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Dermalogica

Daily Microfoliant.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Masks & Peels

About this product

A powder cleanser with enzymes and salicylic acid designed to gently exfoliate and cleanse the skin when mixed with water.

Full ingredients

Guru Score

76%

Yay

9 experts · Strong agreement
9Gurus
7Yay
2Mixed
0Nay
#6 in Masks & PeelsSee the ranking →

What they liked

  • Needs water to activate properly into a paste
  • Works well alongside acne treatments

What they flagged

  • Pricey, best bought on sale

What the gurus are saying

Mixing it with water to activate the enzymes is essential, gurus stress making a paste or lather before use, which sounds odd but works well. Most who weighed in praise it as a gentle, effective exfoliant that plays well with other actives like acne treatments, though one found it less impressive than other options. Price-conscious shoppers may want to wait for a sale.
Synthesized from 9 expert reviews · most recent take May 2026

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored
Yay
"If you try and put it on while it's still feeling grainy, it's not going to work properly. The enzymes in here need to be activated. So put some in the palm of your hand and really get some water, turn it into almost like a lathery paste, then use it. I absolutely love it. [...] This is not a new launch, but sometimes not everything has to be new and innovative. Sometimes reaching for things that have worked for others for years is a good thing to do. I absolutely love this one. Really glad I tried it."
All 2 takes from Mad About Skin
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"If you try and put it on while it's still feeling grainy, it's not going to work properly. The enzymes in here need to be activated. So put some in the palm of your hand and really get some water, turn it into almost like a lathery paste, then use it. I absolutely love it. [...] This is not a new launch, but sometimes not everything has to be new and innovative. Sometimes reaching for things that have worked for others for years is a good thing to do. I absolutely love this one. Really glad I tried it."
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"This is the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. I use this for body care rather than traditional skin care. This is an enzymatic exfoliant and cleanser. I use it on the tops of my arms, on the thighs where I get a little bit of that bobbling, you know the chicken skin. Those bumps that we get on the tops of the arms. If you want to help treat those, I think this is one of the best ways of doing it. What you need to do is mix some of this. Put a little in the palm of your hand, add a little water, kind of make it into a loose paste. Put that on the area, let it sit for like 60 seconds. Those enzymes are going to be eating away at all that skin texture. And then you can hop in the shower, rinse it off and smooth as anything. One of my favorite products and definitely in the top 10 all time."
Yay
"Dermalogica is really liked by a lot of derms. The Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant is a cleansing powder that's very lovely and does gentle exfoliation. It also does a good job with certain acne products. Overall I'm a fan. I would just be cautious -- some products can be a little bit harsh. I would give it a four."
Yay
"Exfoliation wise I really like the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant if I want something that feels a tiny little bit more scrubby."
Mixed
"Dermalogica has beautiful powder cleansers and they are beautifully expensive. I used the Daily Microfoliant on a daily basis and then I moved onto it weekly. I really really enjoyed the process, but even though it's an expensive product, it's not something that I really enjoy repurchase. It is a good powder cleanser but it is not something that I really enjoy repurchase."
Yay
"They're called their microfoliant cleansers and it's basically just powder, it's like rice powder, it has salicylic acid and some other ingredients in it. You just pour the powder in your hand, add some water to make this paste, and then apply it to your skin for a very gentle skin polish and exfoliation. I love this concept because you can add as little or as much of the powder as you want to create the texture that you need for your skin."
Yay
"Before I dry my face I actually need to do a double cleanse so I use the special gel thing and what I like to do is I'll get the gel and then also get the microfoliant and then I'll pop it in, I'll make like a little thing and then I'll make sure I have wet hands and wet skin and then mix it together. You just have to get used to the sensation of having wet colors, it's kind of gross but it works. I actually do want to mix my microfoliant with just any cleanser, a gel cleanser. I think I'm gonna mix it with a gel cleanser and see what happens."
All 2 takes from Mixed Makeup
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"Before I dry my face I actually need to do a double cleanse so I use the special gel thing and what I like to do is I'll get the gel and then also get the microfoliant and then I'll pop it in, I'll make like a little thing and then I'll make sure I have wet hands and wet skin and then mix it together. You just have to get used to the sensation of having wet colors, it's kind of gross but it works. I actually do want to mix my microfoliant with just any cleanser, a gel cleanser. I think I'm gonna mix it with a gel cleanser and see what happens."
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"I've been using it honestly for the past like six years since I really got into the groove of an actual skincare routine. I love the microfoliant. They have a travel size if you go into Ulta. I actually just bought a new iteration of it that's like their oat, it's supposed to be more soothing. You add a little bit of water, it gets a little bit more pasty, it gives you a little bit of like a physical exfoliation. This has, I want to say, salicylic acid in it and stuff. It's been a long time since I've looked at the ingredient list, but it's a great cleanser."
Yay
"I highly recommend their daily exfoliant they have one for anti-aging they have one for daily use"
Mixed
"She uses the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant which isn't my favorite but it is a gentle exfoliant that kind of feels like a scrub but isn't as abrasive."
Yay
"We have some Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. This actually has 6,000 reviews. I already know that this is good. This is fantastic. I've used it before. Enzyme salicylic acid, amazing. It's a little expensive. I already have it. I would rather get it when it's on sale."
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"We have some Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. This actually has 6,000 reviews. I already know that this is good. This is fantastic. I've used it before. Enzyme salicylic acid, amazing. It's a little expensive. I already have it. I would rather get it when it's on sale."
