Dermalogica Smart Response Serum Review

 

This was kindly sent to me, without obligation.

Regular readers will know that one of my top three skincare brands is Dermalogica*. I used the brand exclusively for 6 months prior to our wedding, and have had some products from the brand in my stash for the past 17/18 years. It was the first high end skincare brand that I used, with the famous Daily Microfoliant being the first product I purchased, which is still a staple in my skincare cabinet to this day. All these years later, I still get excited when they release a product, and they are getting better and better all of the time! I'm lucky enough to be part of the Skinfluencer programme, so I was kindly sent their latest release: Smart Response Serum*. I have been using this serum for just over two months now, am over half way through it, so thought that it was about time that I did a review.

I'll start by saying that this is an expensive serum, however I firmly believe, and have always advocated spending money on your serum and saving everywhere else, as serums will make the biggest difference to your skin. Secondly, this serum replaces the need for a number of others - many people layer products, to include Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide etc, so if you were to add the cost of these individual serums, you would probably spend the same, if not more, than this one serum from Dermalogica. It really does depend on your budget - I'm never here to tell anybody that they must spend money on any product if they cannot afford it, or it puts them in debt.

So, what's so special about it?  It responds to skin's changing needs - some days we need more hydration than others, other times, our skin needs soothing and for the barrier function to be strengthened. Instead of us trying to figure out what our skin needs, this serum does it: soothing (to reduce redness and inflammation), firming (to reduce fine lines and wrinkles), brightening (to reduce dark spots and achieve a more even skin tone) and hydrating (to increase hydration and strengthen the skin barrier). If you don't have the time or inclination to research skincare products, but want your skin to look good, this is the product for you, because it covers all bases.

It achieves all of these benefits through a large combination of ingredients, including Lactic Acid (a gentle AHA, which lightly exfoliates the skin), Squalene, Olive Oil Ester, Microalgae, a blend of minerals (all of which combine to firm the skin), Sodium Activated Hyaluronate, Niacinamide (both of which hydrate and soothe the skin, encourages an even skin tone and reduces inflammation and the appearance of pores), a blend of oils and Tocopherol (Vitamin E, which moisturises and strengthens the skin's barrier).

The texture is lightly creamy, but it doesn't pill and absorbs easily, although it is advised to wait for one minute before proceeding with moisturiser/eye cream/oil.  I would personally say that skin looks brighter and feels instantly soothed upon application, but it's only with consistent use that you can really see results - skin looks firm, plump, hydrated, feels soft and bouncy, and just looks healthy overall. It can be used both morning and night.

It is housed in a bottle with a pump, which works fine, until you get to around half way through the bottle, at which point, it will take a few pumps to get any product out, but I'd imagine that is due to the texture, as a more liquid serum would be easier to pump until the bottle is empty. As the bottle itself is quite weighty, it's difficult to tell when it is running low, without removing the pump, which I would advise against, to ensure that all of the ingredients stay fresh.

For minimalists, busy parents, those going travelling with a small amount of space for toiletries, this really is the perfect product as it does it all and the benefits show, plus a little goes a long way. Because of the price, it will be outside the budget of some people, but if you can afford it and you feel like your skin is looking drab, dull, unhappy and feeling comfortable, then I would highly recommend it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts? Have you tried this serum, or would you be tempted to?

Thanks for reading!

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All products are bought by me, unless otherwise stated. Anything marked with a * has been kindly gifted, without obligation. I don't do sponsored posts. Opinion is always my own. Affiliate links may be used.