Philosophy • the microdelivery exfoliating wash • Cleansers

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lgcamper on 1/11/2009 9:30:00 PM more reviews by lgcamper

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

An excellent mild "everyday" exfoliator for oily to normal skin. If your skin is very sensitive then I would use it less often but the micro beads (of whatever the little scrubbies are) are so finely textured that to miss out on trying this product would be a shame. Very nice clean feeling without feeling over-stripped.

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lilly116 on 1/10/2009 4:45:00 PM more reviews by lilly116

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I have been using this about a year and, starting about a month after first trying it, I finally have the "makeup optional skin" promised by Philosophy! I have suffered from break-out prone skin since my 20s and after 40 it gets very old. : ) Since I am very fair, the red post-breakout marks would linger on my skin a long time. I started using the Aveda shammy at night (which I have reviewed and highly recommend), which helped remove any lingering dirt/debris/makeup from my skin at night and seemed to help the breakouts some. I then added this product in the a.m. and the combination has GREATLY reduced my breakouts. I follow the instructions and dampen my face, (first make sure I shake up the container first so the product does not separate), then gently massage for 30 seconds to a minute. I don't use in the shower as I think it would be too diluted. I think the MILD daily exfoliation is the key to clearing my skin as some scrubs I have tried break me out even worse. It's so easy and is not an extra step so I stick with it. When I do see a blemish popping up, which is rare, I use the Bare Escentuals blemish therapy, (which I have reviewed). Sometimes the opening gets a little caked, and I would prefer a bottle that lets you see how much is left. While it is a little pricey, it lasts a long time, particularly since I use purity at night, and it is much cheaper than some of the peels I have tried.

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sarbear05 on 1/8/2009 11:21:00 PM more reviews by sarbear05

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

Amazing!!!! The BEST scrub ever. It is so gentle you can use it everyday but It actually scrubs and smooths the skin. This is perfect. I will buy this forever. You will not believe how smooth your skin will become.

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*TOP REVIEWER* tmilstein on 1/8/2009 7:53:00 PM more reviews by tmilstein

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I received this as a sample and really liked it. I'm always reluctant to try new cleansers. I break out easily and I feel like my favorites get discontinued too often. I liked the Eucerin that was in the green containers. The last year, I've been using the Noxzema. Blackhead Clearing Cleanser, but I can't find that now.
I agree with a previous reviewer that this is a good morning cleanser. I want something more like the Noxzema to take off makeup. Besides, this will irritate your eyes. But this has been making my skin glow for daytime. It's a good exfoliator, without being too harsh or drying.
Everytime I go to Sephora, I keep asking for samples of this.
Now for a new night cleanser/scrub... .

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loved on 1/1/2009 5:05:00 PM more reviews by loved

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

My favorite face wash. The 'diatomaceous earth' is great for a slight scrub-like exfoliation which is just enough so I can use it every day. I use it in the morning and find that it really refreshes my skin. The gentle beads smooth my skin for makeup preparation. It's gently foaming so it gets rid of the oil build-up. It doesn't remove makeup very well so people would need to use a separate remover or try Purity (not for waterproof makeup). No noticeable, bold fragrance.

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*TOP REVIEWER* joyelle on 12/26/2008 8:17:00 PM more reviews by joyelle

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

After reading all the glowing comments on this product I had high expectations. Well, I am disappointed in this. It's not that it's an awful product but it's not an amazing one either - it's just average and ordinary.

Now that it's winter, my skin is slightly dry and I've been using it twice a week for the last several weeks. My skin is also sensitive so I didn't want to overuse it. It has a gel-like consistency and the scrubbies are very fine and don't feel like they are scratching. It also forms a slight lather and doesn't have the typical Philosophy medicinal scent (I don't really detect a scent, actually). So, why wouldn't I buy this again? Because I didn't get the results that the other reviewers seemed to experience: 1) my skin feels drier afterwards, 2) my skin definitely does not feel softer, 3) my skin doesn't look or feel more polished, 4) I see no difference in my skin texture/tone

I wouldn't recommend this for dry/slightly dry complexions. Perhaps this is better suited for oilier skin tones. I am going to continue using this and will update if I see any improvements. However, for now, I am just hugely disappointed in this. Very economical - $25 for 8 oz.

