Clinique • Acne Solutions Line (all products) • Skincare - Face

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Jlab25 on 6/11/2013 4:55:00 PM more reviews by Jlab25

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium Brown   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I've been using this product for 3 weeks now and have been seeing consistent improvement in my skin. To provide an accurate review of the product I think it's important to describe my skin type. I have mild to moderate breakouts depending on the season/day and I almost always suffer from hyper pigmentation post acne. I would say this product works well for me because of my moderate acne issues. Prior to purchasing this product I was suffering from the worst acne breakout I have ever had, and my usual routine was not helping improve the situation. I purchased this line because Clinique products go really well with my skin type. Specifically, I purchased the bar soap instead of the liquid, acne toner lotion, and opted not to buy the moisturizer because it has benzyl peroxide which I'm allergic to. After using for 3 weeks my skin has improved significantly, so much so this will adhere as my normal facial routine. The huge pimples I had before are gone and I have not experienced any new bumps during my use and my dark spots are fading! I'm really happy with the results. As far as the products go, I really like bar soaps over liquid because of a cleaner feeling and it lasts longer. In regards to the toner, it does an amazing job clearing the skin and balancing skin tone. Overall, I gave the line 4 lippies mainly because it's not quick solution as I have heard with other acne lines/products. Nonetheless it has worked really well for me.

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artello1246 on 4/30/2013 9:10:00 PM more reviews by artello1246

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

My photographer told me to start using Clinique products for my acne problem when I began modeling. The first couple days of using the 3 step system, my face completely rejected it! I peeled, I turned red, and my eyes were irritated. But DONT GIVE UP, because I kept using it despite these effects, and my sensitive skin adjusted and began to clear up with in a week! Its been exactly a month now and my pores have significantly reduced and so have the inflamed pimples that would pop up all the time. The combination of salicylic acid and benzyl peroxide are harsh so I use a different moisturizer at night to compensate for the dryness.

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*TOP REVIEWER* akneil on 4/7/2013 12:42:00 PM more reviews by akneil

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

This is an OK acne line. It's about the same cost as proactiv, maybe a little less expensive. For the price of this line, I don't think it's worth it. I used this 3-step system for about 6 months and I didn't see much improvement. The cleanser is extremely mild, and does not have enough power to remove makeup alone. The cleansing lotion (toner) is pretty good. The clearing moisturizer is the most effective, but also stains your towels and pillow like crazy because it has benzoyl peroxide in it. And don't be fooled by the name, this is NOT moisturizing and most people cannot use it on their whole face. I used it as a spot treatment and it is the only part of the line that actually worked for me.

A huge concern I have with this line is WHY is there Sucrose and Sorbitol in the products?!
Overall this is an average line that didn't do much for my skin. If anything, I would only buy the clearing moisturizer (Step 3) and use it as a spot treatment overnight.

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ampmouse on 2/11/2013 2:36:00 PM more reviews by ampmouse

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I love the Acne Solutions Clearing Concealer and have been using it for about 2 years now. The only problem is the cost. It is SO expensive, and the places that actually carry Clinique products are at least 20 minutes from my house...

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Emabo on 2/8/2013 3:49:00 PM more reviews by Emabo

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Red, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I've stuck with this product for awhile now, and I'm halfway through all of the products. I had high expectations, and sadly I have to report that Clinique did not meet them. Starting out I typically had 15-20 pimples on my face at any given time, and now I have 10-12. Improved, but not good enough for me to spend 50$. At points my face would be EXTREMELY dried out, and you could see my flaky skin under my makeup. None of the products irritated my skin in the process, though. I did use it every morning/night as I was supposed to, so I have to say I am writing off the product.

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wabuaita on 1/27/2013 1:06:00 AM more reviews by wabuaita

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Black, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

The only place I have acne is my forehead, so I figured I would try something gentle and for all skin types. This line made my skin feel SUPER soft but it did NOT help with my breakouts. It didn't make them worse either. So that's why I gave it a 3. I used it twice a day for a month and saw absolutely no change. It's a good product if you have clear skin and want to take care of it and keep it smooth and clean. But I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking to clear up stubborn acne. Also, I did not buy the moisturizer that came with this line, I bought Clinique's dramatically different hydrating gel instead. The lady at the counter said most people preferred this one anyway. I loved that it was a pump because it always dispensed the perfect amount! It went on smooth and did not leave my skin feeling greasy, nor did it break me out. It also lasts an extremely long time, which made it worth the price.

Bottom line - if you have clear skin and want to maintain it, I recommend this line.

