Most people will be familiar with The Ordinary, the beauty brand from Deciem that offers science-led skincare, hair care, and makeup at hugely affordable prices, but have you heard of NIOD Skincare?
Developed by the same company that sells The Ordinary, NIOD stands for Non Invasive Options in Dermal Science and it takes all the science-led marketing of The Ordinary and dials it up to 11.
Deciem even calls it “Skincare for the hyper-educated”, adding: “NIOD uses leading-edge ingredients and ground-breaking technology to bring your skin the best the industry has to offer.” It’s more expensive than The Ordinary, averaging around £25 per product.
Don’t let this put you off. It’s not as overwhelming as it might look and you do get a whole load of bang for your buck. If you’re interested to learn more and give the range a go, we’ve listed the best products below and explained – in Layman’s terms – what they do.
FURTHER READING: The best The Ordinary products for all your skincare concerns – from large pores to redness, wrinkles and acne
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mamabella | mamabella NIOD was founded by Brandon Truaxe, the founder of Deciem and Deciem’s other brands Inhibitif, Hylamide, The Chemistry Brand, Fountain, Grow Gorgeous, and Hair is Fabric (HIF). The brand was unique because it owned its own laboratory, in-house manufacturing, in-house e-commerce, and stores.
He launched The Ordinary in 2016 to “democratise serious skincare” and in June 2017, Deciem joined the wider family of The Estée Lauder Companies.
The founder famously said: “In the business of beauty, perception is more powerful than reality and it is for this reason that brands — especially those in functional beauty — prioritise what they say ahead of what they do.”
NIOD was therefore set up to do away with “trends and words” and instead uses advanced technologies that are focused on results, aimed at a “narrow audience not inspired by marketing or pricing strategies, but instead by truth and accountability.”
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There has been a rising trend of no-bullshit skincare that does as it promises and NIOD is at the forefront of this.
The names of its products are both complex and confusing but the site lets you filter the range based on the skincare concern you’re looking to address, whether that’s dark circles, puffiness, ageing, dullness, and more.
Like the rest of the Deciem range, NIOD is committed to ethical products. DECIEM does not test on animals, has been certified with the Leaping Bunny stamp of approval, meaning it’s cruelty-free. It’s moving away from virgin plastic and embracing biodegradable, recycled, and recyclable alternatives that are Earth-friendly.
FURTHER READING: Clean beauty: What are clean beauty products and how can I shop more consciously?
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£28 | Buy now from Cult Beauty
Hyperpigmentation is a term used to describe a number of skin concerns including uneven skin tone, dark spots, age spots, redness, and more. It’s one of the most common, and complex concerns to address because there are various causes. The NIOD RE: Pigment has been designed to address them all and it uses “ultra-advanced active brightening technologies” with the use of peptides.
It’s highly saturated so, even though it comes in a small bottle, a little goes a long way. Its core active ingredient is something called diglucosyl gallic acid, alongside azelaic acid and glycine. Then there is white shiitake ferment – a purified bio-derivative that targets the appearance of dark spots within a week of use – and red evodia fruit derivatives, an ingredient used in Chinese medicine to encourage radiance and even out your tone.
FURTHER READING: Best dark spot corrector: Brighten your skin with our pick of the best age spot creams and toners
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£43 | Buy now from Cult Beauty
Designed to target all your biggest eye concerns, including dark circles, fine lines, eye bags, and puffiness, NIOD’s Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate contains 28 clinical ingredients that “energise and improve the thinnest, most delicate skin on your face.”
These include fractions of hyaluronic acid, as opposed to salts of HA found in other products. This makes it more effective at filling fine lines and wrinkles while improving elasticity.
It also uses a plant-technology bio-derivative called Darutoside Complex. This improves the elasticity of both upper- and lower-eyelid skin while reducing the appearance of folds in the upper eyelids specifically —an area which NIOD claims hasn’t previously been targeted by topical technologies.
It then uses a complex peptide system to get rid of under-eye puffiness which is said to improve firmness, density and elasticity in 11 days or less.
FURTHER READING: Crow’s feet: What causes laughter lines and how to get rid of them
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£21 | Buy now from Cult Beauty
Featuring natural saponins – a compound found in Ayurvedic plants such as the soapwort plant that foams up when added to water – this cleansing balm helps get rid of dead skin cells, clears pores, fights blemishes, congestion, and impurities.
All while being suitable for all skin types including dry, oily, and sensitive due to its pH-balanced formula.
As well as focusing on getting rid of dirt, saponins stimulate the production of your skin’s natural oils. NIOD claims this balm is so good at renewing the complexion, pores look minimised after just one use.
FURTHER READING: Best cleanser for acne: Which acne cleanser actually gets rid of, or reduces spots?
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£37 | Buy now from Cult Beauty
NIOD’s Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex contains twelve forms of hyaluronic compounds at different molecular weights. This means it helps hydrate the skin in different ways and targets a whole host of concerns, but namely the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
The heavier compounds, prevent moisture loss and increase elasticity in the short term. Those with a mid-molecular weight help hydrate the middle layers of your skin, while the lightest compounds penetrate deeper into layers of the skin, stimulating the body’s own production of hyaluronic acid to maintain its beneficial effects.
This combination also helps stimulate the production of collagen to plump skin, and, because it’s an antioxidant, it protects the skin from damage. This is a miracle product that ticks so many boxes.
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£35 | Buy now from Cult Beauty
There are countless products that promise to help tackle dry skin but many of them contain oils and lubricants to purely mask the dryness, not cure it. NIOD’s Hydration Vaccine gets its name because the brand claims it “delivers a clever injection of moisture whenever you need it.”
It does this by supplementing the skin’s own moisturising elements – known as Natural Moisturising Factors, which are composed largely of amino acids and minerals – while preventing them from being lost.
It then uses Burmese mango butter, to saturate skin without making it greasy, blue algae, to further prevent water loss, and fungi composite organisms to help build up water reservoirs. This is a great moisturiser for all skin types and works well as a primer for makeup because it creates a soft, smooth canvas.
FURTHER READING: Best moisturisers: Discover which moisturiser best suits your skin
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£25 | Buy now from Cult Beauty
We’ve listed this as the best SPF product in the NIOD range but it’s much more than just a sunscreen.
It uses what the brand calls a “networked protection system” to help support skin’s natural defences which include purified lutein from marigold flowers, purified deep sea algae and anti-inflammatory yeast-derived superoxide dismutase. This combination works to protect the skin from free radicals, pollution, smog, stress, infrared and blue light.
In addition to this, Survival 30 offers mineral-only UVB and UVA protection of SPF30 (PA+++) via silicone-dispersed zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
FURTHER READING: What SPF do I need? The best moisturisers with SPF, from Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen to Heliocare 360
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