niod

NIOD Sanskrit Saponins Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 4 Comments

Sanskrit Saponins (SS) from Deciem’s NIOD is a pH-balanced, concentrated cleansing balm formulated with arginine and Ayurvedic plant surfactants. By deep-cleansing, SS claims to clean pores, clean dead skin cells without peeling and gently remove the skin’s own oils encouraging “natural recycling” of the oils. With continued use, SS is said to target build-up, congestion and blemishes. Claims are made that from the first use, SS leaves skin looking “pore-free,” clean and radiant.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Stearic Acid, Sapindus Mukurossi Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Arginine, Polysorbate 60, Acacia Concinna Fruit Extract, Balanites Aegyptiaca (Desert Date) Fruit Extract, Gypsophila Paniculata Root Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Melanin, Sorbic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

Directions: This is to be used once every other day in the morning or evening, but can be used more often if desired. SS is not intended to remove makeup or sunscreen, so cleanse the skin using another cleanser as a first step. Wet face and lather SS into a paste in the hands for a few seconds. Apply and massage gently, avoiding the eyes, then rinse.

I have oily skin prone to breakouts and blemishes and often get build-up and congestion, especially in the T-zone. I’ve been using this on and off for a long while, and have purchased three tubes thus far.

SS is a light tan/beige color with a thin, cream-like consistency. It smells rather yeasty, which I don’t mind. It doesn’t lather or foam on massaging into the skin.

This is a product that I didn’t realize was doing much of anything other than a nice cleanse until I stopped using it after a few weeks. I then started using again and realized it had helped with clearing dead skin, making the skin smoother, and skin appeared clearer and less congested around my nose and forehead. I have since been using this as a morning mask and cleanse (with much better results than using as just a cleanser), putting a rather generous amount on dry skin, letting it sit while brushing my teeth or showering, then massaging with a bit of water and rinsing. Using it like this, my skin is immediately smoother and more radiant-looking from the first use. With continued use, I don’t feel like my pores look smaller, but my skin is generally clearer, cleaner, less oily and feels less bumpy. SS helps small breakouts along the jawline and whiteheads on the forehead. For bigger pimples, I’m not sure they are cleared up any sooner than the usual healing time, but seems to help with redness and irritation of these larger pimples and helps prevent these breakouts. This has no effect on the blackheads around my nose. SS is also nice to use with the Foreo Luna. SS rinses well and is not drying.

SS comes in a metal tube and once punctured, product runs out on opening the lid for the first few uses. I then have to try and close the lid really fast while product continues to leak out around the lid. There have also been some inconsistencies in the formula between the three tubes I have bought. In one, the SS was thicker, one was thinner and the last tube I bought had some small, hard particles in it; these were not uniform like in a scrub and were rather sharp on the face, but seemed to dissolve slightly in water while massaging the cleanser on the face.

Sanskrit Saponins has become one of my favorite morning masks/cleansers. It provides the results claimed (except for the skin appearing pore-free) and I will continue to purchase.

Thank you for reading.

NIOD Re:Pigment Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ Leave a comment

Re:Pigment (RP) is a skin brightening serum from Deciem’s NIOD that targets hyperpigmentation, uneven pigmentation and overall pigmentation issues.  This product claims to visibly counteract uneven pigmentation, such as spots, and to brighten the skin.

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Ingredients: Lentinus edodes mycelium extract, Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Propanediol, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Butylene Glycol, Acetyl glycyl beta-alanine, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3, Tetrapeptide-30, Oligopeptide-68, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract, Algae Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Oleate, Disodium EDTA, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ethoxydiglycol, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl glycol.

RP uses a number of active brightening technologies:  Diglucosyl gallic acid NIOD says is  sixty times more potent than kojic acid in visibly brightening skin tone, acetyl glycyl beta alanine is a  brightening peptide solution that claims to visibly enhance the skin’s radiance, a high concentration of white shiitake ferment claims to target the appearance of dark spots within less than a week of use, potassium azeloyl diglycinate (azeloyl glycine) is used for brightening and anti-redness, encapsulated oligopeptide-68 claims to reduce the appearance of pigmentation from sun damage, solubilized tetrapeptide-30 claims to even the skin’s complexion and red evodia fruit derivative claims to encourage skin radiance and evenness.

To target previous hyperpigmentation from sun damage and breakouts, I have also had IPL treatments (photofacial) and have used the Obagi Nu-Derm system, both with great success. I wanted to try a serum that was less expensive than those above and did not contain kojic acid or hydroquinone.

Directions state to shake lightly and apply in the morning and evening. Use sun protection.

I have hyperpigmentation (freckles) from the sun mostly on my cheek bones, redness to my skin and am prone to postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (these are darkened spots on the skin left behind after a pimple has healed). Hyperpigmentation takes a long time to treat, and I didn’t expect this product to work in just a few months (despite the claim that white shiitake ferment targets spots in less than a week), so took a full year to review.

I applied morning and night, one to two drops on each of my cheeks (the apples of the cheeks to the under eye socket and to the jaw line) as this is where I get hyperpigmentation from the sun and breakouts. There is not really a smell to the product. I don’t find it be oily on the skin, but it doesn’t seem to penetrate fully and on touching my skin, I can feel the product hours after application.

