Aliza Jabes, founder of French skin care brand Nuxe, was pregnant with her eldest son when she was inspired to create a “magical” ulta-comprehensive and ultra-sensual skin care product that reflected her pace of life and did everything in one quick and easy step. And that was the birth of Huile Prodigieuse, a multipurpose dry oil that now has a cult following.
Aliza went on to formulation additional skin care products to go along with the iconic Nuxe oil. All Nuxe skin care products combine natural ingredients with science while also aiming to “awaken the senses”.
Today, Nuxe is the number-one natural skin-care brand in French pharmacies and is sold in 64 countries. The brand also has spas all across the world that not only provide an opportunity for pampering, but also a way to reconnect with your inner self. In this review, we’ll tell you more about Huile Prodigieuse and other best selling products, key ingredients, Nuxe reviews from real customers, and more.
The Top 5 Nuxe Skin Care Products
Even though Nuxe is most well known for Huile Prodigieuse, the brand offers a pretty large selection of skin care products, including cleansers, masks, exfoliants, moisturizers, lip treatments, and more. Below we’ll give you the details on the top five best selling Nuxe skin care products.
Huile Prodigieuse
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse is the product that started it all. This multipurpose dry oil can be used on the face, body, and hair in order to nourish, repair, and protect. The formula includes a blend of botanical oils and extracts, with high amounts of emollients derived from coconut fatty acids, macadamia seed oil, sweet almond oil, and hazelnut oil. The plant-based oil is highly praised due to its unique dry texture and is also well known for its scent, with notes of orange blossom, magnolia, and vanilla. But as you’ll learn in the next section, while fragrant skin care can be a pleasant experience, the fragrance ingredients aren’t doing your skin any good. Variations of Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse include Or, which contains tiny shimmering particles to highlight the skin, and Riche, which contains higher levels of macadamia oil to nourish even the driest of skin. In 2017, the original formula was reinvented to include tsubaki oil.
Crème Fraîche de beauté
Crème Fraîche de beauté is a collection of moisturizing skin care products that offer 48-hour hydration, as well as an anti-pollution shield and the feeling of soothed skin. One of the most popular products from this line is the Crème Fraîche de beauté Moisturizing Cream. This Nuxe cream is composed of plant milks and algae extract in order to provide long-lasting hydration while soothing and protecting the skin from pollution. Crème Fraîche de beauté Moisturizing Cream is said to help skin look fresh, soft, and full all day long.
Nuxellence Detox
Nuxellence Detox is an anti-aging night serum that is said to detoxify cells at night so that in the morning your complexion is revived and skin looks fresh and radiant. The formula includes 10 patented ingredients, however, most of the formula is composed of water, glycerin, safflower oil, and synthetic emollients. Unfortunately, the anti-aging ingredients are used in rather low concentrations in this product.
Aquabella Toner
Nuxe Aquabella toner is a slightly textured essence-lotion that is said to improve the skin’s texture, reduce the appearance of pores, and ultimately promote a fresher complexion. While these are great promises, we noticed that the formula is pretty lackluster, consisting of mostly water, rose flower water, synthetic solvents, and synthetic emulsifiers. This Nuxe toner is recommended for all ages, but is said to be ideal for 18 to 25 years of age.
Rêve de Miel Ultra comfortable Night cream for face
The Rêve de Miel Nuxe cream is said to help replenish the skin’s lipids to repair and regenerate the skin’s barrier overnight, resulting in a comfortable, supple, and soft skin feeling. The formula contains key ingredients such as beeswax, coconut oil, macadamia seed oil, rice bran oil, and shea butter. This Nuxe cream is recommended for those with dry and sensitive skin.
What Are The Key Nuxe Skin Care Ingredients?
Nuxe skin care products are a result of combining rare plants, essential oils, and patented ingredients to provide you with a luxurious experience. But are Nuxe skin care ingredients ideal for preventing and reducing signs of aging? Read on to learn more about the key Nuxe skin care ingredients and how they may benefit your skin.
One ingredient that you’ll find in many Nuxe skin care products, including Huile Prodigieuse, is macadamia integrifolia seed oil. This lightweight oil is well absorbed by the skin without feeling greasy. The fatty acids in this oil are beneficial because they help to restore the skin’s barrier.
The skin’s barrier is composed of flattened dead skin cells called corneocytes held together by a mixture of lipids. Without these essential lipids, the barrier is weakened. A weak or damaged barrier causes the skin to lose moisture, resulting in symptoms such as dry, itchy, or irritated skin. By replenishing the barrier with ingredients like Macadamia integrifolia seed oil, the skin will be moisturized and better protected from environmental elements. In addition, the fatty acids in Macadamia integrifolia seed oil have anti-inflammatory properties, making this ingredient very beneficial for those with inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, acne, and rosacea.
Another key ingredient in Huile Prodigieuse and several other Nuxe skin care products is Camellia japonica oil. Camellia japonica, also known as tsubaki oil, is rich in fatty acids and vitamins A, D, and E. Unsaturated fatty acids represent the majority of the total fatty acid content of Camellia japonica seed oil, with oleic acid making up about 80%. Oleic acid is an omega-9 monounsaturated fatty that functions as a penetration enhancer.
The brand claims that oleic acid is “hydrating and nourishing”, but this is not true. For example, a publication in the Journal of Controlled Release states, “Penetration enhancers such as oleic acid (OA), which increase skin permeability, appear to act selectively on the extracellular lipids representing the principal regulatory channel for the penetration of small molecules.” This is not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, using oils high in oleic acid can help other beneficial ingredients penetrate into the skin. Plus, it is quickly absorbed and leaves no greasy feeling.
The one problem with Nuxe skin care products is that they contain high amounts of fragrance ingredients. The use of fragrance is problematic because of the potential to cause contact allergies, skin irritation, and even skin damage. In fact, according to a 2016 publication in the scholarly journal Dermatitis, nearly 80 essential oils have caused contact allergy. This is because all fragrance ingredients (whether natural or synthetic) impart scent through a volatile reaction, and this natural reaction almost always causes a sensitizing reaction on skin. Even if you don’t have a full blown reaction to the ingredient, the damage may still be occurring every day. Ultimately, this can cause mild problems for your skin in the short term and worse problems in the long term.
Where Are Nuxe Skin Care Products Sold?
Nuxe skin care products are sold on the brand’s website, as well as several third party online retailers such as SkinStore, Walmart, Amazon, and more. The brand also has a store locator on their website so that you can find a physical retail location that sells Nuxe skin care products near you.
What is The Nuxe Return Policy?
The Nuxe return policy states, “If for any reason you are not entirely satisfied with your order, you may return any item in its original condition for a full refund of the price of the product within 14 days from delivery. We are only able to accept returns and provide refunds for those orders placed on our website https://uk.nuxe.com. Products purchased from a physical store or from other websites are subject to the returns policies of the store or website from which they were purchased. Please note that we cannot accept returned products that we reasonably believe have been used unless the reason for the return is because the product is damaged or faulty.”
Is Nuxe Cruelty Free?
Nuxe is not cruelty free because Nuxe skin care products are sold in mainland China where animal testing is required by law.
References:
1. Journal of Controlled Release Vol 37 Issue 3 Dec 1995 Pages 299-306
2. de Groot AC, Schmidt E. Essential Oils, Part IV: Contact Allergy. Dermatitis. 2016;27(4):170-175. doi:10.1097/DER.0000000000000197
