The story behind DMK Skincare

Back in the 1970s, DMK Skincare was founded by Danné Montague-King in a little beach side clinic in Newport Beach, California. His first products were formulations he created to treat his own acne ridden skin. Today, DMK is a paramedical skin care line that considers the entire functionality of skin. The treatments work with the underlying structure of the skin, and the products are pharmaceutical grade, with a high concentration of active ingredients. 

What are the Best Skin Care Products of 2023?

Is DMK Skincare Worth The Money?

A common question about this brand is if the products are worth the cost. DMK Skincare products are expensive, for example, the DMK Acne Kit is $588.

In our opinion, DMK Skincare products aren’t worth the money, simply because there are other skincare brands that offer similar products that are less expensive.

One brand is Carrot & Stick, a clean skincare brand that perfectly balances the gentle nurturing of plants with the powerful results of innovative science.

Carrot & Stick intro bundles deliver great value for money because you can bundle 3 full-size products worth up to $240 for $88.

What’s Inside DMK Skincare?

According to DMK Skincare founder Danné Montague-King, “There are no secret formulas, no special techniques from abroad and no miracle scientific breakthroughs that alleviate all skin conditions, including aging”.

So if there are no secret formulas, what is it that makes DMK Skincare products effective? The key formulation behind all DMK Skincare products is based on the four-step DMK concept: Remove, Rebuild, Protect, and Maintain.

The product formulations include ingredients supported by science to improve the appearance of skin. Examples of common ingredients in DMK Skincare formulations include vitamin C, peptides, retinol, vitamin E, panthenol, beta glucan, aloe vera,  and many more botanical oils and extracts. Below we’ll give you the details on a few of these key ingredients. 

Vitamin C
We’ve been hearing for years that Vitamin C is the best anti-aging ingredient. It’s a potent antioxidant that protects the skin from free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.

Vitamin C also helps fade dark spots, evens out skin tone, and increases radiance. As if that wasn’t enough, research suggests that when vitamin C is applied to the skin, it significantly reverses aging-related structural changes by influencing collagen and elastin synthesis.

There are three forms of vitamin C used in DMK Skincare Direct Delivery Vitamin C Serum. 

But our favorite Vitamin C serum is Carrot & Stick The Defence Serum. It contains 3 distinct types of Vitamin C that work together to help fight free radical damage. We recommend using it every morning.

Peptides
As you age, your body’s production of collagen and elastin slows down. These two proteins are responsible for your skin’s structural support. As a result, the skin loses its natural plumpness and smoothness. 

While collagen is necessary for maintaining youthful-looking skin, the collagen protein is too large to absorb into the skin topically. That’s why applying skin care products that contain collagen won’t provide the anti-aging benefits you’re looking for.

This is where peptides come into action. Peptides are the building blocks of protein, and they are easily absorbed into the deeper layers of skin due to their smaller size. 

Multiple peptides are included in the DMK MD TransGenesis Cream. 

If you’re looking for a peptide serum, we recommend Carrot & Stick The Repair Serum. It contains 7 plant-based peptides to promote plumper and smoother-looking skin. It also has skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide.

Retinol
Retinol is the go-to anti-aging ingredient recommended by dermatologists and skin experts. It’s clinically proven to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve uneven skin tone, restore skin firmness, and shrink the appearance of enlarged pores.

The only downside? Retinol can often lead to side effects like skin dryness, peeling, and irritation. 

It’s in DMK Revitosin Vitamin A Exfoliant Lotion

Use retinoids at night. We recommend this retinoid oil serum. It contains Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, an ingredient that provides similar benefits with less irritation.

What are the best selling DMK Skincare products?

The DMK Skincare line consists of a wide variety of products to treat many different conditions, including acne, aging, bruising, cellulite, excess hair, folliculitis, keratosis pilaris, ingrown hairs, pigmentation, reactive skin, and scarring. The products intended to be used at home are in the collection DMK Home Prescriptives, which consists of 36 products. Each product is designed to work with specific internal functions of the skin by matching the body’s chemistry to work effectively in tangent with DMK professional treatments. They are integral to the DMK concept Remove, Rebuild, Protect, and Maintain.

The masques, cleansers, and exfoliants continue to remove dead cell material and toxins while the nutrient rich oils, serums, and spritzes work to rebuild the skin’s structures and functions. Daily application of Home Prescriptives helps to protect the skin from the sun, free radicals, and other environmental factors while they assist to maintain and prolong the results achieved in DMK professional treatments. Below we’ll give you the details on five of the best selling DMK Skincare products in the Home Prescriptives collection. 

