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Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
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Masks & Peels
#6 in Masks & PeelsSee the ranking →
About this product

A rice-based exfoliating cleansing powder that is mixed with water into a paste and massaged over the skin, designed to gently polish away dead skin cells for a smoother look.

Full ingredients

Microcrystalline Cellulose, Magnesium Oxide, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch, Allantoin, Papain, Salicylic Acid, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Pca, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Cyclodextrin, Lauryl Methacrylate/​Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Limonene, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Citric Acid, Titanium Dioxide/​Ci 77891, Hexylene Glycol

More from Dermalogica 15 products · Guru Score 84% →

Guru Score

77%

Yay

9 experts · Strong agreement

What the gurus are saying

Add water and work it into a lathery paste, because that's the whole trick: skip it and the rice powder feels like sandpaper, but done right it's a gentle polish with salicylic acid and enzymes. It's loved as an evening cleanser, and some even take it to bumpy upper arms. The holdouts call it a good powder cleanser that isn't worth repurchasing.
Synthesized from 9 expert reviews · most recent take May 2026

What they liked

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

What they flagged

  • Pricey, best bought on sale

Type

Masks & PeelsPowder

Key actives

Formula notes

No drying alcohol

Where to buy

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What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Keratosis pilaris (bumpy arms)1 expert

“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.”

Mad About Skin, watch at 5:18

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
Mad About Skin
Mad About Skin
734k subs
✓Yay
"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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"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-TIME GREATEST SKINCARE PRODUCTS - They Dont Get Better Than This
"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."
Dr. Mamina
Dr. Mamina
283k subs
✓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."
Nipun Kapur
Nipun Kapur
413k subs
✓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."
No BS Beauty
No BS Beauty
89k subs
✓Yay
"Their gentle physical exfoliator, the Daily Microfoliant, seems to work well. It's pretty gentle, and it's not ridiculously expensive. In my opinion, I would guess it's probably one of their most popular products."
The Budget Dermatologist
The Budget Dermatologist
725k subs
✓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."
Mixed Makeup
Mixed Makeup
1.46M subs
✓Yay
"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."
Minkology 101 & Skincare
Minkology 101 & Skincare
224k subs
✓Yay
"I highly recommend their daily exfoliant they have one for anti-aging they have one for daily use"
Hyram
Hyram
4.33M subs
✓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."
Cassandra Bankson
Cassandra Bankson
2.46M subs
✓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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"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."
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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."
Dry Skin & Acne Skincare Routine 🌵
"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."
The 14 Best Products For Texture & Acne
"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."
Avoid These Ingredients If You Have Sensitive Skin!
"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."
The Dermalogica Founder Isn't Who You Think She Is...
"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."
Scrubs That Don't Suck! 🍑 Skin Safe Physical Exfoliants I Actually Like
"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 rice-based exfoliating cleansing powder that is mixed with water into a paste and massaged over the skin, designed to gently polish away dead skin cells for a smoother look.

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 77%.

What is Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant's Guru Score?

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant holds a Guru Score of 77%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 9 expert reviewers we have collected.

What is Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant is good for keratosis pilaris (bumpy arms) (1 expert).

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