Okay, so I’m a snob about exfoliators. I’ve dropped $60 on a jar of sugar that felt like sandpaper. But this Derma E scrub? I grabbed it on a whim at Ulta and it’s making my $40 scrubs feel stupid.
The texture is the plot twist — it’s creamy, not gritty. It polishes without that “I just rubbed my face with crushed walnut shells” feeling.
It’s a physical scrub with vitamin C. $12.50. The claim is “brightening” but I just wanted something to smooth my texture without wrecking my moisture barrier.
Jojoba Beads
They dissolve as you massage, so you can’t over-scrub. Genius.
Gentle Lactic Acid
It’s in there to chemically lift what the beads physically buff away.
No Sulfates
My skin doesn’t feel tight or stripped after rinsing.
Photo: Lucas Sankey / Unsplash
It’s not just vitamin C. The mix is actually smart for a drugstore buy. The hero here is a stable form of vitamin C (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate) that doesn’t oxidize in the bottle like the pure stuff.
- Vitamin C: Brightens and fades dark spots over time
- Jojoba Esters: Hydrates while exfoliating
- Lactic Acid: Gently dissolves dead skin cells
- Green Tea Extract: Calms redness and fights free radicals
Photo: Atikh Bana / Unsplash
It feels like a light lotion with tiny beads in it. Not thick, not watery. A dime-size amount covers your whole face. Rinses clean in 15 seconds — no residue.
Week two: my forehead bumps (the tiny ones that never pop) are just… gone. But don’t use it on active breakouts. It doesn’t irritate them, but it doesn’t help them either.
My skin is noticeably smoother — the “gritty” texture around my nose is gone. My dark spots? Still there, but lighter. It hasn’t changed my life, but it changed my Sunday night routine.
Buy it. It’s the only physical scrub I’ve repurchased in two years, and I’m already on jar number three.