As soon as we launched our first face balm, Tigress, requests poured in for more face balms for more skin types, especially a balm without essential oils that would be appropriate for very sensitive skin. Ava had been immersed in a self-imposed plant butter study for two years by then, so creating a second balm was a matter of narrowing down the list of remarkable ingredients we already had on hand, and creating a focus for this new balm.
Yasuni is based on fruit oils that have particularly high and wide-ranging phytonutrient levels and enzymatic action. This balm works similarly to a retinol on the skin, exfoliating and resurfacing it, but with none of the irritation, redness, or peeling often caused by actual retinol products. It is also an ideal balm for healing acne and reducing blackheads and oil production.
Yasuni is named after the Yasuni National Park in Ecuador. Not many people outside of environmentalist circles have heard about this rainforest, but it is one of the most precious natural reserves still left on earth. Many scientists believe that is it the most biodiverse place on the planet, with record numbers of animal and plant species per geographic area. The story of the Yasuni rainforest is heartbreaking, because oil drilling has begun there despite the region's ecological importance. There is currently insufficient international support to help the government of Ecuador to maintain this natural reserve intact. We hope to raise awareness about this area so that we are all reminded to make purchasing and lifestyle choices with our planet in mind.
The Ritual
Apply day and night all over the face or just on the more oily, acne-prone, and blackhead-prone areas. Yasuni may be blended with our Farizad's Veil Sun Reflector to add sun protection and to mattify the skin. Yasuni may also be blended with a few drops of a facial oil of choice for a looser, juicier balm.
Your balm may melt in transit, so open the jar carefully upon arrival. If it melts partially or completely, place it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes (just until it solidifies; don't leave it there for too long because then it tends to crack), then store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Texture changes in 100% natural vegan products are natural under fluctuating temperatures, and do not in any way affect the product's performance or shelf life.
The Results
Yasuni is, believe it or not, one step lighter than even the Tigress face balm. As we mentioned above, the star feature of this balm is its enzymatic mild exfoliation from fruit oils alone. The açai oil exfoliates and resurfaces the skin similarly to a retinol product, but being a fruit oil, it doesn't overexfoliate or cause redness or intense peeling. Even more retinol-like action is supplied by the buriti oil, which is exceptionally high in betacarotenes. The enzymes keep sebum oil production in check, so oily skin types become more balanced and are not shiny at the end of the day, and the appearance of blackheads is greatly reduced over time.
The deep green, whole-fruit açai fruit oil we've sourced is also the acne sufferer's dream come true: this very light, extract-like oil heals and dries up acne due to its enzymes and high vitamin C content, and unlike most other effective acne ingredients, it is nonirritating. The açai oil's anti-acne action is supported by the astringent kokum butter (cold extracted from mangosteen kernels), which helps to minimize pores, speed healing of acne breakouts, and promote skin firmness.
A few plant butters and other oils worth highlighting are the hydrating marula oil and cupuaçu butter, firming tucuma butter, deeply penetrating bacuri butter, sun-damage-correcting raspberry oil, and revitalizing cranberry oil.
The Scent
At first impression, Yasuni smells lightly fruity from the raspberry and cranberry oils, but there is also the grown-up element of freshly picked green coffee beans, and hints of fertile soil from the bacuri and of desert wind from the kokum butter. A very light, berry-like, and nonlingering scent overall.
Compare
If you are wondering which face balm is the right choice for you:
We currently offer three face balms, which are all quite different from one another. Yasuni is a very lean antioxidant and enzymatic balm without any essential oils. Yasuni controls oil production in oily skin and decreases and prevents blackheads, while providing a high dose of antioxidants. Its exfoliating properties help resurface the skin in a way comparable to retinol, but without causing redness, irritation, or intense peeling.
Tigress is one step heavier: it is a medium-weight to light "dry" balm for normal and combination to acne and oily skin types. It is healing to skin disorders such as rosacea, and it contains several anti-acne yet nondrying ingredients.
Green Leaves is a "juicy" type of balm that was designed for dry and mature skin with acne. It heals acne breakouts with lemon thyme while preventing acne scars. Its base is melt-on-contact anti-inflammatory and hydrating virgin coconut oil, and the scent of Green Leaves is just irresistible: violet leaf, holy basil, and French lavender.
Skin Types
For all skin types, including blackhead-prone, congestion-prone, allergy-prone, and sensitive. Oily, blackhead-prone, and combination skin types will benefit from the oiliness-reducing properties. Dry skin types can use Yasuni as an overnight enzymatic exfoliator or as their light summer "moisturizer."
Yasuni also makes a medium-weight firming daytime moisturizer with a few drops of Ruby Face Oil or Magical Babassu Face Oil added to it and blended briefly in a ceramic bowl (choose Ruby if your skin is normal to combination, and choose Magical Babassu if your skin is dry).
Ingredients
Cold-press unrefined Theobroma grandiflorum (cupuaçu) seed butter†, cold-press unrefined Garcinia indica (kokum) seed butter†, cold-press unrefined Platonia insignis (bacuri) seed butter†, cold-press unrefined Astrocaryum tucuma seed butter†, cold-press unrefined Euterpe oleracea (açai) fruit oil†, cold-press unrefined non-GMO Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) seed oil (organic whenever available), cold-press unrefined Rubus ideaus (raspberry) seed oil*, cold-press unrefined Coffea arabica (green coffee) seed oil†, cold-press unrefined Sclerocarya birrea (marula) seed oil*, tocopherol (vit. E from non-GMO sunflowers), cold-press unrefined Mauritia flexuosa (buriti) fruit oil†, Sambucus nigra (elderberry) fruit extract.
*Certified organic. †Responsibly wildcrafted.
Certified cruelty free, vegan, handcrafted, small batch. Gluten free.
Product Details
Full size: 30 ml
Freshness guaranteed for 6 months
Handcrafted in Washington