Works for:
based on ingredients and %- Exfoliation
- Moisturizing
- Anti-blemish
- Anti-oxidation
Doesn't work for:
based on ingredients and %- Evens skin tone
Can it cause trouble?
- Irritation risk: high
- Comedogenic risk ingredients: 0
Key actives
Product Summary
"Dermalogica - our brightening icon" is effective for: Exfoliation, Moisturizing and Anti-blemish
This product could be helpful for: Anti-oxidation, but its actives are not the most effective or are not well-studied.
Ingredient callouts
- Salicylic acid (0.50% - 1.10%). This is an oil-soluble exfoliating acid. Because of this property, it can work inside pores and help reduce the congestion. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and is used to treat acne. Because it is a quite strong exfoliator, be careful with using this product too often: it could result in over-exfoliation.
- In addition, this product contains Allantoin (0.60% - 1.35%). Allantoin is helpful in wound-healing and can help restore the skin barrier faster. It might also be able to improve scars, but the evidence is not very strong for this.
- Humectants (pca 0.40% - 0.90%). These ingredients help attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improve the skin hydration.
About the brand
According to Cruelty-Free Kitty "Dermalogica" is cruelty free, but its parent company is not.
Anti-blemish
This product can help reduce breakouts and clogged pores because it contains the following ingredient: salicylic acid. This ingredient is used for treating acne and can have a noticeable effect.
Used for skin exfoliation. It has an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effect, helps to unclog pores, prevent blemishes and speed up healing of the existing ones. Sometimes referred to as a BHA (beta-hydroxy acid)
A plant extract that might help neutralize free radicals and reduce inflammation in skin. It can be irritating
Helps calm down inflammation in skin and can help reduce itching. Helps to repair the skin barrier and keep skin hydrated
Can contain potent anti-oxidant compounds (abbreviated ECG, GCG, EGC, and EGCG) that might help protect the skin from free radicals. Can help calm down inflammation and has some anti-bacterial properties. Unfortunately, these antioxidants are unstable and lose their effectiveness very quickly in products. The concentration of the antioxidant compounds in the extract also tends to be low to be effective in topical formulation
Exfoliation
What does the product description say?
Rice-based powder activates upon contact with water, releasing Papain, Salicylic Acid and Rice Enzymes to polish skin to perfection.
Source: Dermalogica
This product can help exfoliate the skin. In other words, it helps break down the bonds between dead cells on the surface of the skin and speed up the skin turnover. Skin often appears softer and brighter after exfoliation, but overdoing it can result in disrupted skin barrier. The following ingredient is doing the exfoliating job in this product: salicylic acid.
Used for skin exfoliation. It has an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effect, helps to unclog pores, prevent blemishes and speed up healing of the existing ones. Sometimes referred to as a BHA (beta-hydroxy acid)
An enzyme extracted from papaya fruit. Can have an exfoliating effect on the skin. Can be irritating
Helps calm down inflammation in skin and can help reduce itching. Helps to repair the skin barrier and keep skin hydrated
Moisturizing
This product can help improve hydration of the skin with the two types of ingredients.
The first type is called “humectants”:
these ingredients help attract water.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from
within deeper layers of the skin. The following ingredients in this product do the job:
pca.
This product also contains ingredients called “occlusives”. They help reduce the speed with which our skin loses moisture to the outside environment. These ingredients also help soften the upper layer of the skin, so it feels less tight and nicer to the touch. The following ingredients in this product do the job: colloidal oatmeal.
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: colloidal oatmeal
Helps to restore skin barrier function, soften the upper layer of the skin and calm down inflammation
Naturally present in skin and helps to attract water to its upper layer
Helps calm down inflammation in skin and can help reduce itching. Helps to repair the skin barrier and keep skin hydrated
Can contain potent anti-oxidant compounds (abbreviated ECG, GCG, EGC, and EGCG) that might help protect the skin from free radicals. Can help calm down inflammation and has some anti-bacterial properties. Unfortunately, these antioxidants are unstable and lose their effectiveness very quickly in products. The concentration of the antioxidant compounds in the extract also tends to be low to be effective in topical formulation
Anti-oxidation
This product contains antioxidants (ginkgo biloba leaf extract) that might be able to help neutralize free radicals in skin to lessen the damage it gets from the UV light (sun). There is not enough evidence to confirm their effectiveness in skin though.
