Goodbye Dullness, Hello Baby Skin! Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel Review

Exfoliating is an important step in skincare regimen. However, up until not so long ago, my weekly exfoliation was very basic. I chose something with fine grain, gently massaged it over my face for about a minute, rinsed it off, felt some kind of improvement in the texture of my skin, and then I called it a day. Then along came Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel, and I have never looked back!

Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel is an at-home version of medical microdermabrasion. It is supposed to smooth and resurface rough texture, help minimize the look of fine lines, and help brighten and even skin tone.

It is a two-step system constituting of vitamin C/Peptide (big word decoded: it’s protein) crystals and lactic/salicylic acid activating gel. From what I can see on the Philosophy website, there are two sizes available (1 oz and 2 oz). However, in Belgium and from what I can see on the Sephora website, only the 2-oz one is available. I would say a set will last for quite a while though, with the suggested amount of one teaspoon each every time you use it.

The vitamin C/peptide crystals smells pleasantly like citrus fruit, and it is yellow. The lactic/salicylic acid activating gel is transparent, and it smells like, well, acid. It’s a mild smell though, nothing irritatingly strong. Apparently the crystals function as a scrub, but the vitamin C it contains is activated by the gel (which is acid, so it gets rid of some more old cells) and penetrates the skin to make it brighter. Do you want to see how the system works? Let’s check it out!

First of all, you are supposed to put one teaspoon of the crystals on clean, dry face…

and massage in a circular motion for about a minute.

Afterwards, you should squeeze out about one teaspoon of the activating gel onto your palm, and apply the gel on top of the crystals with your fingertips.

As you can see, the mixture foams up a little, and you will feel a slight warming sensation. If you have sensitive skin, you can simply leave it on for 2-3 minutes. However, if your skin is used to products that contain acid, or if you think it could use a little extra work, you can also massage some more. I tend to concentrate another bit on my T-zone, but at some point the mixture dries out a bit, and that’s when I stop and wait.

Rinse off after 2-3 minutes for soft, smooth, baby skin!

The first time I used it I had a double shock. I remember rinsing it off, already knowing that my skin felt smoother under my fingertips, before looking at myself in the mirror. Shock number one: OH MY GOD MY SKIN LOOKS SO MUCH BRIGHTER! Shock number two: WHERE DID MY PORES GO? I am not exaggerating. My skin was OK to begin with, but still I saw major improvement with this peel. The pores on my cheeks (near my nose) that were a little more visible definitely disappeared, and my skin looked so much brighter after the 4-minute process. It definitely stayed that way for several days afterwards too. I personally don’t think this is something you should use more than once every week, though I can’t find specific recommended frequency. The second time I used it, the shock factor was lower, because my skin was still brighter and smoother than it was when I first used it. However, I still saw improvement.

I am personally exhilarated about this product. Not many skincare products can claim to be an overnight miracle, let alone a miracle that will happen in a matter of minutes, but this does deliver the fantastic results it promises. With that said however, I would caution anyone who wants to try this not to be overenthusiastic. Not as in being overenthusiastic about the product, but as in overenthusiastic about scrubbing your face with it, especially if you have no previous experience with anything that contains acid.

My T-zone can definitely tolerate it, but the skin on my cheeks is more fragile and sensitive. If I scrub a little too hard, I do get a mild reaction of small red patches on my cheeks. I have to lower the frequency (once every 10 days or even two weeks), and maybe not work the activating gel onto my cheeks the way I can on my T-zone. It is supposed to suit all skin types, but just as I said, you have to know your skin a little and start out carefully so as not to overdo it!

Bottom line: This is the most impressive skincare product I have tried in a long time. I have been pleasantly surprised by a lot of them, but if I have to pick a skincare product of the year now I would not hesitate to pick this one. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to see improvement in the texture of their skin, who wants to witness their pores shrink to nothing, and who wants to face the world with a much brighter face in minutes!

What scrub/peel is your favorite? When was the last time you witnessed a skincare miracle? Would you want to give this a try?

Sunny, your beauty culture translator xx

PS: Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel is exclusively available in Belgium at ICI PARIS XL. It retails for around 65 euros.

Disclosure: The product mentioned in this review is sent by the PR for my consideration. All opinions are honest and my own. I am in no way compensated for this review. I have always been, and will always be committed ONLY to my readers.

Fine print: I am really sorry that I haven’t been posting as often. I do have a lot to share with you guys, and I feel sorry that I’m not pushing out one post a day. However, I’m having a bit of a crisis meeting my deadline, and I do bear responsibility vis-a-vis my editor/publisher, so that might have to come first for a little while. I can, however, try to make every new post as fun and informative as possible!

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