Skin1 product guide
Daily Microfoliant: ingredients and how to use it
Daily Microfoliant is a rinse-off exfoliating powder used after cleansing. Water turns it into a creamy paste for a brief massage. It combines a powder-polishing base with papain and salicylic acid, alongside colloidal oatmeal and allantoin.
Full ingredient list
Microcrystalline Cellulose, Magnesium Oxide, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch, Coconut Acid, Allantoin, Papain, Salicylic Acid, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, PCA, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Cyclodextrin, Sodium Isethionate, Lauryl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer, Maltodextrin, 4-Terpineol, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Water/Aqua/Eau, Limonene, Citric Acid, Tocopherol.
How to use Daily Microfoliant
Use about half a teaspoon in very wet hands, massage gently for one minute and rinse. Dermalogica allows daily use but recommends beginning every other day if you are new to exfoliation or have sensitive skin. Its US instructions say to avoid use on irritated, sunburned, recently waxed or resurfaced skin and while using prescribed acne or vitamin-A-derived exfoliants.
US prices and where to buy
USD prices checked October 24, 2026, before tax and shipping. Unit price = listed price ÷ package ounces.
| Product | US retailer | Size | Price | Price per ounce |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant | Dermalogica US | 2.6 oz | $69.00 | $26.54/oz |
| Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant | Dermalogica US | 1.4 oz | $49.00 | $35.00/oz |
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
A water-activated powder for a brief rinse-off exfoliation step, distinct from a leave-on acid or a cleanser that replaces washing.
- Before choosing: Dermalogica does not publish a salicylic-acid percentage for this product. The formula also lists grapefruit peel oil and limonene.
- How the brand directs use: After cleansing, pour about half a teaspoon into very wet hands, rub into a creamy paste, massage face and neck gently for one minute while avoiding eyes, and rinse thoroughly. Use morning or night; follow morning use with SPF. Begin every other day if new to exfoliation or sensitive.
What the ingredient list confirms
The US formula includes rice bran extract and rice starch, the enzyme papain, salicylic acid, colloidal oatmeal and allantoin. Cleansing agents help the wet powder form a paste. Dermalogica describes it as a smoothing and brightening exfoliant.
- Papain is the listed enzyme. Salicylic acid is listed, but Dermalogica does not provide its concentration here.
- Colloidal oatmeal and allantoin provide skin-conditioning ingredients.
- The formula also contains grapefruit peel oil and limonene.
Where it goes in a routine
Cleanse first. Work the powder with water in your hands, then apply the paste with light circular motion, avoiding the eye area. Rinse thoroughly after a minute. Dermalogica says once daily morning or night when tolerated, with SPF after daytime use. Reduce frequency if skin becomes uncomfortable.
- Start on alternate days if you are new to exfoliation or have sensitive skin, following the maker's directions.
- Do not substitute it for a cleanser: the manufacturer's step is after cleansing.
- Keep powder dry in its package until use; add water in your hands.
When to pause or check other actives
Dermalogica's US caution says not to use Daily Microfoliant on sunburned, irritated, recently waxed or resurfaced skin, or while using prescribed acne or vitamin-A-derived exfoliants. If a prescription treatment is part of your routine, use that product's instructions and ask its prescriber or pharmacist before adding exfoliation.
How it differs from the other Dermalogica powders
Daily Milkfoliant keeps the wet-powder routine but features oat, coconut and hyaluronic-acid ingredients and no separately listed salicylic acid. Daily Superfoliant shifts toward charcoal, niacinamide, malic acid and lactic acid in the published formula.