Product Focus; Clinique 'Clarifying Lotion' #2

Love, love, love this stinky little lotion ^_^ !!

So I'll begin with the most noticeable con; The smell, peee-euuuu! It's definitely on the strong side and quite alcohol-y. Now this isn't actually a massive deal with me personally but I know many a gal that gets her knickers in a twist at the mere mention of alcohol in facial products. The alcohol content in Clinique isn't really that high, but Clinique being a brand that believes in 'pure' ingredients, doesn't mask their ingredients with unnecessary smell-heavy fragrances and thus you smell what you get!

I will definitely always chose a bit of alcohol, which doesn't bother my skin personally, over perfume & fragrances, which almost always cause a reaction to my semi-sensitive skin. 

And what people don't seem to realise is that the small alcohol content in products like this one, isn't there for the sole purpose of drying your skin out, but to allow the other more beneficial ingredients to work more efficiently.

Another small con, the bottle itself. It comes with a standard screw top lid where you have to tip the bottle over to dispense some of the lotion. Open top bottles like this always make me nervous about spilling. I suppose I've been so spoiled by all the companies and products now-a-days that come with spray bottles, or pumps etc. This just seems a tad archaic in comparison.

Now, on to what I love about this;

It does what it says 'on the tin', and clears up my skin! I use this after cleansing my face or sometimes by itself in the morning as the sole cleanser. I first got this when my skin was in less than tip top condition, particularly around the nose area which has the tendency to get quite congested when left unloved for any amount of time. Within a couple of weeks my pores had noticeably reduced and my skin was smoother. Many refer to this product as a toner, which it is, but it is also a chemical exfoliant containing Salicylic acid, a BHA (beta hydroxy acid), which works by removing sebum & dirt from the pores. Salicylic acids penetrate deeper into the skin that AHA's such as Glycolic Acids, and are kinder to the skin, causing less inflammation and irritation.  

It also helps to remove any flakes from the skin, clearing it of any grime that may hinder the absorption of moisturisers and other topical skin agents. 

It most definitely gives a 'fresh' sensation to the skin, a 'tingle', which is down to the menthol content which cools the skin. Not high enough to be irritating.

As the title suggests, I use the #2, which is for dry/combination skin. Though I lean more towards the combo/oily end of the spectrum, I have always went with dry/combo where possible as I have the tendency to feel dry around the perimeter of my face when I use stronger, more drying products.

There is also #1 which is for very dry/dry skin, #3 for oily/combination, and #4 for oily/very oily skin.

It's part of Clinique's '3 step programme' , as step 2.

In Ireland it costs a little over €20.00 for the 200ml bottle (also available in 400ml size) and is available from Clinique counters in Boots, Debenhams & Brown Thomas as well as smaller chemists.

So my verdict?? It makes my skin look & feel super clean. Best of this type of product I've used thus far!

Have any of you guys tried it out??

Siobhán.

xx