When Inka Botanicals reached out to me to ask if I’d like to try one of their products it didn’t take me long to decide. I’d been secretly stalking them on Instagram for a while purely because their shots were so beautiful and captured the products perfectly.
Gorgeous packaging - check. Small family run UK business - check. Organic and sustainably sourced ingredients - check. Supportive of local communities - check.
Inka botanicals is the artisanal organic skincare creation of 3 sisters from Marrakesh. Made in the Atlas Mountains but hand bottled in London, their products are that of pure sophistication but I kid you not when I say they are about as minimalistic as you can get when it comes to ingredients. I will say initially this was a concern to me. This mask contains nothing but Honey and Neroli. That is it. I had to question the ingredients label provided as I thought it was wrong!
Nope, I was assured that was it! This made me all the more intrigued to try as I had visions of trying to apply sticky honey all over my face and it being a complete disaster. Ripping all my face hairs out in the process.
Honorea from Inka assured me I was in for a treat and she wasn’t wrong...
This is a jar of pure indulgence. The heavy glass packaging has an air of luxury about it. Made from recycled glass from Spain and Italy they do not mess about when it comes to environmental sustainability. The wooden lid brings a traditional rustic vibe that I love. Once inside the smell instantly hits you, let’s delve in deeper...
What is it...
A face mask that aims to heal, soften and nourish the skin using 2 of nature’s finest ingredients.
What is in it...
Honey and Neroli. Simples. But don’t be fooled into thinking that this mask is ‘basic’. The reason for keeping the ingredients to a minimum is to avoid having to include fillers and preservatives to stabilise the formula. The more ingredients you add to the mix the more volatile the formula becomes. Inka want to avoid this as much as possible and ensure formulations are pure, highly concentrated and that all ingredients are active ingredients.
The honey used within this formula is ‘sweet orange honey’ or orange blossom if you will (bees that pollinate orange groves). It is known to boast more anti-aging and soothing properties. Like with all variations of honey though you get the benefits that it is antibacterial, full of antioxidants and highly moisturising. Vitamins A, B and C, as well as mineral salts and amino acids help contribute towards skin aging.
In regards to the neroli oil, I am assured the one used within this mask is the most expensive on the market. It's a choice ingredient that has regenerative properties and the ability to tone the skin and cellular tissue...
Inka prides themselves on using high-quality raw ingredients sourced in Morocco which support local communities. You won’t find any artificial preservatives in any of their products, I personally don’t have an issue with the inclusion of preservatives as I believe they serve a purpose. Therefore it will be interesting to see what the shelf life is like. So far so good!
My thoughts...
This mask is stunning. Pure indulgence. It almost feels devilish. All I can say is thank god for bees! The scent hits you as soon as you open the pot, sending you into a world of relaxation.
Dipping your fingers into the liquid gold you will find that the formula is quite runny. This can be quite challenging to apply if you don’t use a spatula/brush. In my opinion, Inka should think about including one with every purchase of the pot. I think customers would appreciate that as I’ve certainly lost a drop of two whilst applying which feels like sacrilege!
Considering it is made up of 50% honey I was surprised to find it wasn’t difficult to spread across the skin. It is sticky as you’d imagine but it feels luscious, not claggy or uncomfortable.
I like to leave on for a good 20 mins or so but beware about using this when it’s hot or in a steamy bathroom! I had this on my face during a bath and found myself eating some of it as it was dripping down my face. There are certainly worse things you could eat but I still wouldn’t recommend it!
Removing this mask is really easy which was surprising, I was fully expecting it to harden on my face and be difficult to remove. I love to place a hot flannel over my face to help melt it and steam it off. So so relaxing! And it releases the divine scent! Once removed skin is left incredibly soft and calm. I love using this when my skin is a little unhappy as it brings down redness and really helps speed up the healing process when I have breakouts.
Overall I’m super impressed with how wonderful the formula and quality is. It shows you don’t need tons of ingredients to make the most effective product. It’s very much a case of letting nature do its thing!
Full Ingredients
Honey, Citrus aurantium flower oil, Limonene*, Linalool*. *Naturally occurring in essential oils. 100% Natural & Organic
The mask is priced at £36 for 50ml which is reasonable, maybe like me your initial thought is that it’s quite expensive considering it is made up of only 2 ingredients. But I urge you to try it. Then you will understand it’s worth.
You can pick it up here.
*PR/gifted
Thanks for reading xx