NIOD Sanskrit Saponins Cleanser Review

I love DECEIM the company and have more than several NIOD products in my arsenal. Heck, at one stage I swore I would only use DECEIM products. It didn’t last very long.

I’ve use the NIOD Sanksrit Saponins Cleanser for about a year and thought it was high time I put in my two cents about it.

The NIOD Sanskrit Saponins Cleanser deep cleans your pores and strips dead skin cells and oil without drying out your skin. Your face will be left feeling clean and fresh. It’s not instantaneous but with regular use, you can see improvements in blemishes, skin congestion and overall complexion.

Let’s take a deep dive:

What is NIOD Sanskrit Saponins?

The NIOD Sanskrit Saponins Cleanser (SS) is part of the NIOD yesti range which looks to the practices of the past to produce modern skincare. It comes in 90 ml and 180 ml squeeze tubes.

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The SS is a face cleaning balm made from suspending Arginine in saponins from the Aryuvedic plants shikakai and sapindus mukorossi.

Shikakai is a climbing shrub that is native to Asia and commonly used as a hair cleanser in India. Sapindus mukorossi is commonly known as Indian soapberry or washnut. The soapnut is used as a cleanser for hair, skin and clothing. It can also be used to remove head lice off your scalp.

Hhmm.. interesting. So we are rubbing soapnut and shampoo onto our faces? I guess it could be worse. I’ve used snail slime and swallow saliva before. Some people with SD find Dove soaps helpful.

That’s the Indian soapberry:

What does Sanskrit Saponins do?

Rather than focusing on cleaning surface dirt, SS deep cleans your pores of bacteria, dirt and oils. It also strips dead skin cells off the surface without peeling your skin and removes some skin oils, encouraging new oil production.

With continued use, NIOD claims it improves blemishes and congestion. NIOD also claims our skin will look nearly pore-free and will be radiating from within.

Does it work?

Sankrit Saponins works to an extent. It removes skin oils because I can feel a tightness and dryness on my face for a few minutes after washing. I feel that it cleans my pores reasonably well with regular use. I’ve certainly never ‘looked pore-free’ but my cheeks stopped looking so congested.

Be mindful, it’s not one of those miraculous products where you use it and instantly see results. This one’s more of a slow burn.

How does the SS feel like?

It feels and looks like a clay paste. It also smells like a cross between herbs and clay. It’s not a bad smell. But I like earthy smells.

The SS paste spreads very easily on my face and rinses easily. It also stings a bit like how shampoo stings when it gets into my eyes.

Who is it for?

I think the SS would suit anyone, particularly those with regular or oily skin. I have combination regular/oily skin and I felt it helped relieve the congestion on my cheeks.

If you have problematic skin like bad acne, rosacea or sensitive skin, just be careful as the ingredients in this cleanser is quite ‘raw’. Maybe do a patch test first to make sure the SS doesn’t make your skin condition worse.

What I like about the NIOD SS

• It doesn’t dry my skin out. Right after cleansing, you’ll feel a bit of tightness but this goes away within minutes.
• I quite like the yesti concept of using Aryuvedic practices to make modern skin care.
• Despite being deep pore cleansing, it doesn’t use acids or alcohol, and is not an exfoliant
• It doesn’t contain any synthetic surfactants or sulphates
• It’s oil-free and alcohol-free

What I don’t like about it

• Due to the plant saponins, if it gets into your eyes, it will sting.
• It doesn’t remove makeup. Bummer.
• There’s a lot of product left in the squeeze tube that I’m never going to get out. I have wastage.

Do I recommend the NIOD Sanskrit Saponins Cleanser?

Yes, I totally recommend the NIOD Sanskrit Saponins Cleanser to anyone with regular or oily skin looking for a natural cleanser that deep cleans their pores without drying their skin out.

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How to use NIOD SS

NIOD’s suggestion is to use the SS once every other day in the morning or evening. They also say you can use it more often if you want.

• If you have makeup on, remove your makeup with a makeup remover.
• Then wet your face.
• Massage SS between your palms for a few seconds to form a paste-like leather.
• Massage gently onto your fae, avoiding the eyes.
• Rinse thoroughly, keeping your eyes closed.

What I do:

• I use SS every morning in the shower.
• I wet my face and massage a pea-sized amount of SS onto my face, concentrating on the cheek area because that’s where most of my congestion is.
• I rinse it off thoroughly with my eyes closed.

I never use SS in the evenings because I usually have makeup on in the day. Even though I take my makeup off with micellar water, I still like to use a cleanser that will do another round of makeup cleaning.

How to use Sanskrit Saponins as a mask

For a deeper cleaning treatment, SS can be used as a face mask.

1. Remove all makeup
2. Clean your skin with water. Unlike other masks, you don’t have to cleanse your skin before applying because this is a cleanser mask.
3. Pat your face dry with a towel.
4. Wet the palms of your hands.
5. Massage a generous amount of SS into your palms until a paste forms.
6. Apply to dry skin, avoiding the eye area entirely.
7. Leave on for 5 minutes.
8. Rinse thoroughly.

How often should you use it?

NIOD says once every second day. I use it every morning and I’m fine with it. If you have really congested skin, I think you can get away with using it twice a day. Just try it and see how your skin feels. If it gets too dry, cut down on your frequency of use.

NIOD Sanskrit Saponins ingredients

You think a product is all great and natural, then you see the ingredient list and there’s stuff there you don’t like.

At least the major ingredients we like are towards the top of the list:

• Water
• Stearic Acid
• Sapindus Mukurossi Fruit Extract
• Glycerin
• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
• Arginine
• Polysorbate 60
• Acacia Concinna Fruit Extract
• Desert Date Fruit Extract
• Gypsophila Paniculata Root Extract
• Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
• Acacia Senegal Gum
• Xanthan Gum
• Pentylene Glycol
• Melanin
• Sorbic Acid
• Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
• Potassium Sorbate
• Sodium Benzoate
• Caprylyl Glycol
• 1,2-Hexanediol
• Ethylhexylglycerin
• Phenoxyethanol
• Chlorphenesin

Is saponin good for your skin?

Saponins have anti-oxidant effects on the skin and protects it against UV damage. It also has anti-septic activities to keep bacteria at bay.

To wrap up

The NIOD Sanskrit Saponins Cleanser flies under the radar and is not as well-known as some of their other products. I think that’s a shame as it’s really one of the better cleansers out there.

Check out how I used the NIOD Hydration Vaccine to heal my face rash.