Today I’m sharing my Mahalo skincare review after testing The Petal, Winter Grace Balm, Hawaiian Hydration and Hawaiian Nights.

MAHALO is an organic skincare brand from Kauai that is the epitome of eco-luxury. The Hawaiian brand was started several years ago by Maryna Kracht and became famous in the green beauty community for their skincare potions like The Vitality Elixir and The Petal. These bottled up rituals that contain Hawaiian essence, precious super-oils, supercritical extracts, and antioxidant-rich plant butters are made in small batches of 30, packaged in bamboo and glass jars, and then sent across the world so that we may all be blessed with good skin. Read on for my Mahalo skincare review of their beloved Petal mask, serums and balms — and how to save on Mahalo skincare. Mahalo also just launched a new product called The Queen Emma’s Golden Harmony Pressed Serum and it looks divine! (Save on Mahalo until Aug 13, 2022 on during their annual samples sale.)

In a sea of dark glass packaging, Mahalo’s shiny gold pumps and etched bamboo stand out, its Hawaiian roots unmistakeable. Even if you’re not familiar with the magic of the Hawaiian islands, the jawdropping and sometimes inexplicable natural beauty and splendor, and myths of Hawaiian history, these products still have a way of making you feel closer to the spirit of “mahalo,” the ancient Hawaiian word for gratitude, esteem, and respect. It’s clear that Mahalo Skincare founder Maryna created this line in deep reverence and gratitude for the earth and its people.

Hawaiian Nights Phyto-Retinoic Restoring Night Serum

Mahalo’s Hawaiian Nights Phyto-Retinoic Restoring Night Serum is the perfect natural alternative to a retinol product for me. I’ve used Marie Veronique’s gentle retinol product and it was still too harsh for my skin, so for now, I’m keen on using natural skincare designed to mimic the effects of retinol until I need something stronger.

Mahalo’s Restoring Night serum is formulated to have a similar effect to the OTC retinol effect but without the thinning, peeling or irritation of the skin. The Hawaiian Nights Phyto-Retinoic Restoring Night Serum (that is a mouthful!) contains oils and extracts rich in plant-derived Vitamin A and provitamin A that work below the skin with their retinoic effect to reprogram the cells and boost their renewal. It is gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin types.

The serum contains Rosehip oil, which is rich in Vitamin A known as all-trans-retinoic acid, a type of Vitamin A that is directly recognized by the skin. The serum’s Amazonian Cacay oil contains Vitamin A that’s available in a form that’s highly similar to the way synthetic retinol works on skin.  For Vitamin A to actually work on skin, it must be converted into retinoic, and the synergy of these Vitamin A actives work in stages to deliver the same anti-aging benefits as synthetic retinol.

This is a vibrant orange-hued oil serum with a medium consistency and a sweet, tangy scent of Hawaiian midnight blooming jasmine and sweet ylang  ylang. I really try and use this product when I’ve ceremoniously prepped and exfoliated my skin to receive it because I find it so precious. I also want to make sure those potent vitamins reach my skin cells and it’s hard to imagine that happening if I haven’t exfoliated my skin.

There’s a bevy of powerful ingredients including Hawaiian sea algae extract, white lupine seed extract, mamey sapote oil, turmeric supercritical CO2 extract, carrot supercritical CO2 extract*, calendula flower supercritical CO2 extract* and vitamin C ester. I feel like this oil breathes life back into my skin when it looks dull and tired. I don’t use it every night but save it for when I feel my skin really needs it – otherwise I’d run out of this serum way too fast! This serum can be used both day and night because it will not turn your skin photosensitive.

benefits

• rejuvenate troubled / aging skin by relieving oxidative stress
• combat acne and inflammations
• provide regenerating, and firming boost
• fade and prevent wrinkles, scarring and improve skin’s micro-texture
• stimulate cellular turnover and resiliency
• protect the skin from free-radical / environmental damage
• lighten age spots and brighten skin tone
• nourish the skin with vital nutrient-rich molecular building blocks for skin that’s clear, hydrated, firm and radiant

