Clarifying Lotion 1

10 Reviews

1. 

   grudgingChough0

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   This is way too strong for very dry/ sensitive skin. If you fit that description I wouldn’t recommend buying it all, but if you do, you certainly can’t use it daily (let alone twice a day, as recommended by Clinique)

2. 

   yearningPlover6

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   This is step 2 in Clinique’s famous 3 Step. Unfortunately it has become rather dated as all the formulas contain the ingredients denatured alcohol and witch hazel (with the exception of the mild clarifying lotion which has since been continued and is now replaced by Clarifying Lotion 1.0) are no longer considered proper skin care. Why are these two ingredient problematic? First of all they are harsh due to their alcoholic nature, witch hazel is almost always distilled with alcohol at a concentration of at least 40% in most products, by the way this is nothing compared to the old days of Clinique’s Clarifying (sweeping) lotions when they used to contain actual Acetone! That’s Nail polish remover!!!

   Alcohol is drying full stop, no one should be subjecting to their skin to this extremely drying and irritating ingredient after cleansing, particularly if you use their facial cleansing bar soaps (Mild one is the most gentle) and not their liquid cleansers. You will be further stripping your skin after cleansing with soap and be left with a tight feeling, not good. No wonder the 3 step is so popular because your are stripping your skin, then the skin which is left gagging for moisture is now finally at long last soothed and caressed by any moisture and protection it can get! that being in this case the Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion (the only Clinique product I use).

   The 3 Step is a fancy system that was invented by Evelyn Lauder and a famous Dermatologist at the time in 1967 (Can great skin be created?) . It was pioneering at the time since they showed themselves off as being more “clinical” than cosmetic, leading to a simple twice a day 3 step program that is being religiously followed to this day.

   For some skins, this may be perfect, I know many people who have used 3 Step and do look reasonably well, however I believe skin needs much more than soap and water and a bland moisturiser to function well, for some this may be all they need but I do not think the 3 step provides the best skin care today can give.

   Alcohol in Cliniques Clarifying lotion is used in clinique’s words to “dissolve” the glue of dead skin cells and dulling dry surface flakes, it is true alcohol has the potential to do this, but at the risk of drying and irritating and parching skin. Your skin doesn’t need to be swiped twice daily with alcohol to remove dead skin. Leave on chemical exfoliants that are now in the plenty are readily available.

   The alcohol and witch hazel content of the Clarifying lotions increased which each number. There is 1.0 (used to be called Mild Clarifying Lotion and the best of them all!) 2,3 and 4 the strongest. There is also a version for Acne prone skins, also not well formulated and more likely to irritate and make acne skins redder!

   If you must use the 3 step system from Clinique, use the mildest products ONLY! Even if this means going against the “prescription” from your Clinique Consultant or representative! This will ensure you receive your desired results without overdoing it which are you are likely to do with any of the other numbers other than Mild.

   I will not be repurchasing this and really haven’t used it since I was a teenager and didn’t know any better! I know many people who prefer to use this as a spot treatment rather than an all over toner, this may work for some people but for me it only exacerbates pimples and spots.

   Clinique! You need updating!

3. 

   insecureLlama6

   Reply

   I normally use Clinique 3 step but I alternate between the mild clarifying “lotion” (WHY oh WHY they insist on calling this lotion is beyond me?!) & then this as this is the best one out of #1-4 becoz it is the most gentle but the mild clarifying “lotion” is more gentle becoz of it containing 0% alcohol. I have oily skin but I like mild clarifying & #1 the best althou I’ve used #2 & when I was younger #3, I even used one bottle of #4 iirc but Clinique 3 step has always kept my skin clear even thou I battled acne when I was younger so #3 was appropriate for my skin when I was 20 but now that I’m 39.5 I need #1. I use the oily skin bar soap w liquid facial soap for oily skin & Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel & on the rare occasion I get a blemish then Clinique’s acne spot treatment as well as I use Clinique eye cream & eye rollerball. I have some of the moisture surge too. Clinique is the bomb skincare. They should make this a flop top the packaging is plain/basic & utilitarian except for the lid. If you spill it you’re screwed & normally too much gets onto the cotton square. So I’m docking 1 lippie for packaging. It’s not super expensive thankfully & a bottle will last 6-9mos of being used 2x daily.

4. 

   goofySeafowl2

   Reply

   Despite a lot of bad reviews mainly due to the high alcohol content of this product……it seems to be working great for my chest acne……….I was using paula’s choice 10% aha body lotion which was too rich and caused a few red pimples within 3 nights…..i needed something to get rid of them fast since it’s summer now and it’s not pretty…….i have always been using the mild version for my face which works wonders and would use it on my chest……..but i feel like my body can take something stronger………so i went for the #1 and i have used it for few nights now and most of the breakouts have been minimized and with a light touch of spot concealing everything looks okay…….i duno why these people keep saying it won’t do anything due to the ph level blah blah blah…….but me personally have no luck with any exfoliates from paula’s choice after trying almost half of that collection. I guess everyone’s skin is different and you have to try it to see whether it will work for you.

   update: it’s also working great for my ultra sensitive face…..but the trick is not to use it too often……i use this maybe once or twice a week only at night. And if i use this toner i will put more serum and cream on top to make sure my skin won’t be dehydrated. I can notice a difference in texture/tone the next morning. It’s also remember not to use it when your skin is having a reaction.

