Heard of the clean beauty brand DIME beauty and looking for an honest DIME beauty review to see if it’s worth the hype? Or maybe you’re just looking for a “non-toxic” skincare and makeup company to try! Well look no further! I review 11 of the most popular DIME products and give a full brand review on why the brand meets the “clean living mom criteria”. (for a DIME discount code use code CLM20 at checkout for 20% off your first order! )
DIME Beauty Brand Review
I had the privilege of talking to one of the founders/CEO’s, Ryan Relf, on the phone while vetting this brand and I was encouraged at his knowledgeable answers! (hard to find with the in depth questions I ask lol Here’s why I love them and some unique things about them:
- Ingredient transparency: every ingredient (including fragrances) are disclosed. Note that some synthetic fragrances are used (in the perfume), however I’m personally comfortable with this because 1. you can look up and research each ingredient used and 2. these synthetics are considered widely “safe” and meet even the strictest EU and IFRA standards. To give you a frame of reference, even though I don’t like the EWG (this video explains why), each of the synthetic ingredients are rated either a 1 or 2 green on the EWG database.
- None of the skincare products contain essential oils. Ryan’s wife and co-founder has a background as an esthetician, and since there’s some controversy over the safety and potency of essential oils being used on the skin and causing potential sensitivities in some people, they decided to avoid them altogether! So if you’re sensitive to essential oils, you’re in luck with this skincare brand!
- Manufacturing: I love that Ryan has a background himself in manufacturing and product development. It’s the manufacturing side that often gets overlooked when determining safety of a product, but it’s incredibly important because there are so many steps in the process! I always look for companies that have a good relationship with and thoroughly vet their vendors/raw material suppliers and manufactures. I also always ask if the manufactures they use (or sometimes are themselves) meet the FDA GMP (good manufacturing process) standards and NSF practices. Happy to report DIME passes!
- Safety Testings: this is a big one! I was pleased with how many times they test both raw materials and after the product is created! Very next level and above standard. This includes stability testing as well as heavy metals and potential contaminations to the product. I’m confident in their practices that they would catch any kind of contaminant etc.
- Ingredients are ethically and sustainably sourced to the best of their ability
DIME Product Reviews
The Works Skincare Set Overall: overall, every product really has no scent or fragrance to it making it ideal for those sensitive to scents of any kind, like mentioned above, it’s free of any essential oils, and there’s no color to any product. The biggest difference I noticed in my skin after using consistently was that it definitely was softer and smoother! My skin went through many phases (oily, sensitive & super dry) while I was trying this brand out (thank you pregnancy hormones), so I feel like I got a good handle on what skin types it works best with for each product.
Gentle Jelly Cleanser Review: very liquid jelly like consistency like marketed, I needed about 5 pumps to wash my whole face, once you rub it in it does kind of create a mild foam like consistency.
PRO’s -I’d say this cleanser is ideal for normal or slightly sensitive skin. I like that even though it is unscented, it has a vague sweet smell to it…other unscented products I’ve tried smelled rank! I used it most/ found it worked best when I was diligent about consistently washing my wash every day twice a day and used it either in the morning after having washed my face well the night before, or as a step 2 in the double cleansing process alongside another cleanser. It didn’t dry my face out at all so if you’re just looking for a light cleanser that doesn’t dry you out and remove too much, I’d recommend this one.
CONS’s -most of the time I honestly didn’t find this cleanser to have enough “oomph” or power to wash my oily skin. I was bummed it wasn’t more effective and heavy duty. It’s a very light cleansing power cleanser. On the drier parts of my skin it did better, but even then when I’d take a cotton ball to my face with toner on it after cleansing, it almost always was discolored showing that the cleanser didn’t effectively clean my face. For me, it’s not a go-to.
