Index / Dermelect / Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum
Dermelect

Dermelect Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum.

About this product

An overnight exfoliating serum featuring glycolic and salicylic acids, designed to refine skin texture and remove impurities.

Full ingredients

Aqua/​Water, Butylene Glycol, Ascorbic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Arginine, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Echinacea Purpurea (Coneflower) Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Alcohol Denat, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide

More from Dermelect 2 products · Guru Score 95% →

Guru Score

Not verified

Score withheld

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No independent takes

All 2 takes here are sponsored by the brand. With no independent take to weigh, there is not enough to publish a verified score. The takes are below, each labeled.

What the gurus are saying

This glycolic-and-salicylic-acid exfoliant stands out for not stinging or irritating despite its potent dual-acid formula. Reviewers consistently use it and wake to noticeably glowing, smooth skin, with the serum delivering additional antioxidants, hydrators, soothing ingredients, and vitamin C alongside its acids. Reviewers call it an essential staple, using it repeatedly without hesitation and considering it something they cannot imagine living without.
Synthesized from 2 expert reviews · most recent take May 2026

What they liked

  • Exfoliates without irritation
  • Leaves skin glowing

What they flagged

    Nothing. None of the experts who reviewed it raised a problem.

    Type

    Formula notes

    Fragrance-freeContains drying alcohol

    Where to buy

    Opens a store search. We may earn from these links.

    Scan it in the shopFree iPhone app. Scores in the aisle.

    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.

    Clogged or visible pores2 experts

    “It has both glycolic and salicylic acids which are there to exfoliate and clean out the pores.”

    Skin Obsessed Mary, watch at 8:35

    Irritated or reactive skin1 expert

    “This does it in a way that is completely non-irritating.”

    Skin Obsessed Mary, watch at 0:49

    Dull skin1 expert

    “It will brighten your skin.”

