soap.

Basics: Well, uh, it’s soap… with “Pure Dead Sea Mud and Minerals.” That’s a good start. 1st ingredient: Dead Sea Mud. It is virtually unscented (there’s a slight smell, but it’s not a “scent” per se… like, you don’t smell like this soap when you get out of the shower. It’s last ingredient is fragrance. I can’t smell it. Also, it washes off sooooooo clean. When you use it, you actually feel like you just got out of the shower. Not a joke… I mean, I feel really clean. And, the bar lasts for a very very long time. It doesn’t just turn into a gooey mess, and wash down the drain. Plus, it’s black.

Extravagance: IT DIDN’T BREAK ME OUT! Okay, you have heard me complain about my stupid sensitive, acne prone skin for a while now. I used this on my face for a month… and no major catastrophic breakout. Yipeeeeeee!

Imperfections: It is a tiny bit drying for me. I moisturize faithfully, and my skin is buttery soft… so nothing dramatic here. My husband, who also used the soap daily, is not a big moisturizer, and his skin loves this soap.

To sum it up: Yep! If you are a fan of the Dead Sea Mud – here’s your chance to get the fab results with a lot less mess.

A note to those of you with skin conditions: I think this stuff would be GREAT for you as well. It’s very mild. One thing to consider is the last ingredient (fragrance); the actual ingredient listing is “natural extract” so it may be worth a try. Let me know.

Here’s a full list of the ingredients, in case you want to know:

Dead sea mud (silt), 80% palm/20% palm kernel oil, dead sea salts, magnesium, sodium, potassium, demineralized water (aqua), natural extract (fragrance).

Adovia Dead Sea Mud Soap

But for those of you living where the winter climate is wet, freezing, blustery and downright damaging to your skin… now is the time to start making reparations to the inevitable damages of winter weather!

You all know of my love for scrubs and moisturizers, and they are great for both repair and maintenance, but there is so much more you can do!

Cleanse your body, purify your skin, and slough off the winter chafing now… with the magic of the Dead Sea. You already know about the healing powers of the Dead Sea, now it is time to try it. I dare you!

Basics: It is exactly what it says it is… Dead Sea Mud. The only ingredient. That’s it. Yep, the silt from the shores of the Dead Sea. Mud.

Extravagance: It’s from the Dead Sea, people! C’mon, it’s like having a posh resort visit you… and it is a lot less expensive than taking a month off work and carting yourself to far away lands (though perhaps,  a little less exotic.)

Imperfections: This stuff is a right mess.

So, when I suggested to my husband that we try the body mask together, I didn’t consider that our 15 minutes of letting the mask set would really provide for an afternoon of giggles, scrubbing and plain old messy fun!

We first heated some water, and poured it into a bowl. We placed the convenient mud pouch into the water for a few minutes to offer a more soothing “spa” experience, then… we slathered each other in mud (forgive me if I give too much of a visual.) Husband had the idea that perhaps it would be easier to spread, and cover more ground if you will, if he wet his hands a little before grabbing a fistful. Don’t do that. I’m just saying… splatter and drippings all over our pristine white tile.

Then, we covered our couch in towels, and sat down to watch part of a movie we had DVR’d. As the mud dried, we felt stiffer and stiffer… and the humor got crazier and crazier — we imagined ourselves on the Planet of the Apes; we made more than one attempt at “the robot” ; we had the best time!

Once dry, we jumped into the shower, imagining the mud would slide off of us and we’d feel refreshed and cleansed…. Have you ever tried to rinse off caked on, dried on mud? We laughed, we cried, we ruined a wash cloth… and the mud came off… revealing rosy, clear, clean and soft skin. Yay!

To sum it up: Get this mask! Make an afternoon of it. Have fun!!!! Totally worth the mess. Also, when done with the mask, moisturize moisturize MOISTURIZE!! Any type of cleansing this good requires a good replenish on the moisture when you’re done.

There is enough mud in the bag for roughly 2 full body slatherings… I suggest you work as a team!

Seaora / Adovia Dead Sea Mineral Mud

So, I tried the Mineral Facial Toner. Yay!

Basics: It is a mineral toner that promises to refine pores while removing stuff that causes and contributes to acne – dirt and sebum (that’s a secretion from the sebaceous glands that plugs up your pores and causes acne. eww!)

Extravagance: It has NO ALCHOHOL! No drying, no flaking, no red irritated skin. And, it controls shine!

Imperfections: Not a one that I can think of.

To sum it up: It prevented my little blemishes from turning into big old nasties! It eased up the red spots, and my skin is clearing up delightfully!

A funny story, I have a former co-worker who is the biggest fan of this toner (let’s call her Toned in L.A.), and boy was she happy to find it for an affordable price at Dead Sea Market. She’s forty-something, and I have to admit that her skin is fantastic! She completely attributes that to the Mineral Facial Toner. I’m inclined to agree with her.

Adovia / SeaOra Mineral Facial Toner