Back in February I raved about some of my favorite skincare products, once of which is Derma e Anti-Wrinkle Vitamin A Glycolic Toner. I already liked the toner, but that post even convinced me to shop from Derma e’s products more thoroughly. So after more research I came away with six more Derma e skincare items for my use, listed out below. Most of these were at or below the $10 mark, which is a triumph. (Note: I’m not affiliated with Derma e. I’m writing this post because I personally use these products. However, many of the product links in my posts take you to Amazon.com, where I may earn a small commission off of products you buy on a linked shopping trip.)
The six products are:
- Derma e Anti-Wrinkle Vitamin A Retinyl Palmitate Crème
- Derma E Hyaluronic Hydrating Mist
- Derma e Firming Toner with DMAE, Alpha Lipoic and C-Ester
- Derma e Anti-Wrinkle Vitamin A Glycolic Cleanser
- Derma e Hyaluronic Acid Rehydrating Serum
- Derma e Hydrating Night Cream
Backing up a bit, I’m going to remind you about my philosophy that ingredients are everything. They are what primarily determines what I buy and what I pass over. For skincare shopping “ingredients are everything” is a helpful mantra, because I know I am going to buy anti-aging products and it’s just a matter of how much money I want to spend. Here’s a quick illustration of the way I shop: let’s say I’m looking for a new night cream. I come across Philosophy Renewed Hope In A Jar Night, which has hundreds of glowing reviews from users (I presume). Naturally I look at the ingredient list for the cream, where some key ingredients pop out at me:
Water, Isononyl Isononanoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Propanediol, Glycolic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Squalane, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclohexasiloxane, Arachidyl Glucoside, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Mandelic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Parfum/Fragrance, Bisabolol, Polysorbate 60, Allantoin, Sodium Pca, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Adenosine, Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf Extract, Farnesol, Limonene, Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Ascorbic Acid, Faex/Yeast Extract/Extrait De Levure, Opuntia Coccinellifera Flower Extract, Citral, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Bht, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Silanetriol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sorbic Acid, Hexylene Glycol, Linalool.
You can see the cream contains glycolic acid, citric acid, mandelic acid, fruit/ flower extracts and acids, and hyaluronic acid. I’m not surprised to find these ingredients, nor am I questioning their roles. I already knew that they were powerful and very important, and I’ve now satisfied myself that there is nothing brand new or novel in this pricey cream. Therefore I can now go find a less expensive alternative to it (on Amazon.com, because that’s where I go for almost everything.) Once I’m on Amazon I’ll do a search in skincare for creams with these ingredients, and out of those results I’ll read the ingredients for each and using that and the user reviews, I’ll determine which are worth their prices.
This was how I first stumbled upon the Derma e Anti-Aging Vitamin A Glycolic Toner. (Remember, retinol is just a form of vitamin A. When I encounter vitamin A in the skincare context I treat it as retinol.) Check out the ingredients in the toner:
Purified Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Propanediol, Polysorbate 20, Glycolic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Panthenol (Provitamin B5), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Macrocystis Pyrifera (Sea Kelp) Extract, Organic Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract* (.5%), Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract* (.1%), Polysorbate 60, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Floral Fragrance.
Okay, I’m not going to spell it out any further, as you can see where I’m going here. In this case the toner provides my skin with many of the key ingredients I want, but I’ll have to look at layering this with another product containing hyaluronic acid to help plump my wrinkles. I don’t have to look far: Derma e has a whole line of products featuring hyaluronic acid.
There is no exact science to deciding how to layer your products. For me, a change in routine is welcomed so I tend to have a few different skincare options for any given day. For example, I can use retinol in a cream, toner, serum, or face wash. I have hyaluronic acid available in a serum, mist, and cream. This is not too crazy when you consider how economically friendly most of the Derma e products are.
If I don’t get bored with my skincare routine then I probably won’t skip it. And let’s face it– we don’t always feel like using a toner, serum, cream, and BB/CC or SPF before leaving the house in the morning. So there are clever ways to work around that and customize a routine or routines you like. I love the fact that Derma e makes mists and face washes containing key ingredients. How easy is it to get your retinol from washing your face? Just use it in your daily shower. And why not replace your Avene or Evian purse spray with one that has active ingredients? I think the Derma e Hydrating Mist sounds great for the summertime. Pop it in the fridge and spritz it on when you come in from walking the dog on a hot day.
Let me tell you a bit more about these six particular products I chose. First you should know that Derma e’s products may contain added fragrance (you can find ones that don’t by checking out their website page on this subject). The Vitamin A line seems to be consistently scented like violets. It didn’t dawn on me that fragrance had been added to it when I first started using the toner. I actually thought the ingredients were giving off their own smells, resulting in something that was very pleasant. Even after figuring out that fragrance had been added, I still look forward to using this line because it smells great. But anyway, I wanted you to know about this in case fragrance offends you.
Since adding to my Derma e collection, my favorite skincare product is probably now the Anti-Wrinkle Vitamin A Glycolic Face Cleanser. I just love the convenience of this cleanser: the cleanser pumps out perfectly, it contains retinol, it smells great, it’s available on Amazon and on “Subscribe & Save,” and it just makes me happy.
I’m also really excited about the DMAE toner, because that’s an ingredient I’ve recently wanted to start using. DMAE, short for dimethylaminoethanol, is synthesized from something or other and is the analog to some molecule, etc. Are you still reading? OK, I’m just going to leave it at: DMAE has been shown to positively affect wrinkles and help with the appear of skin and its elasticity. For less than $10, I’ll take a gamble on it and incorporate this toner into one of my routines! I also discovered that I really like toners. I hadn’t used one since the old days of the Clinique 3-Step routine. I love the feeling of toner seeping into my pores, and sometimes tingling (probably from the witch hazel), and then seeing dirt come off onto the cotton ball (I get that this isn’t the purpose of these toners, but don’t rain on my parade!)
The Derma e hyaluronic acid line is another gem altogether. If you’re feeling underwhelmed by your skincare routine or especially old and wrinkled lately, think about adding in one of these guys. It’s really cool to see your skin look plumper and your wrinkles softer after just a few days of using hyularonic acid. Seriously, take before and after photos when you do it. I’m not saying your wrinkles are necessarily going away that quickly, but even just temporary results are great for me.
After being so pleased with the products I’ve tried so far, I’m definitely going back to look at Derma e’s other product lines. I have room in my bathroom for another face scrub and maybe another serum….
I’ll let you know what I find next:)
Take care,
-JGG
–The product or products featured in this post were chosen, purchased, and paid for in full by me, Jackie. However this post contains an affiliate link or links that direct you to a third party site where you may purchase the product(s). Out of that third party purchase I may make a small commission, not visible to you. For more information please see this page.–