Anyone use Clinique acne products??

M

momto2bratz

Cathlete
Hi everyone,

Has anyone used Clinique acne products?? I have been using it for about a week now. I don't have cystic acne, but I have terrible blemishes all the time. It has gotten worse once I turned 30. I am 31 now and am having so much trouble with my skin. The blemishes are on my face as well as my back and shoulders. Does anyone know of any good products besides the Clinique?

Thanks in advance:)
Aila
 
I use Clinique acne cleanser, I have noticed that it has helped some but I stil have acne, I was wondering if there was something better then Clinique, I have spent well over $100 for something that has not cleared me up the way I want LOL
 
I know what you mean!! I have spent tons and it seems like whatever I use it works for a couple of weeks and then my skin goes back to the same condition. I will see how this works. I may have to go see a dermatologist. It's so frustrating!!

Aila:)
 
I used to use Clinique, but it didn't help me. So, I finally gave ProActive a try. Let me tell you, it works! I had horrible acne on my forhead, and it's now clear. I'm so glad I decided to try it. Plus it doesn't dry out your skin that bad eiher, escpet for the winter months, but if you use a good moisturizer during that time it will be fine. I've been using it for around 2 years now, and I won't use anything else. Everytime I run out I breakout again, so I guess I'm hooked for life.

Kathy
 
I use Clinique skin care and have since college, and I love it!

Carol
:)
 
I think that it costs something like $34.95 plus shipping, but it lasts for 2-3 months depending on how much you use it. I get it shipped automatically once every 6 months right now. I order more if I run out.
Yes, you can use whatever moisturizer you want with it. I put on a moisturizer right after I get done using the toner and before I put on The healing Lotion. I think that is what it's called at least. It's the last thing you put on that wards off future breakouts.
Anyway, I have my mom using it now and she even noticed that her pores appear smaller and her skin clears up almost right away. It's great stuff, definately worth the money to me.
You can check out their webesite it's www.proactive.com

Kathy
 
Proactive didn't work for me. I have naturally oily skin and seem to have blemishes all the time...face, neck, back and chest. Cutting back on products so I don't over-process my skin has helped. However the tougher products (like 5% or 10% benzoyle peroxide) help the back and chest breakouts if I'm diligent about it. I'm also considering visiting a dermatologist since I'm 34 and nothing is curing it. The nice thing about Proactive is they did return my money after I tried it for a whole month.

CinDee
 
Hi Aila, those Clinique acne products never worked for me. I get better results from PanOxyl or Persagel (which are much cheaper) for my acne than any of those expensive department store brands.

Have you ever considered seeing a dermatologist? He/She might help you with those blemishes. Sometimes you need prescription-strength products to peel the outer layer of skin and lighten the hyperpigmentation left by acne. A dermatologist can also give you something to keep your acne from getting worse while the blemishes are being lightened. There are so many products and treatments available now for your kind of problem.

I have been on Retin-A on and off for many years. It can be irritating to the skin but it has also worked wonders for me. A doctor can also give you something for your back and shoulders. I broke out very badly in these areas when I was pregnant with my son, and Cleocin (a prescription med) took care of it well and was safe during pregnancy.

Pinky
 
Hi Aila! I used to sell Clinique, and...gulp...in my opinion the majority of their skincare is pretty much useless. (Ducking!) They keep putting in all these irritating and unhelpful ingredients like alcohol, peppermint and menthol..I used their stuff faithfully, honestly believing the Clinique teacher who told me that this stuff was The Best, and all I got was more breakouts with loads of irritation too. My skin is very acne-prone as well, and what I would recommend is that you go ahead and see a dermatologist. Don't be afraid to! There are lots of great options out there now to help you. I now use Azelex (to unclog pores and fade red discolorations) and I alternate between Cleocin Lotion and Klaron Lotion (to kill the bacteria). My skin is clearer now than it has been since I was a teenager.You may feel at first that it's expensive, but when you think about all the money you can wind up spending on department store stuff that largely doesn't work, you will probably wind up SAVING money in the end! Not to mention, saving your poor face! Good luck!!;-)
 
Hi Aila,

I empathize with your plight. I developed adult onset acne in my mid 20's and it was horrible. I had cystic acne on my chin and jawline and lots of pustules on my forehead and around my nose. I tried Clinique, Proactiv, and a ton of other different things and found one VERY AFFORDABLE product line that worked wonders for me, Paula's Choice products.

I would also like to share the my routine that has cleared up my skin and kept it pretty much blemish free for several years now.

