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This water-soluble cleanser for acne-prone skin makes the same mistake as most anti-acne products: It contains drying and irritating ingredients that make acne and its resulting redness worse instead of better.
Of chief concern here are the numerous irritating plant extracts in this product, plus the menthol and camphor. All of these can cause your skin extra problems such as redness and increased oil production, because that’s what irritating ingredients do to skin. Plus, irritation hurts your skin’s healing process (which won’t help acne; see More Info for details). In addition, the numerous irritants in this cleanser are a distinct problem to use around the eyes. Dermalogica included some soothing plant extracts, too, but they’re of little use to your skin when joined by potent irritants and a drying cleansing agent.
The amount of salicylic acid (also known as BHA) is wasted in a cleanser. When used in a well formulated leave-on product, BHA can work beautifully to gently exfoliate skin. However, BHA is far less effective for exfoliation, if at all, in a cleanser or scrub. That’s because it's rinsed off before they it begins to work. If you are hoping for this cleanser to provide exfoliating benefits, think again. A leave-on product with salicylic acid is the best way to go if you’re struggling with breakouts.
Pros:
Contains some soothing plant extracts.
Cons:
Contains a number of potentially skin-sensitizing ingredients.
Formula includes a drying cleansing agent.
The salicylic acid included won't be able to exfoliate skin as claimed.
More Info:
Skin-Sensitizing Ingredients: We cannot stress this enough: Sensitizing, harsh, abrasive, or fragrant ingredients are bad for all skin types. Daily application of skincare products that contain these types of skin-aggravating ingredients is a major way we unknowingly do our skin a disservice!
Sensitizing ingredients are a problem because they can lead to visible problems that include redness, rough skin, dull skin, dryness, increases in oil production, clogged pores, and contribute to making signs of aging worse.
Switching to non-irritating, gentle skincare products can make all the difference in the world. Non-irritating skincare products are those packed with beneficial ingredients that also replenish and soothe skin without any volatility, including those present in natural fragrant ingredients.
A surprising fact: Even though you might not see the negative influence of using products that contain sensitizing ingredients, skin the damage will still be taking place. It doesn’t need to be evident on the surface! Research has demonstrated that you don’t always need to see or feel the effects on your skin for your skin to be suffering the impact and the visible damage may not become apparent for a long time.
For this reason, it’s best to eliminate, or minimize as much as possible, your exposure to ingredients that can be sensitizing on skin. There are many products that contain effective ingredients that are also completely non-irritating so there’s no reason to put your skin at risk with products that include ingredients research has shown can be a problem.
References for this information
Journal of Dermatological Sciences, January 2015, issue 1, pages 28-36.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, August 2014, issue 4, pages 379-385
Journal of Clinical Dermatology, November 2014, issue 5, online access
Clinical Dermatology, May-June 2012, issue 3, pages 257-262
Food and Chemical Toxicology, February 2008, pages 446—475
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2003, issue 11, pages 789-798
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2008, issue 4, pages 191-202
Aging, March 2012, pages 166-175
Chemical Immunology and Allergy, March 2012, pages 77-80
A naturally-foaming cleanser that is the perfect start to around-the- clock control of breakouts, comedones and excess surface oils. Contains no artificial fragrance or color.
Dermalogica At-A-Glance
According to company history, Dermalogica products came into being because founder Jane Wurwand could not find a spa-oriented skin-care line that met her criteria. She was dismayed that so many skincare lines aimed at the aesthetics market had products that contained alcohol, artificial colors, fragrance, mineral oil, and lanolin, ingredients he believed had a well-documented history of problems. That's true for fragrance and alcohol (and artificial colors to a lesser extent), but mineral oil and lanolin have no documented history of causing skin problems.
The line is positioned as a no-nonsense, no frills take on skincare, with clinically-inspired packaging that does protect its beneficial ingredients from light and air. Speaking of ingredients, Dermalogica does include a lot of beneficial ones in its skincare, though there are a number of formulas in the line that also make the misstep of including potentially-irritating fragrance ingredients.
For more information about Dermalogica now owned by Unilever, call 1-800-345-2761 or visit www.dermalogica.com.
About the Experts
The Beautypedia team consists of skin care and makeup experts personally trained by the original Cosmetics Cop and best-selling beauty author, Paula Begoun. We’re fascinated by skin care and makeup products and thrilled when they meet or exceed our expectations, but we’re also disappointed when they fail to perform as claimed, are wildly overpriced, or contain ingredients scientific research has proven can hurt skin.
Our mission has always been to help you find the best products for your skin, no matter your budget or preferences. Beautypedia’s thorough and insightful reviews cut through the hype and provide reliable recommendations for all ages, skin types, and skin tones.
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