(plus arsenal of other skincare products in basket & cotton balls/pads)
Allow me to kickoff by saying a.) I'm so sorry it's been such a long while since my last post, holiday chaos got in the way of my spare time, and b.) happy 2012! I personally am kicking off the new year with a brand new skincare routine which I wanted to be sure I shared with all of you! For Christmas I received the Clinique 3-Step Skin Care System as a gift from my boyfriend's sisters, and have been using it twice daily since Christmas Day (December 25). So, being that I'm about week-ish into my new skincare routine I figured I would share my impressions and things I've noticed. So, let's get started!
As some of you know, those who've been reading my skincare story, I've been on a mission the past few months to explore not only paraben-free skincare solutions, but I wanted to test suggested dupe products for the Clinique system before taking the plunge on something so expensive. (*If you're interested in a skincare story recap,
check this out). To compare notes with my previous post, particularly focusing on the facial cleanser and toner products:
- Up until switching over to the 3-Step system, I had been twice daily cleansing with the Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover. I still very much like the Neutrogena product and still regularly use it on my beauty blender in fact. Something I like a little better about the Clinique cleanser is that it foams on my face a bit more, and there's more of a lather thing goin' on whereas with the Neutrogena the formula is a bit more watered-down in comparison. It may be a total placebo thing, but I feel like I'm getting a deeper clean with more of a lather.
- I had also been twice daily applying toner after washing my face with a cleanser using the the Burts Bees Rosewater & Glycerin Toner . Again, I can't knock the Burt's Bees because it was definitely effective while I was using it, but I've noticed a pretty significant leap between the BB and the Cinique toner formulas and Clinique's is far more intense. Something I've struggled with is enlarged pores, and part of the reason I adopted a toner into my routine was to minimize their appearance, and also to combat dead skin. In reading the ingredients on both the Burt's Bees and the Clinique toner bottles the major difference is the inclusion of Salicylic Acid, and boy can I feel it! I've read and heard that Salicylic Acid is the ingredient in Proactive products which is what makes them so desirable.
Everybody has unique skin and unique skin problems – even those who 95% of the time have nice complexions, indeed have problems. I can't complain about my complexion, I know that I'm blessed to have an overall clear face. However, my unique problem is cystic acne. I'm not sure if that's an official term, but it's how I describe my trouble areas. No matter my skincare routine, I've always struggled with acne underneath the skin's surface that is literally painful and typically when it does surface it causes scaring. Not cute. I've never tried Proactive, but this Clinique 3-Step system is the first skincare routine I've ever tried that's noticeably addressing my cystic acne trouble areas! This makes me beyond happy and relieved!!!
I'm trying not to get too excited because I know I'm only a week into using it, and I've been in this spot before – getting prematurely excited about a product and by the end of the month I hate it. Though, I'll admit I like the results so far and have high hopes that I can finally stop the search for new products! Stay tuned ;)
