REVIEW: Dr. Belmeur Advanced Skincare Solutions (Cica Cream, Panthenol Gel and Cica Serum)

I always enjoy trying new and exciting products to enhance my skin care routine. A few weeks ago, I was sent a package of Dr. Belmeur's new skincare collection at The Face Shop. The products were sent to me free to try from ChickAdvisor. I talked about them so much on my blog. After two weeks using these products, here is my review of the Dr. Belmeur collection. 

DR. BELMEUR ADVANCED CICA RECOVERY CREAM

The Cica Recovery Cream retails on The Face Shop website for $48.00 CAD. Its main goal is to moisturize and improve the look of damaged skin by strengthening the skins natural moisture barrier. I love that this line is created by a Dermatologist, it has no harsh additives, or fragrances and is marketed to be sensitive skin friendly.

The Recovery Cream in a large jar the size of the palm of your hand. I was pleasantly surprised at how much product you get (50 ml).  It is a very thick, creamy butter that melts instantly in your fingers. It has a light medicinal scent that is a mix of Orange and Bergamot.

How To Use

In terms of using the product, I think users would benefit from a little more direction; when to use the product specifically. The website simply states to scoop out enough and apply it to the face and pat in to improve absorption. The directions don't explicitly state it, but I assume this is supposed to be a night cream. I dispense a small amount (emphasis on the small) of the product using a spatula on the back of my hand and massage it into my face and neck. I'm a stickler on trying my best not to contaminate my products so I never put my fingers in a jar.

What’s In It?

The cream is water-based, contains Ceramides, Niacinamide, Hydrogenated Lecithinand; a great emollient and skin restorer, and their secret ingredient Panthenol. It is a Vitamin B5 derivative that is praised for its moisturizing properties. It's a great humectant, perfect for attracting water into the skin. The product also contains some popular cosmetic ingredient that has potentially damaging effects to the skin. Namely, the Recovery Cream product contains Dimethicone, it is a particular silicone that can have an undesirable effect on the skin. It can cause irritation and can make acne even worse. This silicone is widely used in cosmetics because it creates a barrier on the skin (a film) that keep water in. But it can also enclose bacteria, oils, sebum and other impurities further dehydrating the skin and of course exasperating acne. 

My Experience

You all know I have been struggling with acne for a while now, so when I received these products I was excited to try something natural, dermatologist-created, gentle, the whole works. After just 1 week my skin started to break out like crazy. My face was red, splotchy, irritated and sore. It was the worst flare up I have had in a while. I was so shocked but I did not want to immediately say that this was the culprit. I simplified my routine for the next two days using only this nothing else, and it did not get any better. I then stopped using it completely to see if that would make a difference, and my skin immediately cleared up.

As I mentioned before, this product is very thick. I have combination skin so it was probably to moisturizing for my skin. I woke up with a very oily face. My forehead and cheeks were shining with oil. My skin normally produces a lot of oil when I sleep so it was enhanced with this product. My skin was also definitely irritated by this product. Perhaps the product trapped in the oil my skin, and only added to a breathing grown of bacteria. I broke out so much from this product. 

Below are my results immediately after I stopped using the cream. 

If you have combination/oily/acne prone skin then I'd advise against using this product as it will make your skin produce extra oil you do not need and really clog your pores. If you have dry skin, on the other hand, this might work well for you. It is very moisturizing and other than the breakouts, my skin did feel a lot smoother. When I stopped using the product, and the acne went down, the skin left behind was very smooth. 

DR. BELMEUR ADVANCED CICA RECOVERY SERUM

The Advanced Cica Recovery Serum by Dr. Belmeur retails at The Face Shop for $48.00 CAD. This is an anti-aging serum that promises to strengthen the skin natural barrier and maintaining the skin's elasticity. It contains "ceremide, panthenol, centella asiatica and 3 other effective ingredients that improve the skin barrier to strengthen the skin’s own energy."

My Experience

This serum is actually so smooth on the skin. It has a water-like texture but it's still as thick as a cream. Because it has ceramides, it seals in the moisture in the skin and leaves your face feeling so soft and smooth. It blends in very quickly and doesn't leave a greasy feeling to the skin.

For the most part, this serum contains very similar ingredients to the cream but I don't feel as though it irritated my skin. I have continued to use it even stopping the cream and I haven't had any more flare-ups.

At night, this is pretty much all I need to sufficiently moisturize the skin although I do add a hydrator to penetrate the layers of the skin. I don't feel like I need to put anything on top of this product.  I make sure bring the serum down to my neck and décolletage, and rub the excess into my hands to get every drop of its goodness.  

DR. BELMEUR PANTHENOL SOOTHING GEL CREAM

The Panthenol Soothing Gel Cream by Dr. Bemeur retails at The Face Shop for $42.00 CAD. "The gel-type cream containing 2.5% panthenol creates a moisture barrier to soothe sensitive skin and help provide longer-lasting hydration." 

My Experience

I find the gel very easy to smooth over the face. My skin soaks up the product very quickly, almost too quickly and I'm left feeling as though it needs a little more hydration. In the mornings, I started using the serum under the gel, but I felt it was a bit too heavy when I layered my SPF on top. Instead, as always, I opted for my hyaluronic acid to thoroughly hydrate the skin, then layered the gel on top. I enjoyed that combination much better and haven't had any irritations with continued use. 

Overall

I would recommend the serum and the gel to someone looking for a light moisturizer but definitely skip the cream. I think it is simply too thick my combination-acne prone skin and it most likely just clogged my pores. I feel as though you'll still need something a little extra when it comes to hydration as it doesn't give the skin much water. There are other products in this line on their website that offer hydration, but to be honest, I'm not jumping to purchase any of them.

I started using the collection strictly on my neck and decolletage and my skin has never felt softer. I'll continue to use it until its done though. I was very excited to try this dermatologist-created line but was left disappointed by the results. Perhaps for a person which drier skin, they might experience better results, which is pretty much my consensus on its moisture vs hydration levels. All that to say, it's going to be a no for me.