I find NIOD absolutely fascinating and I love going on their website and reading their long product descriptions – if you’re a skincare fanatic then there is plenty of joy to be found in a NIOD product info page! I remember the major excitement that surrounded the NIOD Flavanone Mud mask when it launched as everyone who used it spoke of how quickly it delivered results, so you can imagine how excited I was to try this bad boy myself.
One of the main reasons I like NIOD (and many of it’s Deciem brothers and sisters) is because the skincare is formulated to deliver results whilst maintaining good skin health, so consequently they tread very carefully with any ingredients that can upset or inflame skin and instead focus on those that help repair and heal the skin barrier. Having said that, if you think that means NIOD products are the skincare equivalent of being stroked by feathers, the Flavanone Mud treatment will stop you in your tracks as this mighty little product packs quite the punch.
I’m not going to go into extreme detail regarding the inner workings of the product as you can read about it on their product page, but I will quickly mention that the mask is designed to provide three levels of decongestion, starting with the purifying phase (as it sounds), then moving on to the protective phase which offers a shield against external build-up whilst treating inflammation, then the final responsive phase is where the Flavanone kicks in and helps skin fight off external aggravators. I have no idea whether it does all of the above, but what I can say is that it’s a very good mud mask that feels as if it’s getting to work as soon as you apply it (in a thin layer), wipes away easily and leaves skin looking and feeling fresh, clean and thoroughly treated without any dryness or dehydration. It’s a really interesting product that I can’t really compare to anything else, but if I were to try, I’d say it feels like a creamy mud mask full of alpha hydroxy acids – although of course it isn’t that as the NIOD guys aren’t fans of acids – as it feels like a thorough chemical exfoliation, both during and after the treatment. With that in mind, I think all skin types would benefit from it, but I think those with skin like mine (tricky, spot-prone, easily annoyed) would gain the most from regularly using it as a weekly treatment. The NIOD Flavanone Mud is available in two sizes – 50ml and 100ml – costing £29 and £38 respectively here – link.
*PR Sample
