The interview:
Wir sind ein Familienunternehmen. Ich, Nadia Rivelles, leide seit meiner Kindheit an Allergien und Unverträglichkeiten, ich musste immer auf meine Ernährung achten, machte mir aber lange keine Gedanken darüber, dass auch Kosmetika die Gesundheit wesentlich beeinflusst. Vor allem
wollte ich meiner Tochter Yva Rivelles ein unbelastetes Aufwachsen ermöglichen. Wir haben uns entschlossen aufs Land zu ziehen und uns in einem kleinen Bauerndorf in der nahen Umgebung zu Wien, im Wienerwald, niederzulassen. Hier entwickeln und produzieren wir Rivelles Kosmetik.
Mein Lebenspartner, Mario Kiener und ich waren 10 Jahre lang auf Reisen, bevor wir nach Österreich gezogen sind. In dieser Zeit entdeckten wir
die vielseitige Natur der unterschiedlichen Regionen. Das ist unsereInspiration, unser Leben, unsere Definition von Schönheit.
Die täglichen Spaziergänge durch den Wienerwald.
Die Natur ist unser Vorbild. Opulent, reich und in ewiger Bewegung.
Do you have a holy-grail product?
Ewige Lebenskraft und ewige Schönheit, nein, das können wir nicht versprechen. Aber ich schwöre auf das Senna Extrakt, es ist eine pflanzliche alternative zur Hyaluronsäure. Wir verwenden es in der Lift Augencreme und hoch konzentriert im Polir Serum. Die Haut wird signifikant weicher und glatter.
Eng.tr. We won’t promise eternal beauty and strength. However, I swear by Senna extract, which is a plant alternative to Hyaluronic acid. We use it in out Lift eyecream and also in high concentration in the Polir serum. Skin become significantly softer and smoother.Do you have a favorite plant or ingredient that you particularly enjoy to use?
Ja, Haferöl, ich habe es entdeckt, weil ich ja mit den Allergien und Unverträglichkeiten zu kämpfen habe. Es ist frei von Salicylaten und Gluten und wird in Europa biologisch nachhaltig angebaut. Durch seine einzigartigen Polyphenole schützt es vor freien Radikalen, deshalb nennen wir es liebevoll Radikalfänger. Der Schaden, der durch freie Radikale entstehen kann, sind Falten, Alterung und Krankheiten. Weiters liebe ich unsere selbst gemachten Extrakte, aus Brombeerblatt, Schlüsselblume, Rotklee oder z.B. Birkenblatt. Da steckt sehr viel Herzblut drinnen, ich habe meine Geheimplätze in den Wäldern und Wiesen, in der Nähe unseres Workstudios, wo ich den Pflanzen beim Wachsen zuschauen kann.
Are your working on more products for Rivelles?
Ja, wir entwickeln gerade unsere Rivelles UPCYCLING Linie, die im Herbst im Online Shop erhältlich sein wird.
What’s the biggest challenge you are/were facing in the creation of a natural and vegan cosmetic line ?
Seit 3 Jahren feilen wir an den “perfekten” Haarstylingprodukten, das ist eine große Herausforderung, Halt, Struktur oder Glanz zu geben ohne Erdöl, bedenklichen Weichmachern, PEGs, Silkonen oder Polymeren. Weiters verzichten wir dazu noch bewusst auf Bienenwachs und Keratin, das z.B. aus Hühnerfedern gewonnen wird. Da muss man dann erfinderisch werden.
You also offer products for children, how different is a children range from an adult one?
Rivelles KIDS achtet auf gute Verträglichkeit, um die sensible Kinderhaut nicht zu irritieren. Wir meiden daher auch viele natürliche Ingredienzien, die Allergien auslösen können: Bienenharz, Gluten, Wollwachs (Lanolin), Ringelblumen, Kamille, Arnika, Zimt oder Minze. Stattdessen verwenden wir nur die besten Zutaten, wie BIO Haferöl und BIO Brokkolisamenöl. Bei Rivelles Yva & Adam Shampoo verzichten wir bewusst auf ätherische Öle als Duftstoffe, da das Shampoo direkt mit der sensiblen Kopfhaut in
Berührung kommt.
Eng. tr: Rivelles KIDS aims to offer complete tolerance and safety for all allergy-prone and/or sensitive skin, especially for children. Hence why we avoid numerous natural ingredients as well which can be triggers as well: Beeswax, gluten, lanolin, marigold, camomile, arnica, cinnamon or mint. Instead we only use the best ingredients such as organic oat oil and organic broccoli seed oil. In our Rivelles Yva & Adam shampoo, we deliberately avoid essential oils as fragrances as shampoo comes in drect contact with sensitive scalp.
The Review:
Now that you know more about Rivelles and their philosophy, I can share my thoughts about what I got to try.
