Has anyone tried Cliniques Acne Solutions?

[sunshinegal]

Hello all! I currently use proactiv for my acne daily face cleanser, but would like to use something that is more animal friendly. I assume since I can't find whether proactiv is tested on animals or not that the products are tested on animals. I tried emailing the company with no response which sucks.

Anyway, proactiv has been the best for clearing up my acne. I have oily skin that likes to break out a bit, not over the top though. I am sure if I stopped using proactiv, I would break out a lot. I know Clinique doesn't test on animals or use animal ingredients in their products and they have a newer product line called Clinique Acne Solutions. It is a 3 step system like Proactiv. Have any of you tried it and like it or didn't like it?

I have tried natural products on my face with no success so I would like to stick to some kind of system.

Thanks!

[hoodedclawjen]

i've not used the clinique line, and they don't seem to list their ingredients next to the product on their website, so i can't work out how likely it is or isn't to work, or to make things worse.

the reason proactiv worked so well for you was most likely the benozyl peroxide (which kills germs in your pores) and the hydroxy acids (which helps break up thick oil in pores and removes dead skin that gets stuck in pores and clogs them up). proactiv worked for me too, but was way too expensive and too much hassle for my liking- it also bleached loads of my stuff- grrrr.

i swapped to using a 2.5% benozyl peroxide developed by the guy who started 'the regimen' at http://www.acne.org a year or two ago. you can buy it from http://www.danielkern.com . its not animal tested and contains no animal ingredients. and as another plus, its cheap, and very effective. you can buy 5% and 10% peroxide gels in a pharmacy, but 5% will make your skin really dry and and flaky, as will 10%, but twice as much- 2.5% is proven to be just as effective and less harsh. i would definately choose it over proactiv any day. infact, i do, every day, lol.

if you want to build in the other parts of a three (or 4*) step regime alongside using benozyl peroxide gel, you can do the following regime:

1) for cleansing, morning and night, use a very gentle cleanser, and if you need to, mix a little baking soda into it a few times a week, for a mild exfoliating effect that won't wreck your skin. don't buy one of those brightly packaged medical sounding 'designed for acne' cleansers/toners, cos they're generally way too harsh and irritating and full of crap like menthol (which makes your skin feel hot/tingly by irritating it) and alcohol (makes skin feel cold by stripping it- just like nail varnish remover and paintstripper does) and harsh surfectants (which will make your skin worse/irritated/sensitive/make more oil to replace the stuff that was yanked out of it). buy the gentlest one you can (actually, dan kern has one of those as well).

2) apply 2.5% peroxide gel- start with a little, then over a few weeks, build up to using a strip (like a strip of toothpaste) about the length of your finger, to cover your whole face, twice daily. if you just break out on your t-zone (or about half a face worth of skin) use half that much gel. gently smooth it on and into your pores, don't rub the hell outta your face.

3) use a leave on (not wash off, like the ones in most regimines, they aren't on your skin long enough to actually do anything) 2% beta hydroxy acid liquid or gel, after the peroxide (over the top, once its soaked in) a few times a week, if you need to de-gunk any clogged pores that you might have. you can buy a 2% beta hydroxy acid liquid, and/or gel from http://www.cosmeticscop.com/shop/shoptype.asp?ID=342 . you only need a teeny bit of this stuff. the site above does teeny samples too, good if you wanna try it for a bit but not spend much. their beta hydroxy gel that i have, says "no animal testing" on it, but you'll need to contact them, if you want to check if the ingredients are vegan or not.

4) then use an oil free gentle moisturiser over the top of everything, where you need it. i'd not slather it onto any specific area if your skin doesn't feel dry, tight or flaky there, cos if its doing fine without it, best leave it alone, lol- no point messing with it, you might end up making a perfectly nice bit of skin go oily or greasy if you cover it in stuff it doesn't need.

*there are 4 steps here, because with proactiv, their hydroxy acid (salicylic acid) is in either their cleanser or moisturiser- or maybe even both (haven't got the packet to check which)- here you have to add it separately if you want it. i find my (once pizza-esque) skin does fine without the beta hydroxy step though.

by the way... on the clinique website it says " We use very few animal ingredients; the few that we use are by-products of the U.S. animal food industry. We use them only when their efficacy cannot be duplicated by any other source of ingredients. " so it seems they do use some animal ingredients- and you'll therefore still need to check their 3 step system if you choose to buy it.

[sunshinegal]

Thank you for your response! I appreciate it greatly!

How much of the benzoyl peroxide gel do you go through in a month? Also, do you use the cleaner he developed also? I don't know if this will be cheaper as I usually can make my proactiv last 4-5 months with one bottle but I really like the fact that it is animal friendly and vegan.

