PRODUCT REVIEW: NIOD COPPER AMINO ISOLATE LIPID 1% (CAIL) - BEST MOISTURE MASK, BEST SLUGGING CREAM
NIOD | COPPER AMINO ISOLATE LIPID 1%
This review was originally part of my blog article titled, Brands I Love: Niod High-Science Skincare - Best Hyaluronic Acid Serum, Best Peptide Serum. You can catch the full piece here.
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Deciem’s deep-science brand NIOD has been a longtime favorite. In fact, it’s perhaps the most scientific skincare brand I’ve come across — with product names and descriptions seemingly written by the scientists and chemists behind the brand’s formulations.
There’s always been something exceptionally intriguing about NIOD — the nerdier sister brand of the more popular The Ordinary. First and foremost, it’s a smart, hard science brand — not for the casual skincare user. The products are more scientific, more potent and more costly than the democratically priced, simple, one-note products offered by The Ordinary.
NIOD requires somewhat of a commitment to learning what ingredients work for your skin; it’s definitely not for beginners or anyone uninterested in much beyond the basics of cleansing and moisturizing.
I have always strongly aligned with the brand’s overall formulation philosophy. A brand's formulation philosophy matters to the end result, whether the product is genuinely good for your skin — and not just marketing fluff. And while most skincare brands offer some well-made products, which of their products are actually doing right by your skin comes down to who exactly is formulating the company’s skin care — and whether the formulator (often a chemist or someone who works closely with a chemist) follows a solid formulation philosophy. Does the chemist follow strict guidelines about ingredient no-no’s like denatured alcohol, parabens and fragrant plant (essential) oils that can compromise skin health and can actually be pro-aging?
NIOD seems exceptional to me, or as Deciem would describe it, abnormal!
So, what exactly is NIOD? The brand name is an acronym that stands for Non Invasive Options in Dermal-Science. This is how they describe themselves:
“Ahead is not further than behind.
True learning is a form of love — it is humble. It respects that to look forward, it must look backward. The few observers of NIOD’s childhood know that NIOD isn’t a brand. It is a force and it has a soul. While NIOD’s genetics are committed to science, its soul is ultimately rooted in learning. Perhaps the only flaw of modern science is that it grows proud and loses respect for our deserving past — but learning stays humble and looks back.
NIOD’s journey will offer respect to our past with a series of formulations informally called yešti. NIOD’s caretakers live with exhausting standards in science. The journey of NIOD’s yešti formulations is not one of a lower standard — it is instead one that allows our collective past an overdue chance to speak.”— http://niod.com
I love the spirit and intent behind the NIOD brand! Let’s take a look at some of my favorite NIOD products…
NIOD | Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1%
If you’re a fan of NIOD, you know the brand doesn’t introduce products often. As I said earlier, one of NIOD’s more intriguing products is the copper peptide-powered Copper Amino Isolate Serum 2:1, or CAIS2. The cool, electric blue two-step serum you mix yourself makes me feel like I’m back in my high school chemistry class paired up with my prom date, Carla Pia Mills. (I have to find those pictures!)
So when NIOD came out with their latest product, the copper peptide moisture treatment Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1%, I was intrigued from day one. CAIL was NIOD’s only new product introduction of 2020. And the stuff, as expected, is just so weird.
The Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1% is tough to characterize — classic NIOD. It’s formulated for evening use and has a thick gooey, glue-like texture that feels like it should be used alone. It’s pretty impossible to layer.
Deciem says the CAIL formula is a “pro-collagen, pro-lipid, pro-fat formula [that] branches from the concept of NIOD’s multi-award-winning Copper Amino Isolate Serum, with the additional benefits of building and enhancing skin barrier function, elasticity and integrity via lipophilic pathways.”
You know I was like, okay where am I, on the Starship Enterprise getting a facial on the holo-deck? Lipophilic pathways don’t seem like they should be blocked by anything.
What are peptides in skincare?
Of course, there’s a superbly insightful article on the Paula’s Choice website from the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team. Titled What Are Peptides and What Do They Do for Your Skin?, the article goes deep into everything from what peptides are to how they benefit the skin — and what makes them among the best age-fighters in skin care.
Peptides are one of the most talked-about ingredients in the field of anti-ageing skincare. When applied to your skin, they demonstrate remarkable benefits, revitalising your skin and making it more resilient and stronger. But peptides do not possess magical properties, as some brands claim. The fact is that there is no single ingredient that will address all the signs of skin ageing - and peptides are no exception. Peptides are a great asset to your skin, but it’s best to be realistic in your expectations to avoid disappointment. Peptides have amazing benefits for skin but the results will never be the same as a cosmetic procedure.
What are Peptides?
Peptides are short chains of amino acids that act as building blocks of proteins such as collagen, elastin and keratin. These proteins are the foundations of your skin and are responsible for its texture, strength and resilience. Without peptides, our skin is less intact which can lead to a loss of firmness, the appearance of wrinkles, a change in texture and less ‘bounce’.
