Review of Deciem/NIOD’s skin calming Modulating Glucosides with before and after photos

A brand new product from Deciem is always exciting. Brandon, Prudvi and the gang come up with so many interesting and innovative products, they’re always worth a look. This is the latest offering and I really can’t think of any other product that compares to Modulating Glucosides. I hasten to add that I bought this with my own money (the links are affiliate, please click to support my blog).

For those with eczema and dermatitis the options are limited. There are steroids, which thin the skin with long term use. Oat based products may help. And there are plenty of barrier creams containing petroleum to prevent moisture loss. But not much else to really choose from to help actually reduce the inflammation.

Here are the facts and figures on Modulating Glucosides-

• Claims- Modulating Glucosides is a concentrated emulsion to target signs of skin sensitivity, of discomfort and of irritation. This serum reduces the looks of redness, of itching and of irritation, while helping to target stinging sensations. The formula respects skin integrity and supports hydration, skin barrier and general dermal repair.

• pH– 4.5-5.5 which is around the same pH as skin.
• Alcohol, Silicone, Oil, Nut, Gluten free
• Cruelty free and vegan
• Good for– Eczema, sensitive skin, dermatitis, rosacea, skin inflammation, acne and can help deal with irritation caused by Retinoids/Acids.
• Ingredients– Aqua (Water), Squalane, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Hexyldecanol, Bisabolol, Butylene Glycol, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Rosmarinyl Glucoside, Caffeyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Tetrasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Naringeninchalcone, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, 4-t-Butylcyclohexanol, Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Palmitoyl tripeptide-8, Superoxide Dismutase, Sodium PCA, PCA, Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Aspartic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Mirabilis Jalapa Callus Extract, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Curculigo Orchioides Root Extract, Isochrysis Galbana Extract, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols, Stearic Acid, Dextran, Isoceteth-20, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Xanthan gum, Tocopherol, Propyl Gallate, Tromethamine, Dehydroacetic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol. (That’s a lot!!)
• £21 for 30mls available from Deciem

Deciphering The Ingredients List of NIOD Modulating Glucosides

I’m going to go through the ingredients list to see what they’re all about, bear with me, theres quite a lot. You’ve always got to have a look at the ingredients high up on the list because they’re in highest concentration.

In Modulating Glucosides we have Squalane at the top. This is something I’m fairly familiar with, it’s a highly stable, non comedogenic hydrocarbon which is great for the moisture barrier. The next is Isodecyl Neopentanoate, this is a film former and emollient and a good alternative to silicone. It’s got a great safety track record.

There’s also Glycerin, Triglycerides, Pentylene Glycol, Propandiol, Hexyldecanol, Butylene Glycol which act as emoillients and give body and spread to the formula.

Then come the actives, starting with Bisabolol. Bisabolol is the stuff in Chamomile that calms the skin, it’s high in Panthenol and encourages skin healing.

Next on the list are the eponymous Glucosides of Modulating fame- Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Rosemarinyl Glucoside, Caffyl Glucoside and Gallyl Glucoside. These are different compounds joined to a glucose molecule, namely green tea, rosemary, gallic acid (which comes from a variety of plants including witch hazel) and caffeine. These compounds have been found to reduce inflammation and inhibits histamine release. Here’s a link to a human study if you’re interested finding out more about the Glucosides.

Another interesting sounding ingredient- Tetrasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Naringenin chalcone. Derived from orange peel, this is known to reduce redness and comfort the skin. It’s also in Flavanone Mud, which I absolutely love.

There’s so many great molecules, I keep getting distracted reading about them…

Next! Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone a synthetic version of a spice called “grains of paradise”. It is meant to reduce inflammation, is an antioxidant and may help boost Hyaluronic Acid.

4-t-Butylcyclohexanol has been found to reduce burning and stinging sensations by up to 80%. It interrupts the sting on a cellular level. Cheers love.

There are numerous constituents of the skin’s own natural moisturising factors. Amino Acids (Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Aspartic Acid)have many functions in skin health as well as being what the skin is made of. Cetylhydroxyproline Palmitamide is a synthetic ceramide. Also Sodium PCA, PCA and Sodium Lactate have important supportive roles in skin health.

Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid Aka Symcalmin soothes itching, redness, irritation and acts as an antioxidant.

Then there’s Palmitoyl tripeptide-8, a peptide that signals to skin cells to be calm. It soothes sensitive skin and makes it more resistant to future irritation.

Superoxide Dismutase is the antioxidant that is naturally made by skin.

Mirabilis Jalapa Callus Extract or The Marvel of Peru. Has anti inflammatory properties.

Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract Aka Tasmanian Pepperberry also found in The Ordinary AHA peel and a few other Deciem products. This stuff sounds amazing, I can see why they’d want to put it in everything. It has 3x the antioxidant powers of blueberries. It relieves itchy burning sensations, has anti microbial and anti inflammatory properties and can strengthen blood vessels.

Even though Ginger has that warming sensation when you eat it, Ginger Root Extract is surprisingly not irritating to the skin at all. It’s really high in antioxidants and can improve skin firmness. It also helps calm inflammation.

Curculigo Orchioides Root Extract Aka Golden Eye Grass Extract is great for sensitive skin. It helps balance the skin’s pH, thereby strengthening the skin’s protective barrier. It’s rich in terpenes which means it has antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties.

Isochrysis Galbana Extract is extracted from a particular micro algae. There are some studies that show it can help with inflammatory skin conditions like Psoriasis.

And at the end of the list there’s a little collection of preservative and film forming/emollient ingredients.

Now that is a fantastic selection of skin-kind, soothing and calming ingredients. It’s so impressive and makes the £21 seem like an absolute bargain.

NIOD Modulating Glucosides Review and Photos

Like most Deciem products, Modulating Glucosides comes in a dropper bottle. You can now get a pump that fits from the NIOD website, which is new. I love NIOD packaging. It’s beautifully presented and looks very cool.

The serum has a thick moisturising texture and it’s olive/yellow in colour. It has a very particular smell to it which I really like. It’s a bit like Flavanone Mud, if you’re familiar with that. It reminds me of the smell of paint, but nicer. MG is easily absorbed and feels comforting and lightly emoillient.

I was fortunate (!?) enough to have a couple of patches of really itchy eczema style dermatitis on my hands and neck when my Modulating Glucosides arrived so I had something to test it on. By the second day of use, the itching and redness had gone completely.

Here are the before and after pics-

It really worked and it worked quickly. The itchiness was almost entirely gone after 2 days when my usual moisturisers were doing nothing.

The next challenge I have for Modulating Glucosides is helping with the peeling and irritation you get when you’re breaking your skin into Tretinoin. I’ve recently upgraded from Adapalene (check out my post to see where I get my prescription skincare from) and I’ve failed to get on with Tretinoin in the past because of the peelies.

I’m one week in, using Tretinoin every third day and Modulating Glucosides twice daily and it’s going great. I have had minor peeling, no dryness or redness and just a slight worsening of acne. This is really promising!

As part of an all NIOD regimen, Modulating Glucosides comes after SDSM and CAIS but before MMHC. If you’re not all-NIOD, I would place it after acids and watery toners/serums and before oils and creams. But try and get it as close to the skin as possible for maximum effect.

NIOD Modulating Glucosides Conclusion

I can really see myself keeping this as a daily staple. I’ve already started recommending it to friends who suffer with sensitive skin. I think it’s suitable for most skin types except the most hardy. But even people with normal skin get irritation at some point. Like after spending too long in the sun, or introducing actives.

Inflammation is really bad for skin on a microscopic level. When there is inflammation present the body’s own cells start producing chemicals that damage collagen and accelerate aging. It should be avoided if you want to maintain healthy youthful skin.

Modulating Glucosides offers a lot of active ingredients that can help with loathsome inflammation in a small, easy to get on with serum. I thoroughly recommend!!

For more information on NIOD, Deciem and The Ordinary, head to The Ordinary Facebook Group where I’m a moderator.

Modulating Glucosides is £21 from NIOD