Biologique Recherche Review
2020 is the year that I take skincare really seriously and decided to actually work on my skin.
Let me start this story by first talking a bit about my skin type and the main concerns that I have for my skin. I have combination skin, with oily t-zone and dry skin in other areas of my face. My biggest skin concerns are 1) acne scar, 2) slight pigmentation on my cheek, and 3) blackheads and bigger pores around the t-zone area. Among all the skin concerns, my biggest insecurity is acne scar and I started this skincare journey to fix this. I will insert a before and after picture at the end of this story. But without further ado, let’s talk about Biologique Recherche.
Biologique Recherche is a French skincare line, with a clinical approach to skincare using intentionally pure, concentrated, raw, 50% or more active ingredients. It is not something that is widely available in department stores, and you can only purchase them through medical spas or aesthetician offices. I often purchase my products from Aida Bicaj, Rescue Spa, and Joanna Czech. Given the extensive line of products, it is best to talk with one of the aestheticians or do an online consultation before making the purchase. I will insert a picture of the selective products that I have used from this line. The picture only has the products that I am using at the moment. I have used up a few products and I do not have the bottles anymore.
Lotion P50: The most popular product from this skincare line is probably Lotion P50. It is a cult favorite and many celebrities swear by it. It is the first step of the skincare routine, and it exfoliates the skin and prepares the skin for further treatment. The lotion P50 has six versions, and each version is supposed to be used on a specific skin type. I have used P50W, P50, P50 1970, P50 PIGM, and P50V 1970. When I first started venturing into the BR routine, I was asked to start with P50W. P50W is the most gentle version, and it is suitable for sensitive skin instants as well. Even with P50W, I felt a slight tingling and burning sensation when I first used it. What I later realized was that, when your skin is unbalanced, you will feel the tingling sensation. Among all the P50 I have tried, my favorite is P50 and P50 PIGM. I use P50 at night and P50 PIGM 400 in the day because PIGM 400 is supposed to help with pigmentation. While it is usually suggested to not exfoliate everyday, my skin actually feels okay to use lotion P50 everyday. I feel that my skin is a lot more balanced, blackhead and pores are less visible, and the skintone is more even. People say that lotion P50 is “facial in a bottle”, and I have to say that I agree with that. However, there are a few caveats that I found with BR products. First, when you use P50, please do not use retinol. It will be way too strong to use both P50 and retinol, and in fact, while using BR products, the aestheticians would suggest not using retinol. Second, it is best not to mix BR products with other skincare lines. I find that the BR products are much more effective when you use the whole regime than when you mix with other brands. Third, it is best to ask your aestheticans or look up youtube videos on how to apply the specific BR products. I find that how you apply the products make a huge difference, and it is a learning curve for people who just started using this line.
Serums: BR has a lot of serums, and each serum is supposed to target a specific skin concern. I have used many of them, and I will talk about my favorite serums here.
- serum 3R: this is my holy grail and I will say that this is my favorite serum from BR. The official description of this serum is: “Renewing + Regenerating + Repairing, Prevents, and fights the signs of aging.” I use it every night after using P50. I have been using this serum for a few months, and I definitely feel that this has helped my acne scar a lot. It really repairs and regenerates the skin. One thing to note is that there is a specific application method that you should follow. Aida Bicaj has showed how to apply this serum on her instagram and I would highly recommend following her application method.
- serum VIP O2: this is a finishing serum, meaning that this should be applied the last, even after your creams. The finishing serums are unique to BR and it is supposed to seal all products applied. VIP O2 is a brightening and unifying serum, and it is also anti-pollution. I use it during the day. While I do not know whether this really is anti-pollution, I do feel that my makeup application is so smooth and my foundation goes on like a dream. It also brightens my skin a bit, and tightens the pore. Even without the foundation, my skin still looks radiant and beautiful. I will say that I love this product mainly for how it makes my skin looks (i.e., instant results) rather than the claimed skincare benefits.
