Lab Muffin Beauty Science

The science of beauty, skincare, makeup and nails

  • Home
  • Science
  • Browse
    • Archives
    • Reviews by Brand
    • Random Post
  • About
    • About Michelle
    • Site Policies
    • Follow
  • Shop
    • Shop
    • Skincare eBook
  • FREE Exfoliation Guide!

My Favourite Products from the Dermstore Sale

November 24, 2020 By Michelle 2 Comments

Affiliate Disclosure: I receive a small commission for purchases made via affiliate links.

Affiliate Links PR Sample

Sale season is coming up, and while I don’t love the idea of buying products frivolously, there ARE a lot of great bargains, and if you’re anything like me you’ve been putting off a whole bunch of big purchases til now. Dermstore stock a lot of my favourite skincare brands and have up to 30% off with the code SHARETHELOVE until November 30th – here are some of my top picks. 

(Note: this post contains affiliate links – this means that if you decide to click through, a small proportion of the sale goes to funding Lab Muffin The amount you pay is unaffected. If you decide to use my links, thank you – I greatly appreciate it!)

Paula’s Choice – 15% off

Paula’s Choice was one of the first brands I ever tried, and a lot of their products are still in my routine. 

Their Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant was the first salicylic acid product I tried, and I still haven’t found one that I like more! It’s fantastic for unclogging acne-prone skin and clearing out blackheads and pores. There’s also the Clear Acne Body Spray, essentially the same product but in a spray bottle that’s really convenient for treating back pimples.

Paula’s Choice also make my favourite niacinamide product, the 10% Niacinamide Booster – I’ve tried other niacinamide products before, but this was the one that convinced me of its benefits.

Paula's Choice Niacinamide and C25 

The 10% Azelaic Acid Booster has one of the best textures of an azelaic acid product I’ve tried.  

Related post: All About Azelaic Acid

I’m also a fan of the C25 Super Booster. This contains 25% ascorbic acid powder in a silicone base. I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re new to vitamin C, but if your skin is used to it and you don’t use ascorbic acid fast enough to use up a water-based serum before it goes off, this is a good option with a much longer shelf life – just be careful not to use too much, and apply it mixed with a watery toner so it dissolves without 

Recently I also tried Resist Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense SPF 30. This uses zinc oxide as the only sunscreening agent, and impressively it didn’t give me any white cast!

Aquis – 30% off

I’ve talked about Aquis’s microfibre hair towels before a few times – I love that these dry my hair much more effectively than a regular towel, plus they’re super light on my head. 

How do Aquis Towels work? Science and review

I use the Lisse Luxe Hair Towel every time I wash my hair – I even take it while travelling! It’s thin enough that it packs easily and doesn’t weigh much, but it’s impressively absorbent for its size. This is long enough for me to wrap my nipple-length hair into a turban. Aquis also make Lisse Luxe Hair Turbans, but I prefer the extra flexibility of the towel (my sister prefers the turban).

Bioderma – 20% off

I feel like I’m constantly raving about the Atoderm Cleansing Oil. This is a cleansing oil for your body that’s brilliant for keeping your skin moisturised in dry weather. I also love the Atoderm Shower Gel which foams up nicely but doesn’t strip skin.

Bioderma Atoderm Shower Oilsale

The Sebium range has a lot of moisturisers that are hydrating, but prevent clogged pores at the same time – I particularly like the Sebium Mat Control for moisturising without adding shine. The Sebium Lotion is a new product for me, and I’ve been really enjoying it as a hydrating toner.

Related post: Bioderma Sebium for Oily and Acne-Prone Skin: Science and Review (Video)

The Sensibio H2O Micellar Water is always handy to have around – I usually wash my face in the shower, but I’ve found it really useful for removing makeup before doing a mask (which I then shower off), and when I can’t get my face wet (e.g. after microblading). My mum has also become a huge fan of the Hydrabio Serum for protecting her post-menopausal sensitive skin, to the point where she sends me and my sister running around the city to hunt it down when it’s on sale and has a huge stash for sharing with her friends. 

