Nanoblur Review with Before and After Pictures

Nanoblur has just been launched in the UK with intensive PR activity.  It is being promoted on the new finds stand in Boots, who seem to have an exclusive on it at least on the High Street and at least for now.  It has been getting some mixed reviews on the blogs.

The concept is that it contains particles that diffuse the light falling on the skin thus reducing the appearance of wrinkles – a bit like snow falling on the pavement obscuring the cracks.  It all sounded interesting, so I have had a look and this is my Nanoblur review.

This is hardly a new idea – the Ancient Egyptians had probably worked that one out and it is one of the functions of foundation.  The difference with this particular product is that these are nanoparticles and so are incredibly small and therefore incredibly efficient.   Thanks to this they can offer unbelievable results.

Nanoblur Claims

They aren’t modest in their claims either.  In 40 seconds, your skin can look up to 10 years younger.  Okay.  Well I suppose it could.  And in strict mathematical terms, the phrase up to 10 years younger allows for the actual effect to be not looking any younger at all.  I also had a bit of a problem with the physics. Making particles smaller usually means they obscure less rather than more.  In fact nano particles can be completely invisible.  If they are smaller than the wavelength of light, the light waves won’t even touch them.

So plenty of room for skepticism, but science is about experiments and having a tube on my desk I decided to give it a go.

Nanoblur -Before and After

Nanoblur before use picture
Nanoblur – Before
Nanoblur After Pic
Nanoblur After

As you can see, there WAS an effect.  The Nanoblur did dull down the appearance of the wrinkles.  I have seen quite a few products that are supposed to work this way over the years, and this was the strongest effect I have seen.  10 years younger?  I don’t think so, but there definitely was a blurring of the wrinkles under my eyes. But there was another effect as well, one I have never seen before.  Unfortunately the photos don’t really capture it.  But the vein just under my eye became a lot more prominent.  This had the effect of making me actually look older rather than younger.

Nanoblur – How it works

It also gave me an idea about how this product is actually working.  Have you ever seen that trick where you can use treacle to see through frosted glass windows?  It works by matching the refractive index of the glass so that light can penetrate the frosted part without getting disturbed.  Its also the explanation for the very annoying way grease from your fingers spoils frosted perfume bottles.  I think what the people behind Nanoblur – Indeed Labs – have done is work out a formulation that matches the refractive index of the top layer of the skin.  This is quite neat and does have a blurring effect.  Frosted glass does look smoother when you smear treacle on it.  This might be very handy.  But it also seems to make the skin more transparent.  This is not so desirable, though it depends a bit on where and why you are using it.

Why Nanoblur Reviews are so mixed

I think this explains the mixed reviews.  I have a feeling it is going to be a very individual thing.  I can quite imagine it being very beneficial on some people, and positively off putting on others.  It is certainly different, which isn’t something you get to say very often in the beauty world.  I think it is worth giving it a try, you might find it very good.  But be prepared to be disappointed.  It may not work that well for you.  But if it doesn’t, you can always give it to a friend.

I think Nanoblur could well establish a niche for itself, but the overblown claims are probably not going to help in the long run.  I have a feeling that a lot of tubes will end up in the bin when it doesn’t fulfil the excessive promise.  They might have done better to go for a soft launch and let people discover its benefits for themselves.

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31 thoughts on “Nanoblur Review with Before and After Pictures”

  1. You can see some improvement, but I think results would very much depend on the state of your skin to begin with. We all eventually get to the point where the usual topical treatments stop working. So long as your realistic in your expectations, give it a go.

  2. Nadira V Persaud

    I have been looking forward to your thoughts on this product, thank you for such a informed review. I was wondering how long the ‘effect’ lasts? 24 hours? 12? 2?

  3. I was in Canada last week where Nanoblur is newish but flying off the shelves.

    Speaking to some managers in the major chains, their opinion was that it was a decent primer, but it was the claims that sold the product – apart from the 10 years younger product, there are also Better Than Botox and Better than Serums products.

    In a more regulated (than UK) market like Canada, the bold and fairly unprecedented (outside the snake oil sector) marketing claims are giving a major boost.

