Bioderma Skin Care Review

I was cruising through our local drug store when I spotted some Bioderma skin care.  I thought that Bioderma was only sold in France.  And yet there it was, smiling down upon me from the shelf right here in Canada.  Since I've been DYING to try it ever since Gemma reviewed a cleanser on Youtube.

My skin is normal to dry, depending on time of year, climate and what skin care I've been using.  I the odd hormonal breakout around my chin.  But my biggest skin care issue is redness and skin sensitivity around the corners of my mouth and down towards my chin.  This area sometimes gets so irritated that the skin flakes.   As such, the two Bioderma items I picked out are both geared towards sensitive skin.

According to the Bioderma website "Sensitive skin makes its presence felt with feelings of overheating and diffuse or localised redness. It easily becomes dehydrated and the subsequent dryness contributes further to its weakness and is accompanied by feelings of tightness".  Yup.  Check.

BIODERMA SENSIBIO H2O
Bioderma describes this as a Soothing non-rinse cleanser and makeup remover.  It is alcohol and fragrance free, and is supposed to completely cleanse the skin and remove makeup.  Furthermore it is supposed to soothe irritated skin and minimize redness.


Like others who have tried this product, I was a little skeptical about cleaning my face without the use of water and some sort of creamy and/or bubbly cleanser.  However, I was impressed with the way this product removed ALL of my makeup.  No racoon eyes in the morning from leftover mascara!  And I figure that if it can remove my makeup so well, it can also cleanse other impurities out of my skin.  So I have been using this product as a makeup remover and cleanser.  When I have makeup on, I cleanse with two cotton pads.  The first pass removes all of the makeup and the second ensures no residue.

The Bioderma H2O delivers on all of its promises.  It does not irritate my skin.  There is no stinging and tightness after cleansing (which is what I've experienced with irritating toners in the past).  And while it is gentle, it is also an excellent cleanser.  I do not have any congestion on my skin that would suggest my skin is not properly cleansed.

SENSIBIO LIGHT CREAM
I usually tend towards heavier moisturizers when possible, because I find the light moisturizers are just white water that sinks right into the skin and does nothing in terms of moisturizing.  As such, I wanted to get the Sensibio Rich Cream.  However, the packaging is completely the same, so I picked up the light cream by accident.  I'm glad I did because the light cream is actually sufficiently moisturizing.  Bioderma recommends the Sensibio Light Cream for normal to combination skin.  It is supposed to restore the cutaneous barrier, allowing for a reduction in the penetration of possible irritants, and increasing the skin's tolerance threshold.  Translation: it strengthens the skin, allowing it to be better at it's main function - to be a barrier.  Bioderma also promises that this moisturizer is formulated with rigorously selected active ingredients, and is free of fragrance and preservatives.

To be honest, I am not sure if this cream delivers on all of these claims.  How does one tell if their skin has been restored and fortified?  The non-empirical evidence suggests that this claim has been met, since my skin is much less irritated and red.  The main thing I notice with this moisturizer is that my skin is well hydrated but not greasy.  And as an added bonus, it effectively moisturizes my skin without leaving my face greasy as an oil slick.  I should also point out that I have been using a smaller quantity of this cream than other moisturizers even though if I compare labels this one is 'lighter'.  This is great for my wallet!

All in all, I really like this skin care.  I am a minimalist when it comes to skin care.  I do not have separate products for day and night.  There is a mask with this range that I would like to try and also the eye cream.  I will definitely be keeping the cleanser and cream in my skincare routine permanently.  My skin has never looked better.