Romy Raves

Gamila’s Secret  that is. Gamila of Galilee is a Druze healing woman who was taught at an early age by her grandmother that a mixture of wild herbs and hand pressed olive oil had a cleansing and healing effect on the skin. These early lessons were so powerful that she made it her life’s mission to share these ancient healing remedies with the world and give everyone the opportunity to have healthy, radiant skin for as long as they live.

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Her SECRET is a divine bar of handmade soap that I was delighted to discover at Cosmoprof this year. This is NOT your ordinary soap, this is a beautiful, lovingly handmade bar of soap with 15 herbs from the hills of Galilee (seven being a proprietary blend of hand picked herbs carefully selected by Gamila herself) and 80% pure virgin oil olive. This soap is created using ancient methods of combining various oils and herbs, then boiling it for up to forty hours, hardening it for up to sixty hours, and then like a fine wine, each bar of soap is slowly aged for three to six months (talking about soap like it is wine is a comparison that totally intrigues me ). Then as the icing on the cake, Gamilia herself inspects every bar of soap before it is packaged and sent out into the world, much like a mother prepping her child to go out on its own. How could you not fall in love with a product that is created with that much nurturing?

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And then you try it and can see what all the fuss is about. It smells divine (my fav fragrances are Soothing Geranium and Lavender Heaven) and then lathers into a creamy, luscious, frothy foam that feels cleansing and nurturing at the same time. And I must admit, I am totally hooked on this product—I like aromatherapeutic scent that instantly calms me and the way this healing hydrating foam feels on my skin, as well as the refreshed feeling I have when it is rinsed away ( I even love the ancient looking stone dish that they recommend to keep the soap from getting mushy).  But I think it is the ancient lineage of this remedy that really grabs me the most—You feel the history, love and attention to detail that goes into the creation of this marvelous product, like you are part of something bigger, and that feels GOOD.

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And then there are all these wonderfully natural, healing ingredients in this magical soap: pure olive oil and secret herbs that moisturize, boosts skin’s elasticity, and stimulate self healing. It’s also 100% natural, has no preservatives or artificial colors, is even suitable for sensitive skin types and can be used to wash your face, body or even as shaving cream or a facial mask. Because of its tremendous healing properties, it is recommended that you leave Gamilia’s Secret on the skin for a few minutes before rinsing it off and try it for at least one month to help put your skin back in balance. You can buy these wonderful bars here and please let me know if you can feel the love.

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This just in: Gamila Secret would like to extend a special offer to Romy’s Raves readers—a discount of $5 off your order by entering this code on the web order form: 17082009

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This offer is good thru September 2009.

My skin was feeling kinda drab and sluggish today and I needed a refreshing pick me up, and Swissclinical Purifying Mask was just what I needed to turn my skin around. What a beautifully made product! This is the first product I have ever tried by Swissclinical, and I must say I can’t wait to try their other products because it was just that good. Located in the heart of the Swiss Alps, Swissclinical offers cosmeceutical products that are clean (paraben and mineral oil free) and combine the best of technology and Swiss nature.

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To me, it feels like alot of time, thought and research went into developing this lovely product, it has a luxury feel to it. This is not your typical (drying) purifying mask–it’s light, has an appealing whipped texture, refreshing, slightly tingles and wakes up the skin and at the same time it feels nourishing and hydrating. I love the way it felt going on (moist, cool, and minty) as well as coming off (my skin felt purified and supple), and after it was all washed off, my skin looked clean and bright. The mildly invigorating minty quality of this mask makes me think it is the perfect mask for the hot days of summer. And in my opinion, I think the best thing about this mask is that it seems more like a two-for-one product because you get both cleansing and moisturizing qualities at the same time–what a treat! Â

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So what are the secret ingredients that make this mask so great? Green clay makes it rich in minerals and have high absorption properties, mushroom extract helps to tighten pores, vitamin B6 helps prevent acne, and horehound extract, a medicinal plant of the mint family, has antiseptic properties. This mask packs in a alot of punch!

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I enjoyed this mask so much that I am looking forward to learning more about Swissclincial’s other lovely products when I visit their booth in Las Vegas at Cosmoprof North America this weekend. I will let you loyal followers know what other treasures I discover from this new brand and share my findings when I return from heaven.