When applied topically to the skin, peptides act as little messengers, triggering skin cells to perform specific functions such as building collagen and elastin, encouraging skin to look and act younger.
Extensive scientific research has proven that peptides can support your skin on multiple levels, for example firming, soothing and hydrating the skin.
The Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1% is a weirdly cool treatment that really is best used alone as the last and only step of your skincare routine. I’ve certainly had my share of nights where I don’t feel like doing anything, but don’t want to wake up looking like I did nothing!
In addition to the skin-plumping and fortifying copper peptides, there’s a significant level of plant-derived Squalane at ingredient number one. It has this remarkable occlusive benefit to it that really does keep skin moisturized throughout the night.
I have to say I was, and remain, befuddled by Deciem’s advice that CAIL should be applied before Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex or, I would assume, your humectant serum.
So, I DM’d Deciem. Apparently it has to do with the molecular sizes of the formula’s ingredients. I was totally trippin’ on this for weeks then realized some things are better left alone. So, I use CAIL alone and get my zzz’s…
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1% for $90 here.
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The Ingredient List of the NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex:
h, Glycerin 
sii|h 0 0, Hyaluronic Acid sii|h, Sodium Hyaluronate sii|h 0 0, Sodium Butyroyl Hyaluronate h, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer sii|aox|h, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate h, Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate h, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate cci, Pseudoalteromonas Exopolysaccharides h, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum h|vc, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract aox|h, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum emo|vc, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3 cci, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract so|aox|amic, Salvia Sclarea Extract so, Arginine sii, Aspartic Acid sii, Glycine sii, Alanine sii, Serine sii, Valine sii, Isoleucine sii, Proline sii, Threonine sii, Histidine sii|h, Phenylalanine sii, Pca sii|h, Sodium Pca sii|h 0 0, Betaine h, Sodium Lactate buff|h, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside aox|so, Gallyl Glucoside aox|so, Algae Extract emo|h, Sodium Salicylate pres, Lecithin emo|emu, Polyglucuronic Acid h, Xanthan Gum vc|emu|surf, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate chel, Sclerotium Gum vc, Pullulan, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose vc, Propanediol solv|h, Pentylene Glycol solv|h, Dimethyl Isosorbide solv|vc, Citric Acid buff, Magnesium Chloride vc, Silica vc, Polysorbate 20 emu|surf 0 0, Ethoxydiglycol solv|h|perf 0 0, Propyl Gallate aox|perf, Dehydroacetic Acid pres, Benzyl Alcohol pres|perf|solv|vc, Potassium Sorbate pres, Sodium Benzoate pres, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, 1,2-Hexanediol solv, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Phenoxyethanol presThe Ingredient List of the NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 2:1:
so, Isoceteth-20 emu|surf, Phenoxyethanol pres, Chlorphenesin pres|amic, Aqua (Water) solv, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Tripeptide-29 cci, Tripeptide-1 cci, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3 cci, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2 cci, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2 cci, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer sii|aox|h, Glycogen h, Propanediol solv|h, Pentylene Glycol solv|h, Dextran vc, Dimethyl Isosorbide solv|vc, Ethoxydiglycol solv|h|perf 0 0, Isoceteth-20 emu|surf, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate amic|pres, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Phenoxyethanol pres, Chlorphenesin pres|amic
The Ingredient List of the NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate:
cci|sb|aacne|h, Propanediol solv|h, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid) sii|h 0 0, Tilia Cordata (Linden) Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract aox|so, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Phytic Acid chel, Xanthan Gum vc|emu|surf, Phenoxyethanol pres, Ethylhexylglycerin presThe Ingredient List of the NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide MIST:
aox, Malachite Extract aox, Pseudoalteromonas Exopolysaccharides h, Mirabilis Jalapa Extract, Polypodium Vulgare Rhizome Extract aox|h, Cetraria Islandica Thallus Extract h, Sphagnum Magellanicum Extract, Arginine sii, Propanediol solv|h, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Pentylene Glycol solv|h, Butylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 1, Sodium Salicylate pres, Gellan Gum vc, Sodium Chloride vc, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil emu|surf, Citric Acid buff, Tromethamine buff, Phenoxyethanol pres, Chlorphenesin pres|amicThe Ingredient List of the NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1%:
sii|emo 0 1, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Aqua (Water) solv, Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate h, Glycolipids, Sucrose Laurate emo|emu|surf, Propanediol solv|h, Copper Tripeptide-1 (Palmitoyl) cci|so|aox, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Propylmethylmethoxybenzofuran, Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Extract perf, Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract h, Sucrose Stearate emo|emu|surf 0 0, Potassium Sorbate pres, Sodium Benzoate pres, Phenoxyethanol pres
