REVIEW: NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum (CAIS)

 

Now that I have a backup of the NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum (CAIS), I can safely say that this serum has earned a permanent spot on my skincare shelf.

Two years ago, I had "invested" in a 30ml bottle of this pricey serum by Deciem's NIOD brand, which needs little introduction for those who are savvy with their skincare. In case you're new to Deciem, NIOD or CAIS, kindly Google. :)

Hailed as one of Deciem's superhero products, the NIOD CAIS has copper peptides which repair skin. If you want to read about the science bit of copper peptides, check out the Deciem website, They explain it well. Or you could Google and see what skincare experts say.

If I had to rename this serum, I would call it 'Repair and Restore'. And that is exactly what it does. It heals acne, fades away acne marks, restores radiance by evening out the skin tone, calms down redness, fades hyperpigmentation (but only slightly, in my experience). Name a skincare problem and this will take care of it. It does all this with the help of copper peptides, which stimulate collagen, the building blocks of our skin. Think of it this way, if you replace all the old, worn-out bricks in a wall with brand new ones, you get a shiny new wall, right? The CAIS rebuilds and restores skin in a similar manner.

NIOD explains this product in a similar fashion. This is what the brand says:

As a highly-focused effort to maintain healthy-looking skin, this pro-repair, pro-collagen serum offers a novel approach to target all signs of skin aging indirectly. This indirect approach departs from the traditional thinking of addressing visible aspects of skin aging individually and instead forms a foundation to respect skin health.

The high 2% concentration of GHK and GHK-Cu in CAIS2 targets signs of skin aging, including visible textural damage, uneven tone, visibly enlarged pores and a general lack of healthy radiance normally present in younger skin. In short, the skin will look healthier with continued visible improvements with continued use.

While I've seen great results with the first generation of CAIS (pictured above next to the 2:1) which had 1% direct GHK copper peptide, this second generation CAIS has 2% copper peptide, which gives 1% pro-repair copper peptide and 1% pro-collagen peptide. Obvs, I'm excited to use this version and will let you know how it goes.

Now, the Mr. does not use skincare (as is the case with most men on this planet) but this is one product he turns to, albeit grudgingly. He has seen it work on the one or two odd breakouts he'll have from time to time. His breakouts (and mine) are reduced drastically overnight, and I'm not exaggerating. I have seen his surprised expression the following morning, on noticing how fast CAIS had repaired and healed his breakouts.

Apart from taking care of breakouts and healing the skin, CAIS works on the skin in a slow but steady manner. Depending on how regular you are with using it, you would see it perfecting your skin on a gradual basis. Post regular use of CAIS, my skin is MSBB (My Skin But Better).

This should go on the skin, first thing after washing your face and pat-drying it. Don't bother with toner -- just put a few drops of this watery serum and move it around on your face. You don't even need to massage it in. It absorbs readily. It literally feels like you are applying water to your face. Post application, it doesn't feel like anything. I don't experience instant hydration as such but it's over time that you notice that your skin is behaving how it ideally should. Over time, it is naturally balanced, clearer and just overall, healthy.

Now, for the price tag! This stuff does not come cheap and I'd be broke if I were to use it daily, which I did initially with my 30ml bottle. Since then, I reserve this liquid gold for times when my skin is truly stressed out (I've put it on skin that turned red due to over-exfoliation and it managed to take down the redness immediately) or a breakout that is particularly nasty. At present, I'm quite happy with my skin so, I don't see the need of using CAIS on the daily.

If you're looking at minimising your skincare stash and/or routine, you should consider getting this serum, It's one product that does the work of five products combined. That said, it's not a must-have product either, if you're pretty happy with the state of your skin. Like I mentioned earlier, I reserve it only for dire occasions. I mean, if it weren't so damn expensive, I would bathe in this stuff.

That's it, folks! If you have any questions, do let me know. And do check out the NIOD/Deciem website to read more about this product. As always, do your research and then invest. Be a savvy shopper! :)

Earthwise Beauty Haul - Part I (Skincare featuring Marshmallow Face Cleanser, Cistus and Moonlight Face Mist and Yasuni Face Balm)

I’ve been meaning to write about my Earthwise Beauty haul for quite some time, but did not get around to it until now. Well, better late than never! I should have known that this post would be a long one. Hence, I have segregated it into two parts. The following is Part 1 focusing on the skincare items of this haul. Stay tuned for Part 2, which will focus on the Dandelion Tea and Essences.

