Vichy Normaderm: Anti-Ageing Resurfacing Care Lotion

I've been meaning to write a review on the range for some time now (I've been using it for over a month), but I wasn't sure as to what was hindering me until this morning when after taking a critical look at my skin, I finally came to a conclusion. Vichy created the Normaderm range to cater the imperfection-prone adult. By their definition, you qualify as a candidate and your skin displays the six major giveaways; blemishes, enlarged pores, excess sebum, excess shine, marks and uneven complexion. Since my skin ticked all of the mentioned 'signs of imperfection' above, I figured this would be the ideal range for me. This doesn't necessarily mean that the range is for oily skin types only as one can also have dry skin and produce shine- so I would categorise the range under Oily to Combination. Nothing in the extreme end of dehydration though as most of these products are supposed to be mattifying.

I bought these products when there was a 3 for 2 offer at Boots, and since I was running low on stocks at the time, I grabbed the opportunity to try something new. I only focused on moisturisers and the toner as I was happy with my cleansing regimen. I'll review the products I purchased individually to make consolidating the pro's and con's a little easier. 

NORMADERM ANTI-AGEING RESURFACING CARE, £15 for 50ml   

Now, I didn't get this cream because it's an anti-ageing product. I'm not really that fussed with wrinkles and lines just yet, mainly because I hardly see them. Perhaps a few laughter lines around my eye area but overall, I'm pretty good for the time being. It's all that fat on my face *har!* that's keeping everything tight and full (momma don't need no fillers!). Anyway, when I was reading the contents of the products, the key ingredients really stood out for me. Salicylic Acid, Glycolic and lipo-hydroxy (LHA) acids are great dermatological ingredients to help exfoliate the surface of the skin of dead skin cells, regulate oil and purify the pores. Also, Vitamin C is great at helping break down any discolouration to brighten and even out the complexion. These ingredients have become the key components that I look for in my skin care, and since this cream promised all of the above, I went for it and used it as my day cream.

PROS- Apart from the aforementioned skincare properties, I liked the texture very much. It's balmy consistency proved light enough on the skin and easily absorbed once massaged in. Not too emollient. It's also oil-free which meant that it did not leave a greasy finish on the skin. I didn't need much to moisturise my whole face and neck as well, and for a 50ml tube, that's great because then you'll have more product for longer. The fragrance wasn't too overwhelming- it was a cool refreshing smell. In terms of results, I found that it helped keep the oil at bay for a good few hours (around 2-3 hours) and it's hydrating enough that my skin didn't feel thirsty after a few hours at work with a face full of make-up. 

CONS- Vichy claims that the lotion leaves a powdery finish to the skin. It's a quickly absorbed cream but I didn't feel that powdery finish at all. In fact, my skin felt a tad tacky, as you would with any hydrating moisturiser. After application my skin felt nice and supple,but not completely mattified to the touch. It looked less shiny, but my skin did not feel matte at all (which I guess is what they meant by 'powdery'). I also didn't see any improvements as far as evening my skintone and tightening my pores. It's a good face cream, but I didn't necessarily find that it helped brighten my complexion or improve the texture of my skin (i.e. smoothen the bumps). The appearance of my skin stayed the same as it did prior to my switch to Normaderm.

VERDICT: I was a little disappointed with this product actually, so I'm giving this moisturiser a 2 1/2 out of 5. I felt that it was a good moisturiser in terms of texture and that it kept my skin hydrated for a few hours without looking like I needed to blot a lot. However, I didn't see much improvement on my skin's texture or appearance. I thought that maybe four weeks wasn't enough to really see the effects of the product but Vichy's website actually promises a refreshed and improved skin in just seven days. If it didn't do anything for my skin in four weeks, which in this situation would be the 'long-term' scenario, then I don't think it would have given my skin any further improvements. Would I buy it again? Probably not, but for it's price and the short term benefits that it gives, it's not bad. 

Let me know of your experience with Normaderm if you've tried it as well!