DMK Skincare Beta Gel
Recommended for a variety of skin conditions, Beta Gel is DMK’s signature formula designed for reactive, irritated, inflamed, or traumatised skin. It is said to boost the immune system with beta glucan, a stimulator of the Langerhans cells which initiate the immune and reparative functions of the skin both locally and systemically.  Beta Gel stimulates a feedback loop that triggers the synthesis of new collagen as well as components of the skin matrix, helping to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and promote firmer skin. It is recommended for traumatized skin (sutures, staples, and treatments for pre- and post-operative clients), as well as acne, congestion, rosacea, aging, sun-damage, and red-reactive skin. One problem with DMK Skincare Beta Gel is that it contains witch hazel as a key ingredient. Witch hazel is a rich source of tannins and the potent fragrant sensitizer eugenol, which can both potentially cause skin irritation. 

DMK Skincare Direct Delivery Vitamin C Serum
DMK’s Direct Delivery Vitamin C Serum was formulated to reduce the amount of damaged skin cells, aiding the revision of aging, scarring, skin tone and texture with its antioxidants rich formulation. There are three forms of vitamin C in this serum: ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C), as well as ascorbyl glucoside and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (water-soluble derivatives of vitamin C). Vitamin C neutralizes reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are generated when the skin is exposed to UV light. By neutralizing ROS, ascorbic acid helps to prevent the formation of lines and wrinkles on the skin. Ascorbic acid also serves as a cofactor for two enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of collagen, a protein that is necessary for skin strength and firmness. Lastly, ascorbic acid can decrease the appearance of dark spots and improve uneven skin tone by inhibiting tyrosinase, a key enzyme involved in the production of melanin.

DMK Skincare Creme Citrique
Creme Citrique is recommended for oily skin and hyperpigmentation as it assists to balance the skin’s pH levels, regulate oil flow, and brighten dark spots. Two key ingredients in this formula are kojic acid and ethyl ascorbic acid. Kojic acid helps improve skin brightness and reduce discoloration because of its effects on tyrosinase. Ethyl ascorbic acid is a stable vitamin C derivative with excellent skin brightening activity. 

DMK Skincare Exoderma Peel
The Exoderma Peel helps remove excess dead cell material while the neutral pH formulation is said to leave the skin feeling refreshed and smooth. One of the key ingredients in Exoderma Peel is chloroxylenol, which is interesting because chloroxylenol is typically used as a preservative. It is an antiseptic and disinfectant, and is also used for skin disinfection, cleaning surgical instruments, and can be found in a number of household disinfectants. The Exoderma Peel can be used as a stand-alone product, or for a treatment that is said to be twice as effective when combined with Foamy Lift to create a masque similar to DMK’s signature Enzyme Therapy masque. 

DMK Skincare Foamy Lift Masque
Foamy Lift is a gentle masque that is said to help tighten the skin as it exfoliates and removes impurities from within the skin. Additionally, it works as an excellent brightener for darker complexions and assists to increase the skin’s dermal hydration. The key ingredients in Foamy Lift Masque include citric acid, aspartic acid, amino acids, and cinnamomum cassia oil. 

Where is DMK Skincare sold?

All DMK Skincare products can only be prescribed by a DMK Skin Revision Technician. This means you must find a DMK clinic near you. You can go to the brand’s website to enter your location so that you can find a DMK Clinic near you. 

What is the DMK Skincare return policy?

The DMK Skincare return policy states, “We are committed to offering our Customers the finest cosmetic products available. If you feel the products you received from the DMK Online Store do not meet this expectation, simply return the unused portion and we will be happy to remit your account for the full amount of the purchase.”

Is DMK Skincare cruelty free?

DMK Skincare is cruelty free. The brand does not test finished products or ingredients on animals, and neither do their suppliers or any third-parties. They also don’t sell their products where animal testing is required by law.

DMK Skincare Reviews

Over the past 40 years, DMK Skincare has won numerous awards and has been featured on the most relevant magazines in the industry, such as Allure, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, and many more. All DMK Skincare reviews on the brand’s website for the Home Prescriptives products are very positive, with most products receiving 5 out of 5 stars. However, these DMK Skincare reviews do not include customer feedback, only the star rating. 

What are some alternatives to DMK Skincare?

If you’re looking for skincare products to address the signs of aging, we recommend Carrot & Stick. Carrot & Stick maximizes the use of powerful ingredients and minimizes the use of superficial ones, resulting in advanced skincare solutions that help promote healthy, more youthful-looking skin. We recommend The Defence Serum, followed by The Moisturizer.