Hi guys, I'm back again with a skincare review. I first became interested in this locally made acne cream from the brand Nixoderm after Not A Haul mentioned about it on one of her Instagram posts. Acne and pimple aren't really my skin major concern and I've only ever used two spot treatments prior to this- Nuteen Acne Away Gel and Tea Tree Oil from The Bodyshop. I wouldn't say I have much expertise in treating this kind of skin problem, but I will review the Nixoderm Ointment to the best of my abilities.
I believe this product is marketed as a medicated cream, not a skincare. Hence you would be able to find it on the shelf near to the pharmacist counter at Guardian (I'm not sure about other pharmacists). Unlike some acne spot treatments like Dalacin T and T3 Mycin, this does not need a pharmacist prescription for you to be able to buy it.
The ointment comes in two sizes;
-Nixoderm Ointment 5.34g (RM6.15)
-Nixoderm Ointment 17.7g (RM10.70)
I decided to get the smallest, in case this product wouldn't work for me. It is indeed a small tin, just like the size of our 50 sen coin. Manufactured by the Scanlab Sdn. Bhd., Nixoderm Ointment comes with an information paper written in English, Malay and Mandarin. Although it's made locally, I believe Nixoderm is an American based company, since it's written here Nixoderm Enterprises LLC-USA.
What it is?
The cream mainly focusing on treating external skin problems like;
-pimples
-blackhead
-itching
-rashes
-ringworm on skin and scalp
Here is what it says on the paper;
"Nixoderm is a firm ointment that adheres to the skin. Thus it is formulated to keep active ingredients in contact with the skin for the maximum amount of time. This gives better results than liquids or thin, greasy applications that quickly run off"
Ingredients
There are only 3 ingredients needed to make this ointment.
-Benzoic Acid 6%
-Salicylic Acid 2.5%
-Precipitated Sulphur 4.6%
Just like the controversial parabens, benzoic acid is a common preservative used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi. Apart from being a preservative, it is said to be effecting in treating skin inflammation and irritation. Now, I'm not a chemistry expert, also I don't know how much is the safest concentration of benzoic acid that KKM (Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia) permitted it to be in a product, but 6% is considered high according to CIR experts [source: here]. Both CIR and also from my understanding when learning clinical pharmacology during university, 5% is considered safe to skin and is absorbed in an 8 hour period.
Hence,
Nixoderm suggested applying this ointment twice daily- morning and evening. I'll get back to instruction later. Now I'd like to address, avoid applying Nixoderm to your skin if you're using ascorbic acid/vitamin c based skincare products, example; serum. Some studies (although there are not related to skincare) have found that benzoic acid + vitamin c = benzene, and benzene is a chemical linked to cancer. [source: here]
so... you know, just to be safe!
Salicylic acid possesses antibacterial, keratolytic (keratin-dissolving at 3%-6% concentration) and has anti-inflammatory benefits. Derived from the bark of a Willow tree, it's indeed a popular ingredient together with benzoyl peroxide in treating acnes and zits. Side note; benzoic acid + oxygen = benzoyl peroxide. I don't have a lot to say about salicylic acid, though. Common sangat dah ingredient ni. If any of you allergic to aspirin, then avoid using this since salicylic acid belongs to the same class of drugs as aspirin.
Last but not least, precipitated sulphur. It's able to treat acne because of the keratolytic and antiseptic properties its exhibit. Sulphur is actually pretty common in skincare products! I remember Mario Badescu's Healing Mask and lotion are both formulated with sulphur. Same goes to Peter Thomas Roth Acne Treatment Mask. The amount of precipitated sulphur in Nixoderm is 4.6%, that's enough to give the product sulphur-ish scent.
Based on the ingredients, I believe that Nixoderm Ointment works to cleanse pores, remove dead skin cell (since all the ingredients induce exfoliation) and stimulate new skin cell growth.
Reaction to skin differs according to an individual, but it's good to know that all these three ingredients can be drying to skin and able to create sensations. My advice- always do a patch test!
Instruction (Important!)
For eczema, pimples and rash- Use twice daily. The treatment should be followed for 7 days then discontinued for 3 days and resumed for a further 7 days. Nixoderm said to continue treatment until the skin condition has cleared up.
Scent
Distinctive, unpleasant sulphur scent. Yes, I've smelled the pure sulphur powder before. The scent is quite strong, but I don't really mind since I always go to bed after putting it anyway. The sulphur content is the same reason why the cream is a bit yellowish.
Storing
Below 30 Celsius and out of direct sunlight. Believe it or not, Malaysia right now is more than 30C due to El Nino T____T
Texture/Swatch
Thick, cream-like paste. It doesn't have any viscosity agent, hence the dry texture. It's not oily either, but feels kinda bit waxy and has some gritty to it. Nixoderm will leave a white cast on your face since it does not absorb well into skin, so it's definitely not something you could wear under makeup. Senang cerita, macam bedak sejuk pun ada.
Here's a swatch. You can see the white part is noticeable even after I blended it out.
Trial Period
I don't always suffer from acne breakouts that regularly, so I rarely use this. But for the past two months, this is the only acne spot treatment that I've used over my hormonal breakouts. I wear makeup on daily basis, so I only have the chance to put it on during night time.
Personal Take
Upon seeing it at the Guardian, I was drawn to all the claims it stated. Ingredients are simple and have already well-known to combat acnes. I've actually never thought of this kind of ointment exists locally. It's cheap too! Less than 10 bucks. A little disclaimer here- I solely use Nixoderm as a pimple treatment, so I have no idea how it would work over blackheads.
As for the packaging, I'm not really a fan of it due to the hygienic purpose. I always scrape out the product using q-tip just like the picture below
Does it work?
YES- my pimples will shrink after 3 days at most, the smaller ones have gone after 2 times of applications. However, this is for sure an uncomfortable product to use as it stings and burns horribly. PEDIH GILA NAMATEY. But, I've already expected after seeing what it contains. The burning sensation goes away after 3 minutes. Nixoderm provides a tip for sensitive skin- apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly (I can only think of Vaseline) before the application of the ointment.
Name : Nixoderm Ointment
Brand : Nixoderm
Country of Origin : Made in MalaysiaContent : 5.34 gram / 17.7 gram
Limited Edition : No
Price :
-Nixoderm Ointment 5.34g (RM6.15)
-Nixoderm Ointment 17.7g (RM10.70)
Availability (Malaysia) :
In Store: Guardian
Online : Guardian Online [link]
Link : http://nixodermacne.com/
Overall, this is a great product with a rating of 9/10. I'm satisfied and will recommend it to you guys. Nixoderm Ointment indeed has a lot of positive reviews on online acne sites!
Anyway, I'm not sure if you're able to get this product easily overseas, but Ebay and Amazon have it. Note that the Nixoderm Ointment in Amazon has different ingredients than the one I'm currently using since it comes from a different country manufacturer. (Example; Nigeria- Benzoic Acid 6%, Titanium Dioxide 10%, Salicylic Acid 2.5%, Menthol 1.1%, Precipitated Sulphur 4.6%).
Hope this review helps! While I know salicylic acid acne based treatment is popular, have you ever tried sulphur based treatment? Also, what is your favourite spot treatment? Comment below so my other lovely readers and I can check it out.
[Something similar to this: NuTeen Anti-Acne Gel - A Review]
[Something similar to this: NuTeen Anti-Acne Gel - A Review]
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