KPS ESSENTIALS FLIGHT OF MASKS – BEST FACE MASKS FOR DRY SKIN, BEST FACE MASKS FOR OILY SKIN
This was one of the most harrowing weeks to be an American in recent memory. I haven’t gotten very much sleep.
Not since the year 2000 has a US presidential election been this closely contested — with the results razor thin. That election was so intense, it was the first time that I lost friends over our opposing political beliefs. It seemed things had calmed down until four years ago.
And even though it’s felt like America has been in an existential crisis since the end of 2016, I am proud to say that I haven’t lost any friends over politics this time around. It’s taken a lot of work, a lot of discipline and more than a few gut checks to remind myself that life isn’t just about politics and our disagreements are far outweighed by what unites us.
I’m not going to get too deep into it, but we’ve got a lot of healing to do as a nation, including restoring many of the democratic traditions that have made us a beacon of freedom for the world. There’s a helluva lot of work to be done.
From personal experience, I can attest to the fact that our healthcare system is broken. It simply does not work for most us. I hope our leaders can finally come together and put their energy, and their minds, into fixing it rather than tearing it down or simply neglecting it.
They can’t continue to ignore that it’s not okay that, while you’re fighting to survive an illness, you have to fight the health insurance company, the pharmacy and the hospital, too. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to fight for the health coverage and medications I need through a horrible migraine. It shouldn’t be that way. It can’t be that way.
As I write this, there has been a near constant celebration on the streets of Brooklyn since Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were declared President-elect and Vice President-elect, respectively. Horns blaring, pots clanging, people clapping and screaming. They’re spreading joy and love in a grand, dramatic exhale.
I too am beginning to feel like it’s okay to exhale, like I can finally breathe again…
The skincare stuff starts here.
The holidays are literally days away now. Thanksgiving is in just over two weeks. Christmas and New Year’s are in sight, too. Of course, with the pandemic still burning hot in the US, there won’t be much communing. I’m still trying to decide if I’ll even go anywhere for Christmas this year. It doesn’t feel right yet.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about gifts. And you know I love to give skincare for every occasion!
I’ve now shopped the Sephora Beauty Insider sale three times. If you didn’t catch my article two weeks ago on Cool Sephora Beauty Insider Grabs, you can read it here. In addition to new skincare treats for myself, I picked up a few things for loved ones.
The holidays are the perfect time to discover new skincare products. I love all the gift sets, in particular. And I’m excited to share one of my early holiday discoveries from one of my favorite clinical skincare brands, KPS Essentials.
The KPS Essentials Flight of Masques “Private Jet” is an extraordinary collection of masking delights for every imaginable texture preference and skin concern! There are five natural, organic mask treatments — for all the exfoliating, purifying, brightening, hydrating and skin health-boosting you need most during the holidays. Don’t want all five? There are two slimmed down versions with fewer masks and, of course, you can grab just one, too!
Let’s take a look at my three faves from the KPS Essentials mask collection…
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ENJOY 10% OFF ALL KPS ESSENTIALS SKINCARE
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KPS Essentials | Vitamin C Face & Body Treatment
There’s something so surprisingly pampering about this mask. When you open the jar of the KPS Essentials Vitamin C Face & Body Treatment, you’re overcome by the wonderful smell of cocoa and orange. I love, love, love chocolate and fruit together! Those chocolates with the fruit jelly filling are always my favorites. (I know, a lot of people aren’t fans!)
KPS’s Vitamin C mask is a rather simple, elegant formula with a very tight INCI — four ingredients in all. It’s simply one of the best Vitamin C masks for brightening the complexion.
The first ingredient is super replenishing Coconut Oil. I know many people prefer to avoid it as it can often be comedogenic. But not me! I love the rich natural emollient oil. And, honestly, if you’re concerned about clogged pores, you should be using a potent Niacinamide serum along with a Salicylic Acid treatment both AM and PM. Coconut Oil avoidance is no plan for clogged pores.
There’s brightening Vitamin C, as the name indicates, in the form of Ascorbyl Glucoside — the purest and most potent form of the power antioxidant. For added Vitamin C, there’s Tangerine Oil.
But the Vitamin C Face & Body Treatment’s wonderfully sweet aroma comes from the antioxidant Cacao Seed Butter — rich in minerals magnesium, manganese, iron, zinc, and copper that help to rebalance the skin by helping to disperse hydration throughout the skin’s layers.
Cacao Seed Butter is extracted from cocoa beans, and is a superb emollient on the skin — similar to Shea Butter. It’s also “a rich source of antioxidant polyphenols,” according to the Paula’s Choice Research Team.