It is always scary switching from one system to another because I hate to see my face break out, but I think this will be a worth a shot. All I can do if I don't like this is go back! :worried:

[hoodedclawjen]

um.... i'm pretty cheap and stingy with my peroxide gel, and use as little as i can get away with, so a bottle lasts me at least two months... so thats costing me about $4 a month before shipping, i guess, lol.

i haven't tried his cleanser, as i have quite possibly the worlds largest bottle of cetaphil to work through, but i probably will when i use up the cetaphil.

yep, it is scary, lol. i had really impressive acne for about 14 years, and it was pretty unsavoury. i had loads of dematologist medications, lotions, and treatments, and tried loads of systems, and nothing really worked (and kept working) until i started using proactiv... then i realised it was the peroxide that was doing it, and swapped across to using the peroxide gel from the regimine.

i was scared too, but thought the same thing as you (can always go back), and i gave it a shot. thankfully, it worked out fine for me! for about a week my skin felt a little bit dry and itchy- till it got used to the peroxide- just like it does when you start proactiv- but i stuck with it, and it went away, and worked out great.

i know it works for me, cos when i get too cheap to replace my gel when it runs out, my acne comes right back in under 2 weeks (i gotta try and remember that when i'm feeling to cheap to buy it, i somehow convince myself that the acne will somehow just magically be gone forever, and yeah... its not, unsuprisingly, lol).

anyway- good luck, whatever you try! :) let us know how the clinique works out, if you do go with it, too!

[sunshinegal]

HAHA! I totally understand what you are saying. When I get close to the end of my proactiv bottles I will try these daniel kern products. I so want all of my bathroom and beauty supplies to be vegan (and cruelty free) and if this can work as good as or better then proactiv then hallelujah! Thanks for all the input and I will report back with what I find to be successful. :lovesign:

[lunar_limabean]

I've found a few sites that say that Clinique is animal friendly. I used it for years and was very happy with the results.

Recently, I have been using Bare Minerals makeup. It's animal-friendly and uses all natural ingredients. My skin has been absolutely amazing and I've only been using it for 2 months.
(Buy the starter kit first - you get your expensive brushes included!!)

[sunshinegal]

Lunar Limabean: I did contact Clinique and they stated that there is no animal testing and they only use animal ingredients when they can't find a natural substitute. I use their stuff too based off of what they sent to me and because I love their moisturizer.

I LOVE Bare Minerals makeup. It is so natural and beautiful on my face, most of the colors work for me and it doesn't make me break out at all. I have so many of the kits, but my fave way to wear the make up is just the warmth and glee all over face color without the foundations. I use the foundational powders when my skins just looks off or I have too many breakouts. The warmth and glee make my face so sun kissed and give me such a nice glow! My fave lip gloss of all time is their Buxom lips. I don't think it plumps my lips at all, but I love how it makes them feel, it hydrates them and gives them a beautiful gloss. The big tease mascara is the best that I have ever used because it makes my eyelashes really plump up and stand out. I could go on and on about Bare Minerals....

[lunar_limabean]

I'm still a newbie to Bare Minerals, so I'll have to check out the glee and the lipgloss.
I love natural face stuff - have you tried Arbonne's face products? Those are animal-friendly and allnatural.

[skinnychik]

Pro-Activ isn't tested on animal, so their company says. I think it made my skin worse, though. It only worked for a couple of weeks for me.

[karenlovessnow]

I just bought bare minerals on the advice of my daughter. I only have the foundation...I can't believe she didn't tell me about the warmth and glee!!
I'm going back to the mall this weekend so I am going to check it out. The only thing I'm thrilled about is that I don't find it gives much coverage when I have a breakout...does anyone know what I need to use in order to get better coverage for skin that's broken out?

[lunar_limabean]

For better coverage, you take your "max coverage concealer" brush, dab it in the "foundation", and basically paint your blemishes.
It's worked for me - and that's what the chic at Sephora did when she was putting it on me. If it doesn't work, go to the store and tell them that you just bought the Bare Minerals, but you're unhappy with the coverage. They'll show you what to do, especially if it keeps them from giving a refund!!!

[lunar_limabean]

PS: Sorry for hijacking the thread! :angel:

[sunshinegal]

No problem! I don't mind talking Bare Minerals!

Karen - The warmth comes in the starter kit and glee I bought outside of the kit. With the glee, you don't have to use much because it is very strong, but that is good! It means you don't go through the product quickly.

I forgot another of my faves from the product line:

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P61032&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=5737

I use the brunette because I have dark brown hair, but this makes my eyebrows so much more defined and really frames my face. I also love the gel that keeps my eyebrows in place because sometimes they get minds of their own! :lol: Also, I have had this kit for about 7 months and have barely gone through any of the powder and about half of the gel. This stuff lasts forever and is well worth the price.

Yes, I have spent lots o' money on this makeup, but I have everything I ever need for any look I need.