Vichy Normaderm Night Detox: Review and Swatches

So I'm a really lazy blogger, I admit.

I've loved some products over the past few months now, and they'll soon be empties now.

First up among the soon-to-be-empties, the Vichy Normaderm Night Detox, priced at INR 900 from nykaa.com

What it is: A night cream for the really oily, acne prone folks.

I came across this on Caroline Hirons' amazing blog (go check it out if you’ve not done -- yet) while searching for a good cream without SPF that would not aggravate my acne.

Packaging: Green, sterile tube packaging. No frills, really hygienic and works well in dispensing the product out.

The full ingredient list is given on the side of the tube.

Smell: has a really light floral smell which dissipates very fast. I’m not a big fan of the smell, but thankfully it doesn’t stay too long to be a bother.

Texture: the cream is slightly dirty-white in color, very fluid and not greasy/too emollient at all.

The runny lotion like texture

On application: It absorbs immediately on seconds and leaves the skin feeling slightly matte, but well hydrated. Absolutely a boon for the oily skin folks, but those with dry skin and spots, you'll need to layer a slightly heavier night cream (Lotus Herbals Nutranite Night Cream and Dewsoft Lotion are both my picks) on top of it.

See how easily it absorbs, leaving that beautiful soft matte finish!

On waking up: Skin gets a wonderful glow without apparent oiliness, pores appear diminished, and the acne appears reduced. Skin feels, looks so very clean.

On prolonged application: it does actually reduce the overall oiliness of the skin with time. That means skin will be producing a healthy amount of oil (the healthy glow!) but you won't turn into oil mine easily. Skin appears really refined, imperfections (for me, acne marks) reduce over time, skin stays very smooth and hydrated.

Will I repurchase? I am not an oil mine much anymore, so I won't need it as often. That said, I’ll be keeping a backup tube, because who knows when I just might need it: P

Finally a product that does all it says. Sigh!

P.S.: Do not consider this to be an overnight acne/spot treatment, it is not. For something like that, look for La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo cream or Avene Triacneal. Or perhaps a dermatologist (your best bet). It essentially hydrates the skin without inflaming up the problems, because even troubled skin needs moisture. (I’ll revise that statement: Every-freaking-skin needs moisture!)

Budget Skincare Routine for Combination-to-Oily, Acne Prone Skin!

Skincare Routine for Combination-to-Oily, Acne Prone Teen/ Young Adult Skin (on a Budget!)

Part of my Skincare Kit

 

I’m sorry for the long hiatus. I shifted places, started having heavy workloads and didn’t own a laptop or PC for quite a long time. In midst of this, however, my ever present pigmentation issues started increasing. Acne made its appearance and got more stubborn by the day, and things soon started to go out of hand when I tried wearing makeup which before had never posed any issues for me. Skin stung, burnt, and there would be vicious zits on my face for the next day.

The entire situation made me rethink about my skincare….to be honest I never did skincare as much as I loved makeup.  So a visit to the derma, armed with his advice, plus sticking to a routine, involving proper cleansing, toning and moisturizing did WONDERS for my skin. It cleared up, had a glow, and pigmentation reduced. I still have a bit left , hopefully it’ll clear up as well.

One thing I must say is follow a routine like you follow a religion. Stick to it, every single day. And results will be there for you to see :)

So without any ado, here it is:

Cleanser: I use Cetaphil Cleansing Lotion for Sensitive Skin. THE best for damaged, irritated sensitive skin. No soap, no alkali, yet cleans powerfully. I advice against opting for the OS (for oily skin variant); that is too harsh, too dry on the skin. Plus it smells of disinfectant. So NO. Also, I double cleanse. Every single day I use a sunblock or any makeup, I use a cream cleanser and a clean cloth with some lukewarm water to clear off the entire gunk, and then follow up with Cetaphil. Never, NEVER sleep with makeup on.  You’ll be killing your skin and welcoming a fresh attack of new pimples/irritants. For the cream cleanser, I love the Avene Gentle Milk Cleanser, extremely effective yet very lush: P

Budget option: The Lotus Herbals Tea Tree Gel face wash or the Clearasil face wash. Both are wonderfully effective. For the cream cleanser, the Himalaya Refreshing Cleansing Milk is good, as well as Neutrogena Gentle Cleanser.

Toner:  Choose something without any Alcohol/Alcohol Denat in the first five ingredients. Alcohol damages the skin; it’ll simply refuse to heal. I liked the Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Toner, but the reformulation included alcohol and I simply decided to steer clear. My current love: Lotus Herbals Basiltone toner. So soothing.
Budget option: make your own rosewater with a bit of basil leaf and camphor added in it. Freeze into cubes, use one after a hot day. Bliss.

Moisturizer:  I feel one of the biggest mistakes I did was to not moisturize the skin properly. Oily skins, even if you’re an oil mine, moisturize. A light gel based formula/oil free formula does the trick. I use: Sebamed Clear Face Gel.  Oil free, soothing, moisturizing, controls excess oil. Sounds like a dream, but honestly, a god send product it is.

Budget: I find the Lacto Calamine for Oily Skin working just as well. Also Lotus Herbals Acnegel is a good option. Same for Clearasil. They ensure that you’re moisturized and pimples don’t grow.

Scrub: I scrub twice a week, no more, with some lukewarm water and a gentle hand. Clears the blackheads, whiteheads and dead skin. I like the Neutrogena Blackhead Clearing Scrub, but I do like Lotus Herbals Whiteglow Oatmeal and Apricot Scrub as well.

Budget option: The Himalaya neem scrub/apricot scrub.

Face Pack: I used a pack twice a week, post scrubbing, simply because I loved the glow I get post using one. I usually use the Avene Clearance Mask, and sometimes alternate it with the Lotus Herbals Claywhite pack. Squeaky clean, tan free glowing happiness :)

Budget option: The Himalaya Neem Face pack is one of the best out there for oily skins.
  
 
Sunscreen: Like cleanser and moisturizer, this is one product that is a must. My Holy Grail is the Lotus 3 in 1 Sunblock (SPF 40): non greasy, oil controlling and a pretty tint to boot!

Budget option: The Aroma Magic Aloe Vera gel is non oily, non tinted, gel based, oil controlling and non acnegenic and perfect for sensitive skin. The negative is the SPF20, but touch it up every couple of hours and it’ll be fine.
 

Treatment for Acne:

I used a Clindamycin Gel( Brand name: Nilac Gel/Clindac A) over an Adapalene Gel ( Deriva MS) on my zits all over the face. This however, is better used under the supervision of a dermatologist. Plus acne treatments cease to work if used continuously over a month or so. Use them with care. Acne treatments also dry your skin out, which brings me to my night cream and lotion.


 

Night Cream: I love Vichy Normaderm Night Detox. Works on shrinking open pores, clearing zits, reducing the overall oiliness of skin—yes, if used on for a month or more, it does make your face less oily in general. It does everything it states, over a period of time. Also works on acne scars and is absolutely perfect for sensitive skin.

Unfortunately, I do not have any budget option for this. It’s nothing like anything I’ve ever used.

Bonus: Using the acne and skin treatment my skin gets very flakey and dry, I use a drop or two of Dewsoft skin at the dry spots.  Intensely hydrates, and will not break you out J

Budget choice: Himalaya Nourishing Lotion is a good pick.

So here it is, my skincare routine.

I hope I’ve been of help!