Tried and Tested: The first dermobiotic skincare range

LIZZIE GORE-GRIMES trials the new Procellular 365 Pro-Recovery treatment from Dibi Milano.

WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT IT?

The Dibi Milano Procellular 365 Pro-Recovery treatment is the first dermobiotic skincare range from the people behind the Alfaparf Milano hair brand. This new Procellular line is all about soothing and regenerating, making it ideally suited to treat sensitised skin caused by age, aesthetic treatments, or overexposure to cosmetic acids.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

I wasn’t familiar at all with Dibi Milano before arriving for my appointment, so wasn’t sure what to expect. First up was a skin analysis test. Using the MDB analysis machine, the therapist Andrea cleansed a small area of my cheek and applied a wand to my face. The machine then used its bioimpedance transducer (as you do) to measure hydration levels, elasticity, tissue consistency, density, muscle tone and whatnot, before churning out a long till-like printout. The resulting analysis pretty much echoed the problems I had already chatted about with Andrea before we began, namely that I find my skin getting more and more prone to dryness, irritability, redness and uneven skin tone – particularly on the cheeks. She recommended the Procellular treatment to build my skin’s defence barrier back up. Needless to say, I got a very well-deserved slap on the wrist when I admitted to not wearing a daily SPF, something no self-respecting fortysomething should leave the house without. A wonderfully soothing and relaxing 60-minute facial using the Procellular range followed, before Andrea talked me through the 14-day treatment to continue at home.

READ MORE: The IMAGE staff guide to facials in Dublin

FOLLOW-UP

Having always been lazy with my home skincare regime, I was eager to see what sticking to a committed routine would bring. I was given three products to take home: a cleanser, a daily moisturiser and box of serum phials to apply before bed. I used them religiously for the next two weeks. I began with the Procellular Intensive Re-texturizing Peeling Cleanser. I thought the “Intensive Peeling” part sounded harsh, but Andrea assured me that this micellar water cleanser isn’t aggressive. It uses prickly pear extract for gentle peeling – perfect for fragile or sensitised skin – and is chock full of a powerful prebiotic which acts as a restorer on the epidermis.

Using it, I found the bottle rigid and slightly awkward to squeeze, but on the skin it felt pleasantly refreshing with no tingling or stinging. Next up, the moisturiser – or Pro-Resilience Renewing Nutri-Age Cream (with UV filters) to give it its full name – came out of its funky airless pump jar as a luxuriously rich cream. It gets its intense emollient quality from shea butter and rice bran oil and is bumped up with other beneficial bits like matrikines (youth peptides which stimulate collagen production and help to repair damaged skin). It also includes the current facialist’s favourite: bioavailable vitamin C. Overall, I found it sank very nicely into the skin, but the rich texture left a shine, which I needed to matt down with a little light powder. My favourite part of the treatment was definitely the set of Pro-Recovery serum phials. I loved cracking open one of these little puppies and massaging the golden liquid into freshly cleansed skin every night – it felt immensely therapeutic and satisfying.

RESULT

During the 14-day treatment, my skin undoubtedly felt more soft and silky to the touch, and I could feel the layer of protection the daily moisturiser provided. The sensitised skin on my cheeks didn’t completely dissipate, but it did improve, and I am now a complete convert to using daily SPF. I also felt great benefit from the structure of the “proper” daily skincare routine, but will I stick to it? I’m going to try.

The Dibi Milano MDB Analyser, €25, Procellular facial, €110, and a two-week supply of Procellular Treatment, €145, are all available at Urban Day & Medi Spa, Dublin 4, urbandayspa.ie.

This article originally appeared in the July/August issue of IMAGE Magazine, on shelves nationwide now.