A plant extract that might help neutralize free radicals and reduce inflammation in skin. It can be irritating
A plant extract that can help lighten the skin and calm down inflammation. Might be helpful in neutralizing free radicals
Helps to restore skin barrier function, soften the upper layer of the skin and calm down inflammation
Can contain potent anti-oxidant compounds (abbreviated ECG, GCG, EGC, and EGCG) that might help protect the skin from free radicals. Can help calm down inflammation and has some anti-bacterial properties. Unfortunately, these antioxidants are unstable and lose their effectiveness very quickly in products. The concentration of the antioxidant compounds in the extract also tends to be low to be effective in topical formulation
Evens skin tone
What does the product description say?
A Skin Brightening Complex of Phytic Acid from Rice Bran, White Tea and Licorice helps balance uneven skin tone while a super-soothing blend of Colloidal Oatmeal and Allantoin helps calm skin.
Source: Dermalogica
This product might help improve the skin tone through exfoliation. In other words, it helps to speed up the shedding of cells from the upper layer of the skin, and this might help reduce hyperpigmentation.
A plant extract that can help lighten the skin and calm down inflammation. Might be helpful in neutralizing free radicals
Used for skin exfoliation. It has an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effect, helps to unclog pores, prevent blemishes and speed up healing of the existing ones. Sometimes referred to as a BHA (beta-hydroxy acid)
Can contain potent anti-oxidant compounds (abbreviated ECG, GCG, EGC, and EGCG) that might help protect the skin from free radicals. Can help calm down inflammation and has some anti-bacterial properties. Unfortunately, these antioxidants are unstable and lose their effectiveness very quickly in products. The concentration of the antioxidant compounds in the extract also tends to be low to be effective in topical formulation
How honest is this product?
| Promise | Can it deliver? |
|---|---|
| Exfoliation | |
| Evens skin tone |
Total Promises Fulfilled score: 75/100.
Potential irritants
Comedogenic ingredients
No comedogenic ingredients detected
User reviews (0)
Averages from community submissions.
No reviews yet for this product.
Be the first to share your experience!
Tried this product?
Help capture what the ingredient list can't—texture, finish, pilling, scent, and more. Answer what you can, skip the rest.
Takes ~30 seconds.
Reviews are shown in aggregate. No personal details.
| Product | Similarity | Price | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
 Dermalogica our brightening icon | Current | - | |
 natureofthings Clarifying Facial Polish | 85% | $65.00 | |
Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Power-Clear Scrub | 66% | $9.99 | |
 Replenix Clarifying Brightening Polish | 61% | $54.00 | |
 Perricone MD On-The-Go Acne Relief Essentials | 61% | $49.00 | |
Clearasil Ultra 5 In 1 Exfoliating Scrub | 61% | - |
Key Actives
Potential irritants
Comedogenic ingredients
We couldn't find any comedogenic ingredients in this product
All ingredients
Ingredient list view
Microcrystalline cellulose, Magnesium oxide, Sodium cocoyl isethionate, Colloidal oatmeal, Disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate, Sodium lauroyl glutamate, Oryza sativa bran extract, Oryza sativa starch, Hydrogenated coconut acid, Allantoin, Papain, Salicylic acid, Ginkgo biloba leaf extract, Camellia sinensis leaf extract, Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract, Pca, Populus tremuloides bark extract, Cyclodextrin, Sodium isethionate, Lauryl methacrylate/glycol dimethacrylate crosspolymer, Maltodextrin, Melaleuca alternifolia leaf oil, Citrus paradisi peel oil, Sodium dehydroacetate, Hydrolyzed corn starch hydroxyethyl ether, Water, Limonene, Citric acid
- Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
- Mechanism of action and clinical benefits of colloidal oatmeal for dermatologic practice
- Profile of wound healing process induced by allantoin
- Salicylic acid as a peeling agent: a comprehensive review
- Beta Hydroxy Acids
- A review of toxicity from topical salicylic acid preparations
- Glycolic Acid Peels Versus Salicylic–Mandelic Acid Peels in Active Acne Vulgaris and Post‐Acne Scarring and Hyperpigmentation: A Comparative Study
- Safety Assessment of Ginkgo biloba-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics
- Cosmeceutical Critique: Ginkgo Biloba
- Cyclodextrins: new drug delivery systems in dermatology
- 4 Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Dehydroacetate and Dehydroacetic Acid