BRAND NEW PACKAGING

First off, the Miron glass and the coppery, rose-gold labels in a quirky, fairy-ish font! Ava has retained the mystical quality of her brand through these new labels. And she could not have done a better job than this! While many, including myself, are wistful about the older packaging, I applaud Ava for changing with the times and doing what’s right for her brand. Without the Miron glass packaging, her products would not have made it to brick-and-mortar stores in all their freshness and potency, which is one of the most unique differentiators between Earthwise Beauty and many other brands. Honestly, no other brand that I have tried so far has come close to Earthwise Beauty in terms of freshness. And as far as brick-and-mortar stores go, Earthwise Beauty products have just recently made their debut in one such beautifully curated boutique. So, kudos, Ava! The efforts are paying off.

 

MARSHMALLOW FACE CLEANSER

Next up, the Marshmallow Face Cleanser, previously called Marshmallow Suds. This is such a beautiful cleanser. It is no-fuss with minimal but effective ingredients and super hydrating. It lathers just about enough, which is perfect for me. It’s almost like a Goldilocks situation—too much lather strips my skin, and too less does not feel like it’s working. The Marshmallow Cleanser has hit the right spot for me. The cleanser composition has been tweaked recently, with one or two ingredients switched out or replaced, and I can say that this has definitely improved its scent. The sample I had of the previous formulation did not smell as pleasant as this new one does. It does not smell like a valley of flowers in case you’re wondering but that’s what I like about it. It has an earthy, herbaceous scent with just a tinge of floral.

I use this cleanser twice every day, without fail. I should get a back-up because I cannot do without it. I will either use it as my solo cleanser in the AM or as my second cleanser in the PM. But here’s a novel way to use this cleanser. You know how I like to experiment with my products, either making concoctions or using them differently. So, here’s what I like to do with the Marshmallow Cleanser. As part of my recent experiment to pare down my skincare routine/stash in an effort to be more minimalistic, I'm trying to eliminate the toner step and use this instead. I have been massaging this cleanser on damp skin (after I’m done with my first cleanse typically with an oil or balm) and then wiping it all off with half a cotton pad (half because I’m trying not to generate too much waste). You’d be surprised by the residue on the pad even after doing a first cleanse. I like to do this because I live in a highly polluted city so I’m never satisfied with a single cleanse especially in the PM. If you have this cleanser, try using it this way and let me know how it goes!

CISTUS AND MOONLIGHT FACE MIST

My ultimate hydrating mist ever! I love this to bits and I must thank Andie of @andiethegreenqueen for introducing this to me. The way she had described its scent, I was sold! And I have been a fan ever since. Many mists in the green beauty market are too hydrating for me, sometimes leaving a thin film or an oily look behind. But not this! This absorbs so quickly (it is mostly cistus hydrosol and aloe vera juice and just a tinge of cistus essential oil) thus leaving behind a velvety matte feel. For an oily-combination skin like mine, that’s very important. I will forever have this baby in my stash.

I have reviewed this on my blog previously (click here and here to read) but I reiterate here that this mist is more than a mist to me. I feel calm and composed and ready to face the day when I use this in the mornings. Likewise, in the PM, I feel grounded when I apply this after cleansing. The gem and flower essences used in this mist must definitely be working on me, which is why I feel calm, composed and grounded.

When using this from a spray bottle, I had realised that so much product was getting wasted due to spritzing. And since I did not want to waste even a millilitre of this, I requested Ava to provide me a pump so that I could pump this into my palm and pat it into my skin like a Korean essence. I was right! I love using it this way and no wastage of product whatsoever. I even take any leftover product up to my hairline. It helps to smooth any flyaways! One product and so many ways to use it!

I still have the bottle from the older packaging so if I’m ever in the mood to also use this as a spritz, I know I can. Plus, I love the older packaging so much, I just don’t have the heart to throw it out.

YASUNI FACE BALM

I never thought I would like any other balm except Tigress Face Balm, even if Ava herself came up with one. But I can see why Yasuni Face Balm is such a winner. For the record, I still prefer Tigress but what sets Yasuni apart from many balms on the market is that it’s a treatment balm. I think Ava should have put the words ‘Treatment Balm’ on the label itself, because this does not simply hydrate or lock in moisture. This treats and exfoliates the skin the way many high-end serums do thanks to its enzymatic action. And unlike high-end treatment products that sting the skin, this does none of that. I see every skin type and condition benefitting from using the Yasuni Balm. I saw my clogged pores getting cleaned up by the day, which is not an easy feat. 