- serum erythos: A targeted serum that eases diffuse redness of the face and tends to reduce the skin bloodstream and the formation of new blood vessels. My skin suffers from redness and I also have visible blood vessels (you can see from my before and after pictures). This serum really helps with that. However, it takes patience to notice results. At first, I didn’t notice any difference and thought that this product does nothing. However, given how expensive this product is, I decided to use up the product. Interestingly, after constant use for a while (more than half bottle used), I noticed a big difference on the redness and blood vessels on my skin. It is truly magical.
- serum placenta: Serum Placenta is a unique healing & repairing serum that addresses skin care concerns from post-acne scarring to dark eye circles! While I do not think that this serum really helps with acne scars (e.g., boxcar scar), it helps with redness and repairing the skin from fresh acne. The skin heals much faster. For example, I used to do microneedling, and before using this serum, it requires at least 2–3 days for my skin to heal. After using this serum, my skin heals overnight. I would say that this serum is great for anyone who suffers from active acnes. Your skin will heal much faster from the active acnes with this serum.
Creams: I have only tried four BR creams: Creme ISO-placenta, Creme dermopurifiante, Emulsion Originelle Regenerants, and creme Aux Acides De Fruits. Before I talk about the specific cremes, I want to throw out another caveat. The cremes are functional cremes and not just moisturizers. In fact, most of the cremes that I have used are not moisturizing at all. I always apply my BR creme, and then apply La Mer moisturizing cream on top. Among all the creams, my favorite one is ISO-placenta. This is a new formula that replaced their original creme placenta. I know some people are not happy about it but to me, the new version works great. It heals my skin and I feel that it also helps with my acne scar. One thing to note is that this product is not very hydrating. In fact, when I first started using this product, my skin felt tight. After a while, the tightness is gone. I loved using Emulsion Originelle Regenerants in the summer because it was nourishing and hydrating. The formula is very light and easy to be absorbed. My least favorite one is Creme Aux Acides De Fruits. It is supposed to brighten and further exfoliate my skin, but I did not feel that it does anything. Serum 3R is a much better choice. However, everyone’s skin is different and I know that many people swear by this product.
Masks: the only mask that I have used is Mask Vivant, and I have to say that it is my holy grail mask. Mask vivant is a purifying and brightening mask. I love to use it when my skin feels congested. Mix it with a dash of baking soda and wait for 20 minutes, you will see miracle happen on your skin. Everytime I use this mask, I feel that my skin is so radiant, brightened, and de-congested. I will re-purchase this mask forever.
Overall, I would say that Biologique Recherche has made a huge difference on my skin. As you can see from my before and after pictures, my acne scar is much less visible, and my skin is a lot more radiant with much less redness. I still have a lot of things to work on my skin, such as pigmentation on the cheeks, but I think that my skin condition has improved a lot since April. One thing to note though is that besides changing my skincare line to Biologique Recherche, I have also started using LED and microneedling. I do LED 1–2 times a week, and microneedling sparely (it is so irregular that I feel that it should be ignored, but I want to be honest about what procedures I do for my skin). As far as LED, I use the Celluma Pro. It is by far the best LED I have ever used, although the price tag is very steep. I would not recommend it if you cannot use it constantly because it will not be effective unless you really stick to it.
Thank you for reading through this long post. I hope this post is somewhat useful for you. I know that given BR has such a huge line of products, it can sometimes be overwhelming. My biggest advice is that 1) get a consultation with the aestheticians of the spa of your choice, 2) try not mix it with other skincare lines, and do not use retinol when using BR products, 3) learn how to apply the products because the application method makes a huge difference, and 4) be patient and trust the process (sometimes it takes a while to see the results). Of course, sometimes you might find products that do not suit your skin type, but the good thing is that for the serums, they have small sizes that you can try out. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave me a comment and I will try to reply as soon as I can. If you are a BR user, please let me know your favorite products as I am always hunting for something new to try.
