Review: Vichy Normaderm Skincare

Over a month ago, I was selected to receive a Vichy Skincare package on behalf of ChickAdvisor.  I’m always excited to be selected for campaigns by Chickadvisor, but I was a little more excited than normal for this one.  At the time, I was dealing with some of the worst skin I’ve had in years.  Specifically, I was experiencing constant breakouts and nothing I tried seemed to be helping – not even products that had worked before.  It was beyond frustrating and there were days where I didn’t even want to leave the house (as anyone who deals with problematic skin can understand!)

Thankfully the day before we left for our Vegas trip, my Chickadvisor package arrived.  Included were three, full-sized products from Vichy’s Normaderm line: the Deep Cleansing Gel, the Pore Tightening Lotion and the Corrective Anti-Acne Treatment. This line is specifically formulated for oily and acne-prone skin – ding ding ding!  Right after I received these products I started using them and I immediately ditched the skincare products I was using at the time.  Given that I’ve now been using them for over a month, the time has come for an in-depth review.

Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel ($19.95 CAD for 200 mL)

From the website: This ultra-gentle soap-free, alcohol-free cleansing gel deeply cleanses sebum and impurities without over-drying or irritating the skin.  Its ingredients have purifying, anti-bacterial and keratolytic actions to prevent new imperfections from popping up.

Contains the following active ingredients:

• Salicylic acid: Unclogs and deeply cleanses pores.
• Glycolic acid: Has a keratolytic effect, which allows gentle peeling, as well as antibacterial properties.
• LHA: Gently smoothes skin texture and stimulates skin renewal.

My thoughts: At the risk of sounding like a tv commercial, the best way I can describe this cleanser is “gentle yet effective.”  It removes all of my makeup and leaves my skin feeling so soft and clean!  Given its’ active ingredients, I fully expected it to leave my skin feeling tight and/or dry afterwards, but I haven’t experienced any of that whatsoever.  Now, keep in mind it is the summer and my skin tends to be a little oilier than usual – so that could change come the winter months.  But for now, it’s working great.

My only complaint about this is that I can’t use this to remove my eye makeup.  Those active ingredients that help heal skin and keep it clear are best kept away from eyes so a second product is needed to remove eye makeup.  Is this really an issue?  Not really and it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make for clearer skin.  And if I’m being honest I have tried it on my eyes and it does take makeup off pretty well – but my eyes were definitely a little irritated afterwards.  So best to just not do it.

Vichy’s Normaderm Pore Tightening Lotion ($19.95 CAD for 200 mL)

From the website: This toner is specifically formulated for anyone dealing with frequent breakouts, dilated pores and excess shine. This formula combines soothing Vichy Mineralizing Water with glycolic and salicylic acid to unclog, tighten pores and purify the skin.

Contains the following active ingredients:

• Salicylic acid: Unclogs and deeply cleanses pores.
• Glycolic acid: : Has a keratolytic effect, which allows gentle peeling, as well as antibacterial properties.
• LHA: to smooth skin texture and stimulate skin renewal, without irritating the skin.

My thoughts: The fact that this is referred to as a lotion kind of confuses me – I honestly can’t remember the last time I used a toner, mainly because I never really saw any results with ones I’ve tried in the past.  In fact, I actually found they had adverse effects on my skin – my face would always feel extra dry and tight afterwards.  So I was a little skeptical to give this a try.  Turns out this has actually swayed my opinion of toners!  I use this after I wash my face with the Deep Cleansing Gel, and I love how refreshed my skin feels afterwards. Previously I was using a micellar water after cleansing to remove any last traces of makeup but I much prefer this because it does both that and refreshes my skin.  Unfortunately I can’t say I’ve seen any noticeable benefits in regards to mattifying my skin nor tightening pores – both are pretty much the same.  But overall I definitely like this more than I expected!

Normaderm Corrective Anti Acne Treatment ($29.95 CAD for 50 mL)

From the website: Normaderm Corrective Anti-Acne Treatment combines 1.5% Salicylic Acid, LHA, Phe Resorcinol and new Air Licium™ technology to treat and prevent all signs of acne: pimples, pore visibility, acne marks, shine and redness.

• Salicylic Acid + LHA: 50% more concentrated than our original formula to reduce pimples. Ingredients work together to quickly and effectively unclog pores without irritating the skin.
• Phe Resorcinol: New. Combined with exfoliating LHA, reduces acne marks thanks to its depigmentating properties.
• Air Licium: New Ultra-light aerogel helps reduce sebum production and pore visibility, giving the skin a soft focus mattifying finish.

My thoughts: This is the final product in this 3 step skincare process and if I had to pick a favourite, this would be it.  I LOVE this stuff.  I apply this product twice a day after using the Pore Minimizing Lotion; it feels moisturizing but not greasy.  It tingles a bit when I apply it but to me that just means that the active ingredients are doing their job. It doesn’t take long to soak into my skin, which I really appreciate, particularly in the morning when I’m applying foundation.  After it soaks in, my skin feels exceptionally soft, supple and moisturized. And the best part is, I see results. My skin hasn’t looked this great in months – I’m experiencing less breakouts and scars from previous breakouts are healing.  Again, I can’t say I’ve seen tightened pores and/or any less oil than usual but it’s been doing exactly what I want it to do – clear up my skin and keep it clear!

 

OVERALL:  I can honestly say that my skin has never looked clearer and felt more healthy and smooth after using this line.  My breakouts have been drastically reduced and scars from my previous blemishes are fading away.  I’m not using any other skincare products (aside from a micellar water to remove my eye makeup) so I have to give the credit to Vichy for getting my skin back on the right track.  The only true drawback I for forsee with these products is the fact that they do contain fragrance.  It is a light, fresh and clean scent, but it is still fragrance and that can cause irritation for sensitive skin.  Thankfully that’s now something I’ve experienced (despite having super sensitive skin) but it is something to be aware of.

I’m so thankful I was able to give these a try – they’ve totally transformed my skin!  Even though my one month test period is up, I will still continue to use the entire line and I will be purchasing them on my own dime as I use them up.  I actually want to do some further investigation on the other products in the Normaderm line as well.  They’ve hooked me in! If you’re struggling with acne, I’d highly recommend you give them a try yourself!

Have you tried any of Vichy’s skincare products?  If so, let me know below!

Special thanks to ChickAdvisor and Vichy Canada for sending me these products to try!  These products were sent to me for review purposes but all opinions are my own.