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tenshi18 on 11/29/2008 5:53:00 PM more reviews by tenshi18

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

This stuff is awesome. If you have to constantly exfoliate and still get the 'do you exfoliate?' comments, then this is for you.

I wouldn't use it everyday but the granules feel amazing on the skin and my face always feels fresh and smooth afterwards. I splash my face with cold water and then apply my serum/moisturiser and my skin looks and feels bright, calm and youthful.

This will also last a long time and better than buying any drugstore scrub. I agree with last reviewer, a winner.

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curemyson on 11/24/2008 9:09:00 PM more reviews by curemyson

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I do like this product, I first bought it a Sephora with the flip top and I didn't like pouring it into my hand. Anyway I ordered the huge size from QVC and it comes with a nice pump, way easier to dispense. It really is great, I apply it to my face dry then add a little water, I want to really feel the gritty texture. I love that it foams too, it's usually one or the other, this has both!! It leaves my skin soft and smooth, I use it AM & PM, in PM I use purity first just to get all of my eye makeup off, then follow with this. It's a winner.

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*TOP REVIEWER* caramelkiss19 on 11/12/2008 9:19:00 PM more reviews by caramelkiss19

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I love the grit in this. It's not harsh, doesn't irritate and in addition with other exfoliant products this is clearing the clogged areas on my face.
It could best be described and a sand texture in a creamy frothy base...I do always follow with my purity cleanser afterward just to get off the extra dirt and grime of the day and my face doesn't overdry. I went to repurchase which for me is a big statement. I seem to move on alot rather than stick with something. I've been using this every day. In the evening I rub jojoba oil over my face to remove my makeup. I leave the oil on and apply this and gently rub all over my face and splash with lukewarm water to remove. Great stuff, a little on the expensive side but being satisfied with its performance i will continue to repurchase.
12/11- No more manual exfoliation for me, AHA is much more gentle and effective...I only scrub my feet :)

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cairn_chick on 10/29/2008 5:37:00 PM more reviews by cairn_chick

Age: 44-55   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I have sensitive skin and this product burned my face and turned it bright red. I spent days calming it down. I tried it and I cannot recommend this product. It's gone back to the store.

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*TOP REVIEWER* tanassa02 on 10/22/2008 5:13:00 PM more reviews by tanassa02

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Dark   Hair: Brown, Relaxed, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

But since it's only been 5 days, i'll wait a while before giving 5 stars. It's a great way to gently keep my flakies away. I use Tazorac just about every night, so i frequently have visible flaky 'dry' spots, which i find hard to keep smooth. I've been using a Clarisonic Brush, but it wasn't doing enough for me. This seems to be the ticket thus far. I've suffered no irritation, and my skin comes away feeling incredibly clean and smooth, and takes the follow up products very well. I'm sorry i didn't find it sooner. I'd love if it came in a pump style bottle. I'm actually thinking of returning my Clarisonic Brush.

UPDATE: I've used this mostly twice a day for the last 2 months, and i love it. So much so, i bought a 32oz bottle from QVC at a steal of ~$54 including shipping. I paid half that for th original 8oz at Sephora. It foams just enough, and does a great job of exfoliating without irritation. Since using it, i find my flakies much more manageable. All in all i recommend it, and believe it'd work well for most skin types. One of the great things about it is the ability to control the level of grit using more or less water. Under low water conditions, it's more on the exfoliating side, with less foam. On a wet face, with wet fingers, there's more foaming, and less of the exfoliation. I love the customization factor.

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teanlu on 10/22/2008 4:54:00 PM more reviews by teanlu

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I REALLY like this exfoliating wash. My cheeks usually become red after I use a scrub , and this scrub does not seem to aggravate my skin. I use purity to take my makeup off at night, and then wash with this in the morning.

