You know your skin better than anyone. Every day, you look in the mirror and study your face as if you are examining a Renaissance painting, keeping track of new lines and blemishes or when you’re having a particularly dewy skin day. In my own recent study of my complexion, it was the collection of white dots on my chin that told me it was time to upgrade my usual slapdash skin-care routine of washing my face and throwing on some moisturizer.
My clogged pores signaled that I needed to add an exfoliator into my rotation, but in the past when I’ve tried committing to using an exfoliating face mask twice a week, the habit never stuck. I could never seem to find an extra 20 minutes in my schedule to sit around with gunk on my face. So this time around, I knew I wanted an exfoliator that was time-efficient.
Enter: Kaplan MD’s Diamond Contour One-Minute Daily Facial—an exfoliator that takes only a minute (really, 60 seconds!) to use. I’ll admit it, the one-minute time committment wasn’t the only thing that caught my eye when I first saw this product: The idea of using a formula that has literal crushed diamonds in it was too tempting to pass up—especially given I could snag two for *less than* the price of one on QVC (and you can too if you stock up by Jan. 31).
Now came the real test: Would this daily diamond facial really be effective or was it just another gimmicky skin-care trend? According to board-certified dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD, it had the potential to be an excellent addition to my speedy nighttime self-care routine.
Originally $107*, now $75
*($170 if purchased separately)
Pros:
- Both a physical and chemical exfoliant
- Gently exfoliates
- Made with anti-inflammatory ingredients
- Only takes a minute to use
Cons:
- May irritate sensitive skin
- Pricey when not on sale
“Many of the ingredients in this product can be used to gently chemically exfoliate, and to improve tone and texture,” Dr. Nazarian says. “I like that it has ingredients that are naturally anti-inflammatory because this tends to balance out some of the irritation that comes from exfoliating in general.”
One of the perks of this product is that it is both a physical and chemical exfoliant, thanks to its two key ingredients—crushed diamonds and fruit enzymes. While the crushed diamonds remove my surface skin cells (don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt), the fruit enzymes (one of Dr. Nazarian’s favorite ways to exfoliate) gently break apart the bonds in my surface skin cells, helping to renew my skin, Dr. Nazarian says.
The first time I tried it, I was shocked by two things. First, how easy it was to use. All I had to do was massage it into my skin for 30 seconds, let it sit for another 30 seconds, and then wash it off with lukewarm water. Easy peasy. The second thing I noticed was how clearly you could see the diamonds in the product—after application, they glittered on my skin like stars, which of course led to my attempting to take a selfie that captured the effect before my 30-second timer went off.
Once I got over this initial excitement, I washed it off and my skin felt as smooth as a baby’s bottom. This effect surprised me—I knew it was an exfoliator, but it had felt so gentle, I honestly hadn’t expected it to work so well or so instantly. Then, per Dr. Nazarian’s instructions, I applied my moisturizer to seal in the hydrating benefits of the other ingredients in the diamond facial.
I was left with glowy skin that has only gotten plumper and smoother as I’ve continued to use the product daily for the past week—I can only imagine the results after I use it for the full recommended two-week trial period. The other big difference I noticed was how much more my moisturizer seemed to sink into my skin, leaving my complexion feeling intensely hydrated, despite the chillier temps that usually dry it out. Turns out, diamonds are my skin’s best friend, too.