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sammyk0303 on 1/19/2013 1:28:00 PM more reviews by sammyk0303

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I bought this about a week ago because my breakouts were getting worse and for the first few days it worked fell. Now i'm still using it but it has dried my face out to the point where it is flakey and burning!! I stopped using the second step so much so now I only use it at night time but it still hasn't gotten better and the moisturizer isn't helping. As for my acne.. it cleared up a lot but now i have dry skin where my acne use to be

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Mareez on 1/6/2013 11:39:00 PM more reviews by Mareez

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

I have tried soooo many acne treatments to get rid of my acne. I decided to try the clinique acne solutions line and I'm so glad I did. It has been the only thing that has helped clear up my skin although I do get the occasional breakout but my skin has never looked better. All my friends and family have told me how clear my skin looks since I started using it :). I have repurchased many times and will continue to as long as my skin needs it.

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sophiapirie on 12/7/2012 1:20:00 AM more reviews by sophiapirie

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

I used this line a while back and I didn't like it much the cleaner didn't make me feel like my face was clean and the toner completely stripped my skin it felt horrible. the only thing I liked a little was the lotion cause it was some what effective and didnt dry me out. would never buy again. there are better acne products

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tassekuchen on 12/6/2012 9:18:00 PM more reviews by tassekuchen

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I have had oily, acne prone, and overall extremely sensitive skin all of my life. I am currently in my mid 30's and have used this Acne 3 step routine for over 10 years; I only use the acne line it in the summertime, since the heat activates my super oily skin and causes more breakouts than in the wintertime. In the winter, I use the normal Clinique 3 step routine. The Acne solid cleansing bar I do use all year round. It is the only product that I have been able to use and have my skin clear up, looking and feeling healthy again. It is a bit expensive, but worth it to me; I find that using a cotton ball makes the Clarifying Lotion last a lot longer. I will probably use this product for the rest of my life!

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rynamyn on 11/13/2012 10:09:00 AM more reviews by rynamyn

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I received a small sample of this set that includes the bar soap, toner & moisturizer. I used to suffer from a moderate amount of acne but it has mostly cleared up in the past year or so except during that time of the month. I decided to give these products a try during that time as I had a breakout around my chin & mouth. I'm not sure specifically which product is to blame, but I only used it for 3-4 days & my skin was so dry, tight & flaky... I didn't notice any difference in the blemishes at all. It's possible that long-term it might be a solution for breakouts, but for me I can't imagine continuing to use it given how terrible my skin feels. Would rather have a few blemishes than have my whole face feel this dry!

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*TOP REVIEWER* maliciousdelicious on 11/3/2012 12:53:00 PM more reviews by maliciousdelicious

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Dark   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

After having great skin through my entire 20s' and early 30's, I was suddenly struck by acne from hell thanks to PCO. I am not a fan of acne products because I find that you have to keep using them to keep acne at bay. They don't offer any long-term benefits. However, I was so desperate.

This did start clearing my skin up quite quickly. The cleansing foam is quite gentle but when you follow it up with the clarifying lotion, you will still find quite a lot of dirt on your cotton pad. The SA told me it was the dead cells, but I'm not convinced the cleansing foam really cleans thoroughly. If you use sunscreen and have really greasy skin, I find that you can do without the moisturiser. The thing that really seems to make a difference is the clarifying lotion (toner) but that seems to get over much quicker than the other products, maybe because it contains alcohol that evaporates faster.

In the end, I stopped using it because it was too expensive to maintain the habit. I also got on to birth control pills which seemed to sort out the problem. These products seem to be a quick-fix solution but I would always urge people to look for long-term solutions to acne.

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*TOP REVIEWER* mzjade22 on 10/10/2012 5:36:00 PM more reviews by mzjade22

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Medium Brown, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I was using this stuff for about 3 years before I finally gave up and admitted to myself it wasnt working. Its expensive as all get out, and since it runs out so fast you are easily spending 100ish dollars every few months. The lotion that comes with it almost feels like its MORE drying than moisturizing. The whole system is extremely drying, which I found made my skin over produce oil, thus making it break out more. The short version:
*Cleanser leaves a lot to be desired
*Toner is way over drying
*Moisturizer does nothing to alleviate the over drying caused by the toner.

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ak1982 on 10/9/2012 3:46:00 PM more reviews by ak1982

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I used this line for about 8-10 months. I also had to purchase the $45 moisture surge to use with it since it was very drying, so the whole thing cost me over $100 every two months - that's $600-700 per year, it's A LOT to spend on skin products. At first I had great results and loved the products, but after a while it was drying out my skin to the point that it (1) hurt and (2) I started getting super oily and breaking out again so I stopped using this. Even though it got rid of my acne at first, in the end I feel like it ruined my skin. I've never had dry skin like I had with these products and I was worried I would start getting pre-mature wrinkles because of it!!!

The reason that I gave this line 1 star instead of 0 is because I still use the toner since it keeps the oil and acne at bay, but i use a super gentle cleaner and light moisturizer so my skin doesn't get dried out or irritated.

I wouldn't use this line again or recommend it (except for the toner of course).

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ksasi04 on 10/5/2012 3:34:00 PM more reviews by ksasi04

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

These acne products are very gentle on my skin and worked very quickly to get rid of my blemishes. They weren't over-drying, but I wish it came with a better moisturizer like the Moisture Surge. That worked really well with this kit, by the way. Anyway, highly recommended!