    If the product works half as well as they claim, this is a really interesting product launch.

  4. Hmmmm, yes Nanoblur – I succumbed and got some today- couldn’t wait to try it so put it on in the car! It does do something definately, I am not sure if i look 10 years younger though and it made my face feel a little dry. What is most noticable is the appearance of a finely groomed mustache on my very own face. I now have lovely matted and ‘blurred skin’ and I look like a dude…

    It should say on the blurb that it ‘promises to give the appearance of facial growth in 40 seconds or less’ that would be more honest.

  5. Oh I should add that it did actually blur / smudge skin imperfections and it does get rid of fine lines too. So that is a plus.

  6. Thanks for all your comments. I find the effect lasts about an hour, but I think that will vary from person to person. If you really like the Nanoblur effect you are going to have to keep a tube in your handbag.

    @Rebecca – I was looking out for a powdery effect but didn’t pick up one when I tried it. You might find you get better results if you apply a very small amount.

    @Ed I think your last sentence sums up my opinion. It works about half as well as they claim, but is nonetheless interesting.

  7. Hi Colin, do you happen to know the safety of this product (or this type of product in general) for my breastfeeding wife? I recall some time back that there was concern about nanoparticles in cosmetics possibly being able to reach places they shouldn’t such as below the skin and possibly even the bloodstream.

    Thanks for any advice 🙂

  8. FYI I posed a similar question to Indeed Labs and this is part of their reply:

    “The only Indeed Labs. product that is formulated with nano-particles is Nanoblur. Please be advised these particles DO NOT penetrate the skin, they remain on the surface. Nanoblur is completely safe and effective to use daily. The smallest sized nano-particle used is 0.5 micrometers. None of Indeed Laboratories Inc.’s products use any ingredient with an indication of risk for use while breastfeeding.”

    I’m content with that answer – at a minimum size of half a micron they’re not so much nanoparticles as just ultra-fine particles, but I suppose “UFPblur” isn’t so easy to say 😉

  9. Thanks for the question, and also for the answer Paul. I think that the Nano thing is pure marketing and has nothing whatever to do with the way it works.

  10. I used nanoblur on Thurs evening and started getting red lumps on my face yesterday where I had used the cream and today the lumps are getting worse !! No-one seems to have commented on any side effects yet.

  11. Hi, I bought some a few days ago – though I don’t really suffer from wrinkles so much. My skin immediately felt so soft and smooth and my imperfections on my skin are definately very much reduced – I have a few open pores and this did help – not 100% though.

    My mother and I tried as they did on the Nanoblur website with treating one side of our faces only to see if we could see/feel the difference……….I really like it – as does my mother and am now intrigued to read about the Snoxin they have on their website.

    I have never bought any expensive products to compare this to.

  12. Hype is mothers milk to the beauty industry so I am wary but intrigued by Nano but not enough to spend my hard earned yet. I have developed rosacea so am always on the lookout for products to improve my reddened skin condition. Do you think Nanoblur will make any significant difference? What would you recommend as a treatment/cover regime? The standard metronidazole (rozex) gel controls the worst breakouts but the Bill Clinton (another sufferer) blush remains.

  13. Hi Colin,

    Me again – I thought I’d leave an update following my questions on Nanoblur’s safety. My wife and I have both tried it now and we both agree it works… To an extent. Maybe half as well as they claim, which is in line with your own conclusions. I’m always wary of something that unconditionally promises it can knock 10 years off anyway – imagine the horrible sight if a 9 year old tried it, ewww 😉

    My wife has stopped using it but personally I like it very much, not so much for its advertised properties, but I’m finding it an excellent mattifying cream for my otherwise greasy-looking skin!

    I bought some Snoxin too, the sister product of Nanoblur, after reading your various comments regarding the wonders of peptides. I don’t know what ones they include, in what strengths, nor in what base, but I can report that in only 4 days’ use I am seeing a positive difference! A particular under-eye wrinkle I’ve been watching as a form of yardstick has smoothed out to the point of only being visible with light on it at certain angles.

