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PRODUCT REVIEWS
Dermalogica
report by Heather of the Cosmetic Connection Product Panel

I am pleased to bring you an update to my original review of Dermalogica skin care products. This time around I was "prescribed" a regimen of products by one of Dermalogica's skin care specialists. I answered a series of questions that they use to determine skin type and condition, and I gave general information to her about my skin's "personality" and my lifestyle. Here is what I tried:

Special Cleansing Gel ($22 for 8 ounces)
I tried this cleanser the first time I reviewed Dermalogica. I liked it then, and I still like it now, although I would still not call it "special". This is a lightweight, almost watery gel that feels really slippery on the skin. It does a great job of removing makeup and is not drying or stripping. I think this is a fine cleanser for just about any skin type. It does contain lavender and balm mint extracts, but I did not find the levels high enough to be irritating.

Multi-Active Toner ($21.50 for 8 ounces)
I did not like this spray toner at all. It contains balm mint and lavender like the cleanser, but in this product they are incredibly irritating if (or rather, when) you get them near your eyes (it is rather inevitable with a spray). It also contains aloe vera and cucumber, but just not enough to cancel out the stinging effect of the mint and lavender. If you want a gentle, soothing spray toner, Oxygen Mist from Peter Thomas Roth is far better than this.

Gentle Soothing Booster ($41 for one ounce)
Let me preface my review with some background. Dermalogica has a whole category of products called Boosters, promising everything from Skin Renewal to Special Clearing. Each formula packs botanical ingredients and plant extracts (the company says "pure, over-70%-active concentrates") into a tiny one ounce serving that is supposed to deliver "dramatic and immediate results". Can we say "hype"?

The red raspberry extract and honey in Gentle Soothing for me did a mediocre job of reducing redness and calming irritation. I practically slathered it on my face to try to see some results, and all I noticed was that my skin felt more moisturized. While I was using the Dermalogica products, I had a few days with more blotchiness than usual, so I had high hopes that this booster would help. It didn't.

Intensive Moisture Concentrate ($45 for one ounce)
Of all the Dermalogica products I tried, I really liked this lightweight moisturizer. It's a clear, non-sticky gel with aloe, glycerin, vitamin E, vitamin A, lavender oil, corn oil, and a variety of water-binding ingredients. I didn't find it to be as rich as the package claimed, which actually makes it a nice choice for any skin type either alone or layered under your regular moisturizer.

Active Moist ($27 for 1.75 ounces)
This is a really average and rather boring product (if skin care can be either exciting or boring). It has a variety of extracts like lavender, mallow, ivy, cucumber, sage and lemon, but overall it performs like a basic lightweight lotion. You don't need to spend almost $30 for something this basic.

Total Eye Care SPF15 ($31.50 for .75 ounce tube)
This is an unremarkable eye cream with a strange pinkish tint that I imagine is supposed to be the "optical light diffusers" the packaging mentions. All it did for me was make me look like I had been crying. The cream itself is fine, nothing special - a basic moisturizer. A drugstore eye cream like L'Oreal or Alpha Hydrox would be a much better purchase.

I think the thing that bothers me the most about Dermalogica is their image; it's a bit like Clinique wanting you to belive that they are clinical just because their salespeople wear professional-looking white lab coats. Dermalogica is a cosmetics and skin care company like all the rest, even though they want you to believe they are some kind of medical institution. Everything from the skin care "prescriptions" to the rather chemical-smelling products make you feel like you've got a team of dermatologists working on formulas just for you. Just be aware of what the line really is - basic skin care - and you'll be in good shape.

To learn more about Dermalogica, visit their website at http://www.dermalogica.com

review: 11/05/99


 

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