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dtrautz on 9/29/2012 5:44:00 AM more reviews by dtrautz

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Coarse   Eyes: Green    

After using product after product from Proactiv to every acne scrub, cleanser, mask in the drug store, I decided to try Clinique's Acne Solution Line. The lady at the counter said that it will work wonders for my skin.. I have moderate acne and tons of cystic acne around that time of the month, so I was desperate. It dried my face out so badly that it was flaking even when I bought the extra Clinique moisturizer. It did nothing for me, my acne was just as bad when I finished the entire bottles of the set. And my face was dried out worse than it's ever been. That was a few months ago and I am still suffering from extreme dryness thanks to it. Do not buy it just because its from Macy's, the lady at the counter swears by it, and because its "higher class" than drug store products!! Waste of money!

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xtasteofimpact on 9/18/2012 2:53:00 PM more reviews by xtasteofimpact

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Tan, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Used when I had mild acne and oiliness, did nothing for my skin.

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kristy1077 on 9/3/2012 12:05:00 AM more reviews by kristy1077

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

This skin care line has saved my skin. I have had issues with acne on and off for years and have tried many things. Nothing has worked as well as the clinique anti blemish system (acne solutions in the US).
I am reviewing this line as a whole. I use the cleansing foam, clarifying lotion and clearing moisturiser. I also use the oil control cleansing mask from this line, but only once a week.
A few years ago i used the foaming cleanser but used other products to tone and moisturise. The cleansing foam was not as effective when not used in combination with the rest of the clinique anti blemish line.
Since using this line my skin has cleared up and i am only dealing with issues i had before i started this line. I have had no new acne arise at all.
My skin feels very smooth and the little marks on my chin are starting to reduce.
I dont have severe acne but i seemed to always have a couple of smaller ones and at least one cystic acne. As soon as one would go another would arise. They only appear on my chin. The rest of my face is fine apart from blackhead issues on my nose.
1) Cleansing foam - Leaves my skin feeling very fresh and clean. Has a slight cooling effect.
2) Clarifying lotion - You need to give this a good shake before use to ensure the bacteria fighting ingrediants are mixed in well. Easy to apply. I leave this to dry for about a minute before going onto the next step.
3) Clearing Moisturiser - Very light moisturiser. I believe it contains benzoyl peroxide to help fight and kill bacteria. It can be drying so i only use this on my problem area (chin). I need to use another moisturiser ontop of this and for the rest of my face.
4) I use ESTEE LAUDER swiss performing moisturiser to moisturise the rest of my face. Its a light moisturiser that i love. Its quite hard to find here (aus) but i manage to order it from the US for under $50 for 100ml. Im sure Cliniques DD would also be fine but i prefer the estee lauder one.
5) On any remaining bumps that are taking longer to go away i just add a benzoyl peroxide 2.5% cream directly onto it for two nights. No more than that or my skin dries out too much.
On another note my skin used to react really badly to benzoyl peroxide when i was in my 20's. But now my skin is fine with it and how its used in the clinique anti blemish line.
UPDATE:
I have added to this review and revised the lippies down because after a month of use this line has made blemishes appear in areas that i had always been blemish free. I have worked out it is from the use of Salicylic Acid in the cleanser and claryfying lotion. My skin does not like this ingrediant at all. I still use the cleanser for about 10sec and then use Clarins Toner and Benzac AC benzyl peroxide gel followed my Estee Lauder Swiss Performance Extract. This combination is working really well on my skin.

I think the Anti Blemish line would work well if your skin can handle the Salicylic Acid, unfortunatley mine does not.

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daisy7113 on 8/31/2012 10:53:00 AM more reviews by daisy7113

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

This 3 step system has saved my skin. I have been using the 3 step for about 2 years now and with great success. I use everything right down to Clinique makeup. I dont find the 3 step to be too harsh either. Is it on the high side? Yes. Is it worth it to me? Totally!!

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mimepanda on 8/29/2012 4:14:00 PM more reviews by mimepanda

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Clinique's slogan for this line was "Kill them with kindness" so I expected that my sensitive dry combination skin would react pretty well to this. I started out using all 3 steps twice a day, but had to taper down to using the moisturizer only at night and the toner once every 2 or 3 days because I just found it to be way too drying. The first week when I used this continuously my face was so tight that I had a hard time raising my eyebrows! Granted it was also winter so that probably didn't help. On the bright side, this helped to clear up some of the whiteheads and smaller pimples but didn't do anything for my cystic acne. It did seem to even my skin tone out a bit though. I eventually gave up on it just because cystic acne was my major concern and I was tired of having such tight, dried-out skin all the time. This may be better suited to those with oily, less sensitive skin.

Packaging was neat and clean looking, I liked the hygienic squeeze bottle for the moisturizer, pricy compared to drugstore brands but about the same price as other products from the same brand.

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