Review: Dermalogica UltraCalming Cleanser

Dermalogica UltraCalming Cleanser 500ml

After repurchasing my 7th bottle of this cleanser, I knew it's about time for me to post this review of my all-time and STAPLE cleanser. Now, I know some of you might say " Dermalogica...again?". I know...I know, this brand seems to be not as appealing as other brands in the market. Probably one of the reasons is that it has been in the market for years and some have grown tired of hearing about this brand...again.

In all honesty, when I was first introduced to this brand, I wasn't that keen. First was the packaging. It didn't appeal to me as much as the apothecary styled bottles like Aesop or MVO. Those just automatically shout out " Buy me! Buy me!" from the shelves. Well...for this, it was like..boring and meh.

Secondly, it is expensive. I usually go for cleansers that is priced below MYR 50. Yes, I did indulged in Aesop cleansers before but paying above MYR 200 for a cleanser is way over the top for me. Because I needed to see changes on my skin, I bulked and purchased some other products when I signed up with their facial programme. Now let's look at what this product have to say...

Product Description

An extremely gentle cleansing gel/cream that can either be rinsed off or gently removed with tissue or The Sponge Cloth. Helps combat skin sensitivity caused by exposure to pollution, harsh climate, irritating cosmetic products and other environmental influences. Contains no artificial fragrance or color 

Ingredients

Water (Aqua), Cetearyl Alcohol, Bisabolol, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Fumaria Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Fumaric Acid, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Cetyl Trimethyl Ammonium Chloride, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Panthenol, Aminomethyl Propanol. 

My Experience

I usually use this cleanser at the second step, right after rinsing off my cleansing milk to make sure my skin is clean from any residue. This cleanser is extremely gentle, it doesn't foam and has a very light calming scent. It doesn't dry up my skin and it is just perfect to use for sensitive skin type like mine.

I must say that this cleanser really helped me during the time when I had an allergic reaction from testing a new product. Because of the flare up, my skin became uber sensitive and I was surprised that when I use this cleanser, it didn't burn or sting me. It just calms my skin well. Now, that really tells how gentle this cleanser is.

Overall

This cleanser won me over by its gentleness and effectiveness. I would always look forward to clean my face using this and so far, you can say that I am contented. Though this cleanser is pricey, I don't know why I would always come back to this one no matter what. Probably it fits my skin type really well.

One point I would like to note is that I don't make my re-purchases here in Malaysia.  Prices here is overly high. For comparison sake, the retail price here is about 25% more than what is selling at strawberry.net.  During my previous buying trips in HK, I found a shop that sells 40% less than the retail price in Malaysia and it is original too! Sadly, online shopping is not available and I usually have to ask my friends or my SIL to do the purchases for me if I ran out. 

However, pricing issues aside, for those who have issues with skin conditions like sensitivity or acne, or if you want to re-haul your current skincare products even, I think Dermalogica products are pretty reliable and worth looking into. Though their product range is plenty, just make sure that you get your face mapped by their therapist before purchasing. And word of advice, because the price may be pretty steep for some, just buy the essentials. Any add ons can come later. ( I've learned my lesson from my previous experience )

This item was purchased by me for my personal purposes. This review is based on my honest and personal experience with this product and is not influenced by any parties.