nyakio Skincare Global, Cultural, and Indigenous (Review)

Two weeks ago I participated in a focus group. In the group, I was asked what to share my skincare routine including products. My eyes immediately went to everyone in the room. They were fellow beauty enthusiast. They knew how loaded that question was. It would take too long for me to ramble off everything I was using as when it came to skincare since, for me, it all depended on what I was trying to accomplish. The other issue was during this particular week I was actively trying out nyakio (NEH-KAY-OH), a prestige skincare line from Sundial Brands who also houses Nubian Heritage and Shea Moisture.

nyakio™, which is sold exclusively at Ulta, features a five regimen collection that will cleanse, exfoliate, restore, treat, and moisturize the skin. I received six items out of the sixteen SKU line of the products for review purposes.

nyakio’s founder Nyakio Kamoche Grieco used inspiration she drew from her time spent in Africa with her family of medicine men, farmers, and educators to create the global beauty line. You can see these influences throughout the packaging which serves as more than just a box to hold the product. Open it up, and you’ll find further information regarding the history of the main ingredients within that particular product.

“Grounded in ethically and sustainably sourced, indigenous ingredients, nyakio™ combines cultural traditions with modern, results-driven formulas to deliver premium personalized natural beauty and multi-tasking products. “.

The first product I tried from the line was the Sweet Almond Cleansing Oil Balm $28 as I was curious to how this would compare to my other oil makeup removers. The Sweet Almond Cleansing Balm melts in your hands and turns into a oil that helps to remove makeup and trap impurities in the skin. I found that the cleansing balm performed well, however on a heavier makeup day I feel it would be best to remove some of the makeup with a cleansing cloth beforehand.

On lighter makeup days, when I’m not fully contoured or glowing with the aid of a highlighter, I felt the cleansing balm removed my makeup easily. I would caution that one should be careful with the amount of the cleansing balm that you use. Since it does melt down into a oil, I felt that it took a good number of rinses before I’d removed enough of the oil to be able to massage the rest into my skin without looking like I’d slapped oil all over my face.

The Chamomile Soothing Sleep Mask $35 instantly turned into a favorite of mine. If you’re skeptical about sleep mask, don’t be. You won’t ruin any pillowcases as with this product is massaged into the skin as one would do a moisturizer. In the morning you can rinse it off or leave it on. The Chamomile soothing sleep mask is perfect for fatigued skin, which is why I believe I love it so much. I wake up in the morning looking like I got a full 8 hours of sleep and my skin feels so soft and moisturized.

The nyakio™ Chinese Rice Exfoliating Powder $26 instantly made me think of the Tatcha Rice Enzyme powder, but without the price tag. It is a nonabrasive exfoliator that can be used daily and can be paired with the Sweet Almond Oil Cleansing Balm. To activate the rice exfoliating powder just add a small bit of water and rub between your palms. My skin was impressively soft after using this following the sweet almond oil cleansing balm. I couldn’t help but run to my husband and have him run his hands across my cheeks. They were as soft as babies skin. I even told him to give it a try, which is something I never do with my skincare product as I don’t like to share.

To follow the Chinese Rice Exfoliating Powder I next massaged a few drops of the nyakio™ Manketti & Mafura Anti-aging oil $49, which is a blend of manketti oil, rich in vitamins E and C, and mafura oil, high in essential fatty acids, softens skin for youthfully radiant skin. I would use this interchangeably with the nyakio™ Marula and Neroli Brightening Oil $42, which targets imperfections, minimizing the appearance of discoloration and uneven skin tone.

The last product received to try was the nyakio™ African Black Soap Purifying Mud Mask $35. Unfortunately and surprisingly my skin did not react well with this mask. As soon as I applied it to my skin I felt an intense tingling sensation which became worse as I continued applying the mask to my face. I had to stop and immediately rinse it off. My skin was very red and blotchy with dry patches the next day where the intense tingling was felt. I’ve read other reviews on this product where others have experienced this reaction. I don’t have sensitive skin and suggest caution with us.

Overall I really enjoyed this line of products. They’re affordable and contain globally sourced sustainable certified organic natural ingredients. My favorites of the items tried that I would definitely go out and purchase is the Chamomile Soothing Sleeping Mask and Chinese Rice Exfoliating Powder. These products are available in Ulta and Ulta.com. Shop with Ebates and save 3% cashback on all Ulta.com purchases!