AVEDA Tulasāra: GYM for your skin

The wait is over! I’ve been wanting to present the new skincare addition of AVEDA for you guys for about a year and finally it has hit the shelves here in the Middle East! Some of you might have noticed the range on the global website but as it is quite a new concept, I wanted to get all my facts in order before writing this article.

Two weeks ago I had the huge pleasure of being invited to a very limited press launch where AVEDA Middle East not only gave us a course in the range – they also treated us to their mini-facial for us to experience the products first hand! I feel that the whole setup was well conducted and designed to really get us (we were 4 Editors at one go) to understand not only the range but the brand itself.

A couple of days ago, over at Instagram, I asked my followers what they thought classified a great launch? Not the event itself – what are those aspects that would make you want to look into a new product when there are so many launches every month! I wanted to see if you had the same criteria as I do.

These are the ones we all seem to engage over: brand loyalty, packaging, ingredients and formula, no ridiculous hard sell and scent or the lack of it. 

Smiling as I read all of this, it felt like you would understand my fascination with the AVEDA Tulasāra™ launch! I’m incredibly thankful to have readers, followers and friends with such high expectations when it comes to beauty. It makes my job both harder and easier to do.

Picture: AvedaMiddleEast PR/ElisaC

For the launch, Krista Kiley Global SPA Expert therapist came to visit, ready to educate us in regards to the new range. This lady completely blew me away with her ability to answer all of our questions, to sell the products without engaging in any hard sell or down-talking competitors. As an expert in the field, Krista functions as a consultant to the brand when it comes to new implementations and product development. She knows skin and she also knows how the body functions beneath it, pointing out that how our blood, lymphatic fluid, muscles and breathing works affects the look and feel of our skin just as much as the external environment does. When I first heard the rumours that AVEDA were working on a new skincare range I was afraid that it would replace my much beloved Botanical Kinetics line. I must have been stuck in that rut – thinking that a new launch would be all about cleanse/tone/hydrate.

Luckily for me (and for all of you!) the Tulasāra™ range is highly advanced plant based skincare that is supposed to compliment the already exciting products. It is for those of us who wish to take our skincare routine to the next level.

And it is Cardio for the skin. A gym for your face!

As with everything AVEDA do, it is built on the principles of ancient Ayurvedic wisdom. The three concentrates in the range are 97% naturally derived, which means they’re made from plants, non-petroleum minerals and water. When we see “natural skincare” being launched they can sometimes be quite simple in their formulations. AVEDA is famous for their R&D and for creating products that is natural but with very high-tech and sophisticated formulas where the ingredients has to be more than pretty essential oils. I want to show you just how advanced natural skincare can be. All of the ingredients chosen in the range have proven results as well as being dermatologist-tested. The packagings are all following the AVEDA mission of caring for the world we live in by being planet-respecting and recyclable.

First thing first – The product lineup:

  • Tulasāra Radiant Facial Dry Brush
  • Tulasāra Radiant Oleation oil
  • 3 different Concentrates: CALM, BRIGHT and FIRM

This is the Gym for your skin.

Kista described the ritual as letting your skin work a little for its glow and health. In the AVEDA Radiant Awakening Ritual you start with the Facial Dry Brush – preferably when you’re still in bed!

The soft nylon bristles are formed with rounded massage peaks and as you brush it straight onto your bare skin (no water) it gently exfoliates the surface, lifts away dead skin cells and awakens the blood circulation. Just like warming up at the gym.

I’m obsessed with this brush as it is dense but yet soft, super comfortable to use and very easy to clean. Mine is sitting at my nightstand (which happens to be filling up with beauty-must-haves) but I’m thinking of purchasing a second one for my office. I can do some much needed exfoliation massage while doing research! Win-Win.

The second step of the ritual is the Radiant Oleation Oil.

Now, this is when my fascination started to peak: you all know how much I love facial oils, but this is the very first one (at least for me) that is meant to be applied before washing your face!

Krista educated us about the lymphatic system; we hear a lot about lymphatic drainage and the points on or face and décolletage for exercising it, but not so much about the mechanics behind it. Unlike our blood flow, the lymphatic system and its clear fluid doesn’t have a heart. There is no muscle to pump it around, to make it work and when we have been laying down for sleep for hours, there is just not much drainage activity going on at our head. We need to kick-start it! While AVEDA are all about a sensory journey, they wanted to produce products that smelled and felt great, but had actual, tested benefits. I will get back to all the ingredients later, now I just want to describe the products and how to work them.

