Firstly, I’d better explain the reason for all the crying, namely: My face. I’ve always had a problem with spots but as soon as I hit my 20s…wowzers! My skin went mad! Basically I have very oily skin and tend to get blackheads aroung my T-zone and the big red angry kind of spots everywhere else. Add the fact that I’ve recently given up smoking, leading to some sort of stress- related skin reaction and Double Wowzers! It was not a pretty sight I can assure you.
Well that was it, I’d decided that at 26, enough was enough! After marching into Boots’ skincare section and realising that I’d tried most of these drugstore level products before to no avail, I plonked myself down, red faced and teary eyed at the Clinique counter. Yes, I cried. I CRIED AT CLINIQUE!!
Luckily a lovely consultant sat down with me, and after a (very thorough) consultation, recommended a course of the Anti Blemish Solutions range. I was a bit apprehensive as, having tried 3-step at levels 3 and 4 and breaking out even more, what on earth was this stuff going to do to my face?!? The consultant used the products on my face at the counter and I couldn’t have been more wrong, the products are so much milder than the higher level 3-step products and I was sold.
Moving on to the products (please excuse the dodgy photos, daylight didn't really happen today!)…
Here’s what Clinique has to say:
“The Clear Skin System wastes no time in giving blemishes the boot. Does it without the dryness and irritation that generally gets skin into trouble. It's simple, scientific. Gentle exfoliation opens clogged pores, evicts blemish-causing agents. Targeted ingredients rush in to accelerate treatment. Keeps skin clearer, longer, too.”
Step 1: Cleanse
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| Cleansing Bar for Face and Body and Cleansing Foam: Both £13 |
I’ve been using 2-3 pumps of the cleansing foam on its own in the morning. At night I wash my face with the cleansing bar first and then follow with the foam. All you do is massage into the skin and rinse. The reason for the double-cleansing at night was explained really well by the consultant:
“You wouldn’t clean your body with your clothes on, so don’t cleanse your face without taking your make-up off first!” Fair enough.
As the bar cleanser goes further, I use that to take off my make-up as opposed to the foam. Otherwise the cleansing foam would run out really quickly, it’s just more cost-effective. They are the same product but just in different form. On reflection I think I actually prefer the cleansing bar as it has a more creamy texture. I’m really enjoying using these cleansers. They’re surprisingly gentle and my skin feels completely clean but without that uncomfortable tightness after use. The only downside is that the foam smells a bit ‘chemically’ although it is supposed to be fragrance free. The smell is not overpowering and really, I can live with it-I’m not one of those people that needs my face wash to smell of roses!
Step 2: Exfoliate
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| Clarifying Lotion: £16 |
After cleansing I use the clarifying lotion. Because of my breakout, I was advised never to exfoliate using a ‘beady’ exfoliator as all this does is transfer bacteria from one pore to another and you can actually damage your pores scrubbing them like this…Eek! You need to shake this well to mix in the sediment that sits at the bottom of the bottle, use one tip of the bottle on a cotton ball and then sweep all over your face. You literally only need one tip of the bottle. This is powerful stuff and the main reason that people find clarifying lotion irritating is that they tend to soak the cotton ball and are using too much product. Also, a cotton ball is better than a cotton pad as it is fluffier and gets deeper into the pores. This stuff is brilliant, it may sound gross but you can literally see the dead skin on the cotton pad after use! Another pro to the product is that it will probably last me forever as you are only using a small amount each time.
Step 3: Moisturise
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| Clearing Moisturizer: £16.50 |
Finally, I use a 5p sized blob of the Clearing moisturiser. This has to be the best moisturiser I have ever used. I’ve always found that oil-free moisturisers tend to leave my skin a bit too dry but this stuff strikes a really good balance between controlling the shine and hydrating my skin. It’s in a gel form which is kind of strange to get used to at first but goes on really smoothly and really calms my skin after using the Clarifying Lotion whilst still feeling really light. It was designed to act as a barrier to protect the skin from any blemish-causing bacteria.
Final Thoughts and Did it Work…?
Indeedy it did! Any active acne started to clear up after about 2 weeks and it seemed to prevent any future breakouts after that. My skin was all glowy, soft, and clear and all was right with the world again…until…I slept in my make up….FOR 2 NIGHTS IN A ROW! Well done me and cue the inevitable flurry of spots. I really am my own worst enemy. Luckily I have my stash of Clinique to sort me out and will no longer be crying at poor unsuspecting department store skincare consultants!!
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