Mini marvels from the Dead Sea

When I vacationed in Israel in the late ’90s, one of the places I wanted to visit was the Dead Sea. It wasn’t just the biblical ramifications, the Dead Sea is possibly the oldest spa in the world, set up by Cleopatra, who knew the value of milk baths and clay minerals when it came to amping up your beauty.

Unfortunately we did not have time to immerse ourselves in Dead Sea salt and mud — too many religious sites beckoned — but now I have a second crack at the Dead Sea’s legendary beautifying properties via a skin- and body-care line called Mineral Flowers.

Founded by a chemist called Uri Ben Hur, Mineral Flowers originated from Israel. “It makes use of 26 minerals from the Dead Sea,” says Alisa Cruz, account executive of Provago, the lead advertising agency for Mineral Flowers. “A number of these minerals aren’t found in any other body of water anywhere else in the world.”

Containing high levels of calcium, magnesium, bromide, potassium and sulfate, Dead Sea mud reportedly helps relieve skin problems like eczema and psoriasis, aching joints and fluid retention (all that salt must leach it out of you).

“I’ve also tried the massage oil on sunburn, and it’s good for that” Cruz says. “Mineral Flowers is all-natural, paraben-free, doesn’t use any chemicals and the formula is very unique because aside from the minerals they also use flower extracts.”

In addition to being a chemist, Uri Ben Hur was also a gardener who knew his plants. Consequently he formulated three lines based on botanicals to suit three skin types: sensitive/very dry skin, dry skin, and normal/combination skin. Each range features a body butter, massage oil, day cream, night cream, hand cream, body and massage milk, facial wash, and facial wash-off mask.

The products get their power from ingredients like Dead Sea mineral water, which contains 35 percent of minerals per liter of water; mineral mud, a skin regenerator and lifter; beeswax, a natural emulsifier and skin healer; organic pomegranate juice, baobab and Kukul oil — all powerful antioxidants that fight against aging. Ben Hur is proud of the fact that Mineral Flowers is 99.65-percent natural and formulated his products to clean, moisturize, balance, support and renew skin. Here’s a quick cheat sheet on the three ranges:

Camomile

Range color theme: Yellow

Skin type it’s for: Sensitive and very dry skin

Beauty benefits: Rich in bisabolol, with anti-inflammatory, anti-irritant, anti-microbial healing properties; bioflavonoids and chamazulene, which are powerful antioxidants.

Rose & Geranium

Range color theme: Red

Skin type it’s for: Normal and combination skin

Beauty benefits: Rich in vitamin C, linalool and citronellol, which are gently astringent, anti-microbial and skin healing. In aromatherapy, rose and geranium are also balancing and lifting. 

Almond Blossom

Range color theme: Green

Skin type it’s for: Dry skin

Beauty benefits: An emollient traditionally used by massage therapists to lubricate skin. Shown to improve the complexion and is anti-inflammatory and immunity boosting.

The Spa took notice of Mineral Flowers’ local popularity and did an exclusive tie-up. For a nominal fee they now feature upgrades of popular treatments like the aromatherapy massage and facial using the body and facial-care lines.

I tried the massage with the Camomile oil for combo skin and it was a special experience: the natural fragrance is subtle and uplifting and my skin felt as moisturized and protected as if it was encased by a glove. I’m also a fan of the best-selling body butters, which have a rich, clayey texture but are much more refined than actual Dead Sea mud.

In price Mineral Flowers products range from P400 to P800, but if you’d like to try without fully committing , the different lines are also packaged in facial, body and travel kits that are available at Watsons. Watsons also has an ongoing product-swap promo for SM Prestige members, where you bring 100 ml or your current day or night cream and they’ll exchange it for a Mineral Flowers day or night cream.

Now I no longer have a reason to go to the Dead Sea, as the Dead Sea came to me.

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Mineral Flowers is available at Watsons as well as the health and beauty section of SM in Megamall, Mall of Asia, Makati, Cubao, and North Edsa.

The Mineral Flowers aromatherapy massage and facial are available at all branches of The Spa.