There is something intriguing about exfoliants. They hold many promises: polished skin, clean pores, fade sun spots, smooth wrinkles, and the list goes on. I’ve felt the magnetic retail pull many times over the years to purchase a myriad of exfoliants and I have no regrets. You truly never know how a product works until you try it. (For those on-the-go read this quick review here and when you have time read the full review below.)
On a whim, after discovering a post on social media, and without my usual research, I purchased Dermalogica Mulitivitamin Thermafoliant to test and see if it worked with my skin type. (I’m normal/dry.) It turns out, this exfoliant was an amazing discovery. Without hesitation, it’s in a class of its own as one of the best exfoliants I’ve ever used.
PROS
– Clean and polished pores
– Over time Thermafoliant evens out dark spots
– Balm-like texture makes it easy to massage into skin
– Small exfoliant granules
CONS
– Small amount of printing sloughs off tube
In truth, it’s hard to find anything wrong with Dermalogica Mulitivitamin Thermafoliant. It’s that good. Within this tube, Dermalogica created one of the best exfoliants. They are to be commended.
DERMALOGICA MULTIVITAMIN THERMAFOLIANT
Exfoliate your face. We all know these marching orders well since reading them over and over in countless beauty magazines and blogs. The blunt message is loud and clear: we need to slough dead skin off our faces. We get it. Yet many of us experiment with exfoliants that irritate and dry out our faces until they are taunt like a drum, and then in defeat we realize they don’t live up to expectations. Who needs red irritated skin? I’ve used countless products over the years promising to produce glowing skin and clean, gunk-free pores. I want pores that never need a photo app filter over my face. (That’s asking for a lot.) Pores that look as if I really do take care of my skin. And that’s a fact, I do take care of my skin, but my pores don’t always reflect my diligence in caring for my face.
When most my age couldn’t wait to dive into the colorful world of makeup, skincare products became my obsession. For a milestone birthday, I asked for a facial. It was rudimentary as one would expect with steam to open pores and some sort of generic mask, but it was my entire into skincare and I’ve loved it ever since. Even though I was new to the universe of skincare, and just discovering different products, I knew enough back then that I wanted clear pores. That quest still continues today. And now, even though I’m somewhat proud of my minimalist stash of skincare products, I’m undoubtedly lured by anything promising crystal clean pores. It’s as if I’m magnetically pulled to products specifically designed to give you the clearest pores possible. For my particular skin, I don’t care (even though I should) about shrinking the pores as much as keeping them clean and clear. I’ve recently developed sebaceous filaments so many of you will understand.
The Basics
Why us an exfoliator? In short, it stimulates cell turnover. In addition to revealing fresh skin cells, exfoliating removes dead cells from pores, making them appear smaller. It’s important for old dead cells to be replaced by healthy, new ones. Helping your skin exfoliate further aids it to remove any lingering dead skin cells which in turn improves fine lines, dark spots, pores, etc. Clean pores in particular have always been my number one interest in skincare.
Dermalogica
Recently, I fell into the rabbit hole of Instagram and its subtle marketing funnel. There is something about a non sponsored review on Instagram that makes me add a product to my shopping cart more than any other platform. The Instagram happened to be from a skincare specialist in the UK highlighting a product from Dermalogica. The shiny, metallic tube packaging that had me from hello. But as I read more about the description, it quickly became a product I had to have my hands on immediately. And that’s what I did, I ordered it within minutes of stumbling upon the review. Several years ago I reigned in my skincare purchases and stopped instant gratification shopping, so it was a fairly big deal I ordered this exfoliant right away.
Dermalogica has several exfoliators in its roster with legions of fans. Mulitivitamin Thermafoliant is special because of its ingredient combination. It combines a wider range of ingredients than your average exfoliant. I’ve come to think of it as a multi-functional exfoliant. It’s super charged! Thermafoliant combines both physical and chemical exfoliants and then a whopping dose of vitamins A, C, E. These multi-vitamins (antioxidants) help your skin fight free radicals. Free radicals breakdown and destroy our collagen and elastin which eventually leads to signs of aging. (This is why you need a good facial sunblock. It reduces free radical damage.)
