Like 99 percent of the world's population, I don't have perfectly radiant, baby-smooth skin. Quite the contrary; I struggled especially with oil-slick skin and blackheads galore in high school. Now that I've made it to my junior year of college, I'd classify my skin as combination. I tend to get a little shiny along my t-zone as the day goes on, but the rest of my face is actually prone to dryness now. In fact, I'd say my skin is more on the dry side, especially during the colder months of the year. While my skin's made much improvement over the years, I still wasn't completely satisfied. So when I was offered the chance to try AcneFree's skin-clearing system, I jumped at the opportunity.
Here's what my skin looked like before starting AcneFree (please excuse the bedhead). I have a few noticeable spots, a smattering of blackheads on my nose and chin, and a general dullness I could probably attribute to the period that had just started. Nothing too severe, but definitely not skin #goalz by any stretch of the imagination. So, let's get started then!
First Impressions
In my package, I received the Sensitive Skin 24 Hour Acne Clearing System, which contained a cleanser, toner, and spot treatment lotion. I also received the Daily Skin Therapy Acne Pads and the Body Clearing Acne Spray. Everything was packaged simply, but each product was sturdy and colorful, which is a big must for me. Overall, the products claim to heal acne in 1-3 days and be “gentler than Proactiv.”
1. Sensitive Skin 24 Hour Acne Clearing System ($15.99 at Target)
The cleanser was gentle and smelled super nice, a little bit like oatmeal. It didn’t foam up as much as I wanted it to, so I had a hard time judging how much to use. The toner felt nice on the skin, especially after an intense workout, but overall I didn't notice it doing much for my skin, other than basic cleaning.
The spot treatment lotion and I ended up having a bit of a love/hate relationship. While it worked wonders for drying up spots lightning fast, it left those spots dry and flaky. Even after moisturizing and applying a hydrating primer, my makeup still flaked off around those spots when I chose to wear foundation or concealer.
2. Daily Skin Therapy Acne Pads ($6.99 at Target)
These smelled heavenly, just like citrus fruit! I ended up using one pad each night before applying a bit of spot treatment. They always left my face feeling tingly and super clean afterward. I’d recommend that those with extra sensitive skin be gentle with this product - sometimes the tingly-ness got a little uncomfortable.
3. Body Clearing Acne Spray (10.99 at Target)
This product I ended up using the least. The smell wasn't fabulous, and itt felt harsh on my skin. However, I imagine if you’re an athlete or someone who spends a lot of time in a sports bra, this spray could come quite in handy!
Related: 10 Go-To Skincare Products for Sensitive Skin
And here’s my skin after about a month of using this system! I’ve got on mascara and tinted lip balm, but no foundation or concealer, and I have to say, my skin looks a little shiny, but it's pretty clear (aside from a stubborn bump on my cupid's bow). My skin definitely felt a lot dryer while I used these products, so ultimately I was happy to go back to my previous moisturizer and plain ol’ Dove soap.
Final Verdict
While my skin didn't 100 percent love the AcneFree system, I was pleasantly surprised with just how quickly the spot treatment lotion and acne healing pads shrunk down my stubborn hormonal spots. If you're someone who doesn't have dry, sensitive skin, I'd definitely recommend you give at least the spot treatment lotion a shot. And if you suffer from super oily skin like I did in high school, this system would probably work miracles.
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