Clean & Clear • Simply Gentle Cleansing Gel • Cleansers

Where To Buy?

marisolantela on 3/10/2012 7:00:00 PM more reviews by marisolantela

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

In recession times, many things change. Not only for the worse: if it wasn't for its lower price (costs 4.99€) compared to my usual Nivea cleanser, I would have never tried this novelty.
As I understood, the cleansing gel I'm writing about was released less than a year ago in a response to the specific needs of young and sensitive skin types.
Well, I'm not in my teens anymore (*cough cough*), but I thought no harm would come from trying a mild product, which was also a bit cheaper that the one I was used to (I kept using Nivea Young's Wash Off Gel for the last six years). And so it was.

The cleanser is basically a clear gel for washing your skin daily. Doesn't promise wonders, just an effective make up removal and an overall clean skin without dry-outs. So far, it fulfills that promise.

There are pros and cons, of course, but I haven't made up my mind yet about which one is best. Though Clean&Clear's scent is a bit less appealing (an average soapy smell, as opposed to Nivea's delicate fragrance), it is notoriously softer for my complexion and leaves it feeling less tight after washing. On the other hand, Clean&Clear's packaging is less convenient and offers less control, because I noticed it can leak some product from the top, which is not an issue with Nivea's bottle.
I've experienced some redness immediately after washing, but as I'm not using it for long enough, I can't tell if is caused by the cleanser itself or the strong astringent I am applying afterwards (I must always use toners with a little bit of alcohol to close my huge pores). I must also wait a little longer to check if it has any positive effect on controlling my skin's oily glow, but I trust on moisturizers and mattifying powders more than in cleansers to do this part of the job.
I give it three lippies because it's a very recent purchase, and although I'm not carried away, I am pleased enough.

Edit: no worries about the redness - it has nothing to do with this cleanser. Only shows up if I apply my alcoholic toner immediately after rinsing the cleanser (I must wait a couple of minutes between towel drying and toning the skin). I think it is actually better than Nivea's on controlling the oil, and I notice the improvement from the very moment of washing - forms more foam and cleans deeply. If it's true that skins "gets used" to products and decrease their effectiveness, then this is surely one of those cases. I'm glad I gave Clean&Clear a chance.

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