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Play it again, Dermalogica
It's time for another update of my previous reviews of Dermalogica (one from 1997 and one from 1999). This time I tried the products specified for sensitive skin.
Morning and night, the routine I used was pretty much the same. I would start by washing with Ultracalming Cleanser for face and eyes, a lotion cleanser with a consistency similar to Cetaphil. It does a fair job of removing minimal makeup, and it rinses off without too much work (I tend to use a warm washcloth, so that helps speed things along). I wouldn't say that I was "wow-ed" by this cleanser (it's pretty plain), but it does work fine and doesn't sting my eyes.
On occasion, when I felt like using something other than a lotion cleanser, I tried the Special Cleansing Gel. My skin is both dry and sensitive, and this cleanser didn't help either of those conditions. The balm mint irritated, the cleansing agents made my skin feel tight - not the experience I was hoping for. Moving on...
The next step is to spritz the face with Soothing Protection Spray. I found this to be neither soothing nor protective (that I could see or feel). All of the plant extracts - lavender, lemon, cucumber, green tea, licorice, sage, clover, chamomile, while they sound really lovely, were a bit irritating to my sensitive skin, and isn't the point of the spray to soothe sensitive skin? My skin didn't feel very soothed, and if the spray got anywhere near my eyes it was downright painful. I'm really not a big fan of toners or facial sprays, so this joins the ranks of countless others that I would not choose to use again.
During the course of trying these products for several weeks, I tried the Gentle Cream Exfoliant a few times, and was surprised at how gentle it is compared to some of the other Dermalogica products for sensitive skin. I don't exfoliate nearly as much as I used to because my skin gets much too red and irritated (one facialist said she wondered about maybe rosacea around my nose and mouth - not something I want to hear); thankfully my skin was actually pleased with this mask's blend of lactic and salicylic acids and fruit enzymes. The exfoliating power is very gentle and subtle, but my skin has a nice glow when I use this mask (only for about 5-7 minutes for me rather than the package directions of 10-15 minutes). I will continue to use this.
As for moisturizers, this was a mixed bag for me. I tried two different products, Gentle Soothing Booster and Barrier Repair. The first, one of several boosters in the Dermalogica line, is supposed to deliver extra benefits above and beyond what the other products offer. I would typically apply the Gentle Soothing Booster after cleansing and spritzing, before the moisturizer. The booster is an oil blend, so it has some moisturizing properties, but it's mainly supposed to soothe the skin. I'd say off all the products I tried, I applied this one the most frequently; I always seemed to be layering it with one or more of the others. Sometimes my skin looked less red after applying it, and sometimes it didn't; there wasn't really any rhyme or reason... I can't say I would run out and get it again, because I can't say for sure that is definitely worked reliably.
The Barrier Repair is an odd product, a waterless serum-y goo that is supposed to protect the natural moisture layer in the skin from stress and the environment. All I found was that I felt greasy with it on, and my face felt suffocated.
I come away from my re-reviewing of Dermalogica feeling underwhelmed but secure in the notion that this line is not necessarily the best fit for me. I like the gentle exfoliant mask, and the soothing booster has its moments, but for the most part I just didn't click with Dermalogica this time around.
You can see which Dermalogica products might work for you at dermalogica.com.
- Heather
find out about this reviewer and more about the panel...
Posted February 4, 2005
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