I have a friend, Rachel, who works in the office for a direct-mail skincare line called DHC. It's a big deal in Japan, but I have to admit, I'd never heard of it until she started working there.
Recently, Rachel began sending me product catalogs with small samples inside. My indie brand radar didn't like this new intrusion. DHC's packaging was too "polished" for my natural/organic sensibilities. I couldn't pronounce all of the ingredients like I could with my hippie brands. And besides, I was already happy with what I was currently using.
Fast forward three more catalogs and one empty jar of my regular face cleanser. As I struggled to squeeze the last of my organic cleanser out of the jar I thought, What the heck. I'll try one of those little packets I saw attached to the catalog Rachel sent.
The Deep Cleansing Oil was recommended as a face cleanser. The main ingredient is extra virgin olive oil. Hmmmm. I tend to have dry skin in the winter, but during these warmer months, my skin can have quite an oily layer to it. I wasn't so sure about sticking olive oil on it as a cleanser.
But without anything else, I really didn't have much of an option. I opened the packet and poured the golden liquid into my palm. The packaging said to apply with dry hands on a dry face and rub.
Okay, I totally expected to be grossed out by oil. Just being honest. But actually, it had a smooth, light consistency and a killer cleaning power that broke down my makeup (even water proof mascara) in a split second.
I rinsed it off and looked at my skin in the mirror. My makeup was really gone (no toner necessary) and my face looked great. It didn't feel greasy or weird in any way.
So now my curiosity was piqued. I flipped through the catalog and found other foil wrapped samples. DHC's Coenzyme Q10 Cream was the next product I tried. It's formulated especially for dry, aging skin. Supposedly the coenzyme Q10 is found naturally in human skin and helps the skin keep its elasticity. Cool.
I liked the cream, although I suspect I'd use it more in the winter months when a heavier face cream is optimal.
There's an eye cream in the line that is made with Q10 as well. I'm an eye cream junkie, so I hopped on that in a minute. I can only speak of the texture (soft and light weight), but not the age fighting results as I only had one small packet to test.
My favorite product I sampled was their portable film cleansing sheets. These paper thin soap sheets produce an amazing amount of lather and include the same age fighting ingredients as their other products. Great for travel or the gym.
Now I'm excited to try some of their more innovative products like their Revitalizing Moisture Strips for the eyes. They are half moons of paper saturated with a gel containing mulberry, olive and soy. You adhere them to your under eye areas while you sleep to reduce puffiness and soften crow's feet. Nice.
Have any of you tried (or even heard of) DHC before this post? I'd love to hear if you've used it and what your results were long term.
