One of the first launches I attended when I became a beauty editor was for Dermalogica. I’ll never forget it, because I was so impressed at the passion, incredible energy, and wonderfully unique spirit of the brand. I loved their ethos of no jargon, no fluff and no hype – just professional skincare that is honest, truthful and effective.
Fast forward 15 years, and Dermalogica is still one of my favourite professional skincare brands. When they asked me to pop in for a complimentary Face Mapping, it struck me that the last time I had it done was when I first moved to Cape Town – back in 2010! Obviously, my skin had changed since, so I was super keen to find out the story my face was telling. I also know that understanding your skin is the first step towards a lifetime of good skin health.
The way that Dermalogica skin coaches read the skin is through Face Mapping. This entails dividing the skin on the face into different zones. Each zone is then examined to determine where conditions such as dehydration, hyperpigmentation, breakouts or congestions are present.
I booked my session with Kendall at the Wembley Square Concept Store in Cape Town – a beautiful light-filled space that immediately sets your soul at ease.
Kendall explained that Face Mapping is essentially a conversation between the client and her Dermalogica skin coach. Fourteen different zones on the face are analyzed to determine the skin type and conditions of the client. Based on the client’s main concerns, and the face-mapping findings, the Dermalogica skin coach will recommend a suitable skincare routine and products.
To begin, Kendal asked me a few questions about my skin:
- Was I happy with its texture?
- Do I use sunscreen regularly?
- What are my areas of main concern?
- What changes would I like to see in my skin?
I explained to Kendall that in general, I was happy with the way my skin looked – especially given my age (42yrs). However, over the past year, I’ve noticed an increase in fine lines and wrinkles (although these don’t bother me too much), as well as more pronounced dark circles and some puffiness around my eye area. Also, in certain areas like my chin and around my nose, my pores look enlarged. Worryingly, I’m beginning to see more pronounced lines on my neck, which are really starting to bother me.
Kendall then asked me to briefly tell her about my routine; including how often I exfoliate, mask and if I was using any treatment serums. Once we discussed my routine, Kendall got to work on mapping each zone of my face.
On my forehead (zones 1, 2 and 3) Kendall noticed some fine lines, but all in all, I was happy to hear my texture was good and firm. There was some discolouration / pigmentation on both left & right sides – this is likely down to UV exposure. She did comment that she could see I’m managing and treating it (which I am).
I was thrilled when Kendall got to zone 5 (cheek area) and commented on the healthy bounce of my skin! My skin in this area is still extremely firm and my texture smooth. She pointed out spots of UV damage, but I’m well aware of these and am treating them accordingly. This was perfectly mirrored on the other side of my cheek (Zone 9)
Next we moved onto zone 6 – the eye area. Lucky for me, I have no deep lines around my eyes, and those present are still at a very fine stage. Kendall did notice a cluster of dilated capillaries on my upper cheeks, and put this down to a few factors: sun exposure and using harsh granular exfoliators (which I did use, in the past). She cautioned me that it could get worse as I got older (because of skin thinning) and suggested I perhaps look at some laser treatments to blitz them. Again, the other side of my face (zone 8) was a perfect mirror, and those pesky dilated capillaries were present there too.
On the nose – zone 7, she picked up slight sun damage (on the bridge), but in general, my skin was healthy in this area. Kendall said that usually with women my age, there’s a lot of redness on the sides of the nose brought on by stress, friction, allergies, etc. Luckily I had none of these concerns. My pores around my nose were slightly dilated, but again, Kendall put this down to sun exposure and ageing.
Zones 11, 12 and 13 (chin and jawline) is an area that’s generally an issue for most older women – especially on the chin and jaw. According to Kendall, I had a touch of congestion on my chin (probably hormones). While my skin here was generally firm, she did point out a bit of sagging (this is natural ageing) around my jaw.
Before moving onto the neck and chest area, Kendall explained how important it was to extend your face care routine down to this area. This I was aware of, and regularly do. Kendall said this is the area that shows the most sun damage on 70% of the women she sees. I can attest to that, as it is my most age-ravaged area.
