I usually have dry skin especially straight after the shower, using this spray was like a miracle. Once it dried it immediate made my face less flaky and I had not even put moisturiser on!

It was very impressive. Using it on top of makeup gave me a refreshed look. My face felt hydrated throughout the day without any flakiness or dry appearance.

Oh, the scent by the way is so fresh (that’s if you like rose). It was the icing on the cake!

Ingredients breakdown

Ingredient Highlights in this Facial Spray

Propylene Glycol (PG)

A well known and effective humectant. This ingredient helps create a layer on the skin to trap moisture.

Aloe Vera

Is a moisturising and hydrating ingredient. So, if you loooove using Aloe, then check out Palmers Night Cream!

Rosehip

With a huge amount of Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), depending on which part of the plant is is extracted from (skin, seeds, whole fruit, pappi). Also did you know, Vit C is a powerful antioxidant with anti-ageing and anti-pigmentation properties.

Thyme

Contains phenolic antioxidants (like most herbs). It helps find free radicals that can be damaging to your skin. Thyme extract is also known to have antimicrobial properties.

Gardenia

Contains Feruic Acid which is an antioxidant and anti-ageing phenolic acid.

Algae

An anti-ageing extract. In other words, posses the ability to decrease skin thickness and increase elasticity (the signs of skin ageing!).

Propylene Glycol and its bad rep

The main problem with consumers is the ‘bad’ nature of PG, and some might not even known what it is.

This research paper summaries it very well or if you want a short snippet of it below.

Impurities: PG contains unavoidable trace impurities; diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, as it is a synthetic material. Yes these are toxic materials and is a concern if I/you did not know better. PG is safe if these toxic materials are below 0.1%, according to scientific data.

Usually in EU and US (not so much in AU) these concentrations are heavily monitored. So, you shouldn’t need to worry if you are using legit good branded cosmetic products.

Absorption: Worried about PG absorbing into the skin down to the dermis? Well don’t be! Studies have shown PG does not absorb any further than the epidermis. That is the top layer of your skin.

Skin irritation: Yes slightly if used at undiluted at 100% and if you have sensitive skin! Most deodorants contains a very high amount of PG but does not cause any irritations.

So, at the end of the day, I personally have no problems with PG. It was deemed very safe a very long time ago and is a recognised effective moisturiser. Consumers now days are looking for more ‘natural product’ so very often they will diminish scientifically proven safe ingredients.

The Verdict?

Overall, I have no concerns on Propylene Glycol as it works for me. The lovely extracts in this spritz definitely was a big plus. Also the rose scent was devine.

The only slight downfall is that I wished the spray with more fine and misty. I noticed that large droplets were left on my face and took a bit to dry.

Thoughts on Propylene Glycol?

The post Facial Spray Review: Mario Badescu with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater appeared first on smartermakeup.

So what did I think after using this cream over 7 days (morning & night).

Morning: I used this skin smoothing cream like a primer. It was a bit sticky and didn’t smell very pleasant. It was fragrance free but the base smell is very potent. But after layering on my makeup routine, the smell was not noticeable. The texture was very light and smooth, and didn’t feel dry at the end of the day.

Night: The smell was very strong and more noticeable because I don’t have any other products on my face. It was easy to apply but was a bit sticky and left a slippery/greasy residue on my hands. It did however, leave me face very smooth and hydrated the next morning.

Now lets look at the ingredient listing breakdown and the highlight ingredients.

Ingredients breakdown

So what is the function/purpose of each ingredient? Click here to find a little summary about it!

Emollients that gives you smooth skin

If you were wondering what makes this cream feel so good? Keep reading~

1. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride – second ingredient in the listing provides the spreadability, softness and smoothness.

2. Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate – third on the listing helps provide the emolliency and texture. It also creates a layer on the surface of the skin for protection and moisturisation.

3. Dimethicone – is a silicone not far from the top of the listing helps with the smooth soft feel. But it adheres to the surface of the skin making it feel a bit greasy and heavy.

If you are a fan of silicones then try this night cream.

Active Ingredients

Two actives that gives 48 hour hydration. Both these ingredients are known humectants; absorbs and retains water, and hydrates the Stratum Corneum (SC).

So pretty much hydrated face = less noticeable wrinkles = smoother appearance.

Saccharide Isomerate (aka PENTAVITIN®)

• Clinically proven corn derived ingredient to moisturise and nourish dry flaky skin.
• Derived from carbohydrates, it reproduces the effects of Natural Moisturising Factor (NMF) in the skin. NMF is like a humectant.
• The active binds to amino acids in the NMF and doesn’t easily get washed away.
• The biggest seller for this ingredient is that it can provide ’72 hour’ hydration. Like the popular ‘Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-replenishing Hydrator‘! It also shares the same active for this moisturising claim (but of course with a higher price tag).

Sodium Hyaluronate

• Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is what everyone knows as anti-ageing and a moisturiser. It’s moisture retention capacity is amazing!.
• As the skin ages the HA level also decreases resulting in loss of skin moisture.
• Sodium Hyaluronate is the sodium salt of HA with similar benefits. So, depending on the molecular size, it can penetrate into the deep layers of the skin for anti-ageing effects. On the top layers, it helps to balance water reservoirs.
• In this formula, it looks like Sodium Hyaluronate was also added in a blend. The blend (PatcH20) which is also clinically proven to provide 48 hour hydration.

The Verdict?

There were not any noticeable ‘bad’ ingredients in this skin smoothing cream. Though the only let down was the smell of the product (but each to their own). The combination of actives for the 48 hour hydration claim was definitely a big plus!

Lastly, from my experience the cap of the tube is really smooth and hard to screw back on when my hands are slippery. Otherwise, not bad at all.

Original post: December 2019

What do you think? Should I review Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-replenishing Hydrator as a comparison?

The post Review: Hydrate & smooth your face with Dermalogica’s Skin Smoothing Cream appeared first on smartermakeup.