little white truths

I bought this a while ago because I'd heard such good things about it, and while Dermalogica products mostly don't suit me - I've tried quite a few of them now and most of them haven't worked for my skin - this particular product is excellent and I do recommend it.

Indeed, I've already been through a travel-size and I'm now on to this full-size, and I'm not sick of it yet so it's safe to say that I'm unlikely to tire of it anytime soon. It's one of those products that always makes my skin look and feel better, and I can always tell when I've used it because my face just feels cleaner, fresher and happier. More on that below.

Dermalogica claims/product details:

• This highly active resurfacer delivers your smoothest skin ever, and helps fight the biochemical and environmental triggers known to accelerate skin-ageing
• The advanced powder formula activates upon contact with water, releasing powerful enzymes, skin-smoothing alpha hydroxy acids and anti-pollution technology
• Activated binchotan charcoal purifies the skin, helping to adsorb environmental toxins from deep within the pores, while niacinamide, red algae and tara fruit extract help guard against the damaging effects of pollution
• Not recommended for users of medically prescribed exfoliation products
• Resurfaces and deep cleanses for your smoothest skin ever
• Adsorbs environmental pollutants and helps detoxify pores
• Helps fight pollution triggers that lead to premature skin ageing
• To use: after cleansing, dispense about a half-teaspoon into very wet hands and create a creamy paste by rubbing hands together; apply to face in circular motions, avoiding the eye area; massage gently for one minute, then rinse thoroughly with warm water; use daily, or for more sensitive skin, apply on alternate days until skin acclimates
• RRP $85 AUD for 57g, but do shop around (I found mine for $74 and I also had a discount code, so I ended up paying around $54)

Probably the only thing I don't like about this product is the packaging. 

It's a powder exfoliant and it comes in a cylindrical bottle with a flat cap on the surface that has two holes in it. You pour the powder through the holes, and the holes of both my bottles became pretty clogged, pretty quickly.

I think what happens is that some of the grains get damp and form into clumps over time, and also attach themselves to the holes in the lid. Yes you can clean them out easily, but I do wonder whether the packaging could be designed a little better - perhaps with one of those lids that slides open and closed, so the product wouldn't be able to clog the hole because it would be closed most of the time. Just a thought.

Verdict

This is a great little product and I really like it. Yes it's expensive, but it lasts for ages and the shelf-life is 24 months so I reckon you could buy one every two years. Even if you use it a few times a week like I do, I can see the full-size lasting that long.

It's a black, powder product that smells a little earthy - like ground rocks or gravel. You dispense some and add water, then massage it across your face.

What I love about this is that it manages to be effective while still being gentle. Yes it's a manual exfoliant so the grains will offer your skin a good polish, but they're not rough grains and they do reduce/disintegrate as you massage them in - but not so quickly that they don't have a chance to do anything first.

I use mine perhaps three times a week because I don't feel the need to use it every day. It does a good-enough job of removing that surface layer of dead skin from my face, that I feel able to give it a rest for a day or two before using it again. And while I do think it's gentle enough to use every day if you want to, I take the view that less is more with manual exfoliants so I'm happy to just use it as needed.

What I like about this product is that it leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth after use, while also making it look brighter and fresher. Yes you can always expect your skin to look brighter after you've exfoliated, but there's something in this that goes the extra mile and does a little more than your average exfoliant (probably the AHAs and enzymes).

On the claims: yes it's a good resurfacer; yes it smooths the skin; yes it has a purifying effect; yes it deeply cleanses the skin; and yes I think it detoxifies pores.

Overall I think this is a great product and I recommend it. While it's expensive, you can get a good deal if you shop around and the bottle will also last for ages, even with frequent use. On top of that, it works - and it's one of the best and most gentle exfoliants I've used.

Worth trying.