I just came back from the doctors this morning after using Clinique’s 3 step system for over 5 days, luckily enough I stopped using it before it got any worse. It really did clear my skin, it worked straight away, by the second day you could tell the difference, my skin was much smoother and I was really happy with the result, so thinking nothing of it, I continued using it.

It was just when I started noticing that the Clarifying Lotion (2nd Step) started to burn rather than tingle. I didn’t think too much of it, I tried it on the 4th day and it really did burn my face. Apparently I’ve had a bad allergic reaction to it, it’s made all of my skin around my eyes (though I haven’t used it in those areas like I got told not to) really sore, it feels like sunburn, and I’ve come out in really dry patches around my cheeks. Doctor didn’t give me anything towards it, she just told me to leave it and use moisturiser (I use Simple). She said it may take a while to calm down and for the soreness to go.

It’s lucky I didn’t go back to the Clinique counter, by the sounds of it they would’ve told me to continue using it, then there would’ve been a hell of a state on my face, that when I would’ve kicked off! It just shows some brands, doesn’t matter how expensive they are or how cheap, sometimes just doesn’t go with your skin, it’s different with everyone, but I don’t recommend Clinique if you have sensitive skin! I didn’t except my skin to react with Clinique this way!

The effects that have come from using Clinique’s products are truly horrible… I hope everyone’s skin goes back to normal shortly! It’s trial and error with other products, but hopefully we’ll all find stuff that works and doesn’t irritate our now extremely sensitive skin.

I was so unhappy with the state of my skin and wanted my old clear skin back that I decided I needed a proper skin regime. I was just about to buy Proactiv but did a google serach on ‘Proactiv reviews’ and funnily enough many people on the forums I found said that clinique was just as good, lasted longer and was a bit cheaper. Stupidly, I didn’t google clinique 3 step. Why? I think because it has been around forever and I haven’t actually heard anything negative about it.

So off i went to the Clinique counter, had my skin analysis done and handed over way too much money…. but justified the spend by imagining my fabulous new skin. I was so confident that this product would work!

How very wrong I was……

After using the 3 step bizzo religiously morning and night for 4 days, I noticed my skin was getting worse. I put this down to the 3 step purging my skin of impurities… well I got that from the sales girl who said often your skin gets worse the first few days and then gets better.

After 2 weeks it was not getting any better… in fact it was getting worse. 100 times worse than before I started! But I persisted. I am now 4 weeks in and have not missed a morning or night and oh my god I have full on adult acne! My family and friends have all noticed and I have breakouts in places I have never had before!

I persisted because of the money I spent. I persisted because I was waiting for my skin to ‘purge’ and get better. How long will it take?

Obviously I was so confused by the negative experience I was having that I googled it and found this site and many more might I add. Gosh I wish I had found this before I’d spent money on clinique.
I feel like an idiot. A very pimply idiot.