ethereal05's Full Review: Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3 200ml / 6.7 oz
I just love the school holidays. Now not only am I able to scan through the reviews for various products, I can actually write a review on my most essential beauty product here-- Clinique Clarifying Lotion.
My Skin
If anyone is familiar with the Clinique "Computer", I am a typical skin type 3. I have black hair, black eyes (I'm a Chinese), medium skin tone that can tolerate quite a bit of sun before it even reddens, always tans and seldom burns.(though we do get lots of sun year-round on this sunny, tropical island of Singapore).On most days, my T-zone is greasy while my cheeks feel fine (so I qualify as "oily") and as I just celebrated my 20th birthday, anyone will be surprised to see fine lines or wrinkles, huh?
Breakouts...the bane of my life...
or should I say they WERE the bane of my life...
I have used Clinique since I was 14. I started having breakouts since I was like 12? Yikes...I can't imagine having a blemish-free day. One fine day, I decided that enough was enough and trotted after my mum to the departmental store. I settled on Clinique because I liked its fresh, minimalist image. Everything looked young and promising. Not long after I walked away with Clarifying Lotion 2 and the Turnaround Oil-free Lotion. Of course, I was thinking that after spending so much (it was big money for a 14 year-old kid and I made that money with a part-time job selling burgers and fries) it better be good...
My Experience...then
I applied this pretty pale purplish runny liquid using a cotton pad (the kind you will use for removing eye make-up) after cleansing my face with a liquid, soap-free cleanser.I never found the bottle awkward. I simply unscrewed the green lid, capped the top of the bottle with the cotton pad and tipped the bottle upside-down for a couple of seconds. I swipped the cotton pad all over my face,including the hairline, then used the remnants behind my ears (which I always made sure I cleaned well; it's an obsession) and finished on my neck. I felt a tingling sensation and I would be lying if I say that it didn't burn slightly. It did, and the menthol in Lotion 2 partly contributed to this. (I always wonder why the makers put menthol into Lotion 2 and not into other strengths.) But I instantly felt better. Why? Because the cotton pad came away with all sorts of gunk your skin will be better without...stuff like the dirt and even the lint that has come off from your face towel. Double yikes!The rather disgusting piece of cotton pad and with the various unmentionables on it made its way to the trash bin...
One week later...
I suddenly realised zits crawling their way to the surface of my face! What the heck! I was suppossed to be treating my skin with the best I could afford! Then I recalled what my Clinique consultant said. According to her, oily skins will get worse before it gets better on the Clinique system. That is because the pores are like oil wells and the oil and dirt is brought to the surface by exfoliation with the Clarifying Lotion. Apparently if you stick to the system (especially with the Clarifying Lotion), you will shorten the span of the breakout and the zits will soon go away.I did just that (though my level of apprehension did not decrease) till the zits started to make their disappearance.
My experience...now
After I finished my 200ml bottle of Clarifying Lotion 2 in three months, I went back to the counter for a bigger bottle. This time, I got myself Lotion 3. My consultant only gave me a Lotion 2 because she wanted me to get used to the exfoliation which is something akin to exercise. Exfoliation is like exercise for the skin and you should increase exfoliation gradually. Like exercise, the more you exfoliate, the fitter your skin will get =")
A number of years later, my consultant decided that I will be able to try Clarifying Lotion 4 to help my oily skin. I thought she was kidding. I mean, my skin is hardy but isn't Lotion 4 too harsh? She convinced me that I will only need to use it occasionally initially. I ended up using it every morning before I head on to school, or to work (depending on whether it is term time or school vacation time).
These days, I mostly use Lotion 3 together with the Extra-strength Facial Soap and an oil-free version of the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion that is only available in this part of the globe. But my skin tends to get oilier than usual when it is "that time of the month" and in which case, I will use mumber 4 for about a week. My skin also produces more oil when I'm stressed. Life as a Law undergrad (we do offer Law as an undergraduate degree over here and it is a 4-year course)is what everyone imagine and more... As my skin is "well-exercised", I can take Lotion 4 without burning. I just love how it allows my make-up to stay from 6am to after midnight with only the two customary touch-ups after lunch and before dinner. I don't get severe breakouts anymore. Most of the time, my skin is clear and I will only get one or two pimples once a month, but that's tolerable.Most girls get that anyway.
It's eternal summer here...but during the months of May, June and July, temperatures really soar. Now...I won't mind having a Clarifying Lotion 5! I tell you, I was sooo tempted to get the male Clinique Scruffing Lotion 4 1/2!
Tips:
1. Start with a lower strength. If you have been told by the consultant that you are a Skin type 2, ask for Clarifying Lotion 1 first. Similarly if you are a skin type 3, like me, get Lotion 2 first. Get the smaller bottle and when that is finished, move on to Lotion 2. That way, you can get the benefits of daily exfoliation without burning.
2. Persevere! That is always the way to deal with skin care. It is a long-term affair, not like make-up. The breakout that you may get shortly after using Clarifying Lotion is a result of the exfoliation. Since the product is a form of exfoliator, it not only gets rid of surface dirt like a normal, run-of-mill toner, it gets rid of flakes and dead-skin cells so that new skin deep down can surface.
3. Dry skins can benefit too. Do not be turned off by the alcohol and the initial drying effect. It actually helps clear the way for skin to better absorb moisturizer. My best friend has drier skin and thats what she claims.If you have really dry skin, try the alcohol-free Mild Clarifying Lotion.
4. Get yourself a nice, friendly and helpful consultant. Believe me...I had a one-month stint as a beauty consultant for another brand name in June last year. These consultants are trained to be spontaneous and helpful since they are the ones with the product knowledge. Some of them may be pushy since they earn a commission and have a target amount of sales to make. But many of them are really professional and do care for their customers. Mine has been with me for 6 years (she is only 5 years older than me and is really like a friend so I can tell her anything). Many people are crazy about GWP (Gifts with Purchases) or "Bonus Time" since we all get to receive exciting samples of old, trusted products, plus some new products. My consultant gives me stuff even if it is not bonus time and always reserves the free samples of new products that she thinks are suitable for me. If I run out of Facial Soap and do not have the cash at hand (remember I'm a college student on a budget), she will hand me the sample size soaps usually hidden inconspicuously under the counter!
Ingredients: (I try to give the ingredients listed in the bottles I have at home. Everyone uses Clinique at home so I have a variety of strengths)
People who tried Clinique Clarifying Lotion either love it or hate it. Those who like it have virtually zero complaints with it. Those who did not like it typically complains of the burning sensation and sometimes, the fact that it makes one break out after a few days. By starting with a lower strength and slowly easing into the normal recommeded strength and by persevering with it and keeping in mind that the breakout will go away soon may solve the problems most people have with this product.
That said, yours truly is going for a fabulous day at the beach (yes, I always use sun protection even though my medium tone skin almost never burns). Not that I have lots of free time for the beach, between my college activities and my part-time job as an administration assistant for Singapore Airlines (SIA) at Changi International Airport (part of the pride of my country). Will love to visit the US someday but guess I will have to wait till next year when I go for the Students' Exchange Programme. I expect the climate will be cooler and drier in the northeastern states? So I will have to make adjustments to my skin care regime to make it less strong...and is Clinique staying with me? You bet!
The difference-maker. Gentle exfoliating lotion developed by Clinique's dermatologists to help control oil and clarify skins that are comfortable in t...More at Sephora
Reveals healthier, softer, smoother skin. Allows for more effective moisturization. Allows makeup to go on more smoothly, and stay on longer.More at Beauty Encounter
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