Yerba mate (“YER-bah MAH-tay”), the featured ingredient in our Naia collection, is a South American herb that has been used for centuries to sustain energy and rejuvenate skin. Naia brings clarity and rejuvenation to its users, both through its vital, fresh fragrance and the stimulating properties of yerba mate.

If you’ve ever traveled in South America, you’ve likely observed, or even joined in, the ritual consumption of mate. Much like Americans’ addiction to coffee, people living in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and Bolivia sip naturally caffeinated mate daily and with relish.

Much like tea, the leaves and twigs of the yerba mate shrub are steeped in hot—but never boiling—water; boiled water brings out a bitter taste in the herb. A social ritual, mate is passed from friend to friend in, typically, a dried gourd and consumed through a metal straw. Most liken its taste to green tea, with flavored options ranging from peppermint to lemon. Mate may also be toasted and combined with fruit juice or milk, hot or iced.

Celebrated for its ability to help relieve fatigue, promote weight loss and ease depression and headaches, yerba mate, like so many traditional herbs, was originally cultivated by indigenous people for their cultural and wellness practices. Centuries later, Jesuit missionaries spread word of its benefits far and wide.

Yerba mate is hailed as "Drink of the Gods" by native Guarani people.

Yerba mate also brings new vitality to the skin. A renowned natural stimulant, it combines three chemicals related to caffeine. One of them, theobromine, is the naturally rich antioxidant also present in cacao, the ingredient that makes dark chocolate so healthful. The herb is believed to both relax muscle tissue while it energizes circulation. It also contains vital minerals, such as calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and manganese, which aid in restoring a healthful radiance.

Now, you can enjoy the skin-rejuvenating benefits of yerba mate—without having to find your own straw. Our perfect-for-spring collection, Naia offers the skin and senses a gentle wake-up call, prompting alertness, acuity and consistent, even focus throughout the day. Naia supports our desire for engagement and presence in everyday life, stimulating the mind and the body with crisp watery notes of water lily and cyclamen, hints of citrus and lychee finished by warm crystal amber. This blend of elements comes together to promote a state of focus and self-awareness that allows us to truly appreciate the world around us.

Click here to find out more about the revitalizing benefits of Naia.