Dermalogica Facial Review

Hey gang,

This week I’m talking facials.

As my birthday is approaching and I’ll be reaching the grand old age of 28, I thought to myself, why am I putting up with bad skin still? My teenage days are long gone but I still use concealer before gym sessions and get embarrassed about my blemish-prone skin.

This realisation inspired me to book in at Dermalogica for one of their ProSkin facials. I had a £5 Treatwell discount code and Dermalogica is conveniently located in Westfield so I booked in after work one day. 

I had seen on the Treatwell app that the only downside was that the salon was more of an open-plan stall with no real privacy and I have to agree. But more on that later…

Arriving a little early for my appointment, I was greeted with smiling faces and my therapist firstly sat down with my to discuss my skin concerns and current routine. I then was shown around to the treatment bed (which was in a partially walled area but was still on view for passers-by). After analysing my skin, my therapist explained exactly what she was going to do before she began, which was nice to have the heads up about the different stages. The first step was removing my make-up, which she did with the Dermalogica pre-cleanse and then this was followed by a cream cleanser. She recommended that I opt for a creamy cleanser rather than anything drying as some of my skin felt dehydrated.

After the cleansing was complete, a face mask was applied to draw out any impurities. The next step was an interesting one – the steam. A machine pumped warm steam at my face (I presume to open my pores) but as the space was quite open plan I couldn’t help but feel like I was in an episode of Stars in their Eyes and Westfield shoppers were expecting me to walk out of the booth like Beyoncé. Nonetheless, the steam did feel really nice. The next step wasn’t as pleasant though… 

…the extractions. Well, basically a nicer was of saying the therapist squeezed my spots. She worked meticulously across my face, selecting any areas that needed work.  A few times it was a little painful but on the whole it was just a rather odd experience more than anything. 

THE BARGAIN BEAUTY PRODUCTS I LOVE

Once that was complete, a toner, spot-clearing gel and moisturiser was applied to my face. My skin felt so plump and hydrated but due to the extractions some areas were rather red so I didn’t hang around Westfield to show off my skin. 

What I really liked about Dermalogica is that the therapist gave me recommendations about my routine and the types of products to use but I didn’t feel pressured into necessarily buying Dermalogica products. She did kindly email me Dermalogica suggestions, but there was no awkward face-to-face hard sell. 

Since the treatment, I’ve changed my daily skincare routine and I have to be honest, I don’t think the changes were right for me. I ended up with more spots (that definitely were not just due to my skin purging) so I’m going back to my existing routine and I’m going to try and make smaller changes one step at a time, rather that shocking my skin with a complete overhaul.

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One Dermalogica product that I would highly recommend though would be the daily microfoliant. It works wonders on blemishes!

So despite the at-home advice not being quite right, I would recommend the treatment itself. I will definitely be back for another facial, although sadly I don’t think my budget can warrant a monthly visit as I probably should.

But if you’re going for your first facial or in the market to try somewhere new, I would highly recommend Dermalogica.

R x