Review: Rodial’s Dragon’s Blood Eye Masks & Super Acids X-treme Hangover Mask

Today beauties, I have two skincare goodies to review for you 🙂 Both come from the UK brand, Rodial. It’s a brand which I have heard and seen about the place, but I had never tried any of their goodies before. Not only can you find their products in Priceline now (how easy and convenient is that!) but I noticed that their eye masks not only have a cool name (hellooo – dragon’s blood anyone?) but they are also made out of bio-cellulose! I loooove bio-cellulose because it is the most premium ‘sheet mask’ material you can get (you may remember my spiel on why bio-cellulose is superior in my Bel Mondo Beauty Facial Sheet Mask review). And then the super charged lime green Super Acids X-treme Hangover Mask also caught my eye, as I’m on an acids kick lately (not the drugs kids, just the skincare type 😉 ).

Rodial Dragon’s Blood Eye Masks 

I’m a big fan of eye care products (so both eye creams and eye masks) because the skin around your eyes is such a delicate area. It’s one of the first areas on your face which show the signs of ageing and as I put my eyes through some torture (late nights studying or marking on the computer and suffering from migraines will make you look oh so tired and accentuate under eye circles) I want to do everything I can to make them happy and look more rested. But I do admit, it’s hard to find good quality eye care products which actually work – so I was happy to test out Rodial’s offering for myself (oh and I did buy these products with my own hard earned cash btw)!

“A recent addition to the cult Dragon’s Blood range, these innovative eye masks combine the expertise in bio-cellulose technology with our unique dragon’s blood complex to intensely hydrate and moisturise the eye area. The dragons blood extract works as a second skin whilst soothing and repairing the skin cells. The Hyaluronic Acid works instantly to plump and hydrate, helping the eyes to appear firmer, plumper and younger! Arnica extract helps to reduce the look of under-eye puffiness and dark circles for an instant, brighter-eyed appearance. If your eyes are lacking life and starting to show signs of ageing this eye mask is your solution! “

1. Instantly plumps the skin and offers 24 hour hydration.

2. Elimination of blood pigments to reduce puffiness and inflammation around the eyes.

Dragon’s blood isn’t a skincare ingredient you see around very often, but it has a lot of topical benefits! It isn’t a made up ingredient either, it’s actually the sap from a very special tree (croton lechleri) which is red – hence the name. This special tree grows in a few places in the world and one of those is the Amazon. Tribes living in the Amazon have used dragon’s blood for various skin ailments – stings, rashes, burns, sores, cuts and wounds. It contains antioxidant phenols (they may affect cell to cell signaling, receptor sensitivity and inflammatory enzyme activity) and help reduce inflammation, swelling (so great for the eye area) and protects active healthy cells. Dragon’s blood also contains proanthocyanidins, an antioxidant which protects skin cells from oxidation, prolongs the lifespan of vitamin E and C, and helps strengthen cell linings and the lattice like structure of proteins in the skin (like collagen). Another reason why it is used by Amazonian tribes is because it does have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral activity – so perfect for helping your skin heal from lesions but also great for reinforcing your skins delicate lipid barrier around the sensitive eye area.

Above: A drop of dragon’s blood! 

One ingredient that the Rodial product description doesn’t mention (even though it’s quite high up in the ingredient list) is scutellaria baicalensis root extract – a root from a herb, most often used in traditional Chinese medicine. My research tells me that it’s an anti-allergin, often used to treat eczema, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and also contains antiviral properties. Some of the flavonoids contained within the root boost skin thickness and the levels of matrix metalloproteinase, suggesting it’s great at repairing damaged caused by UVB rays. Not bad eh?

The other mentioned ingredient is arnica extract, which comes from a mountain flower. Arnica flowers have been used since the 1500s and it’s still a really popular extract in Polish eye creams and gels, because it’s anti-inflammatory, cooling and is great at minimising puffiness and swelling.

