Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser...DEFINITELY a Cool New Cleanser!
Written: Aug 02 '04 (Updated Aug 08 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Does what it says it'll do--clears blemishes and helps prevent new ones!
Cons: Can be a bit drying, so you'll need a good moisturizer.
The Bottom Line: This cleanser is far and away the best I've used in years; it started to clear up my skin in less than a month! Simple, yet absolutely and wonderfully effective!
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| brightmirage's Full Review: Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser |
What, You're Trying Yet ANOTHER New Cleanser?!?
Ok, I admit...yes, I am a sucker for good advertising. I first heard about Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser in Glamour. It was in the August 2004 edition, and listed under the "new stuff you'll love" category. The description said: A gentle zit-zapper: Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser ($6, at drugstores). "This left my face feeling clean but not dried out. It made the breakouts I had look less red, and I didn't get new pimples--hard to believe, but it works that well." -Alix Light
I've had an ongoing battle with moderate breakouts for years...worse now than they ever were when I was a teenager. I currently see a dermatologist, take an oral antibiotic to combat the breakouts, and have tried numerous over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription acne treatments as well. The OTC and prescription topicals usually make things worse; I'm so exasperated that I've stopped using them for the most part and have been on a quest to find a skincare line that'll be gentle enough on my skin so as not to irritate it further, yet strong enough to get rid of the breakouts (did I mention I'm a perfectionist with high expectations?).
I've tried more cleansers and skincare brands than I care to count and more often than not I've gotten "burned" (literally as well as figuratively) and they've made my sensitive, acne-prone skin even worse. I'm VERY wary of trying anything new even when my current cleanser doesn't quite cut it, for fear of making things worse. But I'm also sick and tired of constantly having blemished skin...and tired of how badly it affected my self-confidence and self-esteem. So I gathered up my courage when I read about this cleanser and went off to the local stores find it. Target had cleared out its entire Biore section for some reason, so I had to go to a local drugstore to buy it for a little bit more: $6.99. As it turns out, it was definitely worth it!
Ya Got Proof?
I saw a noticeable difference in less than a week--but then again, I'm very self-conscious so I notice every little change! However just now I was hugging my fiancee and looking in the mirror, and I commented on how my skin's cleared up...and he agreed. When I asked him if he really saw a difference in my skin, he said yup! He's never made a comment on my skin when it's blemished--smart guy--but it's nice to know that others can see the difference too!
My Experience
I bought my bottle of Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser on Tuesday July 20th, 2004 right after a long day of work. It comes in a tall, slim, "cat's eye" shaped sea green bottle with a clear pump. The logo is in a box at the top "Biore Pore Perfect" and has some shiny stripes of varying widths that run behind it...white, pink, blue, green...I guess they were going for some chic retro effect? The cleanser itself is a kind of thick, clear gel that lathers nicely.
I used it that evening and found the scent to be a bit strange: sort of medicinal...perhaps from the menthol listed in the ingredients? Not the greatest, but it doesn't linger after you've rinsed off the lather so it definitely wasn't enough to deter me from giving the cleanser a shot! The cleanser really does have a slight "cooling" sensation, but nothing drastic like splashing ice water on your face or anything.
I used it Tuesday night after I bought it, Wednesday morning, and Wednesday night...and by then I thought I already saw some improvement! I kept using it faithfully, once in the morning and once at night, and things seemed to just keep getting better and better. I did have a facial on the 26th, and that meant extractions of blemishes (sigh), which inevitably meant that my skin had more pronounced red spots for the next few days. But after those few days my skin has cleared up even more, and I've now got clearer skin that I've had in years!
Ok, It's A Great Cleanser...Any Cons?
My biggest peeve with this cleanser is that my skin does feel a bit "tight" after cleansing, so I definitely need a good moisturizer. My skin can feel a bit dry or get a little flaky in parts, but that could be due to:
a) for awhile I'd also been using some other topical acne medications on and off in addition to using this cleanser
b) the toner I use, Burt's Bees Wild Lettuce Toner For Normal To Dry Skin, might also be contributing to why my skin feels dry since it's got SD-alcohol in it
So far, it's not been enough to deter me from using this product...the results far outweight these "cons".
A Note on Animal Testing
While Biore doesn't test on animals, the parent company that owns Biore and Andrew Jergens doesn't take a stance against animal testing. Here are the pertinent parts of two email replies I got after emailing Biore and the Kao Corporation (Biore's parent company), respectively:
consumer@jergens.com wrote:
Dear Ms. Li:
We are pleased to inform you that we do not use animals to test any aspect of our products. Additionally, current plans do not include the use of animals in the development of new products.
