NOTE: This review has been updated on 04/08/2025. While I’ve kept the pictures of the old packaging, the content of this post reflects the new formula currently available in the shops.
Even rocks know by now that my skin has become dry, parched, and flaky since I moved to London. I complained about it so much! But, what you may not know is that I sometimes still get the occasional breakout. Because, you know, bad things never come alone… To deal with my crazy skin I need a cream that hydrates it while keeping breakouts at bay. Dermalogica Clear Start Hydrating Lotion, the newest addition to the range, promises to do just that. On paper. On skin? Let’s put it to the test to find out:
What’s In Dermalogica Clear Start Hydrating Lotion?
SQUALANE TO MOISTURISE SKIN
Squalane is the new IT ingredient in the skincare world. It’s a moisturising oil that creates a protective barrier on the skin that seals moisture in. While it’s at it, it also strengthens said barrier, making it more resistant to external aggressors, like germs and harsh winds. The best part? Squalane is almost identical to human sebum, so it sinks in quickly into the skin without leaving a greasy residue behind.
Related: The Complete Guide To Squalane In Skincare
HYALURONIC ACID TO HYDRATE SKIN
The cream contains Sodium Hyaluronate, a form of Hyaluronic Acid that better penetrates skin. Hyaluronic Acid is a moisture magnet: it attracts moisture from the environment into the skin, helping to keep it hydrated for longer. It’s so powerful, it can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water! All that moisture makes skin plumper, softer and brighter. (Moisture is the secret behind Korean skincare, remember?)
Related: The Complete Guide To Hyaluronic Acid In Skincare
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SALICYLIC ACID TO EXFOLIATE SKIN
Salicylic Acid (a.k.a. BHA) is an oil-soluble exfoliant that penetrates deep inside your pores, where it dissolves all the clogs that are giving you whiteheads, blackheads and pimples (and keeps them from coming back).
While it’s at it, it also exfoliates the surface of your skin, giving you a softer and brighter complexion. And that’s just the exfoliating part! Salicylic acid also has soothing properties that calm down the redness and inflammation that always comes along with pimples. The catch? There’s not a lot of salicylic acid here. Expect it to work slowly.
Related: Why Salicylic Acid Is Key To Spot-Free Skin
The Rest Of The Formula & Ingredients
NOTE: The colours indicate the effectiveness of an ingredient. It is ILLEGAL to put toxic and harmful ingredients in skincare products.
- Green: It’s effective, proven to work, and helps the product do the best possible job for your skin.
- Yellow: There’s not much proof it works (at least, yet).
- Red: What is this doing here?!
- Water/Aqua/Eau: Basically the universal base. It’s in pretty much every product ever. Helps mix everything together and makes sure you’re not just slapping on a paste.
- Butylene Glycol: Kind of a multitasker. Helps the product spread better, pulls water into your skin, and makes everything absorb faster. It’s like the Uber driver for your other ingredients.
- C14-22 Alcohol: Don’t freak out. This isn’t the drying kind of alcohol. It’s a fatty alcohol, which means it’s more like skincare butter. It makes creams feel smooth and gives your skin a little moisture boost.
- Naringenin: Antioxidant alert. This guy comes from citrus fruits and helps calm inflammation, neutralise free radicals, and keep your skin from going into freakout mode after sun or stress.
- Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil: Adds a fresh citrusy smell, which people either love or absolutely hate. Can brighten up the skin, but if you’re sensitive, it might be a bit too zesty and cause irritation.
- Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil: Basically ginger for your face. Antioxidant-rich and calming, it’s here to energise dull skin and fight inflammation. Smells earthy and spicy.
- Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil: Another scent-booster from the citrus family. Adds that zingy, clean aroma. But heads up-like grapefruit oil, it can be irritating for sensitive types.
- Saccharide Isomerate: Think of this like a moisture magnet. It doesn’t just hydrate, it sticks to your skin and keeps pulling water in for hours. Like that clingy friend who’s actually really good for you.
- Glyceryl Caprylate: A moisturising agent that also stops bacteria from moving in. It’s like having a soft, buttery bodyguard on your skin.
- Triethyl Citrate: Kind of a behind-the-scenes operator. Helps keep oil production under control and acts as a mild preservative. You won’t notice it-but your skin will.
- C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside: A super gentle cleanser-type ingredient. Helps water and oil mix together so the formula stays smooth and stable. Totally safe, even for sensitive skin.
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer: This is what gives your product that nice gel-cream texture. It’s also the reason your serum isn’t a runny mess. Helps everything feel cushiony.
- Panthenyl Triacetate: A derivative of vitamin B5. Calms irritation, adds hydration, and helps your skin recover from whatever you threw at it yesterday.
- Caprylhydroxamic Acid: Gentle but tough. Works as a preservative without messing with your skin barrier. Keeps bacteria out without being aggressive.
- Methylpropanediol: Helps dissolve other ingredients and makes them work better. Also adds a bit of moisture. Not the most exciting ingredient, but it’s doing important backstage work.
- Aminomethyl Propanol: This one balances pH-basically makes sure the formula doesn’t go too acidic or alkaline and wreck your face. Quietly doing damage control.
- Polysorbate 20: Emulsifier. Fancy word for “keeps oil and water from breaking up.” Think of it as the relationship counsellor of skincare.
- Xanthan Gum: Natural thickener that gives your product that nice, slightly bouncy feel. Also helps it stay mixed, so you don’t end up with weird blobs.
- Benzoic Acid: Another preservative. Helps the product last longer without becoming a bacteria buffet. It’s been around forever and gets the job done.
- Ethylhexylglycerin: A skin-softener that also boosts the power of preservatives. Keeps your product fresh and gives your skin a little TLC.
