Review || Clean & Clear Acne-Free Routine (Three Products)

Hi guys!

I recently received this set of Clean & Clear products to review through Crowdsocial, and now that I've had about a week to test out the products on my skin, I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

I received the Acne-Free Routine set, which includes the Continuous Control Acne Cleanser, the Persa-Gel 5, and the Morning Burst Hydrating Gel Moisturizer:

Also, while all my opinions here are completely honest, I want to make sure to state that The week I was testing out these products was not a very acne-filled week for my skin. I did have some spots, but nothing too big or hard to get rid of, so I'm mostly going to be reviewing these products from a skin-maintenance perspective!

So this routine, which I chose in a week where my skin was having more problems, is for acne prone skin, to prevent and help to control breakouts. As you saw in the brochure above, there are three products. First you start with the acne cleanser, then you use the acne cream on any problem spots, and once that has sunk in, you top it off with the moisturizer. (And I'm sure many of you know this already, but moisturizer is still a very important step for acne-prone skin, since skipping it can cause dry skin, which your body will try to prevent by overproducing oils... which can lead to more breakouts!)

So let's take a look at each of the products:

Continous Control Acne Cleanser

This wash is meant to be gentle enough for daily use, and contains 5% benzoyl peroxide (BP), one of the popular chemicals used for treating breakouts. This wash is meant to help treat and prevent breakouts by penetrating the BP into your pores for to help treat zits even after washing. It promises not to clog pores and to leave skin feeling clean and tingly.

To use, like with most face washes, you massage onto damp skin (avoiding your eye area! I tended to avoid the whole area you might apply eye cream, because that skin is sensitive!) for 20-30 seconds and then rise. Pretty simple. They say you can use this up to twice a day, but sensitive or fair skinned individuals should start with only once a day to prevent over drying, as the BP can be harsh.

Personally, I quite like this wash. Its hard to say if it helped to clear up the couple of problem spots I had, or if those went away on their own, but this certainly didn't cause any new breakouts! The cleanser comes out like a thick cream, and doesn't lather on your skin (which isn't a problem for me. Foaming washes can be drying anyways), but it does feel refreshing, cooling, and somewhat minty. This is because of the menthol in it. I found that the warmer the water I used to wash my face, the more intense the menthol tingle was! So if you aren't a fan of a strong tingly effect, maybe don't take this one into a hot shower with you! I don't mind the feeling, however, it's quite refreshing.

One last thing I wanted to mention that I noticed and thought was interesting is that this product is not oil-free. Two of the listed ingredients include mineral oil and petroleum... My skin didn't have any issues, so this really doesn't bother me. I like using oils on my skin, though these aren't the -best- oils for you. However, I wanted to mention it in case your skin doesn't react well to those ingredients or if you just don't like the idea of mineral oil and petroleum in an acne wash.

Persa-Gel 5 acne medication

This is a spot treatment, and the promises are certainly not lofty or special on this one, it just claims to prevent and kill acne bacteria. Sounds good! It says that this is the highest concentration of benzoyl peroxide available without a prescription, at 5%, just like the face wash. Obviously you're applying this and not washing it off in 30 seconds, so the effects are going to be a bit harsher than the wash, so like, don't spread it all over your face. Obviously.

As with the wash, it says you can use it twice a day on affected areas, but recommends that fair skinned individuals start with once a day.

I don't really have anything too special to say about this product. It is a different consistency than some spot treatments I've used, though. It calls itself a gel, but I would say it is more of a lotion-y consistency, as opposed to the usual clear gels or white or tinted pastes (like Clearasil). It's thin, and rubs and sinks into the skin quite quickly. If your skin responds well to BP, this will probably work quite well for you. It's also nice that it dries so quickly, so I don't have to wait too long to apply my moisturizer!

Morning Burst Hydrating Gel Moisturizer

This product is not actually from one of Clean & Clear's acne ranges, but it does work perfectly with this routine! It claims to be a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer that won't clog pores. It also contains cucumber extract as well as mango fruit extract, so it is soothing and smells really fresh and lovely!

I'm not going to tell you how to use moisturizer, but I am going to tell you I bloody love this stuff. If you've read or watched anything I've said about skincare (like my skincare routine video), you may know that I've used and LOVED the Clinique Dramatically Different Gel Moisturizer in the past. I really dislike heavy, creamy, or greasy moisturizers for every day, and gel moisturizers are my saviour! This one is no different, and even better, it's at a drug store price range! I've only been using this for about a week, but I am already pretty sure I'll be repurchasing when I run out!

I also had my boyfriend try out the moisturizer. He really dislikes moisturizers because of his oily skin, but his the deep pore Clarisonic head was making his skin pretty dry and peel-y. And he actually liked the texture of this moisturizer as well, since it sunk in so quickly and didn't leave any residue or greasy stickiness on his skin.

Inexpensive, smells great, non-greasy, sinks in quickly, and actually hydrates my skin? Awesome! I love how my skin feels after using this product, all clean and smooth, almost matte, but in a natural way. Love.

**These products were sent to me for review, and this post is sponsored, but all the opinions expressed on this blog are always my own. All my thoughts in this blog post are completely honest and unbiased.**

Thanks for reading!