Sunday 15 September 2013

Speed Review: Dermalogica Precleanse

Regular readers will know that my preferred cleansing method involves the use of cleansing oils, which have a balancing effect on oily and combination skin types, such as mine (I have combination acne-prone skin with an oily t-zone, dehydrated areas & sensitivity). My favourite cleansing oil is DHC Deep Cleansing Oil but I was interested in trying Dermalogica's Precleanse because it's more readily available where I live and I figured that if it worked out well, I could simply stock up in the shops as opposed to having to order my DHC oil online. Like my beloved DHC, Dermalogica Precleanse contains olive oil so I anticipated liking it.

Along with skin softening olive oil, Dermalogica Precleanse also contains apricot kernal oil to help soothe irritation & nourish, kukui nut oil to reinforce skin's moisture barrier, borage seed oil to treat inflammation, along with antioxidant rich rice bran oil and vitamin E.

As with all Dermalogica products, the packaging has a minimalist design which gives a clinical appearance. The oil is presented in a plastic bottle with a flip top and whilst I'd have preferred the convenience of a pump dispenser, I found the packaging to be functional nonetheless. The main downside to the packaging is that the plastic is opaque so it's difficult to tell how much product is remaining.

I was impressed with the clear directions- simply apply to dry skin, with dry hands and massage into skin before rinsing. As the name suggests, the product is designed to be used as the first step in a double cleanse. However, I use cleansing oils in the morning when I need something quick & easy to use and prefer to avoid foaming face washes (I perform a deep cleanse using a balm in the evening). Whilst it's important to cleanse in the mornings, I felt that a double cleanse would be unnecessary so just used the cleansing oil alone & didn't experience any problems.

The oil itself has a lightweight texture, with a pleasant citrus fragrance. As with all oil formulations, the texture lent itself well to facial massage. The hydrophilic (water loving) formula meant that it emulsified into a lightweight milk in contact with water and rinsed away easily, without any greasy residue.

Overall, I've been highly impressed with Dermalogica Precleanse. It's an effective cleanser which is quick & easy to use and hasn't irritated my sensitive skin. It's the closest in formulation that I've found to my beloved DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, with the addition of the citrus fragrance adding an extra sense of indulgence (the DHC version is unscented). I'd feel comfortable in recommending this & would have been tempted to repurchase. The only downside (& the reason that I'd be unlikely to repurchase) is the high price, which I was quite shocked to note as being £31.50 for 150ml compared with £21.50 for 200ml of the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil. I simply couldn't justify spending more than £10 more per 100ml on the Dermalogica, when it's so similar to the DHC version.
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Sunday 8 September 2013

Speed Review: Wei White Lotus Hydrating Face Treatment Pad

Despite my interest in skincare, I'd never previously tried a sheet mask. Popular in Asia, sheet masks are, as the name suggests, sheets of fabric which are saturated with skincare ingredients and are placed onto the face as opposed to products being directly applied to skin.

I was excited to try my first sheet mask from the brand Wei, which is a luxury line inspired by traditional Chinese medicine. There are a number of sheet masks in the range to suit different skin types, as well as eye treatment pads. Today's review is of the White Lotus Hydrating Treatment Pad.



On first impressions, I was surprised at how saturated with product the sheet was. It almost had a jelly like texture and for this reason, I found unfolding the mask & applying to the face to be a little fiddly. You need to be careful not to rip the mask & I found out that it tears easily. I found the directions to be slightly unclear and I wasn't sure if there was one side which should be applied directly to the face. A search online provided descriptions explaining that there's a blue layer which should be applied away from the face then peeled off but mine didn't have this, which I found confusing. I liked that it's inherently hygienic by way of being a one-use product.

The mask felt cooling on application which I liked as it had a soothing effect on my sensitive skin.
The high moisture content helps the sheet mask to stick to the face so I could move around more than I had anticipated although you can't move your face very much- in this respect, it's similar to a clay mask that sets on the skin. With cut outs for the eyes and mouth, it certainly gives a strange, almost Halloween-like appearance whilst wearing the mask! Having said that, 10 minutes isn't a big commitment so it's easy to try out this mask. The mask had a very pleasant fruity fragrance.

Wei White Lotus Hydrating Face Treatment Pad contains hyaluronic acid- which my dehydrated skin loves so I expected a positive result- along with lotus which is known to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. After 10 minutes, I removed the sheet. I felt as though there was wasted product by throwing away the still-damp treatment pad & quite a bit of  product residue in the packet, which I'd recommend keeping and applying as a serum.

After removing the sheet, there remained a lot of excess product on my face. Instructions state that skin should be massaged for 1 minute after the mask has been disposed of (whilst residue is still on the face) so I did this and found that the residue gave a slippery surface which lent itself well to performing massage. You can either rinse or tissue off the excess product but I left it on to penetrate into my skin- I often leave hydrating masks on for longer to gain optimum benefits & avoid wastage and this didn't cause any problems

My skin was left looking plumped and feeling wonderfully hydrated. I'd be interested in trying more sheet masks although I still prefer masks which are applied directly to the skin, not least because I didn't like that I wasn't treating my neck.

At £55 for a packet of six pads, this is expensive and whilst I'm pleased to have tried it, I wouldn't repurchase at such a high price, however, if it was available as a serum, I'd be interested in purchasing.
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Monday 2 September 2013

Speed Review: Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil

If you're a regular reader of my blog or watch my YouTube channel, then you'll know that I enjoy cleansing with an oil and have particularly raved about Japanese brand, DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil. I find oil cleansing to be an effective way of cleansing and appreciate the balancing effects that it has on my combination skin. Whilst I still love the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, I've recently been trying the Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil.




As with all Nude products, the packaging is chic and not at all worthy, despite the eco branding. I liked the functionality of the pump dispenser, however, I'd have preferred if the packaging were transparent to enable me to see how much product was remaining. I found it reassuring to choose a cleansing oil from a natural brand as I could be confident that it was free from mineral oil, which can clog pores.

Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil has a feminine rose and geranium fragrance which adds to the sense of indulgence. It's certainly enjoyable to use, particularly when first applied to the skin. It has a thicker consistency than my beloved DHC and for this reason, it takes a little extra effort to emulsify and remove the oil. As tends to be the case with oils, I found that the texture lent itself well to facial massage.

I have heard some people say that Nude Perfect Cleansing Oil breaks them out (potentially because it's not the easiest to remove thoroughly), however, I didn't experience that despite having sensitive and acne prone skin.

At £28 for 100ml, it's more expensive than my favourite DHC but I'd consider repurchasing it thanks to the eco credentials.
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Sunday 1 September 2013

Exciting Announcement!

You may have noticed my recent absence from Skin Deep- whilst I've missed blogging, I've simply had to prioritise other areas in my life & I hope that you'll forgive me. Thank you to those of you who have stuck with me & continued to support Skin Deep despite the lack of new posts.
If you follow my YouTube channel (linked on the right hand side), then you'll know that I've just announced an exciting project called #SkinSept. I'm going to be posting skincare themed videos on my YouTube channel every other day in September which I hope you'll enjoy. To accompany this, there will be skincare themed blog posts including reviews throughout the month. It's a nice opportunity for me to get back into blogging and I'm really excited to launch #SkinSept.
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