Morning:
In the shower 1) use a gentle scrub (like Lancome's Confort Exfoliance or Laura Mercier's Facial Gommage) and try not to get too carried away with the amount of pressure. 2) follow with a gentle cleanser (Paula's Choice Completely Clean for Normal/Oily or her new foaming cleanser for normal/combination).

After the shower 1) splash cool water on skin and pat off excess so skin feels damp, not soaked (I find the products absorb better and spread more evenly on slightly damp skin). 2) Apply Paula's Choice 1% Beta Hydroxy Acid Lotion (she has a 2% for more severe/persistent acne). 3) Immediatley follow with Paula's Choice 2.5 % Benzoyl Peroxide lotion (she has a 5% for more severe/persistent acne). 4) Follow with SPF 15 for Normal to Oily skin.

She has a very nice toner for normal to oily skin. I find this step to be optional.

Evening:
1) Cleanse 2)Apply the BHA lotion 3)Apply the Benzoyl Peroxide lotion 4) Apply moisturizer as needed to dry spots. She has a very nice silicone based moisturizer for oilier skin types.

This routine worked the best for me. She also offers almost all the products I mentioned in 2 ounce sizes so you can try the routine without making a huge financial investment. She also has a very generous return and refund policy. If you would like to check out the products and her website, the address is www.cosmeticscop.com.

I also highly recommend her book, Don't Go To the Cosmetics Counter Without Me. It rates thousands of products and gives recommendations as to what products work best for each skin type in lots of different categories. If you look in the book you will find that Clinique's products for acne are poorly rated because they contain ingredients that actually aggravate acneic skin and make things worse.

Edited to add that if OTC topical solutions are not working, then consulting with a dermatologist would be the next step.

Feel free to email me or PM me if you want any additional information.
Good luck!
 
Hi Aila,

As Pinky and Ally wisely said, your best bet is to go to the dermatologist. I tried ProActive a few years ago and think it is a system, however, after about a year I felt like my skin got used to it and it just wasn't as effective.

Unfortunately, most over-the-counter products don't work that well, and you'll spend a lot of time searching for the "right" one. I was a little weirded out by going to the dermatologist, but not once in 3 years has he ever touched my face. That almost seems a little odd, but I usually go in armed with a bunch of research and ask for the medications I think would be best for me.

Like Pinky & Ally said, you need a product to address the bacteria. I have oilier skin and have been using Benzaclin, which is a combo of 1% Clindamycin and 5% Benzoyl Peroxide, at night. It dries out my skin so much though, even on the oily days, so I made an appt. for next week and am going to ask for Benzac, a 5% BP gel. It also comes in lower & higher strengths and there are two "kinds" AC and W- one for drier skin, one for oilier. (http://www.galdermausa.com/products/benzac.php)
There are tons of BP products out there, prescription and non. I really like DDF BP Gel 5% w/ Tea Tree Oil, but it's about $20 for 2oz, and it's actually cheaper for me to get it by prescription.

Again from Pinky & Ally, you should also try to use a Rx to unplug pores and help accelerate cell turnover so that the blemishes don't appear in the first place. I like Differin in the AM, and although it made my skin dry at first, it's just fine now. There are a lot of adapalene or tretinoin (Vitamin A forms) prescriptions available, too. (http://www.differin.com/index_nonflash.cfm) Also, I recently read an article about adapalene products being less photosensitive than tretinoin products, so that might be something to think about as well.

Patience is unfortunately going to be important. I style break out around TTOM, but overall, my skin is much clearer and more even toned.

When my back & shoulders are an issue, I usually just use the BP product along with some serious exfoliation in the shower- that helps.

If you have access to a journal database like EBSCO or ProQuest, you can search for these meds and you will get a lot of info from Dermatology journals.

Good luck-
Gina
 
Hi Aila --

It seems that you've gotten a lot of good advice already from everyone. A lot of their stories sould the same as mine. I have been so frustrated over the years with my skin. I have tried so many products (and spent so much money). I've tried LOTS of the expensive department store brands (Clinique, Este Lauder, etc), LOTS of the inexpensive brands (oxy, neutrogena, purpose, etc), LOTS of the spa brands (dermalogica, matrix,etc). I've tried Proactiv. It worked really, really well for a while. Then my face went back to normal -- always shiny, always breaking out. I saw a Dermatologist. Of course she recommended products (MD Forte) and mostly they didn't work However, the tazorac she prescribed helped a little and is supposed to help with wrinkles too so I will continue to use that occasionally (but it can be too drying). I have also tried the Paula's Choice products. I really liked the moisturizer -- although I really can't use a moisturizer most of the time because my skin is so oily.

