Vichy Normaderm: Purifying Astringent Lotion and Chrono Active Night Care

NORMADERM PURIFYING ASTRINGENT LOTION, £10.50 for 200ml

Out of the lot, this product was the one I was really impressed with. I have been such a big fan of La Roche-Posay's Effaclar Astringent Toner that initially, I didn't really want to try Vichy's toner. But since it was on offer, it was the cheapest of the three and so I got it for free anyway. Surprise, surprise! It was the best out of the three. I probably wouldn't trade my Effaclar for it, but it comes at a very close second in the category of French Pharmacy brands that I've tried. 

PROS: Price-wise, it's doesn't dent the plastic too much, especially when it's on offer like a 3 for 2, you can't really beat that. As far as skin caring ingredients are concerned, this exfoliant has all the stars. Salicylic and Glycolic Acids are present to really unclog and clean the pores, helping in tightening them, as well as exfoliating the surface of dead skin cells to help reveal a brighter complexion. It also contains Glycerin, which is a great ingredient for keeping the skin moisturised, preventing the skin from drying as it works by attracting water from the base layers of the skin up to the surface. I have used some exfoliating toners in the past that have really dried out my skin to the point that in the walk from my bathroom to my room, my skin gets tight and really, really thirsty. This particular one however, mattifies without drying too much. The Hydrogenated Castor Oil  together with their own Thermal Water, also helps soothe and soften the skin, which is ideal if you have sensitive skin (primarily because that's what the brand specialises in) or dry skin that can be prone to irritation. 

CONS: I was really pleased with the product, so no cons from me at all. 

VERDICT: 4 out of 5. I would buy it again. 

***

NORMADERM CHRONO-ACTIVE ANTI-IMPERFECTION NIGHT CARE, £12.77 for 50ml

What a name. Such a mouthful, but whatever. At least it says it all on the headline right? 

From their website, Vichy explains that Normaderm Nuit limits the production of excess sebum at night with its Pore Targeting Technology, which works deep into the heart of the pores, dissolving any dead cells and unclogging them to tighten and reduce it's visibility, night after night. In the course of my trial, I didn't use a serum at all, so I applied this directly post-toning every evening.  

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.