Kendall then presented her findings and explained which products I should be using, and how I would implement them into my routine. She went into their benefits, and how they would help to correct some of my concerns. My four priority products are listed below:
Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer (R1020 for 35 doses – buy HERE) has been around for a while, yet, I’ve never used it! Kendal recommended I use it twice a week, after cleansing, over the whole face, neck and chest area. At first I wondered whether one dosage would be enough, but it was. Because of its exfoliating action, it helps smooth texture, hydrate and brighten the skin. It also contains salicylic acid that will help tighten my pores.
I’ve used the Dermalogica Overnight Retinol Repair (R1480 – buy HERE) before, and absolutely LOVED the results. It’s a powerful nighttime treatment that accelerates skin renewal and reduces the appearance of skin ageing. As a beauty journo, I know that if there’s one ingredient that really can make a heck of a difference to ageing skin, it’s Retinol. I love this formula because the Retinol is microencapsulated, meaning it’s able to really penetrate the deeper layers of the skin, increasing collagen production and cell turnover. Also included in the formula are powerful peptides and Vitamin C that not only fight the signs of ageing, but also help even skin tone. A bio-energized Copper amino acid complex contained in the formula reduces wrinkles, while improving skin firmness. Now, it’s important to get your skin accustomed to Retinol, especially if you’ve never used it before, or have sensitive skin. The clever peeps at Dermalogica have taken this into consideration, and included a moisturising buffer cream to help acclimate the skin to the retinol. I use the Retinol Repair on its own, but, for best results, mix one part Overnight Retinol Repair with up to three parts buffer cream and apply to clean skin.
The Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque (R840 buy HERE) is another product I actually hadn’t tried before, but now can’t live without. It’s a fantastic all rounder, and great for treating dull, dry, stressed, lackluster, photodamaged or ageing skin. I use mine twice a week, and leave it on for 10 -15 minutes, then rinse it off (works best with a clean, warm facecloth). It’s loaded with vitamins A, C, E and F that help skin recover from damage that leads to ageing. Nutrient rich Algae extract boosts moisture, while Pro-Vitamin B5 helps nourish damaged skin with botanical extracts while calming decreasing any sensitivity.
The product I’ve been most impressed with over this past week has to be the Dermalogica Total Eye Care (R780 buy HERE). I mean, how the heck had I not tried it before? It’s meant to be used during daytime, and has optical light diffusers that really help with the appearance of dark circles. It also has a chemical free SPF (bonus)! It reduces puffiness and fine lines, and contains alpha hydroxyl acids that work to re-texturize the skin around this delicate area. To be very, very honest (and perhaps this is something I shouldn’t admit to), I’m very lax with eye creams and hardly ever use them. However, this beauty has changed my opinion and I can’t image life without it. If dark circles are of concern, try this formula out ASAP!
Do you understand your skin, and have you ever been for a Face Mapping session? It is offered for FREE at Dermalogica skincare centers and at their concept stores (click HERE to find your closest store) and goes a long way in helping you discover and understand your, unique skin story.
This blog post is sponsored by Dermalogica South Africa.
GIVEAWAY
To give you even more of a motivator to get into store and have your Face Mapping done, I’m giving one reader the opportunity to win Dermalogica products valued at R3000 (not transferable for cash). In order to qualify for this prize, you need to do the following:
- Leave a comment below this post telling me what your favourite Dermalogica product is.
- Book your FREE Face Mapping session and share your experience in pictures (or videos) on your social media channels (like Twitter, Instagram & Facebook).
- Use the following hashtags: #MyFaceMyStory #dermalogicaSA – you also need to tag Dermalogica on: Twitter: @dermalogicasa / Instagram: @dermalogicasa / Facebook: Dermalogica South Africa.
- Ensure you tag me too (so I can keep track of entries: Twitter: @Candiceleekan / Instagram: @Candiceleekan / Facebook: In My Bag Blog
Please note, the R3000 may not be to get you all the products suggested by your Dermalogica skin coach, but they will be a great start to your healthy future skin.
The winner will be chosen on 10 March 2017 and notified of their win via one of their social media platforms. This competition is only open to people residing in South Africa.
