Dermalogica Cleansers

Urgh. Been caught up with work and all that, hence the lack of updates.

In the meantime, I am a true Dermalogica fan now. I've always wanted to try out the brand but could never justify their price... but seeing how I'm displeased with my skin condition decided to just go ahead (I've mentioned this in my previous post) :P Anyway, in this post I will review the Dermalogica cleansers that I am using. I've been using them for about a week already (Religiously along with my other Dermalogica products), and I have seen a marked improvement in my skin condition.



We have the Ultracalming Cleanser and the Essential Cleansing Solution to review here. I use the Essential Cleansing Solution for daytime, and the Ultracalming Cleanser for night. Reason being the Ultracalming Cleanser removes any traces of pollution or trigger factors that may have accumulated on the skin during the course of the day, while the Essential Cleansing Solution is for my dehydrated-ish skin condition which also needs attention.

The Essential Cleansing Solution, according to the Dermalogica website:

"A milky cleanser for drier skin conditions to gently lift impurities and remove make-up. Water-soluble, this soothing emulsion rinses off easily, leaving the skin refreshingly clean, soft and supple. Contains no artificial fragrance or color. Professional recommendation advised.

How It Works:

• Natural Safflower Oil softens and conditions skin.
• Antioxidant vitamins C and E smooth and condition the skin.
• Mild astringents, extracts of Rosemary and Lemon, refresh tired skin."

The first impression I got from this was that the smell and texture reminds me of melted butter! Well, not exactly like cow's butter and not exactly strong, but you get the idea. It's really creamy rather than milky as described, and goes on soft and smooth on skin (Really like butter). If you're the kind that likes a good foamy lather, this is not for you. However, washing off does not leave a filmy residue like "uncleansed" skin that you sometimes get with milky cleansers but rather this washes off cleanly and skin feels hydrated and supple afterwards. I even use it to wash around my eye area, but gently of course. Doesn't really work well to remove even light facial makeup though- if you have light makeup on I'd still recommend you to remove it first before cleansing, although I am not sure about eye makeup but I wouldn't count on it. Pores doesn't seem to be obviously minimised though.

Overall it works well combating against my skin's dehydration as I can really feel an improvement in my skin's hydration levels. Normally after washing my face (But not immediately after) before toning my skin would start to feel a bit dry and you can see little dry skin flakes on it. After using this cleanser the problem has minimised by a lot, but it hasn't completely gone away yet XD Skin tends to look more dewy rather than oily later in the day, but still, a bit of blotting solves the problem.

Essential Cleansing Solution is available at Dermalogica salons (e.g. Leonard Drake) for RM 149 for a 250 ml bottle.

The Ultracalming Cleanser, according to the Dermalogica website:

" An extremely-gentle cleansing gel-cream that combats environmental assault with Dermalogica's exclusive Anti-Ozonate Complex. Protects and soothes skin sensitized by pollution, temperature extremes, irritating cosmetic products, harsh detergents, chemical exposure, stress, poor diet or hormonal factors. Also contains Lavender, Echinacea and Raspberry extracts for their anti-inflammatory, calming and healing properties. This cleanser is effective enough to remove eye make-up, and can be either rinsed off or gently removed with cotton. Leaves no irritating residue and is formulated for even the most hypersensitive skin that cannot tolerate water. Contains no artificial fragrance or color. Professional recommendation advised.

How It Works

• Anti-Ozonate Complex helps to shield skin from environmental assault.
• Lavender, Echinacea, Raspberry and Cucumber extracts help calm the skin.
• Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5) help heal irritated skin."

This gel-cream-based cleanser is milkier compared to Essential Cleansing Solution, and like Essential Cleansing Solution, doesn't lather or foam too. I've not tried wiping it off with cotton as I prefer washing off with water, and this cleanser doesn't leave a residue on the skin after washing either. After washing any redness on the face is instantly diminished and my skin feels soft and smooth. This cleanser also effectively minimises pores after washing! Also doesn't really work well to remove even light facial makeup, so remove makeup properly :P Not so sure about eye makeup as I prefer using the proper remover instead, but this cleanser also can be used to cleanse around the eye area. The scent is pretty normal for this one- more lavender-ish really, but doesn't really leave a strong impression on me and neither does the the texture of it. It's just like a milky cleanser.

I find that the Ultracalming Cleanser really works well in battling my skin problems in the area of enlarged pores and sensitivity as my face looks less red (With less itches as well) and pores do look very minimised after cleansing. Skin remains pretty matte after usage too. If I had to choose I would prefer this cleanser more for the obvious reasons :x But then, my skin is also dehydrated, and although this cleanser does help up my moisture level, it's not as much compared to the Essential Cleansing Solution.

Ultracalming Cleanser is also available at Dermalogica salons (e.g. Leonard Drake) at RM 152 for a 250 ml bottle.

My only "gripe" about the cleansers are that it can be quite hard to squeeze out the proper and required amount of cleanser needed. Sometimes I squeeze out too much and sometimes too little. Not a lot is required, but still, I don't want to waste them T.T