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride: Derived from coconut oil and glycerin. Super moisturising, super lightweight, and helps your skin feel smooth without greasiness. Kind of a glow-up for dry skin.
- Citric Acid: Gentle exfoliant and pH adjuster. If your product’s acidic but not irritating, this guy’s probably involved. Helps slough off dead skin without turning your face into sandpaper.
- Sodium Citrate: Partner in crime to citric acid. Keeps everything balanced so your skin doesn’t go, “what the hell is this?”
- Limonene: A natural scent ingredient from citrus oils. Smells amazing. Can also irritate sensitive skin. So… nice but a little risky.
- Citral: Another fragrance ingredient. Zesty, lemony, and also potentially irritating for sensitive skin. Pretty but prickly.
- Phenoxyethanol: Very common preservative. Keeps your product safe from going off. People love to hate it, but unless you’re extremely sensitive, it’s fine in small doses.
Texture
This stuff feels more like a lightweight gel-cream than a thick moisturiser. It’s super smooth and absorbs fast – none of that greasy, sticky aftermath. If your skin tends to freak out with heavier creams, this one just disappears into your face like it was never there (in a good way). Perfect for oily or combo skin that still wants hydration without the shine.
Fragrance
It does have a scent – not “punch you in the face” strong, but definitely there. Kinda fruity-clean, like something you’d smell at a spa that doesn’t take itself too seriously. If your skin throws tantrums over fragrance, maybe patch test. Otherwise? It’s chill.
Packaging
Squeeze tube = no mess, no bacteria, no digging your fingers into a tub. It’s basic but practical. Easy to throw in a bag, easy to use half-asleep. It’s not fancy, but it works – and honestly, that’s the vibe of this whole product.
How To Use It
Use it like any regular moisturiser. After your serums, before SPF (or just slap it on solo if you’re lazy). Morning or night – whatever works. A little goes a long way, and it sinks in fast so you don’t have to stand around waiting before makeup. Low effort, high reward.
Performance & Personal Opinion
Dermalogica Clear Start Hydrating Lotion is fairly hydrating on its own. If my skin were still combo, I wouldn’t need anything else. But, on my driest areas, I find I have to use it with a hydrating serum to get best results. Otherwise, my skin still feels a bit tighter there.
So claim #1 is correct. This stuff is hydrating indeed, unless your skin is super dry. But, does it keep breakouts at bay, too? Well, since I started using it, I noticed a reduction in pimples. With that, I mean, I get fewer pimples, and they seem to disappear that little bit faster.
Instead, I’m a lot less pleased about the addition of orange and grapefruit oils to the formula. I don’t see any reason to include them. They don’t really do anything special for the skin, but can irritate it, and increase sensitivity to the sun. I’m happy to report they didn’t irritate my skin, but, if yours is very sensitive, you may want to stay clear from this one. Otherwise, never use it without sunscreen. Never.
The cream is also very low in antioxidants. As it is aimed at young skin, it may be argued it doesn’t need antioxidants yet. I think skin always does, at any age. But, if you’re a broke teenager whose priority is to clear up your breakout prone skin, you may want to give this one a try first, and introduce antioxidants in your routine later.
Related: 7 Natural Ingredients That Can Irritate Sensitive Skin
What I Like About Dermalogica Clear Start Hydrating Lotion
- It’s lightweight but still moisturising – your skin drinks it up without turning into an oil slick.
- Layers well with everything. No pilling, no weird texture, no “what is that doing on my face?” moments.
- Actually does what it says: hydrates and helps keep breakouts under control. Rare combo.
- Doesn’t clog pores or feel heavy, even in summer.
- Tube packaging = hygienic, travel-friendly, and easy to use when you’re half-asleep or running late.
What I DON’T Like About Dermalogica Clear Start Hydrating Lotion
Citrus oils. Why? They don’t help acne or hydration – they’re just there to smell nice and potentially irritate your skin or mess with sun sensitivity.
Not moisturising enough for dry skin unless you layer it with something else.
Low on antioxidants – which makes sense for a teenage-targeted product, but I still wish it had something for long-term skin health.
Who Should Use It?
This is a great pick if you’ve got oily, combo, or acne-prone skin and want something that hydrates without breaking you out. Especially good if you’re in your teens or early 20s, your skin is doing the most, and you’re not looking for a super fancy anti-aging formula.
If your skin is dry, sensitive, or already irritated, you might want to skip it – or at least layer it and patch test first. And if you’re sensitive to citrus oils? Hard pass.
Does Dermalogica Clear Start Hydrating Lotion Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| Say goodbye to dehydrated, breakout-irritated skin with this lightweight moisturizer! | It’s lightweight and can help reduce breakouts, but it won’t do the job on its own. |
| Sheer, easy-to-apply formula helps soothe discomfort and hydrate areas that feel dry. | It’s a little soothing and hydrating, but not enough for dry skin. |
| Also helps relieve the dryness often associated with some acne treatments. | It can, but how well depends on how dry your skin is. |
Price & Availability
$22.00/£19.50 at Sephora and Ulta
Do You Need It?
It’s not a must, but if you’re a teen looking for an affordable moisturiser for your acne-prone skin that doesn’t break the bank, this is an ok option to consider.
Water/Aqua/Eau, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, C14-22 Alcohol, Naringenin, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Saccharide Isomerate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Triethyl Citrate, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Panthenyl Triacetate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Methylpropanediol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Polysorbate 20, Xanthan Gum, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Limonene Citral, Phenoxyethanol.
About Gio
Hi, I’m Gio. I’m a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is skin coach and writer on a mission to help you achieve your best skin day ever – every day. I bust skincare myths and debunk marketing jargon to help you figure out what’s worth the splurge and what’s best left on the shelf – using science, not hype. I also offer skincare consultations to help you create the best skincare routine for your unique needs.
