[Review] NIOD CAIS2 Copper Amino Isolate Serum 2:1 for Sensitized Skin (acne, rosacea, texture, sensitivity) – Before / After Photos
This summer, due to the heatwave and having to wear a COVID mask at all times, my skin has had enough: it feels attacked and has been really weakened. It’s starting to go red for no reason, even though I’m not prone to rosacea. I thought about slathering on B5 (from Skinceuticals), but I’m game, so I’m going to try other things.
I noticed that my skin was soothed and redness disappeared whenever I used The Ordinary’s Buffet + Copper Peptides 1% serum (which contains copper peptides), so I decided to invest in a higher-end, better-formulated product containing copper peptides: NIOD CAIS2, which is from the same DECIEM group.
Apparently, it’s Brandon’s favorite product—the late CEO of DECIEM—the one he would take to a desert island… And of all NIOD products, if you had to choose one, it would be this one. So I told myself I absolutely had to test it.
This post is not NOT sponsored
open both bottles 
pour the activator into the serum 
use the activator’s dropper to close and shake it all up
Ingredients
For the curious, here’s the ingredient list for each bottle:
ACTIVATOR
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Tripeptide-29, Tripeptide-1, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Glycogen, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Dextran, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ethoxydiglycol, Isoceteth-20, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.
COPPER CONCENTRATE SERUM
Aqua (Water), Copper Gluconate, Isoceteth-20, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.
The texture
1st bottle 
2nd bottle
Compared to Buffet + Copper Peptides 1% from The Ordinary, CAIS 2 from NIOD is much more liquid, too liquid even, and it’s quickly absorbed by the skin.
This texture is highly criticized because you don’t feel like you’ve applied much, but I assure you it doesn’t take much to see results. For those who love to layer multiple products (Asian layering), it’s great because you can do your 10-step routine without having a 5cm layer.
After 10 days, the light blue turned into a grey-blue. I sent the photo and question to the Deciem team, who confirmed that the color had changed but that I could still use it.
I’m still not reassured and decide to order a second bottle to compare. I think the first bottle had issues because the second has a vibrant, much more concentrated blue – 10 days later, it’s still the same blue.
In the meantime, the grey-blue of the first bottle turned black and even the smell changed, so there’s no point in using it anymore. I think I stored it in the bathroom, where the sun and heat come in every morning – during the heatwave, and that oxidized my first bottle. Now I store it in the living room, away from light and heat.
So, I got a refund for the first bottle; I simply sent it back. That’s the advantage when you buy directly from Deciem, even if the bottle has been used, they refund without issue (within 365 days of purchase more info). And since I paid via PayPal, PayPal refunds my return shipping costs (16€ anyway) to the UK.
Usage
Right after cleansing your face, you should apply it.
To avoid wasting a single drop of this serum, use the dropper to place 4 drops directly onto the skin. Then, gently pat to work the product into the skin. Personally, I use 4 drops for my entire face.
Because the serum is extremely concentrated. There are negative reviews on this serum, as users slather it all over their face, like it’s a cream!
It’s no coincidence they sell the 15ml version!! 4 drops are enough, I repeat, 4!!
Mind you, this is a treatment serum, so right after, you need to apply a hydrating serum. The brand recommends MMHC2, from NIOD, which I’ll talk to you about in another article.
- After CAIS2,
you need to wait at least 30 seconds before applying vitamin C, retinol, retinoid, tretinoin…(that was with CAIS 1, sorry) No retinol, tretinoin, or vitamin C with CAIS 2. - This serum is compatible with niacinamide, but if your niacinamide serum isn’t a hydrating one (like the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% from The Ordinary which I gave a glowing review), I don’t recommend using both together because then you’d have to slather on a third HYDRATING serum. I’ll always recommend my favorite, the one and only INTENSIVE BI-SERUM “ANTI-THIRST” from Clarins..
- But if you absolutely insist on using niacinamide, here’s the winning combo: CAIS 2, MMHC 2 from NIOD then Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% from The Ordinary then a moisturizing cream or emulsion. You can afford to slather on 3 serums in a row because CAIS 2 and MMHC 2 are as liquid as water.
Results
The results aren’t immediate compared to other DECIEM products formulated for an instant effect; this one showed effects on me after 5 days because my skin is currently very damaged. Slowly, the red, borderline inflammatory areas (rosacea) where I wear my mask are fading. The irritated areas hurt less, then don’t hurt at all.
I had a mosquito bite on my inner thigh, which I scratched until it bled (not good), and I tested this serum on it. It closed up quickly, and within two days, the wound became barely visible. Impressive!
Combined with MMHC 2, the effects are even more visible: my skin looks great the next day : repaired and rested, very soft with much, much less texture.
Here are the before/after photos after 6 weeks of using CAIS 2 & MMHC 2. I hope I don’t shock anyone. It’s my skin; it’s not perfect, but it’s healing. The breakouts are gone, even on days when I wear a mask all day. Maskne is behind me, hallelujah; now I just need to deal with the spots.
On normal, already healthy skin, you won’t get the WOW effect right away, but it’ll show in the long run.
I’ll be back in 3 months, once I finish the serum, to give you a full before/after. But the results after 3 weeks are so great that I couldn’t help but share them with you.
Where to buy NIOD CAIS 2?
This is a premium skincare product, €45.6 for 15ml, or €72 for 30ml.
OR 34.36€ for 15ml, so -20% with the code OCTOBER20 on Lookfantastic (link)
For those who prefer a thicker texture, the CAIL version (copper peptides in an oily base: squalane) has just been released but is already out of stock. Reviews on CAIL are much less glowing than on CAIS and CAIS 2, so I recommend trying CAIS 2 first.
For more info on NIOD, check out my article where I detail the best-sellers at NIOD. You can see my routine for damaged skin barrier to see how I incorporate this product with the others.
