1408 Clinique Anti-blemish Solutions (Clinical) Clearing Gel Review

I am going to take you guys back a little bit so I can quickly explain why I have this product, and where this product’s journey with me started.

Last year I went through a phase of buying skincare products because I was on the hunt for a good routine. To have a skincare routine, you need to have skincare products, so I started with this box set called Clinique Break Up with Breakouts which I bought about a year ago. The box itself is £16 which is pretty good if you ask me because this item on its own is £16 just for the 15ml clearing gel.

I have only just gotten around to using it because I was trying to use up products in my collection (I have way too much!). Truth be told, this was a product that I didn’t know about, and I only have it because it came with this set. I do have similar products from a different brand. I am unsure at this point which one I prefer.

Right, I should probably talk about the product itself, I mean that is why I am even writing. Overall, it is a great product, it travels well, a little goes a long way, it isn’t unpleasant to use, what more do you want? It is strong, so you want to keep it away from your eyes. I haven’t been using it for a long time because I rediscovered it in my collection (pretty much I forgot I had it). That is the only problem with a small product, they get lost or at least they do for me.

Does anyone else forget to use products? I still live at home with my parents, so all my things must be kept in my room, to minimise the clutter (not very well) I try to put things away instead of keeping them out on a dresser or in the bathroom cabinet. I haven’t yet found a routine that I stick to or that makes me remember to apply skincare which is a problem. In short, I am awful at remembering to use it. It has nothing to do with the product (because I like the product), but I just forget, time ticks over and suddenly, I don’t have time to pop it on, I have already put makeup on, or I am at work. I have tried setting alarms on my phone as a reminder but unless I am near the product when the alarm goes off it never really works.

A word of warning… don’t put it near your eyes. It is not a pleasant feeling; it also stings a bit if the blemish is fresh or open so, please be careful. It is a bit like putting salt in a wound, it stings, I don’t recommend it, and it is not safe to put on an open wound so follow the instructions and if you experience pain seek medical attention from a professional.

Can I just say, the bottle/pot whichever is CUTE, is just so small which makes it easy to travel, so I am not complaining? You may think you will get through the product in a few days because of the size of the bottle but trust me when I tell you that a little goes a long way. You 100% do not want to be applying too much because the nature of the product is to dry out the area you apply it to (getting rid of the natural but annoying oil). Let’s face it, glass pots are luxurious and look cool (mostly) but at the end of the day, they are bulky and heavy.

As I mentioned you only need a little, I would say use a grain of rice-sized blob to start with and go from there. It is not the cheapest product, so you want to use it sparingly. The instructions say to apply a thin layer to the entire face twice daily, I can’t agree with that. It would dry your skin out completely which doesn’t do anyone favours and you would use all of it quickly.

Okay, so now we should probably discuss the price. It is not horrendous, but I don’t love it. It comes in two sizes, 15ml and 30ml. You get the 15ml in the box that I bought. The 30ml is the one I would buy because it is usually more cost-effective to purchase the large size, and that is £22. If you do a bit of maths (yes maths, I know boring right?), it is roughly going to cost around £200 a year if you use it daily (estimated of course) but if you are like me and you use it just to do spot treatment then it should last a lot longer and then be a fraction of the price over the year.

This product is travel friendly (which I do like), and it is the right size to go in your carry-on or your handbag for everyday use. The packaging is unique, I don’t think I have come across anything similar myself. It is kind of cute as well.

I do think I will repurchase this. It will be a very close tie between this one and the Origins one, but I will probably favour this one purely because you have the option to get the bigger size if you wish to. With Origins, I believe (please correct me if I am wrong) you can only buy one size and it is small. As always here is a link if you would like to pick it up for yourself and I do highly recommend you try it.