philosophy

Disclosure:  PR sample


Did you know that Philosophy claim to have pioneered the first medical microdermabrasion machine that exfoliates while delivering Vitamin C deeply into the skin?  This product, the Microdelivery Peel, is intended to be the less expensive, less invasive home based equivalent.  Philosophy recommend it to anyone with dull, uneven skin, and claim that in addition to the instant results, it will also help to "de-age" the skin.

Those are some pretty lofty claims, and ones which I was more than happy to put to the test.  The peel is delivered in the form of two products - a tub of vitamin C crystals, and a bottle of activator fluid.  To apply, you massage the crystals over the skin, then pat on the activator fluid, and leave for a few minutes.  If you're feeling the need for some extra exfoliating action, you can massage the crystals+foam mixture over the skin instead of just leaving it to sit.

The packaging is, as usual with Philosophy products, pretty fabulous.  The two products are presented inside a sturdy box, with usage instructions clearly printed inside - making it useful to keep as a reference, and also as a way of keeping the two products together, particularly as this is a weekly maintenance product which you won't want to leave out all week.  One thing I've found is that the amount you are supposed to use, according to the packaging, is possibly a little too much (unless of course I have a smaller than average face).  The instructions, for instance, say one teaspoon of crystals, whereas I found that a third of a teaspoon was plenty.  Similarly, a "good" teaspoon of activator translates into about three quarters of a teaspoon for me.

Anyway - application, thanks to the clear instructions, is pretty easy.  The vitamin C crystals are more of a fine, grainy paste, with a slightly citrus-y scent, and are easy to spread on the face.  The instructions say to massage them in, not scrub - and personally I'm not too sure what the difference is, apart from maybe the amount of pressure applied.

After applying the activator gel with my fingertips, I noticed a small amount of foaming on my face, coupled with a little bit of warming. At this stage, you have the choice of massaging further, or leaving the foam/crystal combo to sit on the skin - I've tried both options.  On my dryish skin, massaging the foam on the skin resulted in a very deep exfoliation which was almost too intense - my skin felt very smooth and soft afterwards, but was pretty dry and needed plenty of moisturiser for a couple of days afterwards.  Leaving the foam on, however, resulted in the same smoothness and softness, but without the excessively dry feeling.  If your skin veers towards oily, the extra massage might be more beneficial, but on drier skins, it might be a step too far.

I did take before and after photos, but they didn't really show much visible difference for me.  Instead, the texture of the skin was the big difference; after use, my skin felt ultra-smooth, with bumpy areas of my face (such as my chin and forehead) feeling significantly smoother.  I also found my skin to look more fresh and radiant in the days following the treatment, even when I myself was feeling pretty grey.

All this exfoliant and radiance boosting goodness does come at a price, however.  At about £57 for the kit, this is a fairly spendy product.  That said, if you use it weekly at the levels shown in the photos above, then it should last you a good few months, making the price more justifiable.  My only reservation is that the activator might well run out before the crystals do - luckily, the crystals are a decent exfoliator on their own, so it's not like they will go to waste if the activator doesn't last as long as they do.

Even if you don't see immediate results, this is a fantastic maintenance treat for the skin.  I've been using it weekly, and have found that my skin is more radiant and smooth, and bar a few monthly breakouts, much clearer too. Definitely one to try out if you have trouble with dullness, or are a firm fan of a good scrub.

If you'd like to try it out for yourself, you can buy the kit from HQHair, where it will cost you £57, or from QVC, where it will cost you £69.90, and will turn up with a exfoliating wash for daily use.

Have you tried this product?  What do you think?

Disclosure - PR sample

As a long-term Philosophy addict, I was more than happy when Gemma placed the new Apricots and Cream body emulsion and 3 in 1 on my desk this week. The formats aren't new - 3 in 1 (body wash, bubble bath and shampoo) is one of Philosophy's core products and comes in masses of varieties. The body emulsion also comes in (slightly fewer) variants, perhaps most popularly the Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion. What's new is the scent. It's as sweet and fruity as the name suggests - a sugary confection that's perhaps more peach than apricot.

The smell is by far the strongest in the body emulsion, which has been living on my desk at work and doing time as a hand cream. During that time it's attracted the attention of all my neighbouring colleagues as its mouth-watering desserty-fruity scent fills the air. Several people have started coming over to my desk to try it for themselves and everyone agrees it's superbly moisturising. It's packed with a huge number of ingredients, many of them natural in origin. There's no mineral oil in there, nor parabens (see ingredients lists at the end of the review for the full low down). It's also non-sticky. Generally a huge thumbs up for the lotion, which costs £19.75 for a whopping 16oz (around 500ml - 473ml to be exact).

The 3 in 1, in comparison, is quite faintly scented. Not much can be discerned by sniffing the neck of the bottle, and even when lathering up in the shower it's a much more subtle scent experience than the body emulsion. In my experience that subtlety is something common to all the Philosophy 3 in 1s, so I'm not singling this one out in particular. It lathers up very well (and does, alas, contain SLS) and provides a soft, fresh result on the skin. It's not something I'd use as a shampoo myself, because to be honest I'm a bit picky and prefer to shampoo with products that are specifically intended for use on the hair. As a bath foam, it's lack of scent and average longevity of suds make it only an OK performer. I think it works best as a shower gel and will be very happy to use it as such. The 3 in 1 (16oz/473ml)costs £13.

Philosophy Apricots and Cream products are available from Selfridges and QVC. I've also spotted Philosophy in John Lewis. We've been given the number 0870 990 8452 to call for full stockist details.

Ingredients: