I am going to squeeze in one last Canadian brand for this month's Canada theme and that is Vancouver-based Viva Organics! Best known for the Amaze Exfoliating Gel, Viva Organics was founded almost 20 years ago by husband and wife duo Amy and Jimmy when there were fewer options for skincare with effective and more herbal ingredients. Now, we have a ton of options, but even so, the natural skincare industry is becoming saturated with phrases like "no harsh chemicals" and "non-toxic" to a point where I don't even know what to use anymore to describe this category of beauty/skincare products. All I will say about Viva Organics is that their brand focus is on small batch natural skincare technology made without parabens, synthetic fragrances, endocrine disruptors, carcinogens or GMOs. Though I haven't tried the Amaze Exfoliating Gel yet, it was the Collagen Hyaluronic Acid Mask that caught my eye and has turned out to be one of my favourite mask discoveries this year!
Purchased by me
There aren't a lot of Canadian companies with sheet masks so that already stood out to me when I saw this at Whole Foods because it was the only sheet mask in the beauty section! Next, I loved the ingredients and how succinct the list was. The mask features collagen and hyaluronic acid and when I see the ingredients list, I see them right at the top of the list without fillers like dimethicone or cyclopentasiloxane. Finally, the last thing that intrigued me about this mask is that there aren't a whole lot of North American sheet masks that are "4D" or include the chin and set of secondary ear loops. This is typically reserved for Asian sheet masks so it was a pleasant surprise that was executed beautifully!
Ingredients: Aqua(Water) , Vegetable Glycerin, Pro-Vitamin B5, Sodium Hyaluronic (Cosmetic grade), Hydrolyzed Collagen (Plant), Methysulphonylmethane, Lactobacillus Ferment, Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Bergamot Essential Oil*, Lemongrass Essential Oil*, Ylang Ylang Essential Oil, Potassium Sorbate *Certified Organic Ingredient
Mask Summary
Price: $9.95 CDN
Scent: Lovely scent of ylang ylang
Duration: 20-30 minutes
Thickness: Medium
Mask Fit: Good because of double loops and ears didn't hurt. There was also some cross-hatching on the actual sheet mask.
Tackiness: Zero tackiness
Hydration: Good! I only applied 2 drops of rosehip oil for an extra dose of moisture. Instructions say to wash off with lukewarm water, but I don't know why you would since the finish wasn't sticky.
Final verdict: Not only was the fit quite nice, but in addition to the lovely ingredients the way my skin felt afterwards was so soft, supple and not the slightest bit sticky. It felt refreshed and hydrated and if I had used this during the day, I probably wouldn't have added any rosehip oil at all, but since it was night time, I just wanted a few drops for a bonus dose of hydration. This is more expensive than the conventional sheet mask, but it really was quite nice and a step up from what I was expecting and is one of the more memorable masks I have tried this year! I will definitely be purchasing more and I think any skin type of any age will enjoy it!
You can find Viva Organics at Whole Foods or at these retailers.
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