Caviahue Thermal Mud Mask

I love facial masks, so when I received a single-use sample of Caviahue's Thermal Mud Mask ($74.90) from AcquaEssentials, an online skin care specialty site, I was delighted to try it.

Designed to diminish the signs of aging, Caviahue Thermal Mud is a unique deep-cleansing facial mask. One of its main ingredients is the thermal water that flows from the inside of a volcano, which is charged with minerals and oxygenated properties to purify the skin, leaving it smoother and softer.

I find the Caviahue story interesting, so I'm going to share it. To the south of South America, there is a land like no other – it is often described as a magical place. Practically uninhabited and pristine, Patagonia has rolling hills, volcanoes, thick woods, lakes, and springs. The heart of this region became a sanctuary long ago for ancient inhabitants: the Mapuches. They walked many miles every year to gather there during the summer. Once in Caviahue, they enjoyed bathing in the many lagoons of the area and benefited from the healing and soothing properties of the hot thermal waters. Some oral chronicles depict how the Mapuche women would soak themselves with the mud from the bed of the lagoons as part of a ritual of beauty.

Five hundred years later, the soothing qualities of Caviahue mud and water were rediscovered by a group of visionaries who created the Caviahue Spa. Located northwest of Patagonia, the Caviahue Spa is one of South America´s thermal gems. The unique thermal water emerging from the inside of the earth is the reason why hundreds of visitors gather there every year.

The whole ecosystem works like a natural thermal laboratory. The process begins many miles above Caviahue, on top of the Copahue volcano. During the winter, snow accumulates on the crater surrounding the volcano. Although the volcano is considered inactive, there has been some activity since the eighteenth century. It acts as a boiler that is constantly melting snow.

Water accumulates in the crater forming a lagoon, which then drains to the inside of the volcano. The Copahue volcano acts as a natural water filter. This gradual process charges water with trace elements and keeps it warm due to the thermal activity. When the water’s long voyage ends several miles away from the foot of the volcano, it accumulates again to create a group of lagoons. This natural filtration process brings the charged water in contact with minerals and other elements that eventually get mixed with the volcanic and sulfurous clay from the soil. The resulting mud and water from some of those lagoons are used in Caviahue skin care products.

The water and mud are gathered and taken to the city of Neuquén, 300 miles away from the thermal site, where the Copahue Laboratory is located. It is at these labs where Caviahue skin care products are manufactured. Modern formulating procedures and processes are combined with the best from nature to produce Caviahue beauty skin care products. Pretty interesting (romantic, exotic, and intriguing too)!

Back to the Mud Mask. It is said to offer these benefits.

• Helps diminish the signs of aging
• Deeply cleans and purifies
• Unclogs pores and allows your skin to breathe
• Provides a balanced blend of minerals from Caviahue thermal water and Caviahue volcanic clay
• Leaves the skin smoother, softer, and looking good

I actually read the directions (something I don't always do) and learned that I was supposed to go relax after I applied the mask. Pretty funny at the time because I had planned to do e-mail while I reaped its benefits to my skin. I was a good customer, though, so I actually went and relaxed for 15 minutes while I left the mask on my face and neck. I'm sure that resting on the bed, thinking about nothing in particular, was good for my psyche and my skin!

The first thing I noticed on application was how cooling the mask is - quite conducive to relaxation. I applied the whole packet on my face and neck. I looked like I was wearing seawater paint, a deep blue-green, on my face. I actually loved the color; something about it screamed "natural." As the mask dried, I felt tightening, like a firming mask feels. When I washed it off, 15 minutes later, my face looked good - smooth, firm, and even-toned, as promised. I followed my mask with a sample of Caviahue Anti Wrinkle Cream ($56.90), a moisturizer rich in aminoacids, vitamins, minerals, squalane, and, of course, thermal water. The next morning, my skin looked good and felt good.

AcquaEssentials sells exclusive spa products. Check them out online. Caviahue is one of their most popular brands. I can see why! The Mud Mask has gone on my to-buy list. I don't have a mud mask right now, and I liked the way it treated me. It's such a nice mask, and I have to admit I had never heard about it. Anyone looking for a deep cleansing, firming, and relaxing mask is going to love it too.

Photos courtesy of AcquaEssentials