DDF- Doctor's Dermatologic Formula

For nearly 20 years, I searched and searched for the perfect products for my multiple-personality skin. One day, my pores were virtually spurting out enough oil to power the entire country for a year, and the next day it felt flaky yet oily. And through it all, the zits persevered.

Enter DDF Glycolic Wash 5%. From their website: "A combination of ultra-pure glycolic acid blended with skin conditioners to sweep away dirt and debris. Minimizes appearance of fine lines and look of pores while increasing overall skin radiance. pH balanced."

Huzzah! Finally, a product that worked well at keeping my skin clean and my impending wrinkles at bay, not to mention keeping my breakouts to a minimum. Of course, I couldn't give all the credit to the Glycolic Wash. After all, it only stays on the skin for so long before it's rinsed away.

Along with the Glycolic Wash, I discovered the DDF Glycolic 10% Toning Complex. Now, I am a real skeptic when it comes to toners. I don't believe they do much of anything at all and are merely feel-good gimmicks pushed by the beauty industry to make more money. But because this stuff has a relatively high percentage of glycolic acid in it (10%) and it gets to stay on my skin, I decided to give it a try. After about a month or so of daily use, my skin looked and felt much smoother, and even my zit scars were less noticeable. It's become one of my favorite products.

Why am I such a big fan of AHAs, also known as glycolic acid? Glycolic acid increases the turnover rate of your surface skin cells, and when the dead skin cells slough off, it exposes new skin underneath. This helps allow moisturizers to absorb because you don't need to hydrate dead skin. Unfortunately, with increased cell turnover comes exposed, delicate skin that burns easily and needs sun protection. It's important to slap on that SPF when using AHA products.

There's also DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew™. I LOVE this moisturizer. This is the first moisturizer that didn't leave my skin feeling greasy or cause pimples. It goes on lightly, and absorbs immediately. The best thing is that while it's designed for sensitive skin (fragrance free, oil-free, dye-free, and lanolin-free) it is also fabulous for crazy oily skin like mine. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was to finally find something I love! The price tag scares the pants off me though: it's $36 for a 1.7 oz pump bottle. There's also a version that contains SPF 15, perfect for those who use the glycolic products.

The only thing that alarms me about the DDF line, aside from the price point, is the amount of packaging they use. Each of the washes and toners come with a cap that exists solely to give them that clinical look. I do toss the bottles and caps into the recycling bin but I'd really like to see DDF come up with a more environmentally-friendly package.