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Above, on the right side of my face, I got a breakout at 3 months, which turned into a postinflammatory hyperpigmented spot. These spots take months to fade on their own. I can still see it faintly at 12 months, but I’m not sure it faded faster with the RP than it would have on its own. My complexion is more even and some freckling has a bit of fading by 12 months. I think for redness, NIOD’s Modulating Glucosides or SDSM is better (perhaps not for long term, however). Some of the scarring towards my chin and jawline looks better, I think due to more evenness of the skin. For evenness and exfoliation, I feel that vitamin C or an AHA or retinol serum does a better job for less cost and with faster results than RP.

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On the left side of my face, the freckling looks a bit faded and there is more evenness to the skin.

I expected more from this product after 12 months of twice-daily use.  While RP claims to fight redness, even the complexion, fade spots and make the skin brighter and more radiant, there was only a slight fading of the hyperpigmentation and more evenness to the skin. As mentioned, vitamin C, AHA and retinols promote exfoliation, radiance and brightness as well as a more even complexion, while other anti-redness serums work better as well.

I will not repurchase this product.

Thank you for reading.

NIOD Modulating Glucosides Review

~ Michele Raiyne ~ 3 Comments

Modulating Glucosides (MG) from Deciem’s NIOD is a relatively new product that is silicone and oil free and targets signs of skin sensitivity, discomfort and irritation by reducing the look of redness and reduces itchiness and stinging, particularly caused by procedures, acids and retinols.

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Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Squalane, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Hexyldecanol, Bisabolol, Butylene Glycol, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Rosmarinyl Glucoside, Caffeyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Tetrasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Naringeninchalcone, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, 4-t-Butylcyclohexanol, Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Palmitoyl tripeptide-8, Superoxide Dismutase, Sodium PCA, PCA, Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Aspartic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Mirabilis Jalapa Callus Extract, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Curculigo Orchioides Root Extract, Isochrysis Galbana Extract, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols, Stearic Acid, Dextran, Isoceteth-20, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Xanthan gum, Tocopherol, Propyl Gallate, Tromethamine, Dehydroacetic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol.

This product contains a number of actives – bioactive glucosides to soothe skin and counteract uneven skin tone caused by sensitivity or irritation; a lipid complex to reduce stinging, itching and redness; a lipopeptide to reduce chemical-induced irritation; naringenin chalcone to comfort stressed skin; superoxide dismutase, a potent antioxidant; a pH balancing agent; tasmanian pepperberry to calm stressed skin; a molecule for barrier support that offers hydration.

Directions state to apply a few drops to the face morning and night. If using in a NIOD regimen, apply after CAIS, but before MMHC.

I bought this product before the Deciem website listed anything in the information section (this information really should have been on the website at launch), but read in an Instagram post that MG was for redness on the skin. I have oily, breakout prone skin that is not sensitive, but I have redness of my cheeks almost all the time except for some mornings (not from rosacea or other skin condition). I bought this product in hopes that it would soothe this redness. At the time I used MG I was not using any acids or retinols nor had any procedures, so cannot speak to the efficacy of MG in those scenarios.

This product is like a thin lotion, yellow in color and comes in a brown dropper bottle. It has a bit of a medicinal smell that dissipates quickly. While it does soak into the skin, I find that it leaves a bit of a protective barrier on the skin pretty much all day, so that I can still feel the product with my fingers hours after application (I don’t use too much; 3 to 4 drops for the whole face). I’m surprised it is to be applied after MMHC, as MG is thicker and seems to stay in a layer on the skin (though the MMHC still seems to get absorbed).

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I used NIOD Modulating Glucosides for 2 months, morning and night. On looking at the photos, it looks like I had about a 50% reduction in redness and some of the texture and irritation was reduced on the right side of my face. I don’t find MG to be hydrating on its own. I am surprised that this product comes in a dropper bottle, as this is messy to use. You can buy a NIOD pump separately, but why doesn’t it come with a pump bottle on purchasing? The same was true for the NIOD sun care, but I see it comes in a pump now. While there was reduction in redness (which I was hoping for) and reduction in the texture and irritation that is often present on the right side of my face, the Modulating Glucosides didn’t completely resolve the redness on further use and the redness, in fact, came back. I got similar, if not better results on using NIOD SDSM (albeit the redness came back after 4 months’ use as well). I don’t see sufficient or continuing results on further use of the Modulating Glucosides to consider a repurchase.

Update: I have since used MG while using Retin A. I didn’t have much left, but was able to use it for about a week. On application, as with most skincare used while on Retin A, I got stinging to the skin (surprising since it’s supposed to be soothing), but perhaps not as much redness. I applied to the newly tweezed skin around my eyebrows; I get redness, pain and bumps on the skin after tweezing or waxing. MG took away some redness but not much in the way of irritation relief. I prefer Balance to the Modulating Glucosides.

Now that I have blonde hair (I was a dark brunette; you can read about the process here), the redness in my cheeks is more noticeable. I just purchased Your Best Face Skincare’s reformulated Balance that similarly claims to calm skin and reduce redness and breakouts while balancing oils . The previous Balance formula was promoted as an oil absorbing mattifying treatment (which my skin loved). Keep an eye on this space to see the new Balance review in the coming months.

Thank you for reading.