Causes of increased free radical damage
• stress
• a busy lifestyle
• poor diet and alcohol
• smoking, legal and illegal drugs
• illness, preganancy
• UV penetration
• pollution
• what is applied to our skin
Thermafoliant also contains Salicylic Acid and retinol which work together to dissolve dead cells and debris. Super fine micro granules work to loosen and slough off dead surface cells. Whew. That’s all packed into one product. The key is that Dermalogica didn’t simply pick any ingredients and mix them together- rather they chose components that work in synergy with each other.
Dermalogica Multivitamin Thermafoliant – $57.00
First Glance
First squeeze out of the tube I noticed its consistency is somewhat stiff and thick. It feels like a balm which I like. Thermafoliant is much more dense than other exfoliants and you can tell right away it’s packed with a whopping amount of delicious ingredients- delicious for your pores. (I like a product that doesn’t skimp on ingredients.) In fact, when it comes out of the tube, it reminds me of dense toothpaste. You use it on damp skin and work it into your face with circular motions for 1-2 minutes. The product heats up ever so slightly on your face- more on that in a minute. I use this exfoliant in the shower in the evenings. I take piping hot showers and there is often a lot of steam which is nice as it slightly opens the pores. On nights I use Thermafoliant this is my routine: Wash sunscreen off with either a oil or a balm. Rinse several times. Apply Thermafoliant in circular motions over entire face, including under chin. This exfoliant heats up when it comes in contact with your skin. After rubbing in circular motions for a minute or so, then I rinse several times. If my face feels particularly grimy, I’ll apply Thermafoliant a 2nd time and repeat the process.
One week into using Thermafoliant nearly every night, I’ve yet to have red, tight or irritated skin. (Keep in mind each skin type will react differently.) It contains a balm-like emollient which aids in lessening aggravation and this also helps the exfoliant spread evenly across the face. (There is warmth or light heat when applying to the face and I do find that a bit gimmicky. I’ve used heat warming products before, and although the sense of warmth initially makes one think the product is doing something extra-special, it really doesn’t. And I’m already in a steamy shower so my pores don’t need a faux warm feeling. This is my only fault with the product. I’m particularly impressed by the very fine granules. Dermalogica has created the most perfectly refined granule. The granules feel slightly larger than sugar, but work robustly into the skin.
Pores
So how does Thermafoliant compare to other scrubs? It’s hard to compare since this exfoliant is in a category all of its own. It feels more like a spa treatment than a typical scrub. Because it’s packed with a high dose of amazing ingredients, this isn’t your typical scrub. I can see myself using other favorites when I’m pressed for time. I’ve battled sebaceous filaments for several years. I assure you, it’s a never ending battle. Are my pores completely clear after one week? No. However, I’ve seen a huge difference. They are 70% improved. Not bad for just 7 days. (BHA’s alone have never made them disappear.) Also, I’ve noticed brightening of my skin and slight fading on a few areas with hyperpigmentation.
The beauty industry is littered with subpar exfoliants. Believe me, I’ve tried many and left feeling defeated and let down. But I had high hopes for this one by Dermalogica and convinced myself it would be different than others. Happlily, I was right. It’s obvious a lot of research and time went into creating Thermafoliant. The formulation is outstanding. Everything about this product is outstanding. Dermalogica Multivitamin Thermafoliant is one of the best exfoliants on the market.
This is my new favorite exfoliant. It’s more than an exfoliant. This super charged formula has won me over. Instantly, it was a cult-favorite and I see why skincare insiders are gobbling it up. Get glowing today with Dermalogica Multivitamin Thermafoliant. Your pores will thank you and you may thank Beauty Flurry.