Review: Rodial Dragon’s Blood Velvet Cream

You know how scent can trigger a memory? Like when you smell cooking that reminds you of your grandma or aftershave that reminds you of your dad? Well, the Rodial Dragon’s Blood Velvet Cream reminds me of London.

I had been in London on holidays for just a few days and the combination of planes, trains and their hard water was majorly freaking my skin out. I had packed lots of products for layering hydration but it just wasn’t quite cutting it for that unexpected March blast (2018 – anyone remember the Beast From The East storm?). We’re talking dryness and dehydration to the point where whole areas of my skin were getting flaky. I needed something that was hydrating but also created a nice cushion-y, protective layer to the extreme weather that was flying around, so I went to three different stores to find my trusty Murad Hydro-Dynamic Moisture Cream but had no luck finding it, so I stumbled into the Space NK across from Harrods and found a sympathetic store clerk who recommended this huge, coral pot of joy.

What Makes It Special:
Let’s start off by saying – obviously – that no dragons were harmed in the making of this cream. Rodial Dragon’s Blood Velvet Cream gets its name from the sap of the Croton Lechleri tree (native to South America), it’s this thick, red liquid that exudes from the tree that was historically given the name of ‘Dragon’s Blood’ and it seems to have stuck ever since. Sap itself is just another botanically sourced ingredient, similar to the way you could formulate a product with a plant oil or leaf extract.

Dragon Blood’s (Croton Lechleri tree sap) has been found to have a positive benefit to skin when topically applied; it produces a protective layer over skin, it reduces irritation and redness, and can even promote healing. In addition to this magical sounding sap, there is Hyaluronic Acid to boost moisture retention in the skin and Squalane (vegetal sourced) to soften and add suppleness to the skin. Rodial also included their own patented ingredient called Hydromanil™ which they claim ‘provides a time-release moisture delivery complex’.

Why I Like It:
Typically, I like a cream moisturiser, but this is well and truly past a cream, it’s much thicker and has a rich and buttery texture, and is almost solid in the tub. Not my usual go-to formula, but I love it for when my skin is feeling really dry. It’s certainly not something I’d recommend for oily skin. It’s perfect for my skin when I travel, or when I’ve spent too much time in air-conditioning/heating and my skin feels tight and unhappy. It feels lush to use, really nourishing and soothing – like putting a protective blanket over your face. And I love the scent (added fragrance as listed in the ingredient list), it smells of Summer and citrus and freshness, kind of like a non-descript fruit medley that doesn’t smell like a particular fruit, but just of ‘fruitiness’ in general – that’s probably not much of a description but that’s the best I’ve got. If you’ve smelled it before you’ll (hopefully) know what I mean. Also, I find I need such a small amount, and it’s not the kind of product I need daily (dry skin might reach for it more often) so I find it lasts ages.

What I Don’t Like About It:
I often winge about packaging, I think it’s something great brands get really wrong a lot of the time, and although this is a gorgeous product to sit on a pretty vanity, it’s problematic to travel with, it’s tricky to open with slippery fingers and it takes up twice the space that it needs to.

Application:
I like to pick up a very small amount of the cream and rub it between my fingers to warm it up before pressing and very gently rubbing it into my face. This warms up the butter-like texture and means it kind of melts before it’s placed on the skin which means it absorbs so much better and means you won’t over-apply product. Less is definitely best with this one.

Product Claims:
Helping to keep the complexion smooth, soft and supple over a long period – agree, it hydrates all day
Provides a protected ‘cushioned’ feel – agree
Offers multi-dimensional hydration, leaving skin feeling deeply hydrated – agree
Non-greasy on the skin – agree, as long as it is applied sparingly, easy to overdo this one

Ingredients:
Aqua (Water), Isoamyl Laurate, Glycerin, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Myristyl Myristate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Glucoside, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum (Fragrance), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Silica, Potassium Sorbate, Ceratonia Siliqua (Carob) Seed Extract, Croton Lechleri Resin Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Limonene, Geraniol, Linalool, Farnesol, Citral, Citronelloe

Available From:
Space NK

Details:
50g – £80

Repurchase:
I would. I always like to have a thick moisturiser at my disposal for when my skin decides to have a dry day, and I think the Rodial Dragon’s Blood Velvet Cream is beautiful. However, I definitely only need one product that fits this category so it would be a toss-up between this and other equally effective options.