Dermalogica Skin Saviours

Hey there, long time no speak! And no, I have not abandoned my blog. July happens to be my birthday month so it gets quite busy – hence the post famine! But the good news is that I’ve hauled a tremendous amount of new products and have lots of new content coming your way very, very soon. So in the meantime, to keep your tastebuds positively tingling with anticipation, I’m bringing you a quick post on a couple of my holy grail beauty products. Today, we are talking Dermalogica skincare.

Quick disclaimer: I am not a skincare expert, I am not trained as a dermatologist or aesthetician. All of these product opinions are based on my personal experience. YMMV. I can be a bit of a skincare and ingredients nerd and I like my skincare to be scientifically based. I closely follow Lab Muffin to ensure I am not being fooled by any skincare myths – much recommend!

Daily Microfoliant

The Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant is a gentle but effective exfoliator that can be used daily. It currently retails for £51 for 75g of product (this has changed since I bought mine – £49.50 for 74g), which is quite the investment at first but this stuff lasts for ages. You can also find a small travel/trial sized 13g container for £13.50 in John Lewis and Selfridges to try before you invest in the full-size. This was what I did at first, and it’s good to note that the lid is removable on both sizes, so you can easily refill your travel size without spilling product everywhere.

It is a rice-based, enzyme exfoliating powder which activates upon contact with water, releasing papain and rice enzymes that gently slough off dead skin cells, and salicylic acid to clean out pores. It also contains white tea and liquorice to help balance uneven skin tone, while colloidal oatmeal and allantoin calms the skin. This micro-exfoliant leaves the skin smoother and brighter without any irritation (at least from my experience). It is formulated without artificial colours or fragrances.

Here is the full ingredients list:

Microcrystalline Cellulose, Magnesium Oxide, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch, Allantoin, Papain, Salicylic Acid, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, PCA, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Cyclodextrin, Lauryl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Limonene, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, and Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).

Despite the absence of artificial fragrances, it still contains other sensitising, “fragrance-like” ingredients such as grapefruit peel oil and limonene. Since these are at the bottom of the ingredients list, the small amounts are unlikely to be problematic for the majority of us. It is however worth being cautious of these ingredients in otherwise “fragrance-free” skincare as they can cause irritation, and this type of labelling is often misleading IMO, especially for those with very sensitive or sensitised skin. Otherwise this does contain some good, scientifically backed ingredients. The gentle exfoliation if offers is also better for your skin than physical exfoliators, but at the same time it offers a very similar experience.

Let’s look at how to use this new-fangled exfoliator:

See that there? Tip it up and a white, powdery substance appears.

Careful not to tip the container too much as you’ll pour way too much out. Just tilt and tap gently to ease some product onto your hand. That should be enough for one face, possibly a little bit more though.

The way I like to do this is to splash a little water on my clean face (after cleansing/first thing in the morning). I then add a couple of water droplets onto the powder in the palm of my hand and begin to mix together to create a sort of textured paste (see below).

At this point I transfer the product to my face and start to rub it around, adding more water as the product gets a bit too dry. I try to keep some of the granules to give myself a gently physical exfoliation experience, especially in the crevice of my nose. I then add more water until the texture is more of a creamy liquid with a slight lather-like feel. I continue to massage it around my face in circular motions for a few minutes to let those enzymes and salicylic acid do their work. It goes without saying, but avoid your eyes.

I then rinse thoroughly and immediately follow with the remainder of my skincare routine: toner, essence, serum, moisturiser – whatever I am currently using. And there you go!

I’m too lazy to do this everyday. I sometimes just give my face a quick cleanse, a splash of water, or even just a swipe of toner in the mornings depending on my skin, my mood and how late I am. It is a very good product to use every few days when my skin is looking a bit congested in the morning. I tend not to use this at night as that is when I use my leave on chemical/acid exfoliators and I don’t want to over-exfoliate. It is also handy to use before a special event to keep skin looking extra bright and smooth – perfect before applying makeup. This fits into a missing place in my skincare routine where I feel the need to use a face scrub but don’t want to damage my skin. It’s effective at exfoliating, it’s satisfying to use, yet it’s gentle on the skin.

I would recommend this to anyone to try out as I think it would be suitable for all skin types.

Skin Hydrating Masque

The Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque is exactly that; a hydrating mask. The current retail price here in the UK is £39 for 75ml. According to Dermalogica, this is a refreshing, moisturising mask that remedies dry, stressed skin and reduces the appearance of fine lines. Unique cross-linked hyaluronic acid traps moisture to deliver time-released hydration for lasting suppleness. Lycopene-rich tomato seed lipids help restore the skin’s protective barrier, enhancing moisture levels for healthier-looking, smoother skin.

Full ingredients list:

Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Dimethicone, Leuconostoc/ Sorbus Aucuparia Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Codium Tomentosum Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Seed Oil, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Tocopherol, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Beta-Carotene, Salicornia Herbacea Extract Triethylhexanoin, Carrageenan, Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose, Urea, Dextrin, Alanine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Hexyl Nicotinate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Trideceth-10, Behenyl Alcohol, Cocamide MIPA, Glyceryl Oleate, Calcium Citrate, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sea Salt, Sodium Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, and Sodium Benzoate.

It is recommended to apply it to clean, dry skin, wait for 10 minutes and then rinse off. I often sleep in it when my skin is especially dry and parched and I’ve never had issues! It actually dries down and forms a film over the skin so the majority of it won’t rub off onto your pillowcase (at least for most of the night).

In terms of the texture, it has a gel-like consistency and appears transparent when blended out across the skin. This makes it a great choice for wearing on a long-haul flight, keeping your skin hydrated without looking insane.

Whenever I’m struggling with tight, dry and flaky skin, wearing this overnight helps more than any other skincare product I have tried. I wake up looking plump and with significantly fewer flakes. I would definitely recommend adding a similar product to your routine if you suffer from dry skin. It does have a very strong cucumber smell (probably from the cucumber root extract), and although I don’t mind it, other people may find this very off-putting.

I have seen very mixed reviews on this product, with many experiencing skin reactions including redness and burning. I am not able to comment on which ingredient(s) may be causing this, but I would say to try and get a sample to test out before purchasing if possible, and always do a patch test first! That said, if you are not sensitive to this product it is likely to be holy grail material for you, as it is for myself and many others.

Let me know of any skincare products you can’t live without in the comments down below! I will be back very soon with some exciting hauls and reviews – stay tuned.