To address Bexi's post, "I have just spoken directly with a marketing lady at Dermalogica and she absolutely denied this, so I'm not sure if maybe your mistaken?".
Bexi, this is exactly what we are talking about. Dermalogica (the company and it's new leadership and it's employees) has changed irreparably. I personally don't know who is in charge of this new "turn your back on the people you created and who built your brand", but I do know that several years ago (April 2007 to be exact) dermalogica appointed a President for the first time in their history. I can't recall if the changes were occurring before then, or if it has gotten much worse since then. (?)
See, I have been a "cult member" of dermalogica for the bulk of my career (nearly 20 years now), and have looked to them for education, guidance, motivation, etc. and have proudly told the dermalogica story thousands of times ... you know the one ... 'small town girl does good in the big city' ... 'this is a unique company built on the highest standards' ... 'we aren't anything like those "Cosmetics" companies' ... 'this company was founded on the principle of education first, then product distribution through the recommendation of your licensed skin pro - that is how you know you are getting the right products for your skin' ... and so on.
It was dermalogica who taught us that we should be seeing equal service to retail sales ratios IN OUR SALONS & SPAS! So how can we do what they teach us to do when we educate our client about their skin, and recommend (supposedly) professional products, pick and choose the best items for these clients and then have those clients go elsewhere to purchase them??? We can't.
I have read threads like this one on several other message boards, and what I find surprising is how some people will take the argument that this is "just business" or that dermalogica is just "keeping with the times". Dermalogica isn't a new start-up company that needs to do whatever it can to stay competitive and profitable. They are well established world-wide. It comes down to honor. If you stand up and say that you are a company who supports and protects the industry that made you, then keep your promises. I think GREED has infiltrated dermalogica and they have sold their souls to make a buck. Since they are already a reported 100 million dollar company, wasn't that enough???
I always considered dermalogica to be a professional line/range that could be retailed. Their vision of distributing through the recommendation of a licensed skin pro is over. When you no longer need a professional's recommendation to purchase products, the line/range ceases to be a professional line/range. Now since dermalogica can be purchased by anyone who walks into a retail store or online by anonymous sellers - no professional recommendation needed - then dermalogica is no different than Estee Lauder, L'Oreal or Mary Kay.
I'm sorry I am going on and on about this, but when you have put faith in a company and its people for so long and have based your business on it's success, and it lets you down HARD, then it stings for a long time. The good news is that I have found a line/range that is still professional, does not and will not allow for online sales of any kind, and now I can finally move on with my life! IF this company slips, then I will either go private label, or just quit the biz for good. Wish me luck.