Facial powders are making their mark on the cleansing circuit
CREAMS, lotions and oils abound in every bathroom, but did you know some of the most effective skincare products are actually of the powdered variety?
A bit like washing powder for clothes — but nowhere near as harsh, obviously — they combine granulated enzymes, botanicals or actives with mechanical exfoliants, which, when liquefied with water, create a foam that dissolves make-up, dirt and dry skin.
EASTERN PROMISE
Japanese brand DHC’s foaming Face Wash Powder, €11.15, contains the enzyme protease, which sweeps away the dead skin cells that lead to dull-looking skin, plus honey and liquorice to soothe and soften.
www.escentual.com plus p&p
FOAM PARTY
More of an exfoliator than a cleanser, Kiko Pure Clean Powder, €9.30, lathers up nicely, making light work of make-up and grime, while olive pit and corn starch granules scrub away dead skin.
www.kikocosmetics.com
SODA POP
Mixed with water, the kind of baking soda you normally find in the kitchen makes an effective exfoliator, but Biore’s Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub, €5.86, at Superdrug, combines the raising agent with cleansing actives to leave skin feeling squeaky clean.
www.superdrug.com
DEEP CLEANSE
A Harpers Bazaar Hot 100 winner, Elemis’s Papaya Enzyme Peel, contains a potent blend of enzymes, Papaya and Pineapple.
A non-granular exfoliating cream, it gently buffs away dry skin and promotes radiance. Ideal for sensitive and mature skins, was €40.96 now €32.77.
www.feelunique.com plus p&p
SPOT CHECK
Exfoliation is essential for preventing acne, but it has to be gentle enough not to irritate existing blemishes.
Murad Transforming Powder Dual-Action Cleanser & Exfoliator, was €32 now €27.20, strikes the ideal balance, harnessing salicylic acid, bio-enzymes and pumpkin seed extract to boost cell turnover and prevent breakouts.
www.feelunique.com plus p&p
SILK CUT
Another Japanese import, Sensai’s luxurious Silky Purifying Silk Peel Powder, €66.58, combines exfoliating powder properties with signature ingredient koishimaru silk to deliver gorgeously soft skin.
Use two or three times a week in place of your usual cleanser.
www.harrods.com plus p&p
GET THE GLOW
Part of the excellent Hydra Sparkling range, Givenchy’s One-Minute Glow Powder, €40,50, Debenhams, is so gentle it can be used daily.
Mix a sprinkling of the powder with a dash of water in the palm of your hand, and massage over your face to reveal soft, purified skin that improves the more you use it.
www.debenhams.ie
TEA TREAT
One of the first skincare powders available in Europe, Aesop Tea Tree Leaf Facial Exfoliant, €38.17, is comprised of pulverised tea tree leaves, nut shell and purified clay, all crushed to smithereens to produce a twice-a-week treatment.
Activate with water or your favourite cleanser for a double dose of exfoliating action.
www.aesop.com plus p&p
FLOWER POWER
The botanical blend of rose petal, jasmine and neroli in Diptyque’s Radiance Boosting Powder, €60, delivers nourishing nutrients at the same time as sloughing away dullness. A sublime blend to boost tired skin.
www.diptyqueparis.eu tax and p&p included
SUPER SERUM
An innovative powder serum, Institut Esthederm Intensive Vitamine C Serum, €34.56, needs no moisture to get to work on fine lines and pigment spots, simply tap it lightly over areas of concern.
“Vitamin C gets destabilized when put in water, so we formulated a high amount of Vitamin C (15%) in powder form, to make sure it remains active until put in contact with the skin,” explains brand education director Isabelle Benoit.
www.feeluniuque.com plus p&p
