Ziaja: Polish for &Beautiful&

Ziaja has been available in its native Poland since the company was founded in Gdansk in 1989. Its popularity continued to grow over the years, as did its product distribution, and it was recently introduced in the United States. Ziaja (pronounced jsh-aye-ya) offers several product lines; we sampled Aretinol Q, the anti-wrinkle line for mature skin: LipoCELL Bloker, the three step anti-cellulite program; and Goats Milk, a line for preserving youthful and healthy looking skin.

Ziaja was established by pharmacists Alexandra and Zenon Ziaja and the company is still managed by pharmacists and chemists, some of whom are also researchers. They use the latest technology and the purest natural resources such as herbs, vitamins and botanical oils have innovative formulas that have never been available in the U.S. before.

GOT GOAT S MILK?

Ziaja's Goat's Milk contains the nutrients that make goat's milk famous: proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins and organic acids. Ziaja Goat's Milk Hand and Nail Cream is recommended for dry and wrinkle prone skin, promising to smooth and revitalize coarse and tired hands. With its rich and creamy texture, I only needed a small drop to soften both my hands and moisturize my embarrassingly rough cuticles. This lotion is water-based, and it gave my hands all day smoothness.  It also left a bright sheen that made my hands appear healthier and more touchable and the flowery scent settles down to a light and lingering aroma.

The Goat's Milk Face Cream was similar to the Hand and Nail cream, but much richer with a thick, buttery feel. I applied a light layer of cream, massaged it in and waited a few minutes for it to fully absorb into my skin before applying makeup.  My favorite characteristic of this cream was its ability to make my skin glow - it actually added some color and brightened my light skin just by moisturizing. Hands down, this cream was successful in keeping my dry skin moisturized all day.

Ziaja's Body Balm surprised me the most as I expected a lotion deemed "balm" to be very thick; however, this lotion was the lightest and thinnest of the entire Goat's Milk line we tried.  My skepticism about the abilities of the Balm was quickly diminished as soon as I applied it to rough areas, like knees and elbows. This lotion started out a bit more slippery than the others in this line, but it had the same desirable traits and was equally deep-penetrating and super silky to the touch.

WINNING THE CELLULITE BATTLE

If you are a woman and you don't have cellulite, you are one in a million. For the rest of us, LipoCELL Bloker uses three steps and four key elements to minimize the appearance of cellulite.  The caffeine, L-carnitine, Coenzyme A work to reduce fat deposits; the Pineapple Extracts moisturize and restore firmness of the skin; the Bitter Orange Ivy and Gingko Tree Extracts improve blood circulation; and Provitamin B5 prevents the loss of moisture and soothes irritation.

The three-step process starts with a scrub that massages and stimulates the skin.  The Marine Algae and Rosemary ingredients help firm the skin and the stimulation helps to improve blood flow. The lightly scented orange gel was very pleasant to use and, coupled with the Slimming Gel, made a noticeable improvement in my skin texture and appearance.

Rounding out the process was the Firming Massage Oil which added to the skin nourishment. The Massage Oil has a clever locking pump that makes traveling with this product leak-free.

ARETINOL Q TO THE RESQ

The Aretinol Q line is the most extensive line available from Ziaja in the United States, with seven products that cover every aspect of hand and face care including cleansing, moisturizing and toning. These products contain Phytohormones derived from Clover Flower Extract and they carry a pleasant, faintly wheat-like scent that reminded me of freshly baled hay. All the products carry Retinol, the most active form of Vitamin A, and help to regenerate skin function.

The eye cream was suitable for day and overnight treatment and the Anti-Wrinkle Revitalizing Night Cream was particularly rich and quite effective in moisturizing my skin. The Neck & Decollete Smoothing Cream was very effective in restoring skin elasticity and minimizing uneven skin tone. The soothing face mask was applied and soaked in for 20 minutes. The days that I used this product helped keep my skin silky soft all day. Other products in this line included Cleansing Milk+Toner, Soothing and Moisturizing Day Cream and Nourishing Hand & Nail Cream.

A recently introduced baby care line for infants and children brings to the United States for the first time this highly acclaimed Eastern European favorite. The line includes chemical-free and color-free Baby Sun Screen SPF 25, Baby & Kids shampoo with chamomile and Indian Basil oil, as well as kid-friendly toothpastes, ointments and soaps. The products are available immediately online at www.ziajaskincare.com and in retail outlets.