Ruby + Swallow: Dermalogica: Product Review

As we've told you before, we love spending money on ourselves in a retail-therapy-shopping-session, and if there's money to be spent, one of our favourite things to spend our money on are products to pamper ourselves. We're such girls in that way, two girls who know just how to spend! And while this isn't ideal for our bank accounts, it suits us just fine.

While Filipa can spend far too much money in The Body Shop (if you didn't know this already, you must have been hiding in a cave for the past few months!), I decided two months ago that I wanted to spend my hard-earned money on Dermalogica products. I have been hearing amazing reviews from numerous people about these products, but they've always been just a bit out of my price range to "try out". I have searched for facial products high and low, and yet I haven't found anything that has really worked for my skin - which seems to have a mind of its own, deciding when to be good and when to break out at the most inopportune occasions! So I set my sights on Dermalogica, hoping that it would be the miracle-worker I was looking for.

I went to Sorbet, a franchise of professional beauty salons, as I knew they stocked Dermalogica - the lovely lady there told me that before I bought anything, I should have a "Skin Map" with them to see which products were most suited to my skin. This is a free service, and I found it to be so worth my while! Not only was the lady so extremely helpful, she was also patient as I explained all my skin woes, and what I was looking for in a product. You can also go onto the Dermalogica website and watch the Speed Mapping video:

After an hour doing my skin map, the beautician had chosen a cleanser, toner and moisturiser for me to start with - they are all from different ranges, but each target different problem areas of my skin. Getting my own personal range of products suited just to me was quite amazing!

This is a soap free cleanser for all skin conditions. It is a concentrated foaming gel that is designed to remove impurities without disturbing the skin’s natural moisture balance.

I needed a moisturiser that targeted skin with excess oil production - and this is it! It is lightweight and oil-free lotion for daily moisture protection. It actively combats surface dehydration while smoothing the skin’s surface with botanical extracts.

For all skin conditions, this toner is a light facial spritz (which is very different to other toners I've used). It hydrates the skin while smoothing the surface, and helps condition skin to prepare for proper moisture absorption.

After using these products twice a day for three days, I could already feel a huge difference on my skin. While it was very sensitive at first to the new products I was using, after a few days my skin was soft and velvety. Dermalogica products really do work from the inside out, targeting the impurities deep inside your skin and hydrating without causing oil production. My Active Moist moisturiser is almost finished, and I can't wait to go back to get my second batch of products. While they are expensive, your face is worth more than using cheap products that don't work (or that's what I've found!).

You can find these products at any Sorbet outlet, or visit the Dermalogica website to find an outlet near you - there are so many! Expect to pay between R400 and R900 for each product (size dependent).

Two Dermalogica products which I'm dying to try are the Skin Hydrating Masque, and the Daily Microfoliant (pictured below). I've heard wonderful things about both, and many blogs have been rating the Microfoliant in the last few months. It is a unique rice-based enzyme powder, that microfoliates dulling debris, leaving skin instantly smooth and noticeably brighter. Wow, personally, I *can't wait*!