Somewhere between the souks of Tunisia and the sunbleached shores of Sicily, Kate Fish discovered that real beauty doesn’t come from a lab—it’s drawn from the earth itself. What began as a soul-searching journey through the Mediterranean became a mission to preserve its ancient rituals, one pure ingredient at a time. In villages where oils are still cold-pressed by hand and clay is gathered from ancient seabeds, she saw traditions that felt less like relics of the past and more like a blueprint for the mindful beauty we’re all searching for now. Kate returned home, full of inspiration, and launched Katari, a Denver-based line of single-ingredient products sourced directly from small producers around the Mediterranean.
Nicknamed the “Indiana Jones of Beauty,” Kate travels across the Mediterranean to uncover timeless truths and forgotten treasures. “We scout for ancient beauty staples that have worked for thousands of years,” she explains. “We travel off the beaten path to explore cultures, build relationships, and source directly from artisans and their families.” Kate then brings these raw ingredients to life in minimalist glass bottles sealed with sustainable cork, which she notes contributes to cleaner products that can breathe without oxidation.
Each product is designed to do more with less. Start with Katari’s original hero, Purifying Green Clay, hand-harvested from a remote seabed at the foot of Tunisia’s Atlas Mountains. Packed with minerals that draw out impurities, the clay deeply detoxifies and refines without stripping the skin. It can be used as an intense scalp-cleaning shampoo or an incredibly clarifying face mask. Then there’s the line of cold-pressed oils from small farms in the Nile Delta in Egypt. The Rosehip Oil is nature’s version of retinol, and Hoba Oil pulls double duty as both a makeup-removing cleanser and a moisturizer. For hair, Kate harnesses the power of Henna Oil to strengthen strands, deepen natural color, slow graying, and stimulate growth, while rose waters and a new line of oil-based perfumes bring her Mediterranean muse full circle.
“All of our products are rich with vitamins and nutrients,” says Kate. “They’re meant to be simple but powerful. Each one can address multiple skin and hair concerns. Why buy five products when one can do the job?”
Locals can experience Katari’s artistry firsthand at the South Broadway shop, open daily for curious beauty seekers ready to trade the complicated for the elemental. And take it from this editor, who’s tried more products than she can count: Katari really delivers. My skin didn’t just clear or hydrate; it actually glowed.
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