Kahina Giving Beauty: Haute Natural Cosmetics

As we all settle in our routines after a long summer, I wanted to take the chance to share with you one of my best green discoveries of 2017: Kahina Giving Beauty. This wonderful company creates haute natural cosmetics inspired by the traditional Moroccan beauty secrets of the hammam.

Aside from its excellent quality, what sets Kahina Giving Beauty apart is that it’s one of those few brands that respects the environment hand helps entire communities thrive, bringing much good to the Berber women in Morocco. Katharine L’Heureux, the alma mater behind this ethical luxury project, has taken her time to slowly build a well-rounded collection of nontoxic and organic beauty basics.

I invite you today to join me in an overseas trip to discover the power of argan oil and other berber beauty secrets that have conquered my green heart and my carefully curated vanity. Certified organic and fair trade, they have surpassed all my expectations!

And now, without further ado, I want to present you Kahina’s Prickly Pear Seed Oil and Moroccan Beldi Soap, two green beauty heroes that are good for you, the environment, and the Berber women in Morocco:

Timeless Beauty: Prickly Pear Seed Oil

Although Argan Oil is getting lately all the good press, there is actually another vegetable oil which is more suited to help hydrate dry and sensitive skin like mine while preventing fine lines. Extracted from the Barbary Fig cactus, Prickly Pear Seed Oil is a highly-moisturizing, skin-softening oil that has made an enormous difference in my beauty routine.

Prickly Pear Seed Oil is extremely high in essential fatty acids, vitamins K and E, and Omega 6 and 9. A natural antioxidant, it helps stimulate your own collagen, meaning your skin will look plumper as the underlying structure becomes more elastic. Also, I recently discovered it is good to stimulate slow circulation, which is extremely important if you are prone to under-eye dark circles.

Ever since I started using this miracle-in-a-bottle a month ago, I have noticed a vast improvement in terms of elasticity and my under-eye circles. My skin looks plumper, and even “happier” despite the crazy weather changes and the blasts of air conditioning it has suffered lately. No morning redness, no lizardy skin on the area of the brows. Nada. Believe me: This stuff is good! 

Also, it is important to note that this oil is the real deal. Many brands will sell macerated extracts of the flowers or the fruits of the prickly pear cactus, or dilute the precious oil with cheaper oils (e.g. sweet almond oil or jojoba.) Kahina’s Prickly Pear Seed Oil is first-pressed in cold from the seeds of the plant to retain all its natural goodness. Not all natural oils are created equal!

As Kahina Giving Beauty prides itself on being an ethical luxury brand, this oil is the perfect example to its commitment to the environment and the Berber people. This luxurious oil is handcrafted by the same cooperative of women who have been creating their argan oil for 10 years. For those women, extracting these precious oils is their only means of financial and social independence. Kahina Giving Beauty pays them fair wages and donates an additional percentage of their revenue to programs that support those women and their families.  

Kahina Giving Beauty Prickly Pear Seed Oil retails for $150 and is available at Kahina’s website.

The Hammam Basics: Neroli Moroccan Beldi Soap by Kahina Giving Beauty

One of the most exciting products of the brand is, in my opinion, its traditional Moroccan Beldi Soap. A key element in the hammam rituals, it is also known as “black soap” for its really dark color and its paste-like consistency. 

Made from saponified olive oil, the Moroccan Beldi Soap is one of the most hydrating soaps that I have ever found in my trips. And believe me, after working for ten years as a beauty reporter I’ve seen my fair share of products!

Black soap can be used as a body mask to soften skin. Followed with a massage with a traditional mitt (called “kessa”), it is an excellent detox treatment to start the school season with renewed energies. Kahina’s luxurious Beldi Soap has been scented with neroli, the flower of the orange trees, for an uplifting and intoxicating experience that leaves your skin silky smooth. 

I like to use this Beldi Soap at least twice a week. First, I hop in the shower and open my pores with hot water. I then apply liberally Kahina’s soap with my hand, working into a small lather, and patiently waiting for about 10 minutes for maximum effect (yes, you can bring your favorite mag into the bathroom so you can relax and read while you wait covered in your towel!). After rinsing, I scrub gently with a kessa mitt I purchased in Paris in my last trip, and my usually dry and dull skin becomes soft and glowy. 

As I have used black soap for a number of years, let me tell you why Kahina’s Neroli Beldi Soap is different: To start with, it is the real deal. No fillers and no junky ingredients here. You can literally feel how the brand is using the best ingredients available to achieve a high-quality formula. How can I tell? If they don’t, I sometimes get hives. That is how sensitive my skin is. Kahina’s Beldi Soap has a beautiful formula filled to the brim with natural ingredients.

Second, the aroma is so luxurious that if I close my eyes I feel I’m back in one of those long Spanish summers in Andalusia when the orange trees perfume the air and entice the senses. 

This is a 100% natural product. Retail price: $40. Available at Kahina’s online store.

Kahina Giving Beauty is one of those green chic brands that do good to the environment and to everyone involved in the company. Have you ever used their products?

Disclosure Level 1: The author received NO compensation to write this article. The author received samples of the products mentioned for editorial consideration, which didn’t influence the decision to write about the brand nor the opinions expressed. All links are for further information and aren’t part of an affiliate marketing program.