dermalogica - special cleansing gel, daily microfoliant, active moist, intensive eye repair

Welcome to my newly created blog. I was inspired to start this blog because I spend a preposterous amount of money on beauty products I either want, need or just plain HAVE to have and I thought I could better justify that by sharing my experiences with others...haha. Really I gathered that I spend a lot of time buying and trying new products and that would make me somewhat of an expert in the market/s I tend to dabble so I thought I should share that knowledge.

Most recently I was persuaded to try the Dermalogica range by the consultant beautician who mapped my face while I was getting my hair styled (gotta love multi-tasking). I was hesitant at first because I had used Dermalogica a few years ago and found it did nothing for me (in fact I broke out but am unsure if I can attribute the break out to the Dermalogica as I have problematic skin) but I thought there is no harm in trying.

Well thank goodness I did! I LOVE Dermalogica. I tried their:

Special Cleansing Gel
Daily Microfoliant
Active Moist
Intensive Eye Repair

And I loved every single one.

I have problematic skin (I am 24 years old and still have the blemishes I developed when I was 14 years old. However, the powers of deduction (and my many years of trialling products) have informed me that it is hormone related and being a late developer I gathered I would have this issue into my 20's (just praying it disappears soon!)) with an oily/combination completion (excessively oily through the T zone but VERY dry under the eyes). Aside from that my skin is quite standard (nothing to report here).

Using the Dermalogica did not cause me to break out but even better than that is that it felt like it was undoing the years of using harsh, blemish-fighting products and was slowly starting to replenish the moisture to my skin.

It feels gentle with the perfect blend of squeaky clean and luscious hydration by using the whole regime I used.

Blow-by-blow of each product

Special cleansing gel - $87/500mL, $53/250mL

Fantastic, gentle cleanser that feels as though it gives a great, deep clean without overly drying the skin. I cleansed twice on instruction from the beauty therapist and this appeared to work nicely. You do not need to use much of this product (not even a 5 cent piece of product each time) because it works up a nice, delicate lather very quickly.

The best part about this cleanser is that it comes in 250mL and 500mL bottles which, at $87 a bottle for the 500mL is GREAT value (even the 250mL is larger than most cleansers on the market). Given the small amount you need to use I'd say the 500mL bottle is likely to last me a year. So $87 per year is well worth the money (although you will note that my mantra is that no amount of money is too much when it comes to skincare. You are investing in the future of your face!! Don't risk it on inferior products!).

In addition to this, the salon I went to was offering 20% off Dermalogica (contact me for details) which made it very, very affordable.

Daily Microfoliant - $83.50/75gm (or see offer below)

I exfoliate daily (OK, twice daily if I must admit) and I know this is a massive no-no but I don't care. It helps prevent me breaking out. I advised the beauty therapist of this and she said she would highly recommend the Daily Microfoliant because it is gentle enough to use daily. And gentle it is! But incredibly effective.

Instead of being granular and exfoliating through physical exfoliants, this is a chemical exfoliant with salicylic acid (which I highly recommend for keeping blemishes at bay or treating those already in existence). You pour a little of the powder (yes, it's a powder!) into your hand and you're advised to add water but I found it more effective to attempt to rub the powder straight into your wet face and the water on your face quickly turns the powder into a beautiful foam on your face. The foam feels very soft on your face and you can almost feel the chemical exfoliation occurring. The result? Squeaky clean and smooth skin with a diminishing effect on any blemishes (salicylic acid helps to dry out blemishes and kill the bacteria that causes blemishes).

Active Moist - $79/100mL, $58/50mL

A beautiful moisturiser! Non-greasy, absorbs straight in and makes your skin feel beautifully hydrated. I found I still (desperately) needed eye cream around my eye area but that is not uncommon for me. I definitely recommend this moisturiser, One of the best I have tried.

Intensive Eye Cream - $71/15mL

Again, another beautiful hydrating product from the Dermalogica range. I was advised to apply morning and night but I find I also apply mid-afternoon (also not uncommon for me with other moisturiser/eye cream combinations). After 1-2 days of using this product the fine lines around my eyes due to dehydration had greatly diminished (dare I say, disappeared?).

At $71 for a 15mL tube it is on the pricey side but still in line with most decent eye treatments. I highly recommend it.

All in all, as a routine, I am very happy with this range. I'm still getting a great clean but without further drying my skin It actually feels like this system is controlling my problematic skin whilst helping to restore hydration.

Like I said, at the moment the salon in Adelaide where I went has a 20% off deal. If you want details feel free to contact me!

Additionally, www.dermalogica.com.au and www.beautyheaven.com.au have a fantastic offer on at the moment: A full size Daily Microfoliant for every separate order of $120 or more when you enter the code beautyheaven1 at checkout. That's $83.50 worth of product (and more importantly, one of the steps I highly recommend) for free.

Additionally, Dermalogica is a pleasant online shopping experience. The website is well set out and includes free shipping and samples on all orders. It's the little things that count! Look out for the FITE products as well. Dermalogica is helping to change the lives of disadvantaged women worldwide! Take the time to read a little bit about their plight.

So not only are they great products but I've found a cosmetic company with a social conscience. A corporate entity using their good fortune to help others less fortunate. Now that's a company I'm willing to support.

I hope this has been useful for some of you. If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to post here! Up next will be a post on controlling problem skin (and the best tips I have learnt over the years) with supermarket beauty buys and some of the luxury products (something to suit all budgets!) and a review of the H2D Magicurl 3 in 1 curling wand (rumoured to create curls that last for THREE DAYS!).

I am also looking forward to trying the entire Dermalogica Clean Start range (for problematic skin) which I was inspired to order after my fantastic experience with the four products I have recently tried. I will post the outcome in a couple of weeks (will give this an extensive try).

Talk soon xx