Above: Arnica Flowers

The other ingredients include sodium hyaluronate (similar to but more stable than hyaluronic acid, which is a great humectant moisturiser), allantoin (soothing), hydrolyzed collagen (which is quite a large molecule and won’t actually penetrate the skin, but it does moisturise), glycerin (a humectant, occlusive moisturiser AND an emollient), morus alba bark extract (white mulberry – has antioxidant properties and reduces the production of melanin so it brightens skin tone) and witch hazel (de-puffing and tightens skin).

Remember that moisturisers allow your skin to work at full capacity so they are very much needed if you want to look young and fresh! The skin around our eyes is soooo fine with little to no sebaceous glands , so damage rears it’s head very quickly if you don’t take care of it. What I love is that these dragon’s blood eye masks are made out of bio-cellulose. Bio-cellulose is superior to other sheet mask materials because it was originally developed for medical use (for burns patients etc) as it covers the skin exceptionally well, aiding the healing process. It’s moldable, flexible and comfortable, allowing ingredients to fully penetrate into the skin. Bio-cellulose is made from cultured bacteria, so it’s even environmentally friendly and is bio-degradable. It feels like a gel like material and because of it’s structure, it can hold up to 100-times it’s weight in fluid – perfect for face masks! It is more expensive than other sheet mask materials, but it’s worth it as you are getting the most our of the mask formula and delivering it to your skin in the most comfortable and efficient way. You get 8 pairs of eye masks in your Rodial Dragon’s Blood Eye Masks box for $49.95, which isn’t to bad! That’s $6.25 per mask, not bad at all. I bought my box from Priceline and you can usually hold out and wait for a promotion before buying them (I bought mine when the Rodial line was discounted by 20%).

So what do I think of them?

First of all, as with all bio cellulose masks, the eye masks are very comfortable to wear. The masks sit in-between two protective sheets, so that they don’t get damaged or get teared. I have noticed that sometimes one eye mask can be thicker or more opaque in colour compared to the other eye mask which is from the same pack. That’s a little odd, but I don’t think it changes how the mask works etc. Rodial suggest leaving the eye masks on for about 20-30 minutes which I think is ideal (sometimes if I forget about them being there, so I will leave them on for a bit longer). When you peel away the eye masks, there’s barely any serum left on your skin because your skin as absorbed the serum so well. The mask serum is hydrating. The skin around my eyes looks and feels more rested after these babies and any dehydration lines etc disappear. The one thing I think they could work on is the shape of the eye masks. The eye masks themselves reach down quite low onto your cheek, which isn’t bad per se, but they don’t entirely reach into the corner of my eye very well (it’s a little difficult to position the mask into the inner corner of my eye) and don’t cover my dark circles as well as I’d like. I think that’s a shame, because that’s where I want my skin to be especially hydrated so that my dark circles don’t become more pronounced. I’ve included an unflattering photo for you, just so you can see what I’m on about 🙂

I don’t think they lighten my under eye circles or improve their look significantly, but because dryness is so detrimental to the eye area it does help my eyes look more rested generally and I know that I am helping to prevent fine lines and dehydration.

Would I buy Rodial’s Dragon’s Blood Eye Masks Again? Yes, I  would – but I will be on the look out for some other great eye masks also. They are easily accessible, are made out of a premium material and are still reasonably priced for the amount you get. You also can’t go wrong with a hydrating formula (I will still keep looking for a dark circle zapping miracle product!). I do wish they were shaped more like the Lonvitalite Collagen Crystal Eye Masks but alas.

Ingredients: Aqua(Water/Eau), Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Croton Lechleri Resin Extract, Olive Oil Glycereth-8 Esters,Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Carbomer, Arginine, Glyceryl Caprylate, Xanthan Gum,Panthenol, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Sodium Citrate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin,Disodium EDTA, Parfum(Fragrance), Hydrolyzed Collagen, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract,Pentylene Glycol.

Rodial Super Acids X-treme Hangover Mask

I think the name of this mask is fun but also smart – whenever your skin is feeling dry, dull and out of whack, this guy will come to the rescue! If you remember in my Acids Skincare 101 post, I spoke about how wonderful acids are – they not only exfoliate, removing dull dead skin cells, unclog pores, but they also stimulate your skin to produce more hyaluronic acid and collagen, which keep your skin plump and hydrated. I thought this mask was interesting because not only is it full of juicy fruit acids, but it also combines clay and probiotics. Interesting combination!