However, our parent company, KAO Corporation of Japan, must, by law, perform animal testing to ensure the safety of their products. The Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare mandates animal testing on certain Japanese products.
The new Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser is made for acne prone skin.
Cordially,
Consumer Relations Department
And here's the email reply I received from the Kao Corporation:
From: soudan@kao.co.jp
Subject: Re: animal testing
Ms.Maryann Li
Thank you for your message on "Animal Test"
As you mentioned in your e-mail, Kao Corporation conducts animal test only when it is required by the government for the purpose of assuring the safety of the product for final user, namely "human being".
We always try to avoid animal test as much as possible, or try to find/invent any substitutional method instead of animal test for the sake of living animals in the world.
We will continue to do our best effort to find/invent any substitutional method as soon as possible.
Thank you for your comment today
yours
M.Yamanaka
Kao Corporation
Consumer Information Center
I once made a comment to a friend how peeved I was that some companies (off the top of my head Clairol comes to mind) don't conduct animal testing and market their products as "not tested on animals"...yet their parent companies don't have a problem with testing on animals. My friend noted that the individual smaller companies don't really have a say in what the parent company policies are. For me that comment opened my eyes a bit, and I see now that the issue isn't as clear-cut as I thought. I guess we all do the best we can and if the smaller individual companies don't test on animals, more power to them for doing what they can! So it's up to each consumer to decide whether or not to purchase the product of the "smaller" company that doesn't test on animals, yet is owned by a parent company that condones product testing on animals.
Product Information
Info from the front of the bottle:
Biore Pore Perfect
new! blemish fighting ice cleanser
cools & clears:
Give blemishes the cold shoulder. Refreshing acne cleanser seeps deep into pores to clear up and help prevent blemishes.
Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment
Oil-Free
6.7 OZ (198 mL)
Info from the back of the bottle:
Drug Facts
Active ingredient: Salicylic Acid 2.0%
Purpose: Acne Treatment
Uses
* treats acne
* penetrates pores to control acne blemishes
* helps prevent the development of new acne blemishes
Warnings
For external use only
When using this product
* avoid contact with eyes. If contact occurs, flush thoroughly with water.
* using other topical acne medications at the same time or right after use of this product may increase dryness or irritation of the skin. If this occurs, only one medication should be used unless directed by a doctor.
Keep out of reach of children
If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.
Directions
* wet face
* pump into hands and work into lather
* massage over entire face
* rinse thoroughly
Other Information
store at room temperature
Inactive Ingredients
water, polysorbate 60, decyl gulcoside, ethoxydiglycol, sodium laureth sulfate, lauryl hydroxysultaine, sodium methyl cocoyl taurate, cocamidopropyl betadine, sorbitol, PEG-120 methyl glucose dioleate, cocoyl sarcosine, potassium hydroxide, citric acid, menthol, panthenol, diazolidinyl urea, fragrance, BHT, sodium chloride
Questions or comments?
1-888-BIORE-11
Distributed by Kao Brands Company
Cincinnati, OH 45214 copyright 2004
Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.
www.biore.com
Made in Canada 3408-00-301
My comment: Once again, let it be known I prefer natural ingredients and I have no idea what the heck these inactive ingredients are but hey, this stuff works and that makes me happy!!! There aren't any "ah-ha!" ingredients listed that make this cleanser seem any different from the many other OTC acne cleaners out there, but this stuff definitely works where other cleaners fall short of living up to their claims.
Overall
This product works and does what it says it will do, plain and simple! The pros far outweigh any cons, and I am astonished and delighted that such a simple product works so well where even prescription acne treatments didn't help me. Hope this review helps anyone considering purchasing this product! :)
cheers,
Maryann
Quick updates
(8/3/04): I changed the status from "Cleared my skin!" to "Improved my skin condition" because my skin is right on the borderline between the two ratings. My skin's cleared up dramatically and I think and hope it'll continue to do so, but I don't have flawless skin...yet! But hey, it's been less than a month since I started using this cleanser, so I'm definitely optimistic that things will keep on getting better. Wish me luck!
(8/8/04): I added the email I received from Biore's parent company--Kao Brand Company--to the review. I just now realized I'd only included the email reply I received from Biore...oops, sorry about that!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
brightmirage
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Member: Maryann
Location: Maryland
Reviews written: 23
Trusted by: 10 members
About Me:
Facing another series of procedures/surgeries...hope to be back eventually! :P
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