It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Dr Sam's skincare line - I just love the simplicity of it and the affordability in comparison to many other high-end brands. All the products are also fragrance-free and non-comedogenic (aka they won't clog your pores and lead to breakouts).
Here I have an honest, personal review on how I have found each product in the collection & whether I think you get your bang for your buck.
FLAWLESS CLEANSER
This is a cult favourite among beauty enthusiasts and for good reason. It works wonders at cleaning your skin but does not leave it feeling tight and stripped, which can be a common issue with cleansers. The ingredient list is pretty small - things are kept simple, it has a skin-friendly pH of 5 and it is formulated with allantoin & Aloe barbadensis leaf juice powder to soothe skin. The texture is like a soft jelly, and it glides so smoothly over the skin, melting away grime/makeup. Definitely recommend for an everyday cleanser - you can always add in an AHA or salicylic acid cleanser a few times a week to work in conjunction with it for a bit of extra exfoliation, which is what I do.
Price: £16 for 200 mL
FLAWLESS BRIGHTLY
Easily my daytime serum of choice. I just LOVE how it combines my favourite actives into 1 - you've got niacinamide (fab for skin barrier function & redness), azelaic acid (great for keeping pores clear) a stabilised form of vitamin C (ascorbyl glucoside - an antioxidant, protecting us from environmental stressors) and last but not least bakuchiol (a plant-derived retinol alternative).
I cannot be bothered to apply lots of layers, so for me this saves time and the results pack a punch.
Price: £44 for 30 mL and it lasts me for around 3 months.
FLAWLESS NIGHTLY
Same as with Brightly, I love how this is a combination serum - so you don't bother with the layering. You have similar ingredients to Brightly, but instead of ascorbyl glucoside, you've got granactive retinoid. Granactive retinoid is a stabilised form of retinoic acid, in an ester form. It is still sensitive to degradation from light, which is why it is only used in the evening. The ester form is also less potent - which is great if you are just starting out with retinoids as it's less irritating, but you still get the benefits of improving skin texture.
Price: £39 for 30 mL and lasts me for around 3 months
FLAWLESS MOISTURISER
This moisturiser works seamlessly with makeup application over it - it doesn’t pill (hallelujah). The formula is a gel-cream & absorbs quickly, giving you luminous but not shiny skin - great if you’re on the oilier side. The ingredient list features 5% niacinaminde & allantoin - both of which are fab for combatting redness, as well as shea butter which is what makes it feel so nourishing, and glycerin as the humectant (helps retain moisture).
I personally prefer this one to the Flawless Light version - for me, it sinks in better. Price: £25 for 50 mL
FLAWLESS MOISTURISER LIGHT
Flawless Light contains the essentials for any good moisturiser: ceramides, humectants & occlusives which all support the skin barrier function. I really like the formula - Dr Sam describes it as "pillow light" which I think hits the nail on the head. Having said that, if budget is an issue you can get a similar product and result from the CeraVe daily moisturising lotion - which is a bit more price friendly. So for this one, while it is a great product, you can avoid the splurge if needed.
Price: £22 for 50 mL
My tube was very crumpled after muchos use & I couldn't get a good pic - so here is one I stole from Dr Sam's Insta @drsambunting.
FLAWLESS DAILY SUNSCREEN
This is a super sunscreen option for oily, blemish-prone skin. The formula is a gel-cream and like the rest of Dr Sam's line, absorbs very quickly. You get a soft demi-matte but still luminous finish which I love - ideal for those of us who get shiny quite quickly. It provides broad-spectrum coverage & is factor 50, so you feel confident in protecting your skin. Ingredient wise, you have a lovely combination of 5% niacinamide, 11.8% zinc oxide, 7% octinoxate, she butter and lactic acid among others to protect and nourish. It works well with makeup too so a big yes from me.
Price: £29 for 50 mL
FLAWLESS GOSSAMER UNTINTED
Gossamer literally means super fine and delicate - and I have to say that Dr Sam 100% accomplished this. The formula really does give you glass-like skin - so I would not advise if you’re not a fan of the dewy look, the Flawless Daily Sunscreen would be better for you.
My only drawback is that you have to use a lot of the product to get SPF 50 - 6 pumps on your face & 6 pumps on your neck to be exact. While Dr Sam recommends doing this in 2 layers, I still find it quite a struggle to put that much product on my face/neck. Having said that - this is not an issue unique to Dr Sam’s products, you need to use a lot of SPF regardless of the brand. The untinted version is great for avoiding transfer onto your clothes - an orange neckline on a white shirt is never a good look.
For the science/ingredient bit, this is an all-mineral broad-spectrum formula, with 11.8% zinc oxide & 4% titanium oxide and contains shea butter for a nourishing feel. It is a bit more moisturising than the Flawless Daily Sunscreen, as it contains squalane (the store-bought version of squalene, a substance produced by our sebaceous glands to moisturise the skin) & sodium hyaluronate (the sodium salt form of hyaluronic acid, which has a lower molecular weight so can penetrate the epidermis deeper). It lacks the niacinamide though, which is one drawback when comparing to Flawless Daily.
Price: £33 for 50 mL
FLAWLESS GOSSAMER TINTED (1&2)
The same goes for tinted as what I have said for untinted as far as the formula goes, but one thing I will say is please do not expect coverage from the tinted formula. I love it because it kind of blurs everything & minimises the appearance of your pores, but if you are looking for a product to cover pigmentation/redness, then this is not it. It more avoids white cast, so I prefer it to the untinted version.
The tinted version comes in 2 shades, 1 & 2 - the latter being darker. FYI, I am really quite pale (Fitzpatrick 2) and found tint 1 too pale for me, so if you're looking for a more bronzed glow, opt for tint 2.
Price: £33 for 50 mL
FLAWLESS LIP
This does a bloody good job at moisturising your lips. However, I will say the smell is definitely *not* glamorous and the formula is verrrry thick. Not ideal for kissing - use it to keep your lips on top form, then avoid for date night. Regarding the ingredients, the list is tiny - just lanolin & ceraminde NP, so I would say on this one you could save & find a cheaper alternative.
Price: £12 for 15 mL
Again crumpled tube - pic taken from @drsambunting
Et voila! I hope this has helped you if you were curious about some of Dr Sam's products - of course let me know if you have any questions in the comments!
Lots of love,
Madeleine xoxo