NEO I VIEW
Real Cica Micellar Oil & Foam Review by Bambi
Real Cica Micellar Oil & Foam Review by Bambi
By Bambi (Kherblog)
I feel like 2018 is a Cica year - all the Cica products that we can see all around the place. This trend seems to be associated with K-beauty but it's not only about Korean brands that started this cult. There's always a reason why something becomes popular so I was positively surprised when I heard that Neogen has decided to make a series based on Centella Asiatica and release the Cica series. Currently, my double cleansing is based on Neogen Cica Micellar Cleansing Oil and Neogen Cica Micellar Cleansing Foam. How does it look like and why you should give a chance to this due?
My background
My skin sensitivity this year is on a level which I normally never had. I know that sensitivity is a genetic thing, I even went to the hospital to see if I've got Demodex Folliculorum just like my mom and fortunately for me, I don't but instead I've got strong allergies and using a cleansing brush made it even worse for me. Skin condition made me interested in Cica and Probiotics in a skincare, but Centella isn't only for people with allergies. If your skin is dehydrated, you want to care about pigmentation or your acne is getting worse then Centella is one of the ingredients you should look up to.
Neogen Cica Series
Neogen Cica Series is made out of 4 products - Cleansing Oil and Foam which you can see in this post. This series also contains other 2 products which you won't see in this review: Cica Pads and Cleansing Water. It's a full cleansing experience.
Step One: Neogen Real Cica Micellar Cleansing Oil
Ingredients: Isopropyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Water, Ceramide, Allantoin, Panthenol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Butylene Glycol, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hyaluronic Acid, Madecassoside, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil
Let's focus on the ingredients here. If you thought that Cica stands only for Centella Asiatica Extract then you're wrong since Cica is related to all Centella-ingredients like Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Madecassic Acid and Asiatic Acid. Cica ingredients are amazing for acne-prone skin since they promote wound healing and because of the antibacterial properties, these ingredients are so loved by people with oily skin and acne. It's also told that Centella helps with collagen and hyaluronic acid synthesis but it also has anti-inflammatory properties. That's why all skin types usually like Cica ingredients.
But it's not all about Centella, we've got here many ingredients that help with skin barrier. Ceramides are naturally found in your skin - in an outer layer of the Stratum Corneum and they are very important to maintain the skin barrier. Thanks to Ceramides skin stays healthy, they help to restore natural lipid barrier which protects the skin from bacteria but also prevents the skin from dehydration. Panthenol - also known as pro-vitamin B5 - and Allantoin are amazing ingredients, they might not sound as cool as Ceramides but thanks to them, skin get more moisture - actually, Panthenol helps lipids in SC a lot - and this product is even more soothing because of the Allantoin. Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid and Sodium Hyaluronate is a trio we really want for the skin since they help with skin moisture.
In general, the ingredients aren't bad. But there are ingredients which some people might not like, just like Isopropyl Palmitate which is an emollient but it can be not the best choice for oily skin since it's highly comedogenic. Personally, my skin is a combo sensitive skin and somehow this oil didn't break me out but comedogenicity is a very personal thing just like allergies. Then we've got PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, a mild surfactant but there are some groups of people that do not like to use it. Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil is actually an ingredient about which I was panicking about a little bit since it can be comedogenic and I had some bad experience with Soybean Oil before because it usually makes my skin red in couple seconds. Somehow in this formula, the oil did nothing bad to me. Soy Oil is high in linoleic acid and it might be comedogenic but as I said before it's an individual thing.
Does this product work? I feel like this is the best oil I had in the last 2 years. I prefer cleansing balms but this oil is an exception. It removes makeup well and it feels very lightweight. It's ideal for face massage on oily skin since lightweight oils are better for a face massage on oily skin than thicker formulas that work better on dry skin but please, have in mind that this oil should work well on every skin type including the sensitive skin. The formula changes with time, you have to work it out and it'll start to change or just use the oil then soak your hands in water and try to work it out on your face for a couple seconds more before washing the oil off. The colour will change into a white milky oil. I can't really smell it and that's amazing, especially that this product doesn't contain any fake aromas. A small amount of this oil is enough to clean the entire face. It's definitely a good product that will last a good couple months.
Step Two: Neogen Real Cica Micellar Cleansing Foam
Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Chloride, Lauric Acid, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Gluconolactone,Lactobionic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Octyldodecanol, Ceramide 3, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hyaluronic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, Madecassoside, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Butylene Glycol , Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyquaternium-7, Disodium EDTA, 1,2-Hexanediol
Cleansing Oil is amazing but what about Cleansing Foam? As well Cleansing Foam contains lots of Cica ingredients since it's a base of the whole line: Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract and Madecassoside. But this formula contains Gluconolactone, Lactobionic Acid, Ceramide 3, Citric Acid, Allantoin, Panthenol, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid and Sodium Hyaluronate. That's quite a lot of useful ingredients. Gluconolactonemight not be known to you but it's an ingredient that got very popular lately. You might know it as Polyhydroxy Acid aka PHA. It's a very delicate chemical exfoliator with anti-aging benefits. It's a very skin friendly exfoliator that won't make your skin weaker. Lactobionic Acid is also known as PHA and it's another delicate exfoliator that can help with skin moisture and removes dead skin cells to make your skin look bright and healthy. Are you aware that Citric Acid is an AHA? Sensitive skin might not like it but we have to remember that this acid helps with removing the dead skin.
But there are also ingredients which some of you might not like, just like Cocamidopropyl Betaine which personally I do not hate, thanks to this surfactant the cream turns into a foam. But there's also Lauric Acid which can be comedogenic since it's a fatty acid naturally found in Coconut Oil and this oil is also comedogenic but I feel like pH of the foam makes it not as annoying as it might be. Besides this duo, there's no ingredient that worries me.
The foam pH is about 5,5-6,5 unfortunately, I had no pH tester left at home and I forgot to get the new one. My skin reacts to pH changes very strongly - wrong pH and my skin go crazy, this foam somehow works nicely since I have no new pimples after every use and my skin is not triggered. It's a foam which I can use during the evening and morning as well. Actually, DermaTV - a Neogen's Youtube channel showed amazing tips related to cleansing. You should make a foam with this product in your hands first and then massage your face with the foam. Cleansing with a foam shouldn't take you more than 2 minutes. My experience with this foam is good, the scent is delicate and I can smell the citrus and it also seems like this foam is a great deal since I've been using it for more than a month and there's still lots of it left.
Overall my feelings about this duo are good, I think that Neogen did a great job with Cica series and I'm happy that I was able to find an oil which really makes cleansing even more enjoyable. The pricing of the product is not bad, Neogen Real Cica Micellar Cleansing Oil costs $28 for 300 ml and it lasts longer than other oils I used. Neogen Real Cica Micellar Cleansing Foam is cheaper since it costs $15 for 200ml, it might not last as long as Cleansing Oil but it's still a good deal for so many excellent ingredients. Both of this product you can get on Sokoglam.
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