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sat4ngurl on 10/10/2008 5:41:00 PM more reviews by sat4ngurl

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Other    

I love this exfoliator! The beads are small and it dissolves so it gently rubs away dead skin and doesn't scratch it like some other exfoliators do. It's gentle enough to be used every day and it makes my skin feel really soft and clean after using it. I used this at night and use Purity in the morning. The price is a bit steep and the cleanser smells a little funny... but the smell doesn't stay on your face.

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Orwell on 10/3/2008 11:29:00 PM more reviews by Orwell

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

This one was sold to me by my beautician who got me hooked on purity. I use the microdelivery in the morning and purity at night. It's a very fine scrub and gentle enough to use often but I'm not sure it is as good at cleaning as the purity. It feels nice and leaves your skin very smooth, but I'm not sure how it would be for skin that is easily aggravated.

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Angel_Wings on 9/4/2008 11:13:00 PM more reviews by Angel_Wings

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I have dry/eczema skin, and I wanted to find a good exfoliator. This product so far has been working quite well for me. It is gentle and it has evened out my skin, giving it a nice "glow". Best of all, it hasn't caused any flare-ups or redness like some of the other exfoliators that I've tried. Currently, I am only using it once a week, but I plan to slowly increase its usage. It is extremely convenient b/c it is a wash + exfoliator in one. I recommend this to people who want to try something that is gentle and effective.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Cinnabuns on 8/29/2008 9:56:00 AM more reviews by Cinnabuns

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I have been dying to try this product but it is a little pricey so I was beyond psyched when I purchased 24 ounces for $48 (!) at Nordstrom's anniversary sale earlier this month. It was made exclusively for their sale. My face feels really clean and smooth without any tightness, but I still prefer slightly larger scrubbing granules. I give it 3 Lippies because I'm not overwhelmed or underwhelmed. This will probably not replace Origins Never A Dull Moment in my regimen, but I am not disappointed in the purchase at all. (Or am I just really excited about finding this size at Nordstrom for such a steal?) Hmm....
Update: I'm halfway through the bottle and the granules have disappeared. It feels like lotion now. And yes, I shake it up every time I use it. WTF! This cost too much not to be able to fully use it.

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kandcats on 8/24/2008 5:47:00 PM more reviews by kandcats

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I got a deluxe sample of this from Sephora and loved it so I bought a 24 ounce bottle from Nordstrom during their annual sale. It has just the right amount of abrasivness to it for me and my skin doesn't feel dry or irritated after using it. I use it about 3 or 4 times a week to keep my face exfoilated and have been very pleased with the results.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Kayelle on 8/23/2008 3:11:00 PM more reviews by Kayelle

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

The preliminary reviews for this were so great that I bought it right away, which sometimes turns out to be a good call but wasn't in this case. This cleanser/scrub is pretty gentle and is probably nice for those with sensitive skin, but I didn't think it cleaned too effectively, and the exfoliation particles barely did anything. I appreciate that it doesn't have sulfates, fragrance or parabens, but it does contain a few other ingredients that are toxic/regulated.

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*TOP REVIEWER* frenchconnection on 8/22/2008 1:59:00 PM more reviews by frenchconnection

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This is a staple, hg cleanser/exfoliator for me. I appreciate the fact that it is unscented. The tiny particles in this product exfoliate wonderfully. It's quite grainy, so you don't need to use much product. My face doesn't feel tight or dry afterwards, either. I am able to use this product without problems in the winter. I've tried probably a dozen manual exfoliators, and this one is the absolute best!

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SZQueue on 8/10/2008 6:06:00 PM more reviews by SZQueue

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Well that's it. Another not-even-a-near-miss Philosophy skincare product. At least they seem to have gotten the parabens out of their line. But then, so has Pantene. The scrubbiness of the Microdelivery is pretty harsh feeling, especially on the face in the a.m. shower. Then, after all the suffering, your skin doesn't feel especially clean. The tocotrienols and panthenol got me to spring for the 8 oz bottle and now, two-thirds in, I can't wait to get the thing empty and in the recyling bin. Life is too short for 3-lippie products!

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