Grab yourself a beverage, I have a feeling this is going to be long one. The Dr Dennis Gross Skincare Brand Overview. I’ve not ever written a ‘brand review’ post on my blog before, mostly due to the fact that I usually buy only one or two (or three!) products from a brand and don’t really have a complete oversight on what’s what. After being gifted by Dr Dennis Gross a number of their products and also owning a few already I feel that while I have not tried everything from Dr Dennis Gross Skincare, I have a good feel for the brand as a whole and have plenty to say on the matter! Ready to jump in?
all-in-one cleanser with toner The most recent addition and one that if truth be told, I purchased mainly to round out this DDG collection. Because honestly, what is a brand collection post if I don’t try the cleanser? I have only started using this cleanser quite recently but it’s not bad. It isn’t my favourite thing from the range though either. You do get a pretty generous 180ml of cream/gel cleanser which is to be applied to dry skin to either melt away makeup or for use as a second or morning cleanse. The directions seem a little odd to me as if you have dry skin you are directed to massage for 10 seconds and oily skin for 30 seconds then rinse or washcloth off. Now I have dry skin…. but 10 seconds really isn’t enough time for me to have thoroughly cleansed my skin, so I kind of ignore that suggestion and carry on as I normally would. I don’t find it drying, I love that if I choose too I can rinse off (for those lazy shower cleansers) and my skin does feel fresh and clean afterwards. As for the cons, I don’t particularly find the scent of this product anything special, it’s quite subtle but has a household cleaner kind of fragrance to it. Obviously it’s washed away quickly so not a total downfall, it just isn’t the product I am going to reach for when I want that luxurious face massage kind of a cleanse….which is most of the time when I wash my face.
alpha beta universal daily peel* Can I just say you need these and leave it at that? Probably not, but I adore this peel and if you find the Universal either a little too much on your skin or not quite enough there are always the Gentle and Extra Strength versions to try. Each box contains 30 (or 60 for the larger size) individually packages containing 2 swipey pads (step one to exfoliate & smooth and step two to firm & lift) this is the ultimate in convenience packaging not to mention the hygienic factor. Step one pad contains all those good acids such as glycolic, salicylic, citric, lactic & malic to get your skin smooth while step two pad contains some further skin beneficial ingredients like retinol and resveratrol. Personally, I’ve found these pads highly effective at clearing off any dead skin cells and generally clearing and brightening my complexion all without the sting factor that some chemical exfoliants have.
ferulic + retinol wrinkle recovery peel* More big love for these pads. When I received these I wasn’t quite sure that I would get on with them, as any retinol I have used in the past has been in liquid/serum form, and honestly I didn’t think a pad could do any better. Yeah, I was wrong. Out of everything I have tried from DDG I think these just may be my favourite. I LOVE them. Again, individually packaged (100 points for hygiene!) in a box of 16, you are directed to use 2-3 times a week in the evening – these pads are giant so you can cut them in half for an extra treatment per package. I saw results the very first time I tried them (let’s be clear, no wrinkles magically disappeared overnight) but the next morning my skin was softer, brighter, clearer and just better than it was the day before. With prolonged use I can only see improvements happening and there is no doubt in my mind that I will be picking up these up for myself in the near future. I do hope they bring these out in a larger size option like they do the daily peels although I usually get twice that with cutting.
ferulic + retinol wrinkle recovery overnight serum* The ferulic + retinol serum can be used either as a step two after the ferulic + retinol pad or as a standalone serum. I prefer the standalone approach as my skin is dry and while neither product has caused me any irritation, I don’t feel the need to combine and test this! Besides, both do a great job individually. Despite the very similar names the wrinkle recovery overnight serum has quite a different ingredient list to the wrinkle recovery peel pads (something I wasn’t expecting, I kind of thought they’d be almost identical, just a different delivery system). Obviously there’s ferulic & retinol in there – both highly effective in anti-aging, but the overnight serum also contains niacinamide (as the 3rd ingredient no less) which is another powerhouse ingredient in the anti-aging pursuit. While I didn’t notice the immediate effects like I did the peel pads, this is still a brilliant serum and one I am seeing gradual changes in my skins texture and overall appearance on lines.