The Tulasāra Radiant Oleation Oil is designed to be massaged into the skin straight after you have finished your dry-brushing. It helps to promote microcirculation and work on getting your radiance back. It has an awakening aroma of certified organic rose, jasmine and geranium which for me is lovely as it lacks of lavender which I’m a bit sensitive to. The oil is easy to work with and leaves no residue in my palms! My skin drinks it all up in a flash, two pumps are more than enough for a full massage. Now we have awaken both the skin, the lymphatic system and the muscles underneath the surface as well as worked the tissue. I’m saying that we are in the middle of our cardio…

After dry-brushing and massaging the oil, it is time for your regular morning cleansing routine! As we got treated to the signature AVEDA mini facial – one I’ve had before at the salon and highly recommend. The therapist used my beloved Botanical Kinetics skincare system for cleansing and toning my skin as I wanted to see how it worked together with the new range. We got pampered with even more massage, a sensory journey with the AVEDA aromatherapy oils. Obviously, you won’t have time for everything in the morning, but washing and toning your face is really not optional.

Here you are now; thinking it’s time to slap on some moisturizer and be done with it? Nope, this is where the Tulasāra Concentrates enters.

It is all about mixing and matching, layering and play to find the solution that works best for your skin. The three concentrates are fairly easy to understand: CALM instantly soothes the skin and makes it more resilient over time. It reduces redness and irritation. BRIGHT on the other hand targets lack of radiance, discoloration and uneven skin tone over time. Both of them are jam-packed with high-tech ingredients well known for their proven effect of the skin.

Lastly there is FIRM: the concentrate that not only gives you the benefits of the two others, but also works the skin with potent bio-fermented peptide to enhance the firmness of the skin. You can either use one of these, or all three like a patchwork over your face if you have multiple needs. The technology ensures deep delivery of ingredients within the skin’s layers. They are highly concentrated and a little goes a long way.

Once the concentrate(s) have been applied you can move on to a day cream, eye cream and SPF – I opted to stay within the Botanical Kinetics line for the full AVEDA experience.

Almost all of you were mentioning packaging as important when you look for new products to purchase and as I know you so well by now, I know that you weren’t just referring to a pretty design. Skincare enthusiasts all over the world knows that packaging plays a great role in keeping the product fresh, being easy to use and preferably good for the planet. AVEDA have spent years developing their new design where the three-sided shape is inspired by the three doshas of Ayurveda (Vata, Pitta and Kapha). The bottles are made of glass, dark toned to protect the concentrates from daylight and with pumps that you lock and unlock.

Tulasāra means “Moving toward balance” and the packaging with their Ayurvedic symbols on as well as the ingredients inside are designed all for that purpose. Personally I love the look and feel of the bottles. What I don’t like is that they are not easy to pack for traveling. The brushes design is another story! I could take it with me wherever I go.

Now to the good part: Ingredients. What I love about AVEDA is that they take this very seriously and for me as an Editor, the company provides me with all the information I could possibly need to understand each ingredient inside the products. I very rarely copy a text straight from a press release but with AVEDA’s ingredient disclosure, I’m almost tempted do so. Let’s take a closer look on the oil and those concentrates, shall we!

Tulasāra Radiant Oleation oil

Designed with six naturally-derived (from plants, non-petroleum minerals or water) plant oils it helps to nourish the skin while also providing enough slip to make a good facial massage. These are the oils and their benefits:

  • Certified organic sesame seed oil: all about the Ayurvedic tradition it holds balancing and nourishing properties for the skin.
  • Certified organic sunflower seed oil: one of my favourites as it is rich in oleic and linoleic acids which assists to protect and preserve the skin’s natural moisture barrier. This barrier is your body’s most important protection against anything attacking the skin from the outside, wanting to get in. Always protect it!
  • Certified organic jojoba seed oil: selected for its slip and feel to ensure that the product will be easy to use as it’s designed to. Gym for the skin.
  • Rose hip oil: a truly popular one within the skincare community as it is highly nourishing and contains Omega-3 fatty acids. These support a healthy skin inflammatory response and I urge you to also find a supplement (Omega-3) to eat as topic application is not always enough.
  • Apricot kernel oil: also helps to preserve the skin’s natural moisture barrier.
  • Sweet almond oil: very suitable for massaging delicate skin, making sure that the mix is kind to all types of skin conditions.

If you are suffering from acne, be aware that adding high-quality oils onto your skin will not aggravate the skin, excel any inflammation or clog your pores. As with all chemistry like attracts like and the oil will help balancing out any over-production of sebum (which can cause your acne to appear).

The aroma of certified organic rose, jasmine and geranium is in my opinion very light and suitable for both male and female users.

The concentrates follows the design of the oil with a number of targeting ingredients and a specially designed aroma.

Moving towards balance is not only a slogan applicable to life; AVEDA is talking about skincare that helps accelerate our skin’s natural ability to restore and rehydrate itself and find its balance. Good skin health takes time and you achieve it by investing in products suitable for you, time to use them correctly and all other aspects like diet, stress level and exercise plays its part. It is all in the balance.

Tulasāra CALM Concentrate

Soothing and calming for the skin, this concentrate is suitable for building a more resilient skin over time, to address any irritation or redness in the skin while working restorative. All concentrates contain Ginger extract for barrier strength.

