Just to give a little bit of background on the brand, Rodan + Fields recently made its official launch in Canada earlier year and though I missed the event, the PR team was kind enough to send a few products my way along with A TON of science-y information (I love!). Founded by Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields in 2002, you may remember these dermatologists as the creators of Proactiv. I never knew this, but R + F was initially sold in U.S. department stores as a clinical skincare brand until officially launching into the direct selling market in 2008.
Seeing as how we are now in the throes of summer, I have been eager to get my body from "pasty-Asian" to bronzed and beautiful! I have tried maybe two self-tanners in my life making the Foamless Sunless Tan* ($30.00 CDN/125mL) the third! This self-tanner can be used from head to toe and tans skin sunlessly using DHA while also protecting skin against free radicals with antioxidants vitamins A, C and E (last three ingredients in list). This self-tanner also claims to have "RF-Dcell technology" to slow the rate of cell hyper-proliferation for longer lasting colour aka "slows down the rate of cell turnover".
Trying to find out what "RF-Dcell technology" was proved to be a bit of challenge. According to R+F, RF-Dcell technology is the use of dormant flower bulbs, in this case Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract, to prolong the lifespan of healthy cells and calm "frenzied cells" into a normal rate of cell maturation. There isn't a whole lot of confirmed research on N. tazetta, but in this study from 2014, the extract from N.tazetta bulbs exhibited cytotoxic activity against certain carcinoma cell lines. This would tie into the basis of RF-Dcell technology as cancer cells are cancerous because of their lack of apoptosis or programmed cell death. These cells grow at an accelerated or "frenzied" rate of cell growth so there may be something to these bulbs after all!
In terms of ease of use, this had similar instructions to most self-tanners I have come across in that it is best to exfoliate first and then wait until the product dries completely until wearing clothing. I have used tanning lotions before which I found to be not completely foolproof when it came to making sure the tan was even. This foam felt so weightless, had little to no scent and dried within 5 minutes. Though I could wear clothing almost right away, I chose to do this at night after my shower and wore my nightie so that my legs were left exposed. This tanner can be used on the face as well, but since I seem to have quite the tan going on in the facial zone, I haven't been needing a colour boost in this area!
I was careful not to focus much of the foam on my knees and shins as the skin in those areas tend to absorb more product. I needed about 2 pumps for my whole leg and as you can see from the results above, a very natural, streak-free tan can be obtained with just one application as the colour develops over the next 2-4 hours. Once I had hit the colour I wanted to be, it was just a matter of maintenance every two days or so. One thing to note is that on the days that I used this tanner, I did not apply moisturizer until the next day so as not to dilute the colour.
I always apply some form of lip balm to my lips prior to ANY lipstick application and though SPF is important year round, I take special care to apply a lip balm with SPF in the sunnier months. What I love about the R+F Essentials Lip Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 25* ($21.00 CDN/2 Lip Balms) is how it feels more like a primer than an oilier balm and its oval shape which makes me feel like I am painting a smile on my lips! There are number of hydrating oils in this lip balm like shea butter, avocado oil and jojoba seed oil, but it really does not feel oily! In addition to protecting my lips, I have felt that this lip balm has done a great job of anchoring my lipsticks while keeping my lips from feeling chapped.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Avobenzone 2.5%, Homosalate 8%, Octisalate 5%, Octocrylene 2.2% INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Beeswax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Acacia Decurrens/Jojoba/Sunflower Seed Wax/Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Helianthus Annuus Sunflower Seed Oil) Unsaponifiables, Dimethicone, Fragrance/Parfum, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate
Final verdict: As my first Rodan + Fields products, I am quite pleased though I know the meat of R+F is really more in the skincare (of which I have some great products to share!). The self-tanner is so easy to use and I feel like the foam give me incredibly even coverage as I didn't have funny patches here and there. I definitely like this format better than a cream! The lip shield isn't anything too revolutionary, but it does have a higher SPF which I like and has a more ergonomic shape.
Rodan + Fields products can be purchased through http://www.rodanandfields.com/ca.
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