Vitamin C Face & Body Treatment has a rich, oily texture that applies more like a thick body oil. When warmed on the skin, it melts like butter and feels velvety and decadent. It’s the kind of treatment you want to leave on all day, perfect for chilling at home on a cold, winter’s day when you have no desire to go outside — and even less desire to remove this wonderful treatment from your face.
It’s a truly effortless experience. Leave it on long enough and it just melts into the skin. Or, remove it after a few hours with a warm, damp cloth. Trust me, it’s such a rich, pampering treat for skin that you won’t want to remove it! Your skin will feel super soft and hydrated in the driest of weather.
SHOP THE BLOG: For a limited time, save 10% off all KPS Essentials skincare. Purchase the KPS Essentials Vitamin C Face & Body Treatment for $45 (reg. $50) here.
FOR A LIMITED TIME
ENJOY 10% OFF ALL KPS ESSENTIALS SKINCARE
CLICK HERE AND ENTER CODE SKINCARMA AT CHECKOUT
KPS Essentials | Pumpkin Enzyme Masque
If it’s fall in America, there’s pumpkin going on everywhere. Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin Oreos, pumpkin everything. As a kid, pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving was my absolute favorite. The rest of the season, I loved a slice of homemade apple pie. We used to go apple picking every October and we always made apple pies from those fresh-picked apples. It felt like magic. Hot apple pie and vanilla ice cream is pure nirvana!
But pumpkin pie? There’s just nothing like it. And it never occurred to me that I’d grow up to appreciate the raw pleasure of smearing pumpkin on my face. That just seems crazy!
A great pumpkin face mask is a real treat. It’s relatively high in gently exfoliating enzymes, much like other enzymatic fruit acids — notably papaya and pineapple.
In addition to the mild enzyme content, pumpkin fruit is infused with all kinds of pro-skin health nutrients, including vitamins A and B, antioxidants and fatty acids.
According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, pumpkin is one of the best skincare ingredients for the skin, though not among the best enzymatic ingredients it turns out.
[Pumpkin is a] plant whose seeds are a rich source of fatty acids and several antioxidant components, including carotene, lutein, and various cartenoid pigments. Pumpkin oil is a rich source of the skin-restoring ingredient linoleic acid and antioxidant vitamin E.
Pumpkin does not contain fragrance chemicals that are sensitizing to skin, and as such can be considered a beneficial plant ingredient. Enzymes naturally present in pumpkin are often claimed to be alternative exfoliant/peel ingredients for skin.
There is no substantiated research supporting the efficacy of exfoliating skin with pumpkin enzymes. In all likelihood, the enzymes do not remain active or stable once they are added to a cosmetic product.
The KPS Essentials Pumpkin Enzyme Masque feels like pure pumpkin purée out of the jar. In fact, it nearly is! The first ingredient in the INCI is Pumpkin Fruit Purée (Cucurbita Pepo). It literally feels like you’re turning yourself into a pie.
In addition to pumpkin purée, the 95% organic Pumpkin Enzyme Masque contains multiple antioxidants, including Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Vitamin E (Tocopherol), Cranberry Fruit Extract and Rosemary Leaf Extract. There’s a slew of nourishing non-fragrant plants oils to moisturize the skin, too.
Perhaps most surprising is the addition of Glycolic Acid — at approximately a 5% concentration — and Sugar Maple Extract, also a natural source of exfoliating AHA’s. This is serious stuff — and among the best natural exfoliating masks with Glycolic Acid that I’ve tried.
One application is all it took to leave my skin looking and feeling like I just had an exfoliating facial at a high-end spa. My complexion was lit up, even, baby soft and smooth AF.
Be sure to catch me using the KPS Essentials Pumpkin Enzyme Masque for #selfcaresunday on my IGTV here — and witness me turning myself into a pumpkin pie in celebration of America’s surprising rebirth this November.
SHOP THE BLOG: For a limited time, save 10% off all KPS Essentials skincare. Purchase the KPS Essentials Pumpkin Enzyme Masque for $45 (reg. $50) here.
KPS Essentials | Antioxidant Cacao Masque
I certainly saved the best for last! The KPS Essentials Antioxidant Cacao Masque is the most decadent and pampering of the entire Flight of Masques “Private Jet” collection. But you kinda know it’s gonna be when you unpack the set. Its deep dark chocolatey texture radiates through the jar. It’s like gazing at a display of fine chocolates through a glass display case along the Jardins du Palais Royal in Paris.
This rich clay mask is a nourishing blend of chocolate and spices, both sweet and savory, that light up your senses — and your complexion.
To start, there’s Cacao Powder, which is, of course, the source of its deep, dark chocolate appearance.
Remove the lid on the 100% organic Antioxidant Cacao Masque and you’re overcome with the sweet smell of cocoa. It’s like stepping into a chocolate factory. If Willy Wonka had skincare, this would be his best-selling face product!