  • Algae extract: helps reduce visible redness and irritation.
  • Pomegranate fruit extract: a well known anti-oxidant gives soothing powers and helps calm the look of irritated skin while addressing environmental damage.
  • Each bottle holds 100.000 red raspberry plant stem cells known for their restorative powers. But! I applaud AVEDA for never ever trying to say that plant-based stem cells can adjust or work on our human stem-cells. This is a pet-peeve to me and it makes me incredibly upset when companies are trying to sell a product with that kind of marketing. Way to go, AVEDA!

The aroma chosen for the CALM Concentrate is designed to work well for sensitive skin with certified organic essential oils of Roman Chamomile, Clary Sage and Neroli. Yes, you know it: I’m looooving Neroli!

I tried this concentrate on my jawline where I always tend to get irritations and congestions. It felt soothing and didn’t aggravate my skin.

I felt kind of goofy as my schizophrenic skin is totally in need of all three concentrates! Krista wanted us to choose two to work with and I couldn’t pick so I tried them all. The more the merrier. With my medium-to-dark skin I’ve always struggled with discoloration, especially after a breakout. The congestion can be treated in a few days but the mark stays for months. It is not fun, I can tell you. I felt that the ingredients chosen in BRIGHT appealed to me.

Tulasāra BRIGHT Concentrate:

  • Licorice root extract: all ingredients in these concentrates are traditional for Ayurvedic treatment. This one is said to help reduce the appearance of discoloration for a more even skin tone. I know that there are contradicting research to this; especially when used in eye creams addressing dark circles. But as discoloration on my skin doesn’t have anything to do with superficial blood vessels (which can be the issue with under eye dark circles) I believe it to be working for me.
  • Molasses extract: is said to help reduce the appearance of dark spots over time. I can’t comment on that since I haven’t used the product for long.
  • Glucosamine: is a huge favourite of mine. It promotes cell turnover while also removing dull surface skin cells. Yes, the skin looks more radiant but more importantly, it helps to support skin’s ability to hydrate from within. 
  • Barley, Sunflower and Cucumber extract: helps to strengthen the skin’s protective barrier to retain moisture. I’m always in favour of cucumber in skincare.

For the aroma chosen for hyper-pigmented and sensitive skin with certified organic Ambrette seed, Helichrysum and Lavender spike. I’m not quite happy with lavender for sensitive skin. Maybe for the mind…

The third concentrate, FIRM, is where I land. It is taking it up one notch by claiming to hold benefits from the other two mixed with some ingredients on it’s own. Let’s bring out the peptide!

Tulasāra FIRM Concentrate

  • Acetyl-hexapeptide-8: a bio-fermented peptide which support the collagen production. The older we get the harder it is for our body to produce collagen. We will experience thinner skin with more texture and wrinkles. In order for our skin to remember wha it looked like when we where children, peptides are a good way to go! With a healthy collagen production you’ll notice less wrinkles and fine lines, the skin will appear firm and “thicker”.
  • Sigesbeckia: according to AVEDA it helps to support the skin’s extracellular matrix. The result would be a firmer, more lifted appearance. This is a completely new ingredient to me and I haven’t found a lot of information to support or dismiss the claim. I just have to keep digging! If any of you knows more about the ingredient, please let me know 🙂
  • Sweet almond extract: instantly tightens the feel of your skin’s contour.
  • Safflower oleosomes: helps to restore the skin’s lipid barrier in order to keep the moisture level intact and at the same time strengthen skin’s natural defence against environmental stress. Once again: treat your lipid barrier with respect. The skin is the largest organ of your body and it protects everything that you have inside!
  • Glucosamine and Organic ginger extract: already mentioned above.

For the aroma of FIRM you’ll find that the mix is my absolute favourite of the three: certified organic patchouli, vetiver and ylang-ylang. These all addresses dry skin and the product smells like SPA. 

I do apologise for the length of this article but it had to be done. I wanted you to understand the range, to see why it compliments pretty much every other launch out there with new techniques and plant-based technology with proven results.

As you add moisturizer, eye cream and SPF on top of this system, I’ve tried it with a number of other brands, including LaMer, OSKIA, Aesop and GROWN ALCHEMIST, all with really good results. It is hard for me not to use superlatives as you’ll all think that I’ve gone AVEDA crazy but I really love the brand. Simple as that. It works and it has been working for people since 1978.

I hope you’ll get a chance to try the routine♥

 

Products provided for review consideration. Thank you Krista Kiley and AVEDA Middle East

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4 Comments
  1. I loved reading this article very educational, and thorough. The oil before cleansing though! 1st thing in the morning, that will take some getting used to but at night it’s all systems go. Thank you for sharing your blog post are always insightful.

    1. Beautiful Esnath! Hahahaha I know right?! I was like WAATH when they first told me I had to massage my face in oil before cleansing it. But for some lovely reason it makes sense and it works! Thank you so much for reading the whole piece, it is very very lovely of you! xoxox, M

    1. Hey Rich! Thank you for making it all the way to the finish line :). I love FIRM, I think it delivers visible results when I pair it with the brush and oil but still use my regular cleansing and moisturizing routine. Thanks for reading! xx, M

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