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I admit it rarely happens that I look at a product and have no clue what it is supposed to do, but the NIOD Non-Acid Acid Precursor 15% left me confused. What is an acid precursor? What is it supposed to do in the skin?

Where do the 15% come from? And where do I fit it into my routine? If you are wondering about the same things, keep on reading!

What the NIOD Non-Acid Acid Precursor 15% claims

Non-Irritating Alternative to Direct Acid Exfoliation.

Facts about the NIOD Non-Acid Acid Precursor 15%

Prize and size

One bottle contains 30 ml and is available for 53 € on the website here. It is a brown glass bottle with a pipette and the minimalistic black and white label. The pH is at 4-5 and the product is vegan.

Texture and smell

Rather than like your typical serum, the product looks and feels like a milky lotion. The initial whiteness disappears when spread on the skin surface and like many fragrance-free products it has a distinct, nutty scent that isn’t the most pleasant. (More info: Is fragrance in your skincare bad for you?)

How to use the NIOD Non-Acid Acid Precursor 15%

It took me a while to understand how to properly use it – was it supposed to be used a few times a month like a chemical exfoliant? Or nightly because it isn’t an acid, but much gentler? I have tried both, but would assume looking at the ingredient list that even those with sensitive skins will be able to use it nightly without risking irritation. (More info: Signs of a damaged skin barrier)

I put it in my evening routine, mainly because my morning routine needs to be as streamlined as possible, with as little steps as absolutely necessary, and after a short period of experimenting usedit every night. Just to be clear, the website advises you not to pair it with both retinoids or copper peptides, but as I could find absolutely no reason for that from looking at the ingredients, I ignored that. This is a personal decision though, not advice. (More info: The best way to layer your skincare products)

Using it in the mornings would work too, the only thing you need to be aware of is that the dropper doesn’t work too well, so I often ended up wiping the  dropper on my hand to get enough product for application.

Ingredients of the NIOD Non-Acid Acid Precursor 15%

Aqua (Water) solv, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate , Glycerin sii|h 0 0, Ethyl Linoleate emo|perf, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer vc, Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate cci, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3 cci, Yeast Extract h, Soy Amino Acids h, Bisabolol so, Pseudoalteromonas Exopolysaccharides h, Lecithin emo|emu, Sorbitan Isostearate emu 0 1–2, Isohexadecane emo|solv, Polysorbate 60 emu|surf, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 vc, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate chel, Sodium Salicylate pres, Citric Acid buff, Sodium Chloride vc, Potassium Sorbate pres, Sodium Benzoate pres, Pentylene Glycol solv|h, Ethoxydiglycol solv|h|perf 0 0, Phenoxyethanol pres, Chlorphenesin pres|amic

Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.

I admit at first glance I thought that would be just another serum with fermented ingredients and a few peptides thrown in, but upon closer look the peptides added are actually quite interesting. Now if I say interesting, I mean the claims and potential mechanism in which they work is interesting, peptides in general have only sparse data and even out of the variety of peptides available, the ones in here are not the best studied. We basically just have manufacturer data, so don’t take it as gospel.

It contains Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate (with the modest name “Perfection Peptide”) that claims to reactivate the natural desquamation process to reveal brighter, more even skin, and Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3 (called “Retinopeptide 189”) that, again according to manufacturer data works like retinoids in increasing cell turnover and promoting collagen production, but without the side effects.

I addition to that you have Glycerin as humectant and several fermented ingredients. (More info: The benefits of fermented ingredients in skincare explained) as well as Bisabolol for soothing.

Similar to other NIOD products, you get really interesting peptides that could, when working as advertised, be amazing, but that don’t have much data behind them.

(More info: How to read the ingredient list in your skincare)

Does it live up to its claims?

Hm.

It helps that there aren’t any real claims as in “does xyz”, it just says non-irritating alternative to direct acid exfoliation, but while I agree it isn’t irritating, I don’t think it can really compare to the effect a chemical exfoliant will have on your skins texture.

And I still am not sure what the 15 % mean.

How does it compare to…

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Recovery Complex

You might wonder why I compare something that claims to have a similar effect to acid exfoliation to the Estee Lauder ANR Serum which most people wouldn’t put into that category. It is instead perceived as calming and hydrating. Well, the claims it has aren’t that different to the NIOD one, claiming to be “for radiant, youthful-looking skin. Instantly adds radiance. Intensely hydrates.” and if you look atthe ingredients, you  will find the same focus on fermented ingredients with one peptide added.

Estée Lauder uses Tripeptide-32, that according to the brand helps with the skins natural nightly renewal process. I personally am a longstanding fan of ANR without being able to claim how it changes my skin for the better – it simply does.

Estée Lauders option is even more expensive though and surely not a necessity in your routine if you are on a budget, and neither is the NIOD one.

You can read my full review of the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum here.

Vegreen Skin Barrier Reishi Serum

I only reviewed this serum as part of a video review you can find here, it doesn’t have a dedicated one on the blog yet, but I found it similar in texture to the one from Estée Lauder mentioned above, but much more affordable. Personally I enjoy Estée Lauder a bit more, but that might be habit – I have been using ANR for over a decade now.

Would I repurchase and which skin types do I recommend the NIOD Non-Acid Acid Precursor 15% to?

I wouldn’t repurchase, simply because for me it falls into the category of splurge rather than necessity and I don’t see that much of a difference in my skin. I do use acids and Tretinoin though, so the difference it makes might be bigger for those that aren’t able to do that due to sensitivities. Overall it is probably aimed at mature, sensitive skin.

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