firming peptide milk* The firming peptide milk is another that while I am sure it has a whole host of long term benefits, the immediate effect is what I am really enjoying. Listed on the DDG website under moisturisers but advised to add a moisturiser on top if you need (I do). When I wake up and am feeling old and tired, this is what I will reach for to give me that plump and firm feeling and make my skin feel younger than what it is. If you watch Tati on YouTube you know she is all about that firmness and aren’t we all? Who doesn’t want their skin to be firm and taut? Another thing I absolutely love about the firming peptide milk is the packaging. When you open it, the dropper draws up the exact amount of liquid you are going to need to use. Exact, I tell ya! Brilliant packaging.
hyaluronic moisture cushion oil-free moisturiser – (now discontinued) But DDG released a very similar moisturizer – here – I picked this one up from Mecca quite a while back and it is a lovely light-weight moisture option for those of you with normal/combo/oily skin but it’s not for me. My skin at the moment is really quite dry and it has been for a long time now. I am unsure whether it’s just getting older, or if pregnancy and breastfeeding have just sucked the life out of my skin, but for a solid year and counting it has been the driest its ever been. I used to complain so much about my combination skin, then it went to normal and I was like yeah! This is awesome! Stay this way! Then it was dry and after living with this dryness for over a year what I wouldn’t give for combo to be back (if the powers that be are reading this, I would prefer it to go back to normal, but I’ll take combo over dry). We always want what we haven’t got. Anyway, I am rambling now. I can get away with using this moisturiser when I use it in combination with some extra hydrating pre-steps like an oily serum but it’s not one that I reach for on the daily. Perhaps when the warmer weather re-appears my skin might change and I can get some more use out of this one. But anyone who isn’t dry I would recommend this to, especially if you are dehydrated as the hyaluronic acid content should work well to rehydrate the skin. My skin lacks oil more than water unfortunately and I need some kind of oil or heavy cream for my skin to look and feel its best.
ferulic + retinol eye cream A while back I bought one of the Caroline Hirons x Cult Beauty Boxes and this was an inclusion. At the time I was pregnant and was avoiding retinol in my skincare products so it took me a while to get to try this out. Was it worth the wait? Oh boy yes! Little backstory, prior to being pregnant I had had a few Botox treatments, 3 times just on my forehead and in-between my brows but the last time I also had it around the eye area. What a difference it made to those pesky crows feet. As Botox is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women I have yet to be able to rid myself of those lines once the Botox effect wore off but this eye cream has definitely helped! While it hasn’t completely eliminated the lines I have, what it has done is soften them and I find them far less noticeable than I did when I was pregnant and not using a retinol eye product. So far this is the only retinol eye product I have used but I am completely satisfied with the improvements it has made to the skin around my eyes and when I finish this tub I will no doubt be repurchasing. I use this most night when I not using any other retinol face product (if I am using the ferulic and retinol pads/serum I sort of take that product into the crows feet area so no need to add another retinol on top). I’ve not ever experienced any dryness or irritation using this eye cream and I would recommend to anyone who has some lines they wish to soften around their eyes.
dark spot sun defense Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50* I haven’t had a great deal of playtime with this sunscreen. It is winter here, and also having a small baby I am not spending vast amounts of time outside in the sunshine anyway sadly. So SPF 50 seems like a little overkill for me. Once summertime is here, and we are out and about more I will really put this to the test. In saying that, I have worn it a few times and I have some initial thoughts. First off, SPF 50 is awesome. Also it is a physical sunscreen (Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide based) which I far prefer rather than a chemical sunscreen. When applied to the face, it requires slightly more work than my regular Tatcha sunscreen to absorb into the skin, and when applying you may think its going to leave a bit of a white cast, but once fully rubbed in and absorbed there is no cast and no greasy feeling. The few times I have used it it has played nice with any foundation base I have had on top and I have zero complaints!
Overall, do I like the Dr Dennis Gross Skincare? Yes. Would I continue to purchase from this brand? For sure, I have my eye on a couple of items already. Do I think the products work? Sure do!
Have you tried anything from Dr Dennis Gross?
*PR sample
