Review: Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50

Being the good Beauty Bee that I am, sunscreen in my morning routine is a must! I bought the Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50 a few weeks ago, so I’ve been giving it a good run for it’s money. Moisturisers which contain a high SPF, are soooo much better than they used to be (no more thick, sticky & greasy formulas!) so let’s see how this one faired, especially next to the Alpha H Protection Plus Daily SPF 50+! 😉

Dermalogica is an American brand started by skin therapist Jane Wurward. I like that Dermalogica puts a big emphasis on skin ‘education’ and training, so you have probably heard of their ‘face mapping technique’, where the face is segregated into ‘zones’ and thus different skin concerns can treated in your skin care routine. I’ve tried different Dermalogica products in the past, but I can’t say they ever wowed me, e.g. their Special Cleansing Gel isn’t all that special IMO (I think it contains lavender essential oil, so it’s ‘calming’), their Precleanse Oil contains citrus oils, so it irritates my eyes when using it to remove eye makeup but I do like the Precleanse wipes (full review here). I like that they use active ingredients and innovative formulas however, so I was still happy to try the Dynamic Skin Recovery Moisturiser, especially since it did seem to get excellent reviews online. It is interesting that the daily moisturiser uses the word ‘recovery’ in it’s name. Usually, your skin goes into repair and recovery mode at night (following your biological clock) not during the day. Maybe the thinking here is that the antioxidants and sunscreen, will prevent damage, therefore allowing your skin to ‘rest’? That’s my best guess!

This is how Dermalogica describes their moisturiser and formula;

Broad Spectrum moisturizer helps combat the signs of aging. Help minimise skin-aging triggers with this medium wieght, emollient daily moisturiser with broad spectrum SPF 50. Antioxidant White Tea, rich in polyphenols, inhibits lipid peroxide formation and helps neutralize free radicals (ROS), Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs) and Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs). Patented Oleosome encapsulation technology boosts sunscreen effectiveness for critical protection against UV rays, while a unique polypeptide activities. Blends smoothly over skin to create a perfected look. Directions for Use: After cleansing and toning, apply a generous amount to face and neck, preferably 30 minutes before sun exposure. 

The moisturiser contains chemical UV blockers or protectors if you will – Avobenzone 3.0%, Octinoxate 7.5%, Octisalate 5.0%, Oxybenzone 5.0%. Chemical blockers work by absorbing and neutralising UV rays. This absorbed energy is then released by the skin as heat (non-harmful energy). This can mean that your skin may feel a little warm when out in the sun – not ideal for sensitive skin types (or if you’re pregnant, if you want to be super careful) but fine for pretty much everyone else. Avobenzone gets a bad rap because it can become unstable when used alone and in UV light, however, when it is paired with either oxybenzone or octisalate (and it’s paired with both in this case), it does not break down easily and is stabilised well.

The formula is great in that it contains antioxidants (white tea is an excellent antioxidant), enhancing the skin’s natural ability to fight skin-aging free radicals whilst helping prevent the signs of aging caused by sugar reacting with proteins in skin (AGEs) and regulating the formation of collagen-degrading MMPs brought on by UV rays. Having protective ingredients in your moisturiser (besides sunscreen on it’s own) is what you want in a daily moisturiser. The more your formula fights for you so to speak, the better of course!

The moisturiser itself is a little thick, but it applies and absorbs really nicely. The moisturiser doesn’t leave the skin feeling greasy or sticky what so ever. It feels like a hydrating cream, which I appreciate the older I get 😉 It doesn’t break me out though, a massive plus for someone with combination skin and who is a little paranoid about breakouts now that my skin is a little more temperamental than usual thanks to hormonal changes…. something I’m sure we have all experience, if we are female *sigh…

I really like that the formula is housed in a pump, it keeps the formula fresh and safe from degradation caused by oxygen and bacteria. It also makes it travel friendly as it’s super light and there’s no risks of leaks. They’ve even put in a clear strip or ‘window’ on the tube, so you can see how much product you have left – thoughtful!

