So, I'm finally ready to give you my thoughts on the Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Toner.
As I mentioned in my review on the Clarins Daily Energizing Wake-Up Booster, I've had these two since September 16th, so I've been using both for a month. I was comfortable giving a review on the Daily Energizing Booster after two weeks, given the nature of the product, but wanted to hold off a
bit on the Exfoliator until I was sure.
Just for some backgroud - I've been using Alpha H Liquid Gold (review here) since December 2016 - I received a 50ml bottle in the M§S Beauty Advent Calendar my Mom got me for Christmas. Up until then I had been suffering from redness, irritation and texture around my jawline that nothing would shift. I had exacerbated the problem by well-meaningly scrubbing my face regularly with Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask and GlamGlow FlashMud Brightening Treatment, and had actually worsened it. I had tried an acid toner before from La Roche Posay but saw no great change. However, after about 10 days of using LG I was shocked and delighted to see that my skin was calmer, smoother and soft to the touch - and have since gone through 3 full-size bottles.
Forward to September last, after the summer my skin was oilier than usual (I'm usually dry/dehydrated but my skin is changing as I get older) and I was breaking out in more pimples and whiteheads than usual. I've never suffered from acne, even in my teenage years - so when I was dealing with two or three spots a week I started to wonder if I should change up my routine a bit.
So here's where Clarins came in.
As I spoke about on the review on Toners and Acids, acid exfoliators can be largely broken down into two groups - AHA's and BHA's. AHA's (like Glycolic) are generally more suited to dry/dehydrated skins and BHA's (like salicylic) to oilier, more acne-prone skins as they penetrate deeper. Clarins contains both Glycolic and Salicylic, so I figured that as well as getting my fix of Glycolic (pun intended, I'm addicted to the stuff) I could also incorporate some Salicylic to deal with those pesky spots as well as some Tartaric which is another AHA.
Here's the thing about Clarins.
While Alpha H are very transparent about the levels of acids in their products, Clarins are not. While they do list the ingredients in a traditional descending order, they don't give you a percentage. So while LG contains 5% Glycolic, we don't really know what Clarins contains.
Acid exfoliators give a sting, that oftens wears off with time. So when I first started using LG I felt the sting but by August last I wasn't getting much of one - just a mild tingle. That being said, when I used Clarins for the first time I expected a sting - but I didn't get one - and this made me sad because I've grown to embrace the sting😅
Clarins say to use this toner only a couple of times a week, and I did see some reviews by sensitive skinned people saying that this was quite strong - so my hopes were high. But me being me I decided to do it my way and use it as I would LG - every second night.
The formula is very different to LG. Firstly, the smell. As far as I can see on their site Alpha H list the key ingredients as 5% Cosmetic Grade Glycolic, Licorice extract and Silk proteins ('Key Ingredients' generally means that there are other ingredients too, and I haven't found out what they are). LG smells kind of like vinegar, so we can probably discount fragrance. It is also quite watery. Clarins on the other hand doesn't list fragrance as an ingredient but I'm skeptical as it has that 'Clarins smell' - which if you're a Clarins user you'd know blindfolded. It's also thicker than liquid gold, like a watery gel formula.
This Clarins exfoliator would be great for someone that is sensitive, a bit on the oily/combo side or a first time acid exfoliator user. It is, as it says, gentle, and it does provide some brightening. However, for a relatively seasoned acid toner like me, whose skin is used to a hit of 5% every other night and has issues with texture and irritation, it just isn't enough. While I haven't slipped back into rough, irritated territory I have noticed that my skin is not quite as smooth as when I was using LG. It does look bright and healthy, so this toner does work - again, it's just not potent enough for me personally.
That said, I'm probably going to finish out this bottle as we don't throw out Clarins products chez moi - it's not at all a bad product it's just not for me because my skin needs more. One of the things I miss the most about LG is that you can use it alone with nothing on top for a more intense treatment - my Sunday night skincare routine was cleansing and a swipe of this for glowing Monday morning skin. I'll repurchase LG as soon as possible and alternate the two. While I do feel like Clarins helped clear up the pimples and whiteheads that were plagueing me, it's not enough for me permanently.
Price wise, Clarins works out at €33.50 from Clarins France, €32 from Debenhams Ireland and they have sites worldwide.
Have you tried any acid exfoliators or do you use either of these?
Have a great week everyone!
