Truth be told, I’ve never been a face scrub person. I came of age just after microbeads and smashed-up shells had their heyday, plus, every dermatologist I’ve ever spoken to has said that gently exfoliating acids are the way to go. There are a few exceptions to the rule, though, and I just met the one, the only, the I-thought-it-was-impossible: a face scrub okayed by derms for daily use. So I’ve taken Cetaphil’s Extra Gentle Daily Scrub up on the claim.

I was suspicious at first. You hear a lot of claims in the beauty world, so when Dr. Melissa Levin, a board-certified dermatologist, told me she had been using it every day for the past week, I listened. I gazed at her immaculate skin; I looked in her eyes as she pledged that I could use it every day and see only good results. I then thought, “I’ll be the judge of that!” (exclamation point included), and took it home to try.

Real beauty goes beyond the surface—and so do we. Sign up for Glamour’s newsletter to get honest reviews, personal essays, and more every day.

A squirt of the clear gel looks like Cetaphil and smells like Cetaphil, plus a mildly-detectable, slightly soapy coconut scent. But as you rub it into damp skin, a fine graininess emerges. It feels a bit like a trick, since the brand is indeed not joking about it having “micro-fine particles”—they’re literally too fine for the naked eye (or at least, my eyes in contacts). But to the touch, it feels like there’s a superfine sand suspended within the gel. I’d compare it to the gentle rice powder scrubs that people rave about, like Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder or Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant (which cost $65 and $57 respectively).

While I didn’t notice an utterly groundbreaking change in some hormonal acne that’s rudely popped up on my face, after using it regularly, my skin feels noticeably soft, closer to velvet than I’ve ever known. That’s likely also thanks to the coconut oil-derived cleansing agent that’s in the formula; combined with the gentle slough, it’s a buffing, softening, non-stripping cleanser. I can’t say I’ll be switching over from my acid power for good, but the second I see a face scrub in someone’s bathroom, I’m telling them to try this.

Cetaphil Extra Gentle Daily Scrub, $8, jet.com

Related Stories:
–This $11 Gel Sunscreen Feels Like Water and Absorbs in 10 Seconds
–This Is the Only Makeup Remover You’ll Ever Need
–Glow Recipe’s Pink Juice Moisturizer Sold Out In Two Hours, and It’s Worth the Hype

Source link