The moisturiser works very well underneath makeup, as it doesn’t leave an oily residue on the skin (or a very noticeable ‘film’). It has an interesting ‘aroma’ or scent – at first you can slightly detect sunscreen in the moisturiser and then your nose picks up a clovey-cinnamon, warming scent. It’s interesting, because the Alpha H Protection Plus Daily SPF 50, also has an ‘odd’ scent (like play-dough but slightly fresher??? Lol!). I don’t know if the brands are trying to cover the traditional sunscreen scent with extracts and what not, but it is noticeable in both moisturisers.

So how else do the moisturisers compare? The both protect from the sun equally as well as each other and both utilise chemical sunscreen in  their formulas. The Dynamic Skin Recovery seems to contain more hydrators, like; squalane (natural moisturising factor – NMF – already found naturally in the skin, easily absorbed and has some anti-oxidant capabilities), urea (super hydrator – prevents trans-epidermal water loss), glycerin (humectant, emollient AND occlusive hydrator) and sodium hyaluronate (NMF, humectant). Protection Plus Daily SPF 50+ on the other hand, includes glycerin (humectant, emollient, occlusive) and mango seed butter (occlusive).

Protection Plus Daily utilises pomegranate seed oil as it’s super fighting antioxidant (beneficial UVA-and UVB-damage control, to matrix metalloproteinase inhibition, to procollagen synthesis, to inhibition of hyperpigmentation), whilst Dynamic Skin Recovery utilised White tea extract (and works in a similar way to pomegranate seed oil, but perhaps without the hyper-pigmentation fighting properties). Both contain some additional oils and extracts (e.g. Protection Plus Daily includes pine bark extract, whilst Dynamic Skin Recovery includes evening primrose and radish root ferment). On the plus side, Dynamic Skin Recovery also contains soothing ingredients like colloidal oatmeal and allantoin. BUT Dynamic Skin Recovery again, like other Dermalogica products before it – also contains citrus oils, which can make the skin UV sensitive. WHY Dermalogica why?!???

Above: Dynamic Skin recovery on the Left and Protection Plus Daily on the Right. 

In a nutshell – Protection Plus Daily has a simpler formula, which can definitely be a good thing if your skin is temperamental and sensitive. Dynamic Skin Recovery is more moisturising and hydrating, but it isn’t for sensitive skin. Both protect against the sun’s rays equally as well as each other and both contain antioxidant protection (perhaps and just perhaps, Dynamic Skin Recovery has a little more fighting power here). Ideally, I like to use a sunscreen which contains both chemical and physical blockers, as then you get the best of both worlds, but alas. Both impart the skin with a satin finish, that is isn’t greasy or shiny. Both products contain 50ml of product, but Dynamic Skin Recovery costs $87 at Adore beauty, while Protection Plus Daily comes in at $51 at Adore Beauty ($36 dollars cheaper! But for some reason it costs $80 at Sephora – DON’T buy it there Aus Beauty Bees!).

I like both to be honest but perhaps because Protection Plus is more economical and are an Australian brand, they win. In saying that, I like that the Dynamic Skin Recovery doesn’t have a tint to it (the tint in the Protection Plus daily isn’t visible on the skin, but if it’s not blended out around your hairline, or if you get some product buildup in your eyebrows, it stays tinted and looks like unblended makeup) and it is more hydrating, with more antioxidant firepower. It’s such a close call, you beauties need to decide for yourself, which would suit your needs better 🙂

Ingredients: Active: Avobenzone (3.0%), Octinoxate (7.5%), Octisalate (5.0%), Oxybenzone (5.0%). other: Water (Aqua), Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Nylon-12, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Arachidyl Glucoside, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Protein, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Glucosamine HCl, Allantoin, Squalane, Algae Extract, Yeast Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Colloidal Oatmeal, Urea, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polysorbate 60, Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Glycerin, Disodium EDTA, Citronellol, Eugenol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Rose Flower Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).

Does your daily moisturiser contain and SPF beauties? How high is the SPF rating and this a critical factor for consideration when purchasing a daily moisturiser? Let me know!

Catch ya next time! 🙂

Beauty Bee~

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