    Beyond50Skin, watch at 7:50

    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
    Skin Obsessed Mary
    Skin Obsessed Mary
    33k subs
    ✓Yay
    "This is probably the exfoliating product I've used more consistently than any other. It has glycolic and salicylic acids, hydrators, soothers, antioxidants, and somehow manages to keep my skin smooth without irritating it. And the fact that I immediately panicked when I realized it was gone probably tells me everything I need to know."
    Sponsored
    All 8 takes from Skin Obsessed Mary
    I Didn’t Repurchase Most of These
    "This is probably the exfoliating product I've used more consistently than any other. It has glycolic and salicylic acids, hydrators, soothers, antioxidants, and somehow manages to keep my skin smooth without irritating it. And the fact that I immediately panicked when I realized it was gone probably tells me everything I need to know."
    🌟 My Top 3 Skincare Products | Skin Obsessed Mary
    "They sent this to me in PR and I hadn't actually heard of it, but when I woke up the next morning my skin was amazing, super smooth, super soft, super glowy. All of these things in one little bottle. I had not intended to do a video, but I woke up the next morning and said I need to do a video tomorrow, and we filmed a video the next day, and that's after only one use. That's how much I like this. Now I use this only twice a week because it's got so much going on."
    🏆 Your Favourite Products of 2024 | What YOU Purchased
    "The Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum by Dermelect is my Holy Grail exfoliant but it's also packed with antioxidants as well as soothing ingredients and hydrators and collagen builders and the list keeps going on and on. This does not sting my skin and it doesn't cause any irritation and I wake up in the morning and my skin is just glowing. I am obsessed."
    ❄️ Morning Winter Skincare Routine for Mature, Hydrated, Glowing Skin
    "My absolute favorite is the Dermelect Beauty Sleep Serum. I didn't realize that I was out of it and that I didn't have a backup so I had to run and do an emergency purchase. I really like the format [...] and I think the effect is great, but I will go back to Dermelect when this is empty because I just love that product."
    ⭐️ Summer SKINCARE Faves & Fails | Skin Obsessed Mary
    "This is definitely one of my favorite products of the year no doubt about it. It's built as an exfoliator, that is what it is, but it is so much more than that. It has so many ingredients I couldn't even begin to get into it. [...] I use this every four nights. It has so many actives in it I don't use any other actives with it at all. Every fourth night I take a break for my skin and I do this."
    🏆 Best Best Beauty of 2023 | Skin Obsessed Mary
    "I cannot tell you how much I love this product. I have talked about it so many times on this channel. It [...] is a holy grail product that I cannot imagine not ever having with me at all times. Its top billing is exfoliating, that is what it does, but it does so many other things. It is chalk full of the exfoliators that are going to help the skin. It has glycolic, it has salicylic, and when you use this product at night and you wake up the next morning your skin is amazing."
    😇 YOUR Favorite Beauty Products of 2023
    "To me it is just heaven in a bottle. They call it the overnight skin refining wonder treatment and they are totally right. It's primarily built as an exfoliator. It has both glycolic and salicylic acids which are there to exfoliate and clean out the pores. It has antioxidants to protect the skin, it has soothing ingredients, it has hydrating ingredients. It is the most powerful little guy and it costs only about 40 bucks."
    ⭐️ Best 2 Skincare Products for Softest Skin | Skin Obsessed Mary
    "This has been a complete game changer for me and my skin. It is chock full of so many incredibly good ingredients. [...] Its primary function is exfoliation and particularly as you get older the need for exfoliation is greater you need to get those dead skin cells off. This does it in a way that is completely non-irritating. I want to emphasize that this is good for any kind of skin. I use this product at night and when I wake up the next morning, it is the softest skin."
    Beyond50Skin
    Beyond50Skin
    32k subs
    ✓Yay
    "The Dermelect Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum has been in my skincare routine on and off for about 2 years now. It is a great overnight exfoliating treatment. You will wake up with such soft skin. It has a little bit of salicylic acid for just refining pores overnight and it has glycolic acid. Glycolic is a smaller molecule that gets deeper into our skin layers to help with collagen building."
    Sponsored
    All 6 takes from Beyond50Skin
    Amazon Big Deal Days! (SKINCARE MAKEUP & HAIR CARE OVER 50!)
    "This is an exfoliating serum from Dermelect. It's their sleep serum, it has glycolic, it has BHA so it has a little bit of salicylic, and it also has lactic acid, but it is so gentle. I use it one to two times a week for a chemical exfoliation in the evening and my skin in the morning is absolutely baby soft. [...] If you're looking for a great exfoliating serum for your PM routine, this is a product you should check out."
    Upper Lip Lines, Neck Treatment & Over Night Serum for Mature Skin! | Best Picks from Dermelect
    "It's going to be exfoliating. [...] I have been trying to get back to using my prescription Retin-A but it's been a bit of a journey this year, my skin's just kind of all of a sudden been very sensitive to the prescription level of vitamin A, so I'm super excited to try this. It has three really great actives: glycolic, salicylic, and L ascorbic acid, which is the gold standard type of vitamin C. [...] It's serum texture, it's very lightweight, and I'm very excited to try it."
    Get RID OF SUN SPOTS (New Fall Anti-Aging OVER 50 Skincare Routine)
    "It actually has vitamin C, AHAs, and BHAs, so it is an all-tasking exfoliator. I would recommend anyone starting a new active formula for exfoliation do a patch test. Exfoliating a couple times a week can really transform mature skin. I might even go so far as to say the exfoliation treatment, in addition to adding a vitamin A into my routine in the evening, has transformed my skin except for maybe sunscreen more than any other product I've added to my mature skincare routine."
    Anti-aging Lip, Neck, and Facial Treatments You'll Love For Mature Skin! | Top Picks from Dermelect
    "It has three really great actives: glycolic, salicylic, and L ascorbic acid, which is the gold standard type of vitamin C. [...] It's serum texture, it's very lightweight, and I'm very excited to try it with the Josh Rosebrook mask."
    Fall Skincare Switch-Up Over 50 — Multitasking AM and PM Routines
    "The Dermelect Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum has been in my skincare routine on and off for about 2 years now. It is a great overnight exfoliating treatment. You will wake up with such soft skin. It has a little bit of salicylic acid for just refining pores overnight and it has glycolic acid. Glycolic is a smaller molecule that gets deeper into our skin layers to help with collagen building."
    Did My Fall Skincare Routine Work? Best Skin of Your Life Check-In
    "The last product I introduced this fall is actually a reintroduction of the Dermelect Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum. It is so important for mature women to do an exfoliation treatment at least once a week. It will brighten your skin. If you have never exfoliated your skin or done a gentle exfoliation treatment on your skin as a mature woman, you've got to start. It was a game changer for me. [...] I use it once a week and then I alternate it on the other nights with my retinoid product."

    What the evidence says.

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

    Vitamin C

    Topical vitamin C is an antioxidant with reasonable evidence for dullness and uneven tone. It breaks down in light and air, so how a product is formulated and packaged matters as much as the percentage on the front.

    Source: DermNet

    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

    Alpha hydroxy acids

    Alpha hydroxy acids loosen the bonds holding dead cells at the surface. The evidence supports smoother texture and more even tone over time, and they can leave skin more sensitive to sun.

    Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

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