Ingredients: rosa rubiginosa (rosehip) seed supercritical CO2 extract*, caryodendron orinocense (cacay) oil*, prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel oil*, olea europaea (olive) oil*, vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) seed oil*, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, sclerocarya birrea (marula) seed oil*, oenothera biennis (evening primrose) supercritical CO2 extract*, in-house biodynamic proprietary infusion* (alfalfa, arnica, calendula, hibiscus, linden) cannabis sativa (hemp) seed oil*, vaccinium corymbosum (blueberry) seed oil*, hippophae rhamnoides (seabuckthorn) fruit supercritical CO2 extract*, bakuchiol from psoralea corylifolia seeds, brassica oleracea italica (broccoli) extract*, sambucus nigra (black elderberry) fruit extract*, chondrus crispus (Hawaiian sea algae) extract, lupinus albus (white lupine) seed extract, pouteria sapota (mamey sapote) oil*, curcuma longa (turmeric) supercritical CO2 extract*, daucus carota (carrot) supercritical CO2 extract*, calendula officinalis flower supercritical CO2 extract*, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (vitamin C ester), non-gmo mixed tocopherols, citrus aurantium var. bergamia (bergamot) oil*, cananga odorata (ylang ylang) oil*, citrus aurantium var. amara (neroli) oil*, jasminum officinale (jasmine) oil*, vetiveria zizanioides (vetiver) root oil*, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract*
Hand blended in small batches by MAHALO Skin Care in Hawaii, USA

Hawaiian Hydration Advanced Cellular Repair Concentrate

If oil serums aren’t your jam, Mahalo offers their Hawaiian Hydration, a gel-like lightweight serum that promises to nourish, hydrate, regenerate, protect and soothe skin. Its scent is sweetly floral from hibiscus, jasmine and earthy sandalwood and its dark brown color comes from botanical extracts of hibiscus, green tea, and mesoparticles of 0.9999 gold. It’s got a lovely bouncy texture and after applying it dries like a second layer of skin on top of your own. I like to then seal it in with moisturizer then oil or go straight to using the Hawaiian Nights Phyto-Retinoic Restoring Night Serum.

The Hawaiian Hydration Advanced Cellular Repair Concentrate feels more like skincare treatment rather than a serum. Like a well-trained orchestra, all ingredients work synergistically with each other to help enhance absorption. This intelligent formula starts with an organic Hawaiian sandalwood hydrosol and green tea leaf extract base and is fortified with collodial copper, collodial gold, tamarind seed extract, dragons blood resin extract, and goji fruit extract.

I save this serum for days when my skin is at its worst or when I’ve been out in pollution all day. I know this potion is going to work hard at reversing that damage and reverse it fast! As a green beauty blogger I’ve seen many a thoughtfully formulated face serum, but I’m not sure I’ve seen one that’s packed quite so many good ingredients in one bottle. There is definitely a more is more approach with this brand that I can appreciate.

benefits

• Improve skin’s ability to retain moisture, protecting against transepidermal water loss
• Support natural collagen and elastin synthesis at the source, to visibly firm, smooth, and moisturize
• correct signs of premature aging like discoloration, fine lines, wrinkles and dullness
• Strengthen skin’s resistance to daily damage caused by environment, UV and free radicals

Ingredients: santalum paniculatum (Hawaiian sandalwood) hydrosol*, camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract*, colloidal copper, colloidal gold, jasminum officinale (jasmine) hydrosol*, niacinamide, terminalia ferdinandiana (kakadu plum) cell extract*, saccharomyces (sea silt) ferment, leuconostoc (radish root) ferment filtrate, lactobacillus and cocos nucifera (coconut) fruit extract, croton lecheri (dragon’s blood) resin extract, glucosamine, saliks nigra (black willow) bark extract, lycium barbarum (goji) fruit extract*, hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract*, helichrysum stoechas extract*, tamarindus indica (tamarind) seed extract*, iris florentina root extract, leontopodium apinum (edelweiss) extract*, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (vitamin C), ceramide np, ceramide ap, ceramide eop, phytosphingosine, cholesterol, sodium lauroyl lactylate, carbomer, enteromorpha compressa extract, hydrolyzed adansonia digitata (baobab) seed extract*, sodium hyaluronate^, glycerine, palmitoyl dipeptide-5 diaminobutyloyl hydroxythreonine, palmitoyl dipeptide-6 diaminohydroxybutyrate, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, caesalpinia spinosa gum

Mahalo The Petal Hydrating Mask

The Petal is one of those swoon-worthy green beauty masks that us beauty aficionados lust after. This is the product we wish we had on reserve for whenever we run out and we dream of petal pink, petal soft, petal ..you get the picture! This mask is designed to plump and brighten skin and while I don’t notice major plumping action, I get baby soft glowing skin and evened out tone and texture.