When Ava, in one of her Instagram posts, said that one can use this balm as a moisturiser, I was excited. But when I saw the texture of this balm, it appeared like a solid balm (it’s not as juicy as Tigress) and I was confused how this can be used as a moisturiser. After a few seconds of head-scratching, it occurred to me that maybe I need to warm it in the palm of my hands. And so, I did. The balm melts into a light to medium-weight oil due to the heat of your touch and can then be used as a moisturiser. I still prefer to mix a drop of Ferns and Moss into this for reparative effect or a smidgen of Tigress and Farizad’s Veil to make a skincare-sunscreen-treatment product.

I love that it is formulated without essential oils so that makes it apt for sensitive-skin folks. I will admit though that I’m not a fan of its scent, as it reminds me of bitter medicine but when you think of it, that is precisely how it acts on your skin. It’s medicine! I already think of Ava as a medicine woman, and this reaffirms my thinking.

So, that’s it folks! As usual, I have rambled on and on but I can’t help it. When I love something this much, I have to share my thoughts with you, skinsleuth style!

Stay tuned for Part II of my Earthwise Beauty haul. Have a lovely week ahead.

Detox Duo: Earthwise Beauty Green Leaves and Co. Facial Oil + Tigress Face Balm

By now, most people know my love for Earthwise Beauty, an organic skincare line that not only offers potent, effective skincare but also luxurious formulations.

Recently, I had reviewed its long-time popular product, the Green Leaves and Co. Facial Oil. My review can be found here. However, did you know that the fabulous results of the Green Leaves and Co. oil can be maximised by combining it with the most recent Earthwise Beauty creation, the Tigress Balm?

I call this the Detox Duo. And how does it benefit my skin? Read on to find out...

One of the biggest skin issues I have is clogged pores. While I don't suffer from blackheads, I'm a long-time victim of sebaceous filaments and the occasional whiteheads. Ever since my teenage years, my skin has been oily and that's when the clogged pore situation took roots. I didn't think much of it because I had other priorities back then. And while I discovered proper skincare only in my late 20s/early 30s, you can imagine how neglected or poorly treated my skin was until then. I'm giving you this background only because it will help you understand how these two products helped me.

So, back to this duo. At first, I had tried only the Green Leaves and Co. oil. I had a sample size which gave me ample opportunity/product to test out. But when I mix the oil with the balm in the palm of my hand and apply it all over the face, this is what it does for me:

1) The mixture brings those pesky filaments to a head within a few hours. Overnight application works best for me as the skin is undisturbed during nighttime. In the morning, I spend a few minutes to extract the obviously visible ones. The result I typically see is that congestion is down by at least 50%. In numbers, this may not seem like much but when you see the result on the face, it's truly remarkable. I spend the rest of the day touching my smooth bump-less skin, which otherwise feels like a mini version of an extra-fine cheese grater, especially around the nose and chin area. 🤣

Please note that you can't get rid of sebaceous filaments completely because a) some are deep-rooted and applying too much pressure to extract the deeper ones can damage the skin while some simply won't surface, and b) sebaceous filaments are formed continuously--it's like a cycle in the skin. The only thing you can do is 1) use skincare products that truly work at reducing acne while nourishing your skin with acne-repairing ingredients and 2) keep extracting the filaments regularly either via facials done by experts or doing it yourself at home. I have a nifty tool, which I sanitise and use expertly. Yes, I'm pretty good at it. I did say I was a long-time sufferer of the filaments. 😆

2) The mix of Green Leaves oil and Tigress Balm heals spots/pimples too and works more effectively when applied as a concentrated spot treatment. So, while I typically apply the mixture all over the face, I also dab more of it on any existing or about-to-emerge spots. In the past, I have seen a pus-filled spot disappear completely by day 3 of nightly application. TMI, I know!

3) The mixture also nourishes the skin with anti-aging ingredients. While the Green Leaves oil has rosemary verbenone, violet and lavender, the Tigress Balm has frankincense essential oil. Combining anti-acne with anti-aging is like killing two birds with one stone and is especially appreciated by adult skin because the age-old acne solution aimed at teenagers, which dries the skin out, does not work for us. We want anti-acne benefits coupled with supple skin.

