Daily Microfoliant: the ritual that redefined skincare
Although initially received with scepticism by the marketing team, the Daily Microfoliant became a landmark, selling a million units in its first year on sale, in 2001, and establishing itself as Dermalogica's best-selling product to this day.
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Words by Sarah Rocksane Araujo
Editorial, Fashion and Beauty
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In 1999, Jane Wurwand, founder of Dermalogica, had a transformative experience at an onsen in Hakone, Japan. After a relaxing bath, a woman in traditional dress used a white powder made of rice to exfoliate her skin gently. Intrigued by the extraordinary effect, Wurwand took the idea to her research team, which discovered the potential of the phytic acid present in rice. That compound not only exfoliates but also brightens the skin, and the formula was refined with papaya enzymes to dissolve the surface layer gently. Thus the Daily Microfoliant was born, an inventive powder that turns into a creamy paste when mixed with water, uniting science, tradition and self-care in a revolutionary product.

Although initially received with scepticism by the marketing team, the Daily Microfoliant became a landmark, selling a million units in its first year on sale, in 2001, and establishing itself as Dermalogica's best-selling product to this day. Its endurance in the market reflects more than effectiveness; it evokes a ritual of self-care, where the sensory experience and the transformative impact on the skin intertwine. For Wurwand, that success not only reaffirmed the strength of professional products in retail, but also established a new paradigm in skincare, where innovation and tradition converge to create a lasting legacy.
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