A x
Find me on Instagram, FaceBook, Twitter👄💓
As I mentioned in my review on the Clarins Daily Energizing Wake-Up Booster, I've had these two since September 16th, so I've been using both for a month. I was comfortable giving a review on the Daily Energizing Booster after two weeks, given the nature of the product, but wanted to hold off a
bit on the Exfoliator until I was sure.
Just for some backgroud - I've been using Alpha H Liquid Gold (review here) since December 2016 - I received a 50ml bottle in the M§S Beauty Advent Calendar my Mom got me for Christmas. Up until then I had been suffering from redness, irritation and texture around my jawline that nothing would shift. I had exacerbated the problem by well-meaningly scrubbing my face regularly with Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask and GlamGlow FlashMud Brightening Treatment, and had actually worsened it. I had tried an acid toner before from La Roche Posay but saw no great change. However, after about 10 days of using LG I was shocked and delighted to see that my skin was calmer, smoother and soft to the touch - and have since gone through 3 full-size bottles.
Forward to September last, after the summer my skin was oilier than usual (I'm usually dry/dehydrated but my skin is changing as I get older) and I was breaking out in more pimples and whiteheads than usual. I've never suffered from acne, even in my teenage years - so when I was dealing with two or three spots a week I started to wonder if I should change up my routine a bit.
So here's where Clarins came in.
As I spoke about on the review on Toners and Acids, acid exfoliators can be largely broken down into two groups - AHA's and BHA's. AHA's (like Glycolic) are generally more suited to dry/dehydrated skins and BHA's (like salicylic) to oilier, more acne-prone skins as they penetrate deeper. Clarins contains both Glycolic and Salicylic, so I figured that as well as getting my fix of Glycolic (pun intended, I'm addicted to the stuff) I could also incorporate some Salicylic to deal with those pesky spots as well as some Tartaric which is another AHA.
Here's the thing about Clarins.
While Alpha H are very transparent about the levels of acids in their products, Clarins are not. While they do list the ingredients in a traditional descending order, they don't give you a percentage. So while LG contains 5% Glycolic, we don't really know what Clarins contains.
Acid exfoliators give a sting, that oftens wears off with time. So when I first started using LG I felt the sting but by August last I wasn't getting much of one - just a mild tingle. That being said, when I used Clarins for the first time I expected a sting - but I didn't get one - and this made me sad because I've grown to embrace the sting😅
Clarins say to use this toner only a couple of times a week, and I did see some reviews by sensitive skinned people saying that this was quite strong - so my hopes were high. But me being me I decided to do it my way and use it as I would LG - every second night.
The formula is very different to LG. Firstly, the smell. As far as I can see on their site Alpha H list the key ingredients as 5% Cosmetic Grade Glycolic, Licorice extract and Silk proteins ('Key Ingredients' generally means that there are other ingredients too, and I haven't found out what they are). LG smells kind of like vinegar, so we can probably discount fragrance. It is also quite watery. Clarins on the other hand doesn't list fragrance as an ingredient but I'm skeptical as it has that 'Clarins smell' - which if you're a Clarins user you'd know blindfolded. It's also thicker than liquid gold, like a watery gel formula.
This Clarins exfoliator would be great for someone that is sensitive, a bit on the oily/combo side or a first time acid exfoliator user. It is, as it says, gentle, and it does provide some brightening. However, for a relatively seasoned acid toner like me, whose skin is used to a hit of 5% every other night and has issues with texture and irritation, it just isn't enough. While I haven't slipped back into rough, irritated territory I have noticed that my skin is not quite as smooth as when I was using LG. It does look bright and healthy, so this toner does work - again, it's just not potent enough for me personally.
That said, I'm probably going to finish out this bottle as we don't throw out Clarins products chez moi - it's not at all a bad product it's just not for me because my skin needs more. One of the things I miss the most about LG is that you can use it alone with nothing on top for a more intense treatment - my Sunday night skincare routine was cleansing and a swipe of this for glowing Monday morning skin. I'll repurchase LG as soon as possible and alternate the two. While I do feel like Clarins helped clear up the pimples and whiteheads that were plagueing me, it's not enough for me permanently.
Price wise, Clarins works out at €33.50 from Clarins France, €32 from Debenhams Ireland and they have sites worldwide.
Have you tried any acid exfoliators or do you use either of these?
Have a great week everyone!
A x
Find me on Instagram, FaceBook, Twitter👄💓
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