As a last ditch-effort on my part -- I decided to try a Shiseido product (pureness foaming cleanser). It has worked wonders for my skin.

For my body -- I use neutrogena body clear body wash. It has cleared up my back and shoulders nicely.

Good luck. It seems that skin-care is much like diet and exercise -- you have to find what works for you.

Shonie
 
I second Paula's Choice. Great products that work and inexpensive prices. DH has occasional breakouts along the forehead (me, I get the occ one at the base of my nose- what it lacks in frequency makes up for it in SIZE!...x( ) and I got him on the cleanser. Really helps to keep us clear. I also use the lightening lotion as I used to sunbathe too much in my youth- even though I used sunblock, I have freckling on my cheeks- and it really helped to fade them as well as the 1% bha and moisturizers and 15 spf sunblock. Paula Begoun (sp) really knows her stuff! Good luck - I know how distressing acne can be!:)

Elizabeth
 
I have acne/oily skin also. I usually use Clinique but play around with other stuff. Recently I had a terrible breakout....I think a combination of stress, poor eating, and sampling another skin care line. I went to the Clinique counter and bought their acne line. They used to say follow your usual Clinique routine and sub in the acne products as needed. Now they say to finish out the acne products before going back to the usual Clinique routine. I used to go to the dromotologist, but I did not like being on antibiotics all the time and I was not willing to take Acutane. I have used the acne line from Clinique and my skin looks a lot better. I also started taking B5 from Evolution-X but when my skin broke out I had not been faithful with that. I take two doses a day and that seems to help my skin also. Check out www.B5supplements.com if you want to check into this. I think the key is experimenting and finding what your skin responds to. My skin gets worse if I start playing around with other lines so I have learned to stick with Clinique. That's been my experience and I totally understand what you are going through. If I could take back all the money I have spent on trying to clear up my skin I would be rich! Good luck!:7
 
Hi Shonie,

I sympathize with the not being able to use moisturizer! The Shiseido Pureness cleanser is really nice- the whole Pureness line is. They have a peel off mask that acts like a biore strip for your entire face. I probably would have stuck with Shiseido, but then I learned that the company is not cruelty-free, so I ditched it. Just my personal beliefs- not trying to disuade anyone from using or persuade anyone to buy.

Gina
 
I just want to thank everyone again for all the information!! I really do appreciate it!! None of my friends or family have this problem, so it's hard for me to compare notes. I am going to make an appointment with the dermatologist to see how it goes. I will probably try some of the products listed above if the dermatologist doesn't help me. I did try the neutrogena body wash and it doesn't work for me. It seems like any product with benzoyl peroxide and sacylic acid works at first and then my skin goes back to the way it was. Everything that I have used had either one of those ingredients. I really don't want to be on any antibiotics, so hopefully the dermatologist will give me some type of topical cream. Thanks again!!

Aila:)
 
I must say that ProActiv is a fantastic product, however, I don't think it can or will do anything with hormone-related cystic acne. I started using Proactiv when I turned 20 (that's when I started getting acne). It makes my entire face look great!, except for my chin. I cancelled my membership twice, because it wasn't working, but I went back each time. It made the rest of my face look so much better that I could tell after a month or two of not using it. I've even been using much stronger prescription medication that hasn't worked.

So I started taking birth control for my acne. It worked wonders!! It worked for an entire year. Except now, in the last two months, it has come back full-force, so I just changed birth control today. It is possible that I received a bad batch (meaning just a little off on the hormone content) of birth control, but I'm not sure. I know it's not an option for everybody, but if the problem is hormone-related, no topical product will take care of it completely. Too much caffeine and stress can bring the same type of acne on, too. Good luck! Acne sucks!!

Sara

Edited to add: I received advice on this forum over a year ago that B-vitamins are great for your skin. I took them for about 5 months, and they really did work. They made me feel more energetic overall, as well. I quit taking them only when I started experiencing serious anxiety - I don't think the B-vitamins caused it at all, but I think it did add to it a little. I'm probably going to start them up again when I get the money to buy a new supply.

http://www.picturetrail.com/rayiisara/sblordita
 
I went to a dermatologist a few years back for acne. He told me to use Neutrogena soap (which I still use) and clinique products. He also prescribed topical retin-a and it worked.

I agree with everyone's recommendation to see a dermatologist because everyone's skin is so different.

Goodluck to you.
 
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