Product Review: Dermalogica Clean Start

During one of my visits to Sasa (HK), I was going to quickly pick up a couple of pots of Olay after having experienced its wondrous effect on my skin when a sales staff approached me and questioned my choice of moisturizer. According to her, Olay is more suited for the mature woman and proceeded to introduce me to the item sitting just next to Olay, one that's around 4 to 5 times Olay's retail price, and this item happens to be Dermalogica Clean Start. I must note, though, that I am often a smart shopper, so I picked up the Clean Start set instead of just the moisturizer and saved myself about a hundred (HK) dollars.

Anyway, I discovered that Clean Start, with its salicylic acid content, fruity scent and colorful packaging, is intended for the younger set (teens). Despite this, I'm pretty satisfied with the items that I got. Here's why:

wash off: The tangy smell of orange peel helps to energize me in the mornings. More importantly, the semi-gel-like consistency of this facial wash is gentle on my skin even with its 0.5% salicylic acid. I wouldn't call it a foamy facial wash, though, as they do on their website as it doesn't foam up at all.

all over clear: The directions on this toner is to spray it all over the face and neck then wipe it off with a cotton pad. Since I believe in maximizing my skincare products, I do the opposite, that is, spray the toner on a cotton pad then apply it on my face. I would certainly prefer it if the packaging of this item were more conventional. It pretty much does what toners do, which is to prep the skin for what's coming next, the moisturizer. One thing I like about this item is the combined scent of lemongrass and sesame seed extract, which makes me feel fresh and healthy.

Finally, welcome matte with SPF 15: This item is described as a "moisturizer with oil controllers to minimize shine." On my fifth day of using it, however, my skin felt taut and super dry. I began applying my night cream before welcome matte, and doing this instantly made my skin feel better. It does deliver on its promise of minimizing shine, though, which makes it perfect to use with makeup.

Clean Start set including wash off, all over clear, and welcome matte spf 15 at HKD 498 in Sasa HK.

Overall, I am happy with my this skincare set, but I wouldn't say that I'm not excited about my next discoveries after I finish my Dermalogica Clean Start.