The rice cleansing cream
A soft, fluffy cream cleanser which lifts away makeup and grime in a few swipes. It doesn’t dry out the skin, nor leaves a sticky feeling. It has a velvety texture and works both as a makeup remover/second cleanser. This gentle cleanser respects the skin’s natural pH. The combination of kaolin clay and mango butter is clever, because mango butter heals irritations and kaolin, high in silica, helps in removing dead skin while purifying and ‘detoxing’ the skin. It’s light but keeps my skin clean and fresh. When I feel my skin “on edge” i.e a bit itchy and sensitive, I reach out for the rice cleanser because it is mild, and I know it won’t strip the skin or cause a skin reaction.
Price: 15Eur.
Ingredients: Aqua, Oryza Sativa Oil, Glycerin, Bolus Alba (kaolin clay), C14-22 Alcohol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Mangifera Indica Butter (Mango Butter), Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Sucrose Cocoate, Xanthan, Lactic Acid (vegan).
Oat face fluid/night cream
If I’d have to pick my least favorite, then it would be this one. I’m mostly stuggling with breakouts and unbalanced skin, therefore the oat face fluid wasn’t the most fitting product for me. I still enjoyed its hydrating benefits, but this product is meant to quench thirsty and dehydrated skin, which is not a woe I’m stuggling with (yet ;). The ingredient I’m not comfortable with is “urea”: the first time I come accross it, it’s a preservative used to slow the loss of moisture from a product during use – moisture being in this product its key benefit.
Price: 29Eur.
Ingredients: Aqua, Squalane oil, Avena Sativa Oil, (oat oil) Lecithin, Urea, Glycerin, Oryza Sativa Oil (Rice bran oil), Triticum Vulgare Oil (Wheatgerm oil), Benzyl Alcohol,
Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan, Lactic Acid
(vegan)
 |
| From left to right: Rice cleanser, oat oil, Activa face oil, oat night cream |
Oat face oil (momentarily unavailable on the website)
The oat oil – which smells of porridge 😉 – is light yet incredibly nourishing. I’ve been using this for a few months, and I experience any breakouts and I credit this oil for keeping my skin balanced. Now that fall is approaching and that the weather is starting to cool down, I reckon that this oil would be even more enjoyable because it’s hydrating. Every evening I’d apply it, I’d wake up the following day with a fresh, glowy face à la Holly Golightly and her “breakfast-cereal air of health”.**
Lighter than rosehip oil, it quickly penetrates into the skin, quenching dry and dehydrated skin in no time. Even if it says face oil, it’s actually an all-around product, body and hair can immensely benefit from it because it supports skin’s elasticity. Suitable for all skin types, organic oat oil is an excellent source of essential and Omega fatty acids and is effective in hearling dry and itchy skin. Why just “plain” organic oat oil and nothing else? Because oat oil has strong anti-inflammatory properties and possesses a great emolliency, acting as a natural emulsifier. Just like Indie lee’s squalane oil and Pai’s rosehip oil, Rivelles’ oat oil is a standout. A high-quality oil can be more potent that a mix of several oils.
Activa face oil:
I only recently started using it, because I’ve now learned my lesson (no more testing overload), so I can’t fully report on the results yet, but I have high hopes because the blend surely looks like a winning formula. Argan and squalane have been long-time loves now, but red raspberry seed oil is heralded for its potent antioxidant properties, Black currant seed oil for preventing premature aging, sacha inchi oil for maintining skin elasticity and coriander seed oil for toning and rejuvenating properties.
Price: 58 Eur.
Ingredients: Argania Spinosa L. Oil (Argan oil), Squalane oil, Plukenetia Volubilis Oil (Sacha Inchi oil), Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil (red raspberry seed oil), Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil (Black Currant seed oil), Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Coriandrum Sativum Seed Oil (Coriander seed oil).
While I get a kick out of elaborate, exotic blends with unique ingredients, minimalism is working wonders when done right, and Rivelles got the memo. It’s simplicity and refinery at its finest. For example, the oat oil contains one ingredients, similar to Pai’s rosehip oil. In fact, Rivelles and Pai share the same philosophy. Both aim to treat the skin delicately, without any sort of shock treatment, and follow the skin’s natural healing process. Both face oils and rice cleanser are absolutely amazing, and it makes me want to explore the rest of the line. Worth checking out : their kids shampoos and the Heaven collection.
Have you heard of Rivelles? What are your thoughts?
Take care,
Liz
4 Comments
Very interesting read, having allergies I am always curious about products which have been developed by people who understand these issues. I find oats help soothe eczema so the oat oil certainly grabs my attention 🙂
Thank you Sarah! Let me know if you want to try the oat oil, I can always try to ship you a little sample 🙂 xx
What a lovely brand, thank you very much for sharing Liz!<3 Oat oil is amazing, I've been so in love with my Gaia Creams Oat & Amaranth oil, it made such a difference and I totally get your excitmenet about it 🙂 xx
My pleasure Jana, thank you for reading <3 Yes, sometimes the simple things make actually all the difference 🙂 xx