Packed with 28 active ingredients, the rose and jasmine scented mask begins with a base of raw honey sourced from Hawaii with some from Mahalo’s own beehive (they are accidental beekeepers!), rose & silver hydrosols and Amazonian white clay. The mask then continues with a blend of jasmine flowers, rose flowers and calendula petals, vanilla absolute, cacao absolute, davana oil, gromwell supercritical extract, and turmeric supercritical extract. This face mask is a ritual designed to bring you back in touch with your divine feminine.

I’ve used The Petal about 8 times and am just a little over half way done with the jar, so I would say it can last anywhere from 10-15 uses in total. While it does provide that plump and glow quick fix, The Petal does much more than that and works to improve skin health overall. I’m eager to use this mask regularly in my skincare routine for the long term.

benefits

•  brighten, revitalize and tone for an improved, smooth texture
• deeply hydrate for a plump, glowing appearance
• gently remove dead skin and stimulate cellular renewal
• manage problem-prone skin by clearing bacteria that cause inflammation
• balance oil production
• reduce the appearance of pores and fine lines

Ingredients: raw honey blend* [mel (Hawaiian honey), leptospermum scoparium mel 15+ (manuka honey)], rosa damascena (rose) hydrosol*, argentum metallicum (silver) hydrosol, sodium hyaluronate, camellia japonica (thea seed) oil*, amazonian white clay and rose clay, leuconostoc ferment filtrate & lactobacillus ferment, salix nigra (willow) extract*, sclerotium gum, rosa damascena (rose) flowers*, jasminum officinale (jasmine) flowers*, calendula officinalis (calendula) petals*, cananga odorata (ylang ylang) oil*, citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot fcf) oil*, rosa damascena (rose) oil*, hibiscus sabdariffa (hibiscus) flowers*, beta vulgaris (beet root) extract*, pelargonium graveolens (geranium) oil*, theobroma cacao (cocao) absolute^, artemisia pallens (davana) oil, vanilla planifolia (vanilla) absolute^, curcuma longa (turmeric) supercritical extract*, lithospermum erythrochizon (gromwell) supercritical extract, potassium sorbate, rosa centifolia (rose de mai) extract*, jasminum grandiflorum (jasmine) extract*, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (vitamin C ester), rosmarinus officials (rosemary antioxidant) extract*

MAHALO Winter Grace Antioxidant Balm

I tried a sample of the limited edition Mahalo Skincare Winter Grace and it’s like the balm was made for me. I’m a big fan of coffee scented products. There aren’t enough in green beauty and Winter Grace smells of coffee and vanilla, exactly how I like my morning latte. This deep red-colored balm is rich and filled with clinically tested actives, exotic plants and enzyme-rich butters and oils. It’s the richest product in the entire Mahalo skincare line and formulated to protect skin during the harshest winter months when our skin takes its worst beating.

While I enjoy summer weather year round in LA, my skin used to endure more extreme conditions in Switzerland with its freezing temperatures and way-too-strong indoor heating. I would have to go to sleep embalmed like a mummy (in skincare). I still embalm myself here in California so balms remain highy relevant in my skincare routine! Winter Grace’s cupuacu, cocoa, buriti, murumuru, mafura, coffee, and hazelnut butters and oil provide collagen-enhancing nourishment, protecting, moisturizing and repairing antioxidant boost.

Since I have a small sample I was only able to use it 3-4 times, and maybe it was the scarcity of the product, but I fell deeply in love with it. I found it incredibly nourishing and rich, but not in a heavy or greasy way. It melts immediately on contact with the skin so application is seamless, and it sinks in beautifully overnight.

Ingredients: cupuacu butter, buriti oil, mafura butter, murumuru butter, ucuuba butter, hazelnut oil, green coffee bean oil, kokum butter, cocoa butter, dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline, redroot lithospermum, phytosterols, astaxanthin, carrot seed, coenzyme Q10, vitamin e, sandalwood, ylang ylang, coffee, cedar wood, vanilla, frankincense, rosemary, myrrh

MAHALO Skincare Discount

If you’re looking for MAHALO skincare at a discount, they actually have a really cool program called PIP which stands for Perfectly Imperfect Program. These products may have a slight aesthetic discrepancy and can’t be sold along with the rest. To avoid waste, Mahalo sells these at a discount up to 25% off. This is how I ordered some of my Mahalo products. Be sure to check back on the Mahalo website because they sell out fast.

Another way to save on Mahalo skincare is to follow their Instagram and subscribe to their newsletter to receive updates on their promos and sales. Right now Mahalo is having their annual birthday sale for 25% off select items AND a free Rare Indigo Balm ($110 value) for the first 30 orders of $250.

Mahalo website