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"I do love the original Dermalogica Microfoliant. I just love this stuff."
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"The Daily Microfoliant is so good, and a lot of people use it wrong because they put it in their hand, mix it with water, and shove it on their face. Yeah, it works, but it's scratchy. If you want to fluff this up with a brush, it becomes like egg whites, and then you paint it across the skin. It is beautiful. This has rice, so it's not overly scratchy on the skin. It's actually quite soft, and then on top of that it's got enzymes and AHAs to break down skin cells. They say it's gentle enough to use every day. I still don't love to use this in the morning. I will sometimes use it a lot when I'm traveling, but I love this for the evening. Although this is the regular one, they also have like an extreme version, and then they have the milk foliant, which is a super gentle version with like coconut milk, as well as some oats and more beta glucans. This is fantastic from Dermalogica. One of the best exfoliants I've ever used in my entire life. If you haven't tried this, get it 20 percent off, or get the milk foliage if you want something that's a little bit more calming."
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"The Daily Microfoliant is my favorite. It's normally 64 dollars. Dermalogica is having sales similar to Sephora and Ulta where you can get maybe 25 to 50 percent off, but if you shop the actual Dermalogica website they have different sales. I think Cyber Monday is going to be better than Black Friday as long as they're not sold out by then. They're also giving away minis worth about 121 dollars when you purchase full-size items, which is excellent value for restocking or buying gifts."
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"This is one of my go-to's that I still use to this day. A lot of people use this wrong and I have so much fun demonstrating this product to clients and patients. Most people think and most people online put it in their hand and rub it with water and put it on their face and they're like oh it's like sandpaper. This is a beautiful powder that is made of soft fluffy rice, it's made of AHAs so alpha hydroxy acids that can exfoliate and it's actually got enzymes in here as well that break down dead skin but it's gentle enough that as long as you don't put it in your hand and put it directly on your face you can use this every day. You actually tap some out inside of a cup, then you actually fill it with water and you whip it up and it becomes this texture like fluffy egg whites and it doesn't feel scratchy or abrasive to the skin at all. It is absolutely excellent."
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"This is a rice exfoliant but it also has some alpha hydroxy acids. You actually have to put this into a little cup, mix it with water and whip it up with a brush, it kind of becomes this egg white texture, it's very fluffy and extremely gentle on the skin. This does have rice with smooth grains so it gives you kind of a physical sensation but it's really kind of like an ocean or a sea foam that really just helps to exfoliate the skin without overly stripping. This is created by the dermal institute, literally a skin education establishment, and Dermalogica is one of the best professional lines out there. This one is a slam dunk if you use it right."
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"The Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant can be used daily if you use it right. This Daily Microfoliant is a physical exfoliant because it has like rice powder, but it's very, very gentle on the skin. Then it also has some of those acids and some of those enzymes that helps to break down gunk, but it doesn't scratch the skin. The way that this actually needs to be worked into the skin, you need to put a little bit in a separate container, whip it up with like a foundation brush or a fan brush and apply it on the skin. It goes on like egg whites or like a cloud. It's so soothing to the skin and yes it is exfoliating, but it's very, very gentle."
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"One from Dermalogica is the Daily Microfoliant. They have a gentle one that's really good as long as you're doing it once every three or four days and you're not doing it every day and you're not attacking your skin."
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"There are some Dermalogica products that I don't like, and there are some that I absolutely adore, such as the Pre-Cleanse and the Daily Microfoliant."
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"I love the Daily Microfoliant. I think that's some of my favorite products from Dermalogica. You just have to use it properly."
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"This microfoliant is a combination of physical as well as chemical exfoliants. It has monocrystalline cellulose and magnesium oxide as main ingredients but we've also got rice in here and what's really great about rice specifically, rice starch is that unlike the apricot or walnut scrubs, it doesn't have those jagged edges. This is a really gentle option for the skin. The proper way to use this is to dump a little bit out and then actually fluff it up with water with your hand or with some sort of a brush or a whisk. This actually turns into a fluffy texture consistency. Once it has that consistency, that's when you apply it to the face. It is super gentle, it exfoliates nicely, it gives you that little bit of scrub feeling that you need, but I actually find this to be one of the more gentle exfoliants, especially because those particles are so tiny and they are made of rice."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid dissolves in oil, so it can get into a pore rather than just working on the surface. That is why it has long-standing evidence for blackheads and milder acne.

Source: DermNet

Sunscreen filters

Sun protection is the best evidenced way to slow visible ageing, and the filters are what does the work. Mineral and chemical filters both protect when a product is applied thickly enough and often enough, which is where most people fall short rather than on the choice of filter.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant?

A powder cleanser with enzymes and salicylic acid designed to gently exfoliate and cleanse the skin when mixed with water.

Is Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant worth it?

Mostly yes. 7 of the 9 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 76%.

What is Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant's Guru Score?

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant holds a Guru Score of 76%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 9 expert reviewers we have collected.

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