Oh
I jest! This post, in truth, is all about my favourite skin care range, Dermalogica, and the
current member of its family I am lavishing attention on. As ever, I advise you
to skim through my beauty basics before burying your head in any recommended
products, and you should do so at your own risk.
If
you aren’t currently imagining wavy lines and harp music, you’re dead inside.
My
skin and I have had a good relationship over the years, thanks to my mother. Mother
dear looked exceptionally lovely right up to her dying day (on which she let
herself go a bit, what with all the death). Her secret was simple to cleanse
and moisturise twice a day, every day, and she got me and my sister started the
moment we started messing with make-up.
The
conversation went something like this: “Start using moisturiser now, and you
will thank me later. I started later than I should have, and now I have lines.”
Me:
“No you don’t, where?”
“Will
you shut up, are you blind?”
“But
you don’t!”
“I
DO! Of course I do, for fuck’s sake.”
“Jesus,
alright, you DO.”
“WHAT?!!
You bitch.”
I
never had a chance.
Luckily,
mother passed on more than advice; she passed on her genes (and her capacity
for gin), which meant sis and I were blessed with relatively problem free
visages throughout our formative years.*
But
my skin suffered a crisis in my mid 20s. A combination of a faddy diets and
stress ahead of my ill-fated wedding furnished my face with sudden brutal
breakouts for several months. I tried many inferior products to treat it - soap
bars, scrubs, masque of varying expense. At the end of my desperation, I found
a salon in offering facials with a so-called ‘face mapping’ service that
promised to address skin problems.
And
so, my affair with Dermalogica began.
The
beautician took one look at my skin and asked me to list all the products I was
using. Face wash, facial scrub, face masks, cleanser, toner, spot treatment,
moisturiser, radiance gels, essential oils...... I trailed off. I had a very
nice collection of products from various brands that were, together, messing up
my skin. I was treating stress-related spots with harsh astringent and clogging
them thick creams designed for older dry skin. Plus, most of the products
contained lanolin, which I then learned was a big no-no for my delicate visage.
The
therapist (a lovely girl whose name I can’t remember for I am terrible)
scrutinised my skin under a massive magnifying glass, squeezing black heads as
she went (yep - satisfying), and made her assessment before applying a suitable
facial. Up to that point, I was certain I had oily to normal skin. Balls, did
I! I actually had sensitive skin with dry patches on my forehead (I was so
worried about treating my blemished chin, I had forgotten to do anything to my
forehead). I walked out of the salon with their Ultra Calming cleanser, Active
Moist moisturiser, Multi Active mist toner (once a day would be enough), Gentle Cream Exfoliant (a non-abrasive masque)
and instructions to chuck everything else out.
After
a week of using Dermalogica, my skin looked better than it had in years and the
bad breakouts never returned, so I have never looked back. I have yet to find a
Dermalogica product that fails, as it puts skin care first, beauty second, and packaging, hype etc last. It is not
cheap (just request their products as birthday or Xmas gifts), but they last
and last. If my skin is ever in need of a boost, I will go on a Dermalogica
only ‘diet’ and it puts my pesky epidermis firmly in its place.
You
can try the quick online face mapping service at Dermalogica’s website
, but anyone with troublesome skin would do well to go for the full salon
experience.
If
you have sensitive skin, invest in it, and thank me by way of cake.
Dermalogica Precleanse
I
was a late comer to this particular party, but I’m glad I made it in the end. I snapped this up at Evolution Skin Studios.
The precleanse is the first step of D’s recommended double cleansing routine, and
it is a bizarre concoction at first glance.
Firstly,
it is an oil. No foam or cream, but a combination of olive, apricot and kukui
nut oils that promise to cut through waterproof make-up, sunscreens and any
other debris. Using DRY hands, massage a few drops directly onto your face -
eyes and all (it will not irritate). You don’t need water at this stage, as
just a little bit of oil literally melts away make up and grime, including that
caked-on mascara. By the time you’ve finished this first stage, you look like a
bleak panda.
Then,
dampen your hands and continue to massage your face. The water to transforms
the oil into a milky emulsion that ‘lifts the debris from the skin’s surface’. Rinse
off, and pow – squeaky clean skin. For best results, follow with your chosen
cleanser, which will penetrate the skin even further.
After
a few weeks of use, I can attest that it is an exceptionally good cleanser. It
removes every scrap of eye make-up, and it leaves skin very soft and pampered. At
first, I had a couple of tiny blemishes on my chin (my hot spot for breakouts),
but once my skin settled into the regime, they vanished. Used alongside their
Essential Cleansing Solution (I got a little sample bottle for free, which
lasts a surprisingly long time), it give great results.
At
£31.50 in store, it’s not cheap. It’s not cheap at all. It’s almost crazy. BUT, it will
last a long, long, long time. A few drops are all that are needed, and the
quality is high. And your cleanser will also last longer as you need less of
that too.
You
will come to love this product on those nights or morning when you skin is
sagging under the sheer weight of make-up, pollution, booze and shame, and you
want a quick way to destroy the evidence without having to flay your face.
Canterbury stockists and salons include:
Canterbury stockists and salons include:
Surprise Budget Buy Of The Day
Sure Women Maximum Protection Deodorant
I
currently cannot live with this - a long lasting cream deodorant that
promises 48 hours protection. And it delivers. Bone dry, I tell you. Currently £5.30 at Boots
*Fun
horrifying fact about me – I DID have acne as a teenager, but on not my face or
back or my chest. It was on my armpits. Great waves of red and white spots
covered my underarms for many years. Easy to hide from the public, murder in
the summer when you wanted to wear a vest top. It has since vanished. I tell you this so that you
might know that I, like you, am human. Sometimes.
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