Super Skin Toner Review: if you’re looking for a toner that doesn’t totally dry out your skin right after use, this is the one! I really liked this toner!! You just apply on a cotton ball and wipe or dab all over your face. It worked well on both the drier parts of my cheeks and my very oily t-zone. I found for my combination skin, using it only once a day or every other day on my drier parts was best and twice a day on my oilier skin worked well! I like that it removed access oil but didn’t make my skin feel super tight or dry right after. I recommend especially if you’re looking for a more “matte” look.
Tip: It also acts as a great prep to their hyaluronic acid serum to help that penetrate better into the skin! Apply that serum immediately after applying toner, don’t even wait until the toner is “dry”.
Hyaluronic Acid Serum Review: love this product! I used about 3-4 drops per use. Pretty thick, clear serum, and love the simple ingredients. Most of the hyaluronic acid products I see on the market contain the ingredient, but have a lot of other ingredients as well. For those just wanting the hyaluronic acid, this is perfect. I could definitely tell a difference in how plump and well hydrated my skin felt when I was consistently using it. The formula is gentle enough to use twice a day if you wanted to. For my mostly oily skin, it worked best to apply once a day at night usually. When my skin got super dry (thank you pregnancy hormones) applying it twice a day really helped with the dryness! It layers really well with the other products and lays great under makeup! When my skin was super sensitive and mad at me (again, thank you pregnancy hormones), this product didn’t irritate it.
tip: apply immediately after a toner or a hydration mist (while still wet) to really lock in the hydration! Also don’t let it dry all the way, while still sticky, apply your next serum or your moisturizer! That ensures this product not having the opposite effect and drying your skin out! Follow up with something oil based, especially if you have dry skin!
Hyper Glow Serum Review: PRO’s -you can read more of the benefits it has on their website description, but love that it protects the skin against free radicals and helps brighten! This product layers really well with the hyaluronic acid serum or can be applied without it. It’s a very watery consistency, should be clear in color (more on that below), and lays well under makeup both on my drier and oilier skin. I preferred wearing it during the day when I wasn’t going to be outside much. When my skin was normal/ oily, I didn’t have a problem with using it once a day or every other day.
CON’s -because this is a higher potency Vitamin C serum, it can tend to irritate skin easier. When my skin went through it’s few weeks of being very sensitive (thank you pregnancy hormones) I had to omit this product completely because it made it so red and irritated! Start with only applying it once or twice a week and work yourself up to daily application. Play around with what your skin actually needs; you may find if you have dryier or sensitive skin you may not be able to use it as much.
Worth Noting -because this is a Vitamin C serum, there’s a few things you should know here. Their vitamin C is L-asorbic acid sourced naturally from citrus fruits…this means it’s pure and potent (great) but Very unstable and prone to oxidation (not great). Once it oxidizes, it loses it’s effectiveness. If it turns from a clear to yellow color, that means it’s oxidized. This happened with my product within about 2 1/2 months. It went from clear to very yellow in color. (This applies to any Vit C serum from any brand by the way…this product in general is very finicky)
I’ll just go ahead and say I disagree with the claim on DIME’s website under the product usage section for hyper glow: “Because this contains Vitamin C, it may vary in color from clear to light yellow. This does not indicate the age of the product. Any change in color does not impact the product’s efficacy.” They have a few other spots like in their FAQ section where they say something different/ more similar to what I’m saying, so this statement is very misleading… and their shelf life for this product is 6-8 months which again I disagree with because mine took less then 3 months to turn. Either way, I was surprised just knowing that they have cosmetic formulators they work with and this is a fairly basic formulation fact. To be fair the packaging is dark so that helps and, I Was informed that the overall pH is acidic which is good because that keeps it more stable. If it were more neutral or basic pH it would be even more unstable and ineffective.
I have a few sources on this below at bottom of post and I also checked this with two cosmetic formulators/chemists myself just to make sure. They both confirmed that once it turns yellow, that definitely indicates oxidation and that definitely means it loses most effectiveness…
The way antioxidants work chemically is that as they oxidize they loose their ability to function as an antioxidant because their chemistry changes
To be clear, this doesn’t mean the product isn’t actually pure or “nontoxic” or safe…just that the shelf life is a lot shorter then you think. I think it works…you just have to use it before it turns yellow. I would just hate for you to pay $28 and not get the full benefits of the product and know to use it before it oxidizes!
