The product: Clinique Acne Solutions Clear Skin System
Step 1: Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam
Step 2: Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion
Step 3: Acne Solutions All-Over Clearing Treatment
Cost: $44 (CAN)
How to: After washing you hands cleanse face with the Cleansing Foam, apply Clarifying Lotion with cotton pad or ball, follow with a thin layer of the All Over Clearing Treatment. Apply twice daily. Fair skinned individuals should begin with one application.
The Claims:
From day one:
Helps banish acne causing agents on contact with medicated cleansing foam
Clears away dirt and oil
Unclogs pores
After one week:
Visibly reduces blemish size
Skin looks clearer, less oily
After two weeks:
Reduces the look of pores
Controls the appearance of excess shine and oil
Feel confident with clearer skin
I have never had a problem with acne, all through school to have more than three blemishes was unusual. Lately that has not been the case, I have had more breakouts and oiliness then ever before. I had tried a number of face washes like Clean and Clear and Neutrogena but nothing was making much of a difference. I came across this Clinique Acne Solutions while browsing Sephora and decided to give it a try.
Every single bit of this review is based on what I experienced while using this product that I purchased with my own money. I mean I wish Clinique was sending me things to review but that just is not my reality.
For the first week I recorded my impressions each day:
Day one: I used the entire system the night I purchased it and noticed my skin felt much more matte, even the next morning
Day two: In the a.m. I noticed some redness immediately after use but nothing more than a slight scrub would give me. There was also less oil under my makeup throughout the day.
Day three: I would not recommend this for someone with sensitive skin. It is a rather harsh system but I certainly noticed a reduction in size of my blemishes and they seem to have dried up quite a bit.
Day four: I developed a couple really dry patches and steps two and three are stinging. I switched out the All Over Treatment for my night time routine and just used a regular moisturizer.
Day five: I skipped the All Over Treatment again in the a.m. as my skin was still very dry even after layering two lotions. At night time I used the Clarifying Lotion and All Over Treatment only in problem areas and applied another moisturizer over all.
Day 6: I took a break from the whole routine today. I used a soothing sheet mask but I still had dryness and flakey skin.
Day 7: After a night cream my skin was not as dry in the morning and compared to seven days ago there is a clear reduction in number, size and redness.
At this point I was noticing serious improvements in regards to both number and size of my blemishes but my skin was getting so dry and flakey. So dry that none of the moisturizers I had were making any improvement. I wanted to continue using this system because it was working. I decided to go looking for an intense moisturizing mask or treatment. I found another Clinique product, the Moisture Surge Overnight Mask.
This is not something I would normally pick up but I am glad I did. I used this once overnight and once as a quick half hour treatment and the dry spots that no other moisturizer could do anything to help were completely gone. If you have dry skin go buy this. I currently alternate with my usual Julep night cream because it is too much for me to use nightly but I am sure this will be very helpful for dry winter skin.
The Verdict:
Well I have already purchased a full sized version of all the products and when I did so I got a little sample of the 7 Day Scrub Cream which I also love. Overall I am impressed by the system once I got the dryness taken care of I had no further issues with dryness, stinging or redness. I am still struggling with blemishes but they are not nearly as noticeable and the healing process is so much faster. I do feel like my pores have been unclogged and even noticed a reduction in the number of blackheads on my nose. I do not, however, notice much in the way of pore size reduction but that is not something I was concerned about to begin with. I love using the all over clearing treatment in the morning before applying make up as it really mattifies my skin. After the initial reduction in oil and shine I do not feel that has continued which makes me think that the system is too harsh and I am producing excess sebum to make up for what my skin thinks it is lacking. I occasionally use a more gentle cleanser to balance that out but I still believe this system works. I would recommend anyone struggling with acne give this a try, if you have dry skin using it twice a day would probably be too much for you, at least at first.
Next I want to try the Clinique makeup as I have only heard good things. I am looking forward to trying the primer, a foundation, maybe a powder and the chubby sticks. Hell I want to try it all!
Thank you for reading!
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