A triple action resurfacing clay mask to deeply cleanse, exfoliate and restore a healthy looking complexion. Pronalen fruit acids gently exfoliate and retexture whilst age-defying laracare and argireline exapeptide help to minimise the appearance of fine lines for skin that appears lifted with improved tone and texture. Beneficial biotilys probiotic technology helps strengthen and protect skin from daily external aggressions by boosting hydration. The perfect post-party recovery mask to revitalise skin.

1. Eliminates dead skin cells

2. Reduces appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

3. Improves skin hydration

4. Boosts skin radiance

Kaolin clay (also known as China clay or white clay) is one of the main ingredients in this mask and it’s probably one of the most popular clays used in skincare. Kaolin helps to exfoliate and deeply cleanse the skin but it is still gentle as it’s very fine, so it is also recommended for sensitive skins. It has disinfectant properties and stimulates circulation, improving healing processes (perfect for treating breakouts and acne).

The other stars of the show are the fruit acids! Pronalen fruit acids are a concentration of passionfruit, lemon, grape and pineapple acids. These acids are alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) which are water soluble and refine skin texture. They are perfect for refining surface scars like hyper-pigmentation, sun damage, wrinkles, fine lines and any bumps and lumps. To bump up the acid kick, Rodial have also added glycolic acid to their mask – also an AHA (derived from sugar cane). If skin texture is an issue for you – glygolic acid and fruit acids are your heroes <3

Probiotics are an exciting area of skincare, because some recent studies have shown great benefits for the skin when they are applied topically (internally they also work wonders, zapping skin inflammation).  Some studies have shown that probiotics decrease skin sensitivity, redness, inflammation and improve skin elasticity. That makes it a great pairing with acids, especially if you do have sensitive skin.

How did I rate the mask?

I love this face mask. I thought I’d love the eye masks a bit more than the face mask (just because my eyes suffer so much) but this guy stole my heart! The texture of the mask is quite thin thanks to the fine kaolin clay and it has a pale green colour. It smells light and fruity and the scent reminds me of something I can’t quite put my finger on (I think perhaps some fruity chewing gum from my childhood?) but I love it! It dries down like a regular clay mask but it leaves your skin feeling so refreshed and clear. I have also tried this mask on days when I’m super tired and my skin is red and a little distressed, and not only did it remove some of the redness in my skin but it also didn’t irritate my skin one bit. The one odd aspect of this mask is, that the instructions only mention to leave the mask on your skin for a minimum of 5 minutes. So how long do you leave it on for? I’ve left it on for about 20 minutes before, with no irritation. If you have sensitive skin, perhaps leaving it on for 5 minutes to begin with is a good idea and then work your way up time wise. The green tube looks amazing and fresh, and I love that the mask comes out of a squeezy tube.

The mask costs $49.95 at Priceline (though again, you can wait for a promotion and get this guy for a bit cheaper). I highly recommend this mask for whenever your skin is feeling dull, dry or blotchy.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Kaolin, Cera Microcrystallina, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Lactate, Phenoxyethanol,Glycolic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Ceteareth 20, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum(Pomegranate) Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Parfum (Fragrance), Galactoarabinan, Alcohol Denat, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Passiflora Quadrangularis Fruit Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Acetyl Hexapeptide- 8,Sodium Bisulfite, Tetrasodium EDTA, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 19140 (FD & C Yellow No. 5), CI 42090 (FD & C Blue No. 1),Limonene, Geraniol, Linalool, Farnesol

Would I buy Rodial’s Super Acids X-treme Hangover Mask Again?

Yes – definitely! From the packaging, the scent of the mask and how it leaves my skin feeling (clear, soft, refined and soothed even) it’s the perfect pick me up – just like a mojito! 😀 Check out these mojito and kiwi inspired ice-blocks, amazing 🙂

Have you tried any goodies from Rodial before? I’m so happy with my new picks, especially the Super Acids X-treme Hangover Mask <3 love, love, love!

Catch ya next time beauties,

Beauty Bee~

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