(If you’re looking for a Vitamin C serum that’s also not synthetically sourced, but doesn’t oxidize quite so fast…I trust and highly recommend Emogene & Co. Glow Serum. They’ve found a way to get around the oxidation problems by packaging the asorbic-acid separately so YOU control the shelf life more. It comes in smaller vials ensuring you’ll get to use it all, and you mix in the vitamin c when you want to “start the clock” lol. I’m not going to lie though, it’s pricier then DIME’s!)
Dewy Day Cream Review: PRO’s -my unexpectedly FAVORITE DIME product!! Because of my usually oily or combination skin, I was worried at first that this was going to make my skin too dewy since I prefer more matte products. It was perfect though! It IS slightly more moisture then I’m used to, but not too heavy or shiny like I normally think dewy means. It has a typical lotion type consistency, it’s very smooth, and “dries” or settles into the skin pretty quickly (2-5 minutes) enough to be able to apply makeup on top of. It wears SO well under makeup throughout the day, even heavier foundation on my oily skin! Kind of reminds me of the old Beautycounter day cream from their basic line. When my skin was sensitive, this product didn’t irritate it. I’d consider it a medium coverage. It’s not super light to where it barely moisturizes at all, but it’s not too heavy for oily/combination skin. Definitely a go to day moisturizer for me now!
CON’s -if you have very dry skin, this might not be enough moisture for you, though combining it with the hyaluronic acid would help! When my skin was very dry to the point of it peeling throughout the day, this cream wasn’t heavy enough for me.
Restorative Night Cream Review: PRO’s -same exact typical lotion like consistency as the day cream, and very similar review as above. Soaks into skin well, doesn’t feel sticky afterwards which I like, and very gentle on sensitive skin. It also layers really well with their serums and feels very moisturizing without feeling overly heavy. My favorite way to wear at night (especially when my skin was crazy dry because of pregnancy) was layered under a favorite facial oil.
CON’s -again, might not be enough for people with very dry skin. I personally prefer a slightly heavier cream for night time and this feels more medium rather then heavy duty. However, it’s easy to add a facial oil on top of this if you’re looking for something more!
Luminosity Eye Serum Review: this eye cream is unique because the instructions specifically say to apply AFTER the moisturizer, which I don’t see too often! Usually you apply it right before. It’s got a similar consistency as the face creams, pretty thick and lotion like. I like the calming effect of the cucumber and how it can help reduce puffiness. I only could wear it at night or during the day if I wasn’t planning on wearing any makeup because it definitely leaves a sticky feeling to it and didn’t wear well under makeup for me. Every time I’d wash it off the next morning, after applying the night before, I could feel the slippery residue on my skin…so it sits on the surface of the under eye area well! I noticed, after using it consistently, a small improvement in the puffiness and dark color under my eyes.
Eyelash Boost Serum Review: no DIME beauty review would be complete without a review of this popular product!! I hear a lot of hype on this serum…and I WILL say it’s going to be different for every person but I’ve got to be honest, I wasn’t impressed. I used this product every night for 2 weeks straight and then after that for about 3 months used it a few times a week (like 3-5 nights a week) and honestly saw no difference whatsoever. Below are two pictures I took at the start of first using the product and then 3 months later. (no filter on them and I’m wearing no makeup)
As you can see, not much of a difference. Maybe starting to come in a little fuller? I’ve had a few people tell me you have to use it for quite a few months consistently and apply it twice a day…which I’ll be doing now and then come back and re update this post. But that’s the rate at which my eye lashes take to regrow (like when some fall off etc) anyway so I’m like, how does this product help then? lol There was one small section of my bottom lashes that got pulled off/fell out that left a little gap, but I didn’t really notice this help them regrow any faster then they already would.