5. 

   somberOwl1

   Reply

   My current HG toner. I’m frankly a bit annoyed that I like this so much, because of the price. This costs over twice as much as I was previously willing to spend on toner, but after 5 weeks of use, I haven’t regretted it.

   I worry about jinxing it, but witch hazel has generally been good to me. I was previously using Thayers’ unscented witch hazel toner and Cattier Rosée Florale toner, both gentle and alcohol-free, but lately I found my face looking kind of dull, with larger pores than I used to have, and even slightly grey overall, and thus figured I could use some kind of an upgrade. And then I got handed a Clinique tester set one day, and quite liked the toner sample, noticed it had witch hazel in it, did some research online and decided to splurge based on reviews. I’ve not used alcoholic toners for well over a decade, and this does ~reek~ of alcohol upon first impression, and I was kind of expecting my skin to hate it and get too dry, but I’ve used it through a change of seasons without any problems so far. I don’t know how, but it’s moisturizing enough. And the greyness went within days and I think my complexion looks more radiant than before, so the exfoliation promises appear to be working. (I am thinking about starting with an actual BHA product for the pores though, they have maybe slightly improved so far, but there’s certainly more room for improvement.)

   3 lippies for packaging – it looks perfectly nice, but I wish the bottle also had an inner cap with a smaller hole, because I’m afraid of accidentally spilling it. Haven’t so far, thankfully. I think I’ll get about 2 months out of a bottle, using twice a day.

6. 

   lazyLlama3

   Reply

   This has been a revolution for my skin. Sounds dramatic, yes. But it’s truly made a difference in my skin’s texture and clarity. I was never one for a fussy skincare routine and I’ve always preferred to keep products to a minimum. Cleansing cream (or bar soap in summer) plus moisturizer – that’s it. Then I found a bottle of this, which I’d gotten in a GWP a while back. My skin had been looking tired with breakouts and uneven skin tone and texture due to long term stress, and finding myself at my wit’s end, I decided to add this toner to my regimen. Best thing I’ve done in a long time!
   I use it at night after cleansing cream and before moisturizer, and sometimes without moisturizer afterwards, since it often makes my skin feel fresh and plump anyway. In the morning I splash my face with water, apply this toner and then add moisturizer. That’s it.
   This toner has cleared my skin from little bumps and blackheads, and I noticed a huge difference after only about 2 applications (morning and night). My skin became clear and with a slight glow almost immediately. An added bonus is that the redness I’ve had for the past two decades has subsided tremendously. This has actually worked better for me than the Redness Solutions line. I can’t explain it, since my redness is due to fragile capillaries and thin skin, but somehow this toner seems to strengthen my skin and has made it less sensitive.
   Another great thing about this: I’d had trouble with my foundations for a long time. ALL foundations oxidized on me. I tried different ones (minerals, fluid, etc) and everything turned orange after a while. So I switched moisturizer – same thing. But once I started using this, my foundations no longer oxidize!
   I’ve used this now for a few weeks and my skin is looking better than ever. I’ve found my HG skincare item!

7. 

   shyWasp8

   Reply

   Love this toner! Especially for the summer great exfoliating

8. 

   humorousPudding6

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   Great product.I have been using this together with the cleansing bar from Clinique and I can really see a difference. Breakouts are minimized and even if I do get a pimple it does not last very long. After using this toner my face always feels so clean but not dried out. Has a strong alcoholic smell but I don’t really mind . My breakouts are usually dress induced so I don’t know how it would work on oother forms of acne.

9. 

   resolvedGelding2

   Reply

   I don’t know what to say about this product. It’s like it does very little to nothing for my skin. I put a little bit (no more is needed) on my skin and dab it all over my face. The cotton pad is always clean. Either my face is really clean after using my face wash or this product just doesn’t work. I’m basing this on other reviews where people say they are surprise by the amount of dirt they see on their cotton ball/pad after use. It has helped get rid of my flakiness however combined with my face wash and moisturizer. I will use this product until the bottle is done but am undecided on whether on not I will buy this product again.

10. 

    alertBasmati1

    Reply

    I’ve had quite a few bottles of this. I can only use number 1 as any higher it burns my face. Does a good job of keeping my skin hydrated and balanced. Removes all residue and dirt that hasn’t removed with cleanser. Don’t forget tho ladies this is an exfoliator so u only need to use a small amount and wipe all over face avoiding eye then leave don’t keep going over 🙂