A lot of you have been asking me to review Drunk Elephant’s F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial Mask (why do brands have such super-long names nowadays???). I’ve been testing it out for a month now and have to say it’s got me impressed.
Why? Firstly, because this sleeping balm has done a great job of protecting my skin’s barrier, even through chilly winds and indoor heating turned up to the max. Which is definitely not easy.
Why is this important? This barrier is the outermost layer of skin that keeps everything under it safe, healthy and happy. When it’s compromised, skin will get dry, flaky, itchy, sensitive, red… basically really, really cranky. Not a good look. And one that happens to me almost every winter – except this one.
Secondly, the F-Balm has kept my skin both hydrated and moisturised. Why do I mention hydration and moisture separately? Because they are not the same. Moisture is all about the lipids, ceramides and amino acids that form the protective barrier. Hydration, on the other hand, is about the concentration of water in the skin. Not too many products tackle both equally well.
How does the F-balm do this? Through several scientifically sound ingredients. Among the most interesting of which are the electrolytes and Vitamin F.
Electrolytes are a gold standard in replenishing the body’s hydration levels but have only just stepped into skincare. Here, they manifest through coconut water, sodium PCA, magnesium PCA & prickly pear extract to keep skin hydrated. This is one set of skincare ingredients I am looking out for in 2020.
Then there is Vitamin F, which actually refers to two fatty acids – linoleic and linolenic – that keep skin moisturised. These appear as biodegradable microbeads that burst upon application to maintain the formula’s stability.
These are further supplemented with repairing and replenishing ingredients like squalene, niacinamide and ceramides to make the F-Balm a powerful skin-repairing cocktail.
Which makes it pleasantly surprising that the F-Balm has a comfortable, almost milky consistency, instead of being thick and greasy. It takes about 20 minutes to dry down and stop feeling tacky, so I put it on half an hour before getting into bed. There’s nothing worse than product sliding off onto the pillow, especially when you sleep on silk (ME!).
And next morning, my skin always looks plump and glow-y, which is not the usual case nowadays since it’s on a steady diet of retinol. Combine that with the weather and I am usually waking up a bit dry, itchy and flaky.
PS: Sometimes, I even use it in the daytime when skin is really parched. One pump makes it work beautifully as a day cream or under makeup.
And the best part? The F-Balm is not just about the short term. The ingredients build upon themselves to make skin feel calmer, smoother, stronger and more deeply nourished with regular use.
Can one ask for more?
If you have any questions, feel free to ask below in the comments!
Anubha Charan is a powerhouse in the luxury beauty industry, with over 15 years of expertise shaping the global beauty narrative. As the former Beauty Director at Marie Claire, she worked with the magazine's French headquarters to craft cutting-edge beauty content for international audiences.
Anubha's bylines have appeared in some of the world’s most prestigious publications, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Travel + Leisure, WebMD, and Architectural Digest. She is also the co-author of Paris Bath & Beauty, a Simon & Schuster book on French beauty rituals.
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