I’ve been familiar with Philosophy fragrances and body products for a long time, but was amazed to discover that Philosophy is the 4th most popular skincare brand in America! I had previously bypassed the skincare element of this brand and have loved getting acquainted with it.
“Philosophy was founded in 1996 by Cristina Carlino, a skin care entrepreneur
and visionary with over 30 years experience working with the world’s leading
dermatologists. her vision was to bridge the gap between the doctor’s office
and retail by giving women everywhere access to leading skin care.”
At the launch of Philosophy at Debenhams, Belfast I was blown away by the range of products on offer. Although impressive, the range is not intimidating… the packaging design and clear layout make it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for and I found the staff reassuringly approachable and knowledgeable.
Philosophy trainer, Chrystal’s enthusiasm and complete confidence in her products was both inspiring and infectious. The first product I want to share with you today is the Microdelivery peel, featuring a very different kind of crystal!
The Microdelivery Peel
I’ve always been a little nervous about using salon style beauty treatments at home, but the Philosophy consultants explained everything so clearly they completely put my mind at rest. They even demonstrated exactly how to use the product on the back of my hand… when I felt how soft it was afterwards I was sold!
The Microdelivery peel is a two step treatment that rejuvenates the appearance of sun-damaged, hyper pigmented and ageing skin:
● smoothes and resurfaces rough texture
● helps minimize the look of fine lines
● helps brighten and even skin tone
In other words, it takes exfoliation to a new level - and puts in good stuff while removing the bad!
The two piece set includes a jar of vitamin c/peptide crystals, set in a waxy ‘balm’ and a separate bottle of lactic/salicylic acid activating gel. One teaspoon of each is recommended per treatment - I find that around half of that is enough - so can see this lasting a long time. The crystal ‘balm’ smells absolutely gorgeous, an orange, citrusy scent that makes it a real pleasure to use.
Step by Step
The pics above show the 3 steps of the treatment, which takes about 5-10 mins in total (perfect for a busy mum with minimal pampering time!) and works as follows…
1. Gently massage the crystals into your skin, avoiding the eye area - no pressure or scrubbing - the crystals do all the work. They are so fine you can barely see them in this pic, but you can feel them gently working - they are much smaller and finer than most regular exfoliators and don’t hurt or scratch the skin. They do, however, exfoliate very effectively!
2. Add one teaspoon of activating gel - it’s easiest to put this in the palm of your hand first, then apply to the face with fingers - on top of the crystals.
3. Gently spread the activating gel over the face, blending it with the crystals… the skin slightly warms when you do this (that’s the activating bit!) and the texture becomes quite milky/foamy. You can massage it in or just leave it to do its thing (esp if skin is sensitive) for a total of 2-3 mins.
That’s it… rinse the face thoroughly to remove all product and pat dry gently with a soft towel or flannel. Take care not to get it in your eyes - I find it easiest to remove the bulk of product with a warm damp flannel, then do a final rinse with fresh water.
The Results
My skin immediately feels very soft after this treatment… I tend to use it at night as I like to allow my skin to rest after something like this and the last thing I want to do is cover up that super clean skin with makeup. I see the biggest difference when I get up the next morning - my skin looks so much clearer and literally feels like velvet.
I’ve been using this once a week for around 6 weeks now, as I wanted to really test it thoroughly before sharing my thoughts with you. If you have uber sensitive skin, then I’d hesitate to recommend anything like this, but my own skin is quite sensitive and I’ve only seen positive results. I really do think my skin has benefitted from this process and my appetite for Philosophy skincare has most definitely been whet/whetted/whatevs…
Before you balk at the price, bear in mind that you would pay close to this for a single treatment in some salons and certainly no more than two in any reputable one.
Philosophy Microdelivery Peel costs £59 at Debenhams or directly from Philosophy, which has a special offer ending today (20 Sep) with £10 off purchases of £65 or more using the code philosophy10 - see here for details!