Cosrx – 20% off

Cosrx are a stripped-down Korean brand that’s taking off overseas – I still remember the days when you could only find it on eBay and really dense Asian retail sites! The BHA Blackhead Power Liquid uses betaine salicylate instead of the usual salicylic acid – it’s meant to be gentler, so if you want the benefits of salicylic acid but not the dryness, this could work for you.  

Neostrata – 30% off

This brand was started by the scientists who first used AHAs and PHAs for skincare. The Tri-Therapy Lifting Serum has a PHA (gluconolactone) combined with Aminofil, a patented ingredient that firms up skin (reviewed here).

DHC – 25% off

OK, this is a product I haven’t tried yet, but it’s literally on the way to me right now: the DHC Cleansing Oil. It’s one of the products that’s been consistently recommended to me for years, and as a bonus, it comes in a handy pump dispenser.

EltaMD – 20% off

Another product I haven’t tried that’s coming in the same package is EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46. This is another product that’s been recommended to me for years.

Brands with double points

These brands aren’t on sale, but you get double points:

Olaplex: One of the few products on the market that will actually repair the broken bonds in your hair! They have a whole range of products now, including a handy trial set. The original at-home treatment Olaplex No 3 Hair Perfector is what I’ve been using, but I’ve just started using the No 6 Bond Smoother, and I’ve ordered the shampoo and conditioner as well.

Olaplex - What to Expect After You Bleach Your Asian Hair

La Roche-Posay: I love Cicaplast for healing irritated skin around my nose when I’m sick and for maskne and dry hands, and their sunscreens are some of the best you can get in the US (the Melt-In Sunscreen Milk is my pick)

I hope you get some good bargains, and remember to spend responsibly!

Many of these products were originally PR samples that I’ve tried over the years. This post contains affiliate links – if you decide to click through and support Lab Muffin financially (at no extra cost to you), thank you! For more information, see Disclosure Policy.


Related Posts

  • Silk for Skincare and Haircare (with video)
  • Detangling Brush Comparison: Tangle Teezer vs Lady Jayne
  • Low Maintenance Pastel Hair Routine (video)
  • Extra videos: Lab Muffin Supplementary Info

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Google
  • More
  • Tumblr

Filed Under: Hair, Shopping, Skincare, Tools Tagged With: hair, skincare

« Microcurrent Devices: Science and Foreo Bear Review
Sunscreen Crash Course: Do’s and Don’ts (with video) »

Comments

  1. Barbara Thorsen says

    November 25, 2020 at 8:36 am

    Thank you for your well-informed posts. Such a pleasure – especially coming from someone from the world of skincare and makeup – to read stuff that is not only factual, backed by science but also devoid of hype. Thank you also for sharing the discount info on Dermstore. However, as far as I can see, they don’t ship internationally (e.g. to Australia).

    Reply
  2. Z says

    February 19, 2021 at 6:34 am

    Hello! Love your stuff. Did you ever get a chance to try out Elta MD?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter RSS YouTube

Michelle
Hi! I'm Michelle, chemistry PhD and science educator, and I'm here to help you figure out which beauty products are worth buying, and which ones aren't using science!

New Posts Straight to Your Inbox!

https://labmuffin.com/signup-confirmation/

skincare guide skincare guide

Popular Posts

  • My Current Evening Skincare Routine
  • Purging vs Breakouts: When to Ditch Your Skincare
  • How Does Olaplex Hair Treatment Work?
  • Don't Use Lemon Juice on Your Skin
  • Easy (5 Minute) DIY Vitamin C Serum Recipe
  • My Routine for Starting on Tretinoin (Retin-A) Cream

Copyright © 2021 Lab Muffin
 · Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · Privacy Policy · WordPress · Log in

All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author, except for brief quotations when accompanied by a citation and link.

Get Lab Muffin updates (comes with a FREE Essential Guide to Exfoliation!)
Your information will be stored to send you emails. For more information see Privacy Policy.