A few weeks back I received an amazing package from The Ordinary which I’ve been slowly making my way through. Inside I also found the Voicemail Masque from NIOD. NIOD (Non Invasive Options in Dermal Science) falls under the Deciem umbrella, my very basic understanding that it’s The Ordinary’s innovative, and slightly boujee, grown-up sister. It’s a more sophisticated collection of masks, serums and treatments containing leading-edge ingredients and formulations designed to improve not just the health but also the integrity of your skin.
I’ll be honest the collection confuses me, although after reading Caroline Hirons’ post, A Guide to NIOD… it’s slightly clearer. My understanding is that the collection contains three products that form the ‘Core Regimen’ – CAIS2 (Copper Amino Isolate Serum), MMHC2 (Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex) and MG (Modulating Glucosides). As well as this, there is a collection of products that fall under a ‘Support Regimen’, the Voicemail Masque is one of these. The idea is to create a skincare routine tailored to your needs driven by science. It’s all a bit complicated and incredibly fascinating, but let’s look at the Voicemail Masque as a singular product…
“Living cells communicate with one another and this cellular communication is an essential aspect of life and health. Cellular communication breaks down with age and under stressful conditions, and this breakdown directly impairs the youthful appearance of skin, resulting in dullness and a compromised tone. Topical formulations today focus on functions of specific skin cells, but the communication between healthy cells itself is largely overlooked.
Voicemail Masque is a nighttime leave-on masque treatment that fights many of the signs associated with impaired cellular communication. The formula is a suspension of plant stem cells from mountain flowers and narrowleaf plantain, as well as highly-purified polyphenols rich in hydroxycinnamic acid from oregano leaves. The suspension medium is comprised of advanced adaptive silicones that lengthen dermal exposure timeframe, supported by a fractionated spectrum of molecular weight (instead of a specific one) of hyaluronic acid, just as naturally found in the body. The result is skin that looks healthy, well-rested, bright and uniform from the very first use.”
The masque is a leave-on vegan-friendly treatment designed to be used twice weekly and overnight. It can be used as part of a NIOD regimen (apply CAIS/MMHC first and then apply a thin layer of this masque over the entire face) or outside a NIOD regimen (apply over lighter serums and avoid application of thicker cream formulations). It’s not recommended for very oily skin types. You massage the mask into the skin for 20-40 seconds, don’t apply any other products on top and keep on until morning.
The mask has a very unpleasant smell but this dissipates shortly after application. The brown gel feels instantly cooling and hydrating. I’m not a fan of having to scoop it out the jar with my fingers, but perhaps there’s a reasoning behind the packaging that’s way above my pay grade. I recommend you apply sparingly as a thick layer will feel sticky and transfer on your pillow; you really only need a little anyway. Before I started using this mask my skin was quite dry and I had an itchy, bumpy breakout ready to erupt on and around my chin. My skin was tired, lacklustre and thirsty. This mask did miracles for my breakout and gave my skin a boost of hydration and instant relief. In the morning my skin felt and looked calmer and my breakout swiftly did a runner. As the weather gets warmer and we subject it to central heating, this mask offers a welcomed moment of respite from outside stressors.
The NIOD Voicemail Masque is available at Look Fantastic and retails for £30 | 50ml.
* This post contains gifted samples and affiliate links.
18