4) The Tigress Balm, in particular, also has skin tissue regenerating ingredients such as uccuba butter and spikenard essential oil. I appreciate this because you do not just want the acne to reduce and go away; you want the affected area to regenerate too. However, do keep in mind that the regeneration does not happen overnight. You need to use the product consistently and for a long time.

5) This point is actually subjective but I think it completes my ritual of using these two products. I just love the scent that Green Leaves oil and Tigress Balm create when mixed together. It's like aromatherapy but on an elevated level--with Ava's products, you typically don't find the usual suspects like rose and jasmine. Instead, you find the freshest green leaf scent enveloped by a sophisticated lavender merging with a spicy, buttery, hay-like aroma laced with a tinge of tobacco. You have to smell it yourself to know what I'm talking about. And while this combined scent may not be everyone's thing, it is definitely mine. On a side note, I think I should do a separate blog post just describing the scents of my favourite skincare products.

So, there you go, folks. This is how we layer and roll! I'd love to know if you use either of these two products or even both and how you like to use them. Comment below! Thanks for reading. 😊

REVIEW: Earthwise Beauty Green Leaves and Co. Facial Oil

By now, my Instagram friends must be well aware of my love and devotion towards Earthwise Beauty, an organic, luxurious skincare brand based in the US. Ava, the brand's founder, is well-known for her vast knowledge, passion for herbs, flowers and gemstones, impeccable sourcing of ingredients, flawless formulations and the praiseworthy customer service. And all this is topped by truly unique, highly effective and sensuous products.

I was introduced to Earthwise Beauty through the Boxwalla June 2017 Beauty box which included three popular and truly unique products—Nap in the Meadow, Ruby Facial Oil and Farizad's Veil. Needless to say, I fell in love with these products as did almost every green beauty connoisseur out there. Which is why in this blog post, I want to focus on a different product from the Earthwise Beauty line-up, the Green Leaves and Co. Facial Oil, reviews of which are not so easy to find among the beauty blogging community. After using a sample of this, and while using a full-sized jar, I have come to some conclusions about this product and acne-prone skin in general.


My skin battles:
Before I tell you what this product did for me, I want to give you an idea of what my skin is like. I have acne-prone skin, but not in the conventional sense. I don't suffer from cystic or hormonal acne but I'm forever prone to clogged pores due to whiteheads and sebaceous filaments, and sometimes an odd pimple or two. Because of the clogged pore situation, I tend to have a gritty texture especially on my nose, sides of the nose and chin.

If you Google treatments for such skin type, you'd see salicylic acid as the number one solution, followed by glycolic acid. And trust me, I used both religiously for a couple of years. Bravura London was my brand of choice for these products. My skin, right after treatment with these products, would appear super smooth and almost poreless—a gratifying sight indeed. The salicylic acid seemed like a holy-grail product for me.


The side effects: 
Until I started noticing the side effects of using these chemical exfoliants. After the initial 'wonder' effect wore off in a day or two, I'd be left with a dull/gray complexion and even some form of hyperpigmentation, possibly because salicylic acid is known to increase the skin’s sun sensitivity by 50%, and if you're not careful/adequate about sun protection, you're inviting other harmful skin conditions. And I admit I wasn't adequate in the sun protection dept a couple of years ago because I hated using icky sunscreen creams living in a humid, tropical climate. Sunscreen gels, on the other hand, didn't feel adequate. Most of all, I was using chemicals to exfoliate my skin but not supplying enough hydration. A very well-known side effect of salicylic acid is skin dryness. Over-dry skin leads to overproduction of sebum, thus creating a vicious cycle.


The revelation:
After using the trio of Nap in the Meadow, Ruby Facial Oil and Farizad's Veil, my hydration, nourishment and sun protection issues were addressed immensely. But the acne situation was yet to be resolved. Until...I came across Green Leaves and Co. Facial Oil.

Green Leaves and Co. Facial Oil is an acne-healing facial oil described as "noncomedogenic, fully absorbent, refreshing, creamy-velvety, and antimicrobial in a virgin coconut–virgin jojoba oil base". Until this point, I had only heard about facial oils that targeted aging and wrinkles but this was the first time I heard about an oil blend targeted at acneic skin. Yes, we've all heard about tea tree oil spot treatments, but this promised so much more. I was immediately intrigued.

