Saturday 16 March 2013

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner


Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner - £25

I know you're all probably bored of me banging on about Alpha-H Liquid Gold by now but it has been my skin saviour for almost a year. Sadly I have to say that it doesn't quite give me the same results anymore. Theres still a visible difference every time I use it but nothing compared to what it did when I first tried it out. Maybe its because I only use it once a week but I guess my skin has just become used to the product. A few of the closed comedones on my cheeks & forehead have begun to make a very unwelcome reappearance and while my skin is otherwise 'good' now (touch wood!), those horrible flesh coloured bumps still get me down. Ideally I wish I could use Liquid Gold every night to sort them out but I'm sure that overdosing on such a high percentage of glycolic acid would just make my skin very red & sensitive. I've even heard of people whose skin has become blistered and raw after their first use of Liquid Gold so I don't want to risk that happening to me. But I think I may have found a safer alternative & its widely available in Boots & department stores across the country - Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner.

It works in a similar way to Liquid Gold in that it is also a chemical exfoliant. As the name suggests you use this product as a toner. After cleansing apply a generous amount to a cotton pad and wipe it all over your face & neck. You then have to wait a couple of minutes before continuing with the rest of your skincare routine but afterwards you can apply whatever serum, eye cream, moisturiser etc. that you normally use. The instructions say to only use it once or twice a week, the same amount as Liquid Gold, but this is so mild on the skin that you can actually use it as a daily product. Its so much gentler on the skin than physical exfoliants yet more potent at the same time.

I've been using it almost every night before applying Hydraluron, Alpha-H Absolute Eye Complex & Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins. It has significantly reduced the amount of closed comedones on my face and leaves my skin feeling really soft & smooth. No adverse effects whatsoever, not even the slightest sting or tingle. You won't see an immediate visual difference like with Liquid Gold but over a couple of weeks you'll start to notice what a difference it makes to the texture of your skin. Clarins say that the main ingredients are tamarind extract which eliminates impurities & dead skin cells and white nettle extract which tightens pores but it also contains glycolic, salicylic & tartaric acid. These AHAs and BHAs help to treat existing blemishes as well as prevent new ones from appearing. It has also helped to reduce the scars left from old spots so my skin looks brighter & clearer in general. Just don't forget to wear sun protection during the day as the glycolic acid will make you more sensitive to the sun. If you've tried Liquid Gold and found it to be too harsh or you're too scared to try something so powerful then this is a brilliant & more readily available alternative for people with sensitive skin.


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16 comments:

  1. I've been hearing a lot of good things about Clarins - as a brand, in general. And this sounds really promising!

    http://norwegianelephant.blogspot.com

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    1. i never really paid much attention to clarins until recently. they always just seemed like a brand my mum used & nothing special at all but i've really liked the things i've tried xx

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  2. I have the clarins gentle exfoliation wash, I really like that. Maybe I should give this a go :)

    www.beautybook13.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. ooh they sound like they'd be a good combo! might try the wash too! xx

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  3. This sounds a lot like the REN toner, I may try this next as I have a lot of bumps around my cheeks that nothing will remove! It's quite a small bottle for the price, how's it lasting?xo

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    1. i never thought to try the ren toner but looking at the ingredients now they do seem rather similar! i've had it about a month and a quarter of the bottle has gone. so hopefully i'll get about 4 months use out of it xx

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    2. I have got a sample of it and so far its good! Just wanna know do you use it on a daily basis or 1-2 times a week?

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  4. Is the Alpha H worth a try? I've read about it on loads of blogs but I'm worried it won't work for me :( x

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    1. oh definitely! nothing has worked better on my pores & blemishes. it'll definitely do something for your skin. my skin has just become a bit accustomed to the formula so i'm not noticing as much of an immediate change anymore. i only recommend this as its gentler so you can use it every day xx

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  5. Thank you SO much for this review! I have the same problem with comedones/bumps on my face and it really gets me down. Coupled with rosacea and very reactive, sensitive skin it's hard to find anything that will work on them without causing redness and sore skin.
    Definitely going to be buying this xx

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    1. no problem! i know i've struggled with cheek bumps for years and theres not much info out there on how to get rid of them. this stuff is really good at clearing them out if you keep on using it every day xx

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  6. This product sounds so nice! I actually use Alpha-H Liquid Gold every other day most of the time (I copied a YouTube beauty guru, lol), but I have never found it too harsh on my skin. The only thing my skin hasn't liked is Proactive! I am guilty for being a little naughty and not wearing SPF though. I think I have a couple of freckles on my face! I think for now, I'll continue using Liquid Gold, but I'll keep this product in mind, being the beauty junkie that I am!

    http://vintagemachine.blogspot.com

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  7. been thinking about getting this for a while and I definitely will now! thank you so much for this review! x

    http://thebeautyvisual.blogspot.co.uk

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  8. Thanks for the detailed review! I've heard good things about Clarins. I just came across your blog and I'm your newest follower :) Would you mind checking out our blog and (if you like) following back via GFC and Bloglovin'? Looking forward to your next post! XX

    sixthtractate.blogspot.com

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  9. I have been thinking about getting this toner for a while because the one I use at the moment is nice but doesn't really do anything. Thanks for the review!

    Laura
    www.whitewintersblog.com

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  10. I haven't even tried liquid gold yet. My list is never ending!


    trinawears.blogspot.com | nyc style blog

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