:: Review :: Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery spf 30
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free skin care · Sun Oct 05, 2008 5:15 am

Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery spf 30

My rating = 3.5 out of 5

It's a moisturiser with SPF 30. It’s supposed to stimulate collagen production and fight free radicals through a host of ingredients.

I’ve been using this product for four months. Rating this product was a bit like rating tracksuit pants. Great for workouts, but not if you’re dressing to impress.

What's good about it? It's very moisturising (for the first few hours) and comes in a good 50ml size in a pump pack that makes it easy to dispense the right amount. It has a fairly faint essential oil (rose?) / sunscreen fragrance. It’s a great make-up base if you use a liquid or cream foundation. It starts off slightly opaque, clarifying as you smooth it in. Its texture is initially a bit greasy, which I happen to like, making foundation blending a breeze. Using MMU can be a bit of a problem (unless you like a chunky make up look!). It seems to absorb within about an hour, though, making my skin smooth and pretty radiant for the first few hours. And it didn’t make my normal / combo skin break out. It’s also a good price, at about $75 AUD. I used it in combination with the MAP-15 regenerator, which adds to the expense. Also, Dermalogica doesn't use animal testing.

What’s not so good? By the end of the day, my skin was looking a bit tired and dry around my forehead, cheeks and eyes. So I couldn’t say it offered long-lasting hydration for me. This cream gave me a variety of looks – greasy, then perfect, then dry. All in one day. And to be perfectly honest, after four months of diligent use, I want a product that improves the texture, tone or clarity of my skin. And this product didn’t do that for me.

This product is great for what it offers instantly – a well-priced day cream with great sun protection that works well under makeup. I’m going to keep some handy for days out, but don’t think I’ll be using it as my everyday answer for anti-ageing. It’s still a great knock-about, practical sort of moisturiser though, so I bought a bottle for Mr ej and he thinks it’s a good step up from his beloved Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream.

Active ingredients: avobenzone (3.0%), octinoxate (7.5%), octisalate (5.0%), oxybenzone (5.0%)
Ingredients: water, octyldodecyl neopentanoate, butylene glycol, arachidyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, arginine / lysine polypeptide, palmitoyl tripeptide-5, glucosamine hcl, saccharomyces cerevisiae extract, oenothera biennis (evening primrose) oil, saccharomyces lysate extract, sodium hyaluronate, glycine soja (soybean) protein, camellia sinensis leaf extract, colloidal oatmeal, allantoin, algae extract, squalane, arachidyl glucoside, urea, chrysanthemum parthenium (feverfew) extract, c13-14 isopraffin, laureth-7, polycrylamide, cocamidopropyl pg-dimonium chloride phosphate, glycerin, hydroxyethyl acrylate / sodium acryloydimethyl taurate copolymer, polysorbate 60, nylon-02, disodium edta, benzyl pca, phenoxyethanol, citral, citronellol, eugenol, farnesol, geraniol, hydroxycitronellal, isoeugenol, limonene, linalool, acorus calamus, aniba rosaeodora (rosewood) wood oil, eugenia caryophyllus (clove) flower oil, helianthus annus (sunflower) seed oil, pelargonium, gravelens flower oil, helianthus annus (sunflower) seed oil, pelargonium, graveolens flower oil, rose flower oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel / oil extract, caprylic / capric triglyceride, titanium dioxide

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The above post is a review of the following product available at EDS:

Dermalogica Age Smart Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50 (50 ml / 1.7 floz)

Achieve absolute hydration and help defend against the internal and external causes of skin aging with this medium-weight, emollient daily moisturizer with Broad Spectrum SPF 50. Contains AGE Smart® ingredients to enhance the skin’s natural ability to fight skin-aging free radicals (Reactive Oxygen Species), help prevent the signs of aging caused by sugar reacting with proteins in skin (AGEs) and regulate the formation of collagen-degrading MMPs brought on by UV rays.

free skin care · Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:27 am

What a well-written review; thanks! Some interesting ingredients but it doesn't sound like it would be a HG for me either.

free skin care · Wed Oct 08, 2008 3:45 am

Thanks caboodle. Yes, a bit disappointing considering the months of use. On to the next range!

Sat Nov 01, 2008 9:46 am

Thanks for the review, ej! It's strange that it left you dry by the end of the day as I would have thought that many of the ingredients, in theory, would have been more moisturizing. Sounds like it might be a good candidate for D though. Does Mr ej find it a bit drying by the end of the day? I love your phrase that it's "a bit like rating tracksuit pants". Laughing

free skin care · Sun Nov 09, 2008 5:21 am

Hi havana, mr ej says that for him it starts off greasy but ends up being pretty comfortable by the end of the day. Strange, because my skin is oiler than his. Confused

free skin care · Sun May 31, 2009 10:58 pm

I used one sample of it several years ago, thanks for the review of minding of me to try it again.

Thu Sep 17, 2009 2:02 am

I have just started using this moisturizer. I was using the Pure Light SPF 30 from Dermalogica but I felt I needed something heavier. I like that this is a heavier cream as I have drier skin. I stick with it for a few months and see how I feel then.

Thanks for the review Ej!

free skin care · Sun Aug 01, 2010 6:16 am

Thank you for sharing. I'm using this product at the moment and I really like it even in summer it is not heavy for me and it make my skin looks very smooth, love it.

Thu Nov 11, 2010 9:28 am

I just found out about Dermalogica. I've been looking for a good SPF moisturizer for a long time, but was afraid to spend that much money on something that might not work. I tried a free sample of this product and it seems great.
My skin is combination, oily in some places, dry in others. Until now, I've been using drug store Neutrogena stuff, which I don't think is doing me any favors. This product felt great on my face. I've also been trying the Microfoliant. They seem to work well together.

I do have a question. How is Dynamic recovery different from the Pure Light SPF30? Which is better for what type of skin?

free skin care · Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:13 am

It's sad that so many dermalogica products didn't work for me, despite dishing out all that cash =/

Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:01 pm

I've been using this one as my day moisturiser for a few years now. I love the packaging, it's a good size for both travel and everyday and like the pump. I do have slightly oily skin and find this can accentuate the oiliness if I don't take other steps with my makeup (primer, blotting sheets etc). Something makes me keep coming back to it even though I'm not completely happy!

free skin care · Thu Jul 26, 2012 4:52 pm

Pure light SPF uses zinc and titanium as the sunscreen and the Skin recovery uses a chemical blend. I prefer the Pure Light although I don't love either.

I have a tester of the Skin Recovery that I use on my neck, hands and chest just to use it up.

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