Consider this. What if your chemical exfoliant was replaced with herbs known for regulating  oil production so that you're not constantly oily and using blotting wipes all the time? What if you use a facial oil that not only purges acne but also nourishes the skin, thus eliminating the chance of excess oil production, a side effect of drying exfoliants? Green Leaves and Co. Facial Oil does all this and more.

The full list of ingredients is as follows:
Virgin cold-press unrefined Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil*†, virgin cold-press unrefined golden Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, Rosmarinus officinalis ct. verbenone (rosemary) oil*, Thymus vulgaris ct. linalool (thyme) oil*, hexane-free Viola odorata (violet) leaf absolute*, wildcrafted Lavandula angustifolia (high-altitude French lavender, from Haute Provence) oil, Citrus clementine leaf oil* (from Corsica), Ocimum sanctum (holy basil) oil* (India,), Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract.
*Certified organic.  †Certified Fair Trade

Green Leaves and Co. contains coconut oil, which typically clogs pores for many, including me. But this oil doesn't! I'm sharing an excerpt from Ava's recent interview with The Boxwalla, wherein she says this about coconut oil:

"A skincare myth you'd like to debunk?

Some will disagree, but I came to believe that cold-press unheated unrefined coconut oil is not pore-clogging. It is a highly cooling oil that has a detoxifying property, which in some cases means a customer may with initial use get breakouts that are impurities, toxins coming up to the surface. This type of detox reaction is more likely to happen if a customer has an acne tendency and has long used suppressing, strongly astringent anti-acne products. With customers who are just beginning to test different topical acne solutions, this reaction is usually brief, nondramatic, or nonexistent. I leave it up to customers to decide whether to hang in there and support the body’s detox through skin-care products and herbs (I often encourage customers to look into light yet effective herbal detoxes, such as Dr. Schulze’s 5-Day Liver Detox or classic Chinese formulas prescribed by an acupuncturist), or to return to skin care products without coconut oil."

What it did for me:
I'm sure you are most interested in reading this part of the blog post. So here's what it did for me:

1) The first thing you notice about this green-tinted oil is its scent. OMG! It smells like fresh green leaves but combined with the most sophisticated violet/lavender and the earthy aroma of petrichor, the smell of earth right after a rain shower, after a long dry period! I have been hunting for products with this kind of scent so I was pleasantly surprised with this discovery. Several Earthwise Beauty customers have also praised the scent, but you can't really know until you smell it yourself. I use it as an aromatherapy perfume, rubbed into my palms and breathed in deeply. It helps me center myself and lift my mood, especially when I'm feeling tired or sulky.

2) I noticed its purging properties when I had a particularly large pimple starting to surface on my chin. It hadn't fully formed so I thought it would be a good time to test this oil. I applied it as a spot treatment one night; by next morning, the spot stayed the same. By day 2 morning and regular spot application, the spot came to a surface. I could see the pus brought up to the surface of the skin. Sorry, gross I know! And by day 3 morning, the spot vanished completely. I'm not kidding. It's like the pus and impurities were pulled out without me touching the spot at all. The only thing I'll say is that for me, even after the pimple goes away, the scar remains for a long time. And this oil is not enough for scar reduction. However, the Ferns and Moss serum has been phenomenal for repairing scars, whatever little I have used of it as a sample.

3) When used as a facial oil all over the face, I notice that it regulates/balances the oil production (my skin is less oily now), while giving my face a hydrated yet velvety-matte look and feel. You don't know what a boon that is for combination skin types. We either get doled out icky/drying gels just because we have oily skin; on the other hand, heavy creams are just too heavy for us.

4) This oil also works great when used with Farizad's Veil. In fact, when I asked Ava, she said that all of her oils can be used during the day as well as night. Combination skin types will appreciate the hydrated yet matte look this oil gives when combined with Farizad's Veil sunscreen powder. I certainly appreciated it in hot weather.


Conclusion:
Green Leaves and Co. is a keeper for me for its acne-purging, hydrating yet mattifying, and aromatherapy purposes. If any of these properties interest you and you have acne-prone skin, I urge you to look into it. Try a sample first as I did, especially if you're not confident about how it will benefit your skin.

I apologise for the very long review. I just had so many things to say about this product and I don't like writing just one paragraph about such a good product.

If you decide to get this, let me know how it goes, here or on my Instagram (@skinsleuth). Have a nice weekend! 😙