    Of course what I think I see is non-scientific anecdotal evidence and fairly subjective and even if what I see is real I don’t know how long the clock-reversal effects will last when I run out of the cream – I’d be interested to know your thoughts on the product and its efficacy if you have access to the recipe and/or test data?

  14. Isn’t the problem for the industry as a whole that anything that actually has a physiological effect becomes a medicinal/pharmaceutical product and so then falls under those regulations, so the companies spend as much time making sure their products don’t actually work as they do marketing their benefits…

    1. I see your logic Dave, but it doesn’t take much time to make sure products don’t work. The rule of thumb is that nothing above 400 daltons will get through the skin anyway. And anything that is already in the diet or is easily metabolised will vanish quickly to become indistinguishable from what we eat. The number of molecules capable of having a physiological effect of any kind dermally is pretty small. Caffeine, trinitrotoluene, ibuprofen and nicotine are about the whole list. Have a look at what is already sold in transdermal patches for the ones I can’t remember off the top of my head. If you can come up with another, don’t tell me tell the patent office. It might well be lucrative.

  15. Many of the palliative patients I have worked for in the past have been prescribed fentanyl patches – it is a good painkiller.

  16. Bought it yesterday, tried it today. Just turned 40, so I guess it was a bit of age-crisis purchase. As Paul said, it does provide a nice matt finish for my T bar, and I have noticed some reduction of the enlarged pores on my nose sides and chin, which are precisely the bits that worried me the most.

    As per the wrinkle reduction and promise of a 10 years younger look… no, not really. To be fair I only have expression wrinkles when I actually make an expression, not when my face is at rest. The expresssion lines are just as visible when active, and so are the here and there imperfections of my skin… a spot here, a little redness there… still have to use make-up for those, but interestingly they do seem to be better covered by the make-up now. I haven’t seen a lot of a lifting effect either, but I guess I still have maybe 5 years before I get some noticeable sagging… (getting ready for the 45 crisis! 🙂

    I have also noticed that the skin gets very very dry after the application of this product, especially when using dry make-up, as the compact and powder make-up have to be applied over it. It’s not so bad when used after the foundation cream. I guess it’s at best when used mixed with moisturising cream and then dry make-up, or apply the moisturising cream, and then mix Nanoblur with the foundation. Otherwise your skin does feel and look very dry and spoils the dry make-up, you actually look older because of the dry skin.

    All in one, it was worth a try for its fairy-tale promises, and it does have some good effects, but I won’t be buying any more after this tube is gone. I will also use it only for some meetings, nights out or something special, not as a daily product.

    Hope this helps.

  17. Saw an article on this product a while back, tried to buy it to try and couldn’t find it in my local boots. I’ve been shopping in town today and spotted the stand at a larger boots store so decided to give it ago. I’m approaching 35 and have tried and wasted money on so many creams and serums that I am always a little sceptical. I thought I’d give it a full test so did the right side of my face only first… Wow! The lines around my mouth ( laughter lines) all but disappeared, crows feet barely there! I did my forehead too which is an area that really bothers me as makes me look down right miserable giving the impression I frown all the time, I was amazed with the results. Quite dramatic and a bit scary too though as I’d only done half of my face it gave the effect of making me look a bit like I’d had a mild stroke! Needless to say I’ve matched up both sides now and I would say it’s taken an absolute minimum of 5 years of my appearance, quite possibly even the full 10! I’ve never seen results like this before and am seriously amazed. Know what I’ll be carrying in my handbag from now on!

  18. Bought Nanoblur a few days ago. I have combination/oily skin, but it still made my skin very dry. When I put in ver liquid foundation it made me look older as it left the make-up patchy, with flaky patches. Next day I mixed it with the foundation, which is less drying but still leaves my skin less healthy looking (dry patches and paler than usual). I feel annoyed with myself for falling for the hype. I’ve definately looked younger when I’ve just worn a good moisturiser and serum. I light diffusing prduct such as Soap and Glory’s ‘Hocus Focus’, mixed with foundation was much more flattering.