To be fair, I have pretty long and full lashes to begin with and I haven’t had an issue with lash loss yet…but I’ll be using this product after baby comes and re update this postpartum because I usually do experience more hair loss then.
Also just know if you get it in your eye it stings…which is tricky business being something you apply like an eye liner lol
Volume Mascara Review: PRO’s -I love how this mascara comes off when you take it off!! It’s my favorite thing about it. For anyone who’s familiar with the L’Oréal Paris Double Extend 2 step mascara (the old white and red tube haha)…this comes off just like it! You only need water and it peels off gently in little pieces. It kind of sheds off lol. I like to just get me eyes wet, hold my wet fingers on them for a few seconds, then gently pull away like your’e taking off false lashes. It comes right off, so easy!! It doesn’t flake at all throughout the day and doesn’t smudge! It also lengthens lashes really well. I feel like it extends my lashes out a good bit! Because of how easy it is to take off with no rubbing or pulling necessary, it’s become an easy everyday mascara when I want something quick and I’m just running to the store kind of thing.
CON’s -I have no idea why this is called the “volume mascara” and not the “lengthening mascara” because it definitely doesn’t give volume. Compared to other brands I’ve tried, this is not super volumizing at all…it definitely extends the lashes, but for me at least, if I want volume I have to use a different brush with more bristles after applying to spread the lashes out more. It tends to clump the lashes together more. The formula I really don’t have any complaints about, it’s thick and nice…it’s just the type of brush. It’s hard to really get in-between all the lashes I feel like. So I don’t dislike it…this just isn’t my go to for like “date night makeup” when I want more drama…it’s more of an easy option that is gentle on the eyes when removing.
Application Tip: I found the best way to apply was to apply a very thin coat first, let it dry, then apply a thicker second coat and then the bottom lashes. Less clumping that way.
Matte Liquid Lipstick Review: I was so excited to find another clean brand that sold a matte liquid lippie! They are so hard to find!! Also a light nude color that isn’t peach toned has been impossible to find…until now! This shade Leo was perfect!! It almost looks like a very light muted barbie pink at first, then as it dries down get’s a litter more neutral toned. I love the light pink undertones, and that even though it’s matte, it doesn’t dry out my lips terribly! It has a sweet smell to it, and typically lasts me quite a few hours.
This before and after lipstick picture above was taken a few hours apart and shows how the lipstick held out. This was after a large, oily Mediterranean meal where I gave no care to preserving my lipstick and wiped my mouth numerous times. lol I honestly was impressed, even conventional liquid lipsticks would come off after that. haha I’d say these lipsticks are very similar to the clove and hallow ones…slightly less drying but slightly less long wear power. (Here’s my Clove and Hallow review HERE for comparison) Overall, definitely lasts longer then a standard lipstick and the color was everything I hoped for and more!
Lovely Dreams Perfume: I LOVE THIS PERFUME!! It’s so hard to find a clean perfume, and this one takes the cake! Perfect scent…like something you’d buy at a high end perfume shop, both flowery and slightly warm vanilla-y. It’s the perfect blend of not just over flowery smelling like most are.
Ingredients wise, as noted above in the brand review section, some “safe synthetic” ingredients are used here. This personally doesn’t bother me because they disclose every ingredient to the product HERE. I’d be a lot more concerned if you didn’t know what the synthetics were. All ingredients rate a 1-2 on the EWG website (again that’s not the end all be all, but just to give a frame of reference), and they meet even the strictest EU and IFRA standards. If you wish to stay away from synthetics, then avoid the perfumes.
Hopefully this DIME beauty review was helpful for you, and if it was, share it with a friend! You can buy DIME beauty products HERE and use code CLM20 for 20% off your first order! Comment below with any questions or with your personal testimony of the products!
Sources:
http://sites.science.oregonstate.edu/chemistry/courses/ch130/old/VITCTEXT.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3673383/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5605218/
Tell the community about your experience