Biologique recherche is a niche brand pretty hard to get your hands on. I’ve discovered it thanks to youtube with their iconic P50 lotion. I have never tried it yet. Before I commit and by any skincare, I always look at the formula to know if it is worth a try. For today’s post, I’m going to tell what I think about some of their products.
Lotion P50
Phenol is commonly found in professional peels to enhance the strength of an acid. I don’t think it is wise to use it at home. However, the phenol-free formula is impressive and features a blend of acid that is not commonly found:
Biologique recherche is well known for this lotion. It has been reformulated because the oldest formula contained phenol. It is still available in some countries.
Gluconolactone, lactic acid, citric acid, and salicylic acid. Gluconolactone is a PHA (a polyhydroxy acid) that is gentle but yet very efficient. It is blended with « big AHA ».
I like the fact that this formula contains glycerine and niacinamide. I have a con about some of the plant extracts ( Myrtus Communis for example). There are not many scientific data about them so why include them?
Notorious allergen: thyme oil
Lotion P50 Pigm 400
The P50 Pigm is a declination of the P50 to fight pigmentation. This lotion combines Niacinamide with acids lactic acid, acid mandelic, acid phytic, acid citric, gluconolactone… Niacinamide at 2 to 5% blocks the transfer of melanin (aka pigments). I don’t have the concentration so I cannot comment on it. Again the AHA (acids) are gentle but yet excellent. I would still opt for the P50.
Notorious allergen: it doesn’t seem that there are fragrant components which are good but there are a couple of plant extracts. So be careful.
Serum Dermopore
The authentic serums are extremely simple: one active and that’s it.
This serum is meant for large pores and oily skin type. You basically buy butylene glycol (a humectant) and alcohol (ethanol). There is at the end of the formula Orthosiphon Stamineus Extract which could regulate sebum production but there are not much about it. This one is a big NO-NO for me.
Notorious allergen: none but be careful with the plan extract
Serum Elastine Pure
This serum is hydrolyzed elastin. Hydrolysis is a biochemical reaction that requires water to function. To put it simply a protein (here elastin) is broken down into smaller pieces (amino acids and peptides). Hydrolyzed elastin is likely a good blend of humectants but that’s it. Don’t expect it to stimulate the fibroblast in the dermis to synthesize more elastin. This formula is a pass for me
Notorious allergen: none
Serum Amniotic fluid
This serum is probably the most interesting that I’ve seen so far. It features amniotic fluid as a first ingredient. Amniotic fluid contains proteins, sugar lipids, and phospholipids. There is also hydrolyzed gelatin and embryo extract. Gelatin is a protein so it will act as a humectant like the amniotic fluid. I don’t have any data on the embryo extract though. There is alcohol but looking at the formula it seems to be at a very low concentration. If you are a skincare nerd (like me) I would try this one.
Notorious allergen: none
Serum Iribiol
This serum is meant to regulate the production of sebum. It contains zinc which is an excellent ingredient for acne-prone skin. However, this serum seems to be heavy in alcohol content and it has two plants extracts: papaver rhoeas petal extract and iris florentina. This one is a No No. If you have acne-prone skin you don’t want to add to the inflammation with alcohol.
Notorious allergen: the plant extracts
Creme ADN Elastine Marine collagen marin
This cream looks very promising but it is not. The blend of emollients is good but nothing astonishing (cetyl alcohol, caprylic /capric triglycerides, stearic acid, palmitic acid). What I dislike is to find very early in the list of the ingredients triethanolamine and phenoxyethanol. Triethanolamide (pH adjuster) and phenoxyethanol (a preservative) are often used at a low concentration. You find them usually at the end of a formula. You find hydrolyzed collagen and elastic at the very end. I would guess that due to the low concentration there are not useful.
It is a pass for sure.
Notorious allergen: lanolin and some plant extracts.
Masque vivant
This is a clay mask with yeast. It uses two clays (bentonite and kaolin). This formula contains alcohol which I dislike especially in a mask. Yeast extracts are interesting but why use them in a rinse-off mask and not in a leave-on cream or serum.
Notorious allergen: none.
My conclusion
This brand is for sure very different from what we usually see in the market. The P50 lotion and serum Amniotic fluid is indeed worth a try. For the rest, I was not impressed. I like the fact that their formulas are fragrance-free. I regret the use of alcohol. Why take the risk of triggering a low level of inflammation when they are so many options.
Thank you for your time.
Cyrille