  19. Hi – here’s my totally superficial findings. This is not a primer. If you have colouring issues on your face – use Boots N0 7 primer – which is amazing. Nanoblur, however, sits on top of your skin, and is light deflecting. From close up you don’t always see a difference but from a distance, photos etc – you will certainly see a blurred effect on lines. The area around my eyes caused problems – as if you aren’t using it on bare skin, you use the product OVER your makeup and under your powder – so if you don’t dab the oil off from your moisturiser, then dab oil off after your make up base – it will end up looking like you’ve put pritt stick all over your face. My top tip, is to use a shine absorbing powder free paper sheet to press over your face after your moisturiser, WAIT, dab, Foundation, WAIT (3 mins), DAB, Nanoblur, WAIT (5 minutes) – bronzer/powder. Results, for me, very obvious – but not close up – only from a distance.

  20. Well, I tried Nanoblur and to be honest with you – unless you are 50+ there is no point using it. It does not change anything apart from making your face feel rather weird and your facial hair appear more obvious!
    Also it says that you can wear it on top of you foundation – that is simply not true! If you try to put it on top of even lightest foundation or powder you will simply ruin your foundation coverage because Nanoblur is far too heavy and thick to be worn on top of the make up. And if you try to wear it underneath your foundation then you foundation simply won’t work because Nanoblur layer will not allow you foundation to “lay ” smoothly on your skin.
    So, don’t waste your money on this totally unpractical and very individual product but invest in good natural face care products and make-up instead !

  21. I never buy expensive products to compare Nanoblur to, but even this one was expensive by my standards. I am 49 years old and only ever use supermarket bought products. Until I began using this within the last week I had one or two fine lines under my eyes and a couple on my forehead.
    I now have a red rash and some very deep lines and puffiness under my eyes. I now look years older than I did a week ago and my skin feels terrible.
    I guess that it what I get for being vain and spending hard earned money on stupid things.

    1. I am sorry to hear that Shellie. I haven’t heard of anyone else having any trouble like that with this product – though some people find it doesn’t work at all. But thanks for sharing your experience. Your skin is unlikely to be unique, so other people might have the same problem. Be careful with your first application. I don’t think trying to cover up a few lines makes you vain Shellie – we are all human and want to look as good as we can.

  22. DONNA CAVERLY

    I wish I had read these reviews before I bought nanoblur because there seemed to be more bad than good said about this stuff ,I am on a very limited income and cannot afford to buy something that wont work .I am crossing my fingers and hoping I will have good luck with this product.I am 47 and have used almost everything I could not afford but I am single and hoping to meet Mr. right so I try to look as good as I can ,hope it works for me .

  23. Shellie, sorry to hear about your experience, I have never seen or heard that happen before and I know a lot of people who use nanoblur, but as Colin said, I wish you would have done a patch test on your hand, either way sorry to hear that. Donna, did it work for you? I am certain it will, like I said I know a lot of people using nanoblur and they swear by it.

  24. I have had an awful experience with this cream. After 24 hours my skin started to become irritated with red itchy lumps all over it. 48 ours later it has turned into pin head blisters. I look like a fat face goldfish. I patch tested it on my hand and then on my neck 24 hours before using it on my face, it was fine. So I proceeded to use it facially…
    I feel like ripping my face off. It is bloody terrible!

  25. I bought it for the first time today. Haven’t used it yet….but wish I had come here first before I did. Commercial kept stressing…under $20.00….yes…..it was $19.99. Can’t believe I fell for that one again. I will be very very careful using this product now, and I have to say, I really hate the fact that it dries out your face as I use my Olay Creams and what not just so my skin will NOT be dry. :/ Oh well…….I will be posting back after I use it for a “yea” or “nay” on this product. I do feel for all you woman that had a bad reaction when you actually thought that maybe……just maybe it might work. I may be in the same category, will check back soon. Good luck peeps.

  26. my experience with nanoblur was good at first and now it is going in the garbage as i believe it is the cause of spider veins showing up on my cheek. i just hope the veins go back under the skin where they belong!

  27. Pingback: An old lab trick is also a way of covering your wrinkles

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