Double Cleansing with NIOD and Hylamide

If you’re a skincare junkie, the worst thing you can possibly do is go on the Deciem site to see what’s new; I don’t think I’ve ever been on their site and left without wanting at least a couple of things (today it’s the Hylamide Booster Sensitive Fix and the soon-to-launch Hydra-Density Mist) and it’s really, really unfair on my bank balance.  Thankfully they’ve recently launched a range of purse-friendly – I’d even go as far as to say “budget” – skincare goodies that are very exciting (here’s my intro post) and I’ll be sharing my thoughts on three of them soon.  Today I thought I’d show you a couple of cleansers from the amazing Deciem brands, the Hylamide High-Efficiency Face Cleanser and the NIOD Sanskrit Saponins.

I’m a hardcore devotee of double cleansing as I wear a lot of make-up and I think it’s utterly pointless investing in and then using good skincare if you’re not going to give it a good, clean canvas to work on.  Most of the time I use something oil based to remove make-up, then I follow with a hard-working cleanser to really cleanse my skin.  The Hylamide High-Efficiency Face Cleanser is a light oil product that you use in a traditional sense – apply it to dry skin and work it in (including eyes), then add some water to turn it a little milky before removal.  Interestingly you can use this wet as well if you’re not wearing make-up, as a general cleanser rather than make-up remover.  It’s very gentle and leaves skin feeling balanced and lightly hydrated without any greasy residue.  I also really like the bottle which has a twist-up cap that allows you to squirt the product out, although always remember to close it back up just in case it gets knocked over! It’s £19 here – link – and a little goes a long way.

The NIOD skincare line is fascinating…and slightly mental; especially the names! Although it does make them sound like ancient, magical potions which is quite fun.  The Sanskrit Saponins is an intense and pH-balancing cleanser that doesn’t feel rough or unpleasant on the face, but it’s quite deep cleansing…I’m really struggling to describe it here, can you tell?! The best way I can think of to describe how it feels as a cleanser is kind of like a clay mask without the clay; so you have that deeply cleansed sensation as if everything nasty has been lifted off the surface of the skin, but without the drying or “sucking” feeling of a clay product.  It smells a bit like Marmite but it isn’t overpowering and the scent doesn’t linger.  You use it by working it into a paste and working that past over the skin.  It starts off relatively fluid but it does dry quite quickly which kind of creates a slightly sturdier cleansing experience without being aggressive; it doesn’t glide over the skin, but instead it feels like it’s doing the job of a very good cleanser.  You really do need to try it to know what I mean! It’s recommended to be used every other day but I’d say you can happily use it daily, especially if you’re someone who likes the feeling of a really well cleansed skin without any residue or tightness.  It’s £21 for 90ml, or you can get double that for £34, both here – link.

*PR Samples