Oh, what a time to be alive! (With regard to green beauty, that is!) Green beauty has truly gone global and I’m ecstatic that we get to be a part of it. If you’ve been following me on Instagram for a while, then you’ve heard me proclaim my love for brands from the U.S. to South Africa to Switzerland to Australia. While I still have an affinity for products from those countries, I have a new locale to add to my list: Spain. The past couple of years I’ve loved Spanish brands such as AYUNA, Twelve Beauty (the founder, Pedro Catalá, is actually London-based but he is from Spain), and now Dafna’s Personal Skin Care. I first discovered Dafna’s Personal Skin Care from a BoxWalla Beauty Box that came out last year, and I’m so happy that I did. I first tried Dafna’s Eye Care product (from the BoxWalla Beauty Box) and since then I’ve tried a few more: Moisture+ Light, Serum Anti-Aging & Glow, Revival Bio-Active Beauty Mask (which I am reviewing in this post), and Active Mist (their newly launched product which I will review in another post)! All of the products that I tried are exceptional and if you like more lotion-based products, then this is the line for you.
I wasn’t that into non-oil based products before, but this brand turned me into a believer! What I love most about Dafna’s Personal Skin Care is that they infuse Ayurveda tradition and philosophy into their products, as well as, highly advanced plant biotechnology. What you get is a fusion of old and new — the best of both worlds, so to speak. While the founder, Dafna, is not new to the natural / green beauty space (she launched her own natural cosmetics line in 2008), her skincare line is relatively new as it launched in 2014. Dafna is based in Madrid and by trade she is an aromatherapist, naturopathist, and cosmetics formulator of natural products. A few years ago, her passion for natural beauty products led her to develop her first skincare line: Dafna’s Personal Skin Care. Dafna worked hand-in-hand with scientists to create an Ayurvedic, biotechnologically-advanced skincare line that focuses on anti-aging. This line of products, dubbed “DR2” is designed to have beneficial effects on the skin and wellbeing. I’m a huge proponent of multi-purposeful products — any time there’s products that benefit the skin and the soul? — I’m all there! I think we all can agree that we need more of this in our lives — amirite?
In fact, Dafna’s Personal Skin Care incorporates over forty different natural ingredients, rooted in Ayurvedic medical traditions, into their products — ingredients like aloe, calendula, macadamia nut, argan, neroli, propolis resin, ginseng, reishi extract, to name a few. The biotechnology piece comes in with their use of biotechnological tools — these tools enable them to extract ingredients in advanced ways — in turn, these ingredients help them create highly-scientifically advanced formulas that offer maximum effectiveness of their products. Some of these ingredients include hyaluronic acid (you all know how much I love this), “skin tensors” like chicory root, and natural peptides and hydrolyzed proteins.
One of Dafna’s newest products that incorporate their DR2 technology is their Revival Bio-Active Beauty Mask. After using this for a couple of months now, I can confidently say that this Mask is nothing like I’ve used before. The Revival Bio-Active Beauty Mask includes a unique combination of bio-active ingredients, such as: Capsulated Charcoal, Hyaluronic Acid, and adaptogens like Ginseng and Reishi — formulated to transform your skin and to bring back its vitality. The Mask doesn’t seem that complex, but oh, it kind of is. Not only does it include capsulated charcoal (which is impressive in itself), the Mask actually performs in two steps or phases:
Phase 1: the Mask first provides skin with intense hydration with hyaluronic acid, and also energizes and regenerates skin cells with ginseng and reishi
Phase 2: the capsulated Charcoal “magnetizes” free radicals at the surface of the skin; inhibiting skin oxidation while promoting a balanced, even-toned complexion
The Revival Bio-Active Beauty Mask can totally be a doppelgänger for white-fleshed dragonfruit — I mean, if you were to look at the “flesh” alone. The Mask is a creamy, milky white and the black charcoal capsules look like dragonfruit seeds. The scent is nothing like a dragonfruit, however, it is kind of hard to describe. The scent is light but almost has an energizing quality to is (but not like citrus-y), and I can detect a hint of rose.
The directions for use correlate with the two phases as mentioned above:
Step 1: I apply the Mask onto cleansed skin while leaving the capsulated charcoal intact. The instructions say to leave it on for five to ten minutes, but you know me, I always leave it on a bit longer (for like thirty minutes). When you leave it on longer, it dries a little but doesn’t get tight. It actually keeps my skin pretty moisturized.
Step 2: this is the fun part! With damp hands, I gently massage it into my skin to break the capsulated charcoal and mix it into the rest of the mask until it turns grey. I leave the Mask on for another good ten to fifteen minutes (Dafna recommends three to five minutes), and then I wash if off with warm water.
What I’m left with is incredibly soft, radiant, and hydrated skin — pores look minimized and my skin looks refreshed and balanced overall. I dig it!
Ingredients
Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice*, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Potassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Mannitol, Kaolin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Water*, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Ganoderma Lucidum Fruiting Body Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Charcoal Powder, Glycine Soja Oil*, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Caprylate*, Propanediol*, Cellulose, Beta-Sitosterol*, Potassium Sorbate, Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate HCL*, Squalane*, Tocopherol*, CI 77499, Linalool, Geraniol, Citronellol, Limonene. *Organic active ingredient with Bio certification
Final Thoughts
If you want a detoxifying, yet nourishing and hydrating face mask, then you will love this Mask! It’s effective, fun to use, and I love that it incorporates ancient Ayurvedic traditions with modern biotechnology. I’m a huge fan of Dafna’s line and there’s a reason why all of their original, core products are Beauty Shortlist Award winners year after year. I have no doubt in my mind that the Revival Mask will be another Beauty Shortlist Award winner for 2019.
The Revival Bio-Active Beauty Mask (50 ml) retails for 78.00€ (approximately $90 USD) and can be purchased directly from Dafna’s Personal Skin Care.
Disclaimer
The Revival Bio-Active Beauty Mask was kindly provided for consideration, however all opinions expressed are my own. This post contains no affiliate links or codes.
