This Best Selling Product Is the Secret to Pro-Level Skin Prep
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
In Partnership With Dermalogica
It’s not often that a skincare product keeps its cult status for years, especially a physical exfoliant (they often get a bad wrap). One such product is the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. This famous physical (but rest assured, very gentle) exfoliant is a rare exception.
An iconic, best-selling product that almost instantly leaves skin looking brighter, incredibly soft and noticeably smoother.
It’s also one of those products that, as a beauty editor, I find myself recommending to almost everyone who asks what my top rated skincare products are.
It’s a true skincare staple, and product that once you use, you will wonder how your complexion ever survived without it in the first place.
Now, don’t let the words “physical exfoliant” scare you. This is not your average harsh physical exfoliant.
The rice-based powder is activated with water, transforming into a creamy paste that you gently massage into the skin before rinsing away. The result? A complexion that looks brighter and noticeably more polished than it did before. That’s a promise.
I gifted this product to my mum a few years ago and she fell completely in love with it, so much so that she’s asked me to keep buying her one ever since. If that isn’t a glowing endorsement, I don’t know what is.
If you need to instantly lift dull, lacklustre skin, especially before makeup or a big event, this is the perfect product to help you do it.
It leaves skin looking incredibly fresh and refines texture, making it the perfect little pre-makeup pick-me-up when you want your complexion to look its absolute best.
And it’s not just me (or the other thousands of people who are big fans), celebrity and editorial makeup artist Max May recently teamed up with Dermalogica to share why he loves this iconic product so much, along with his professional tips and tricks for using it to ‘Prep Like a Pro’.
Why does Daily Microfoliant fit into your skin preparation routine?
MM: Because it does something really simple but incredibly important for me as a makeup artist, it helps refine and smooth the surface of the skin. I’ve used it for years both personally and professionally because I can incorporate it into my prep without feeling like I’m doing something overly aggressive to the skin.
What role does exfoliation play in creating a smooth canvas for make-up?
MM: It helps remove that dull surface build-up that can make makeup catch, look uneven or emphasise texture. Gentle consistent exfoliation helps give me a smoother, more refined surface to work on which ultimately makes my job easier.
What do you love most about Daily Microfoliant?
MM: The balance. It’s gentle but it’s effective. I love the ritual of activating the powder with water and working it into that beautiful creamy texture but ultimately I love how the skin feels afterwards. Polished, smooth and fresh without feeling stripped. I’ve also used it for so many years that it’s one of those products I know and trust. It has genuinely stayed in my kit.
How would you describe Daily Microfoliant to someone who has never tried it before?
MM: It’s a rice-based powder exfoliant that you activate with water until it becomes this soft creamy foam. You gently massage it over damp skin and rinse it away. The easiest way to describe the result is your skin just feels smoother, softer and more refined and beautifully prepared for whatever you’re putting on next.
Prep Like A Pro
And if you want to take your skin prep one step further, here are a few more Dermalogica favourites to add to your routine.
From hydrating and brightening to smoothing and priming, these are the products that can help take your pre-makeup prep to the next level, so you can truly ‘Prep Like a Pro’.
- Dermalogica Circular Hydration Serum - A next-generation hydrating serum that delivers moisture deep within the skin's surface.
- Dermalogica phyto nature e2 regenerating daily exosome leave-on treatment - A next-generation, leave-on treatment designed to visibly renew skin from the inside out. Phyto Nature E² harnesses advanced enzyme and exosome technology to help reactivate skin’s natural renewal process, targeting the visible signs of ageing for smoother, brighter and more youthful-looking skin.
- Dermalogica Age Smart Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50 50mL- Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50 (50mL) is a medium-weight, daily moisturiser with SPF50 that hydrates while defending against visible skin ageing.
- Dermalogica Age Smart Skinperfect Primer SPF30 - Dermalogica Skinperfect Primer SPF30 is a multifunctional primer that smooths skin while providing SPF30 protection.
- Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Sculptor 150ml - A firming body treatment that helps visibly tighten and smooth skin.
Voila! The perfect canvas and skin prep for a base that's ready for makeup to go on more smoothly and flawlessly.
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