Cacao itself is a rich source of minerals and antioxidants that nourish and protect the skin — including magnesium, manganese, iron, and zinc. Minerals are the unsung heroes of skincare as they’re bio-compatible and have an extraordinary effect on skin hydration by dispersing water more evenly throughout the skin’s layers.
According to KPS, “magnesium-rich cacao helps slow skin cell decline and assist in collagen production to increase elasticity and luminosity. Cacao effectively stimulates and triggers circulation which assists in nutrient delivery, and supports the skin’s natural healing ability.”
The Cacao Powder is but one of a complex of four antioxidant botanicals, including cinnamon and a pair of potent anti-inflammatory extracts, ginger root and turmeric.
What is turmeric?
According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, turmeric is among the best natural ingredients for the skin.
Turmeric is a spice made from the dried, ground root of the Curcuma longa plant. It contains curcumin, a lipophilic, polyphenolic antioxidant pigment that gives turmeric its golden-yellow color.
In addition to being a food seasoning, turmeric has numerous health benefits whether consumed orally vis foods and supplements or applied topically. Ongoing research has shown turmeric and the curcumin it contains play a safe and compelling role in promoting healthier, normalized skin.
On skin, in vivo research has shown that turmeric and its derivatives interrupt signaling in surface cells that trigger signs of irritation. Turmeric helps calm skin and may even play a role in reducing the look of acne-related redness by modulating pathways to restore a healthier, more even appearance.
Research has conclusively shown that turmeric is a potent antioxidant, largely due to its curcumin content (although turmeric also contains other antioxidants). Applying turmeric to skin can help offset signs of environmental damage and, to some extent, thwart the skin-damaging effects from UVB light.
As with many antioxidants, turmeric requires protection from air and light, as routine exposure causes it to break down and limits its availability to skin. Beyond being an antioxidant, some research has shown the curcumin portion of turmeric boosts skin’s hyaluronic acid content, meaning turmeric can also be considered hydrating.
I love a good turmeric treatment and, without that pungent turmeric aroma, the Antioxidant Cacao Masque is among the best turmeric masks I’ve tried.
European green clay helps to draw impurities out of the skin for a superb detoxifying effect, perfect for the holidays.
SHOP THE BLOG: For a limited time, save 10% off all KPS Essentials skincare. Purchase the KPS Essentials Antioxidant Cacao Masque for $45 (reg. $50) here.
That’s it guys! I hope you’re making time to relax. It seems like the crazed nature of the holiday season has been going on for months now — and the holidays may actually be a time to relax this year. I certainly intend to!
Be sure to enter my holiday giveaway for a chance to win the entire $250 collection of five KPS Essentials masks! For details, see just below…
🖤 SKINCARMA
SKINCARMA….
GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win the entire 5-piece collection of deliciously luxurious face masks in the KPS Essentials Flight of Masques “Private Jet” set. It’s an extraordinary collection of masking delights for every imaginable texture preference and skin concern! There are 5 natural, organic mask treatments — for all the exfoliating, purifying, brightening, hydrating and skin health-boosting you need most during the holidays.
Share why you want to win in the comments below. Then, return to the Skincarma IG page and comment “Done”. Giveaway ends Sunday 11/15/2020.
The Ingredient List of the KPS Essentials Pumpkin Enzyme Masque:
Pumpkin Fruit Purée (Cucurbita Pepo), Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Vitamin E (Tocopherol), Sunflower Seed Oil (Helianthus Annuus), Citric Acid, Meadowfoam Seed Oil (Limnanthes Alba), Xanthan Gum, Glycolic Acid, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Organic Sugar Cane Extract (Saccharum Officinarum), Organic Bilberry Fruit Extract (Vaccinium Myrtillus), Organic Sugar Maple Extract (Acer Saccharinum), Organic Orange Peel Extract (Citrus Sinensis), Organic Lemon Peel Extract (Citrus Limon), Organic Cranberry Fruit Extract (Vaccinium Macrocarpon), Organic Neem Seed Oil (Melia Azadirachta), Organic Rosemary Leaf Extract (Rosmarinus Officinalis), Organic Sunflower Seed Oil (Helianthus Annuus), Cinnamon Bark Powder (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum), Ginger Root Powder (Zingiber Officinale), Allspice Powder (Pimenta Officinalis), Nutmeg Powder (Myristica Fragrans), Organic Alcohol
The Ingredient List of the SELF/ish Oil-Free Moisturizer:
Aqua, C13-15 Alkane, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Behenate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 80, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Bakuchiol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sorbitan Oleate, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Mandelic Acid, Malic Acid, Gallic Acid, Ferulic Acid, Ellagic Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Linoleic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Linolenic Acid.
