Yep, that’s what I said, ladies. Clean & Clear. And I’ll confess I’ve looked down my nose at the brand as “kids stuff” for years, silently mocking my sweet beautiful husband as he used their cleansers and moisturizers beside me at the bathroom counter.
Clean & Clear, heh-heh, what are ya, SIXTEEN?
You know, for me, smugness is just an invitation to my own come-uppance.
And the day has arrived. My post-partum self, besides being now almost completely bald, my little pink scalp showing through the few remaining hairs whenever the wind shifts, is also a BIG FAT GREASE BALL.
Pleasant thought, huh? YUMMY!
But it’s true. Oily, shiny and with the occasional eruption of Mt. Pimple on my forehead or chin, and once right on the end of my nose. (The North Star!) So I noticed Al’s Clean & Clear Morning Burst Shine Control Facial Cleanser with Bursting Beads (beads of what I do not know) in the shower and thought I’d give it a go. It has lemongrass! And fruit extracts! Why not? 
And you know what? It’s a nice little cleanser! It smells heavenly. I’m not a huge fan of those little beads in there, but the scent is light and citrussy fresh and the lather left my face feeling just a little bit tingly, in a good way. For a woman who rarely gets more than 5 hours of sleep a night, a little rejuvating burst of fresh tingliness goes a long way.
I love that after I use this product, my face feels clean but not dehydrated or tight. And I love that my makeup stays put deep into the day, because the cleanser helps keep my natural oils in check. And I love that I’m having fewer breakouts and just feeling generally more presentable and less porkchoppy in the facial area.
I may not be able to keep using it forever, as I’m sure my brief trip back into puberty will end as I recover my old pre-baby hormonal balance, but for now, Honey, I apologize for my haughty attitude toward your face wash. It seems you picked a winner!
And there you have it folks, the facial cleanser version of, “Oh, no, no dessert for me, thanks! I’ll just have a little bite of yours, honey.”
You can also find Megan blogging at FriedOkra.
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That sound like a spiffy little cleaner! I’ll grab some for my husband although not for myself, since my skin has become arid and dry and sad over the past year.
Any suggestions for male-friendly moisturizers?
I guess this would be a good time to announce to the world that I use (a different version of) Clean and Clear and have for years. I love it. A friend who lived with us a few years ago told me to try hers; like you, the scent and pleasantly clean feeling sold me. I loved how soft my skin felt after I used it.
That said, I have oily skin, and it requires a tough cleanser. So it might not be for everyone.
I’ll tell ya what – at various times when limited income has restricted my purchases at the Clinique counter, I’ve never been disappointed with the Clean and Clear products I’ve used. Maybe I still have teenager skin (which goes nicely with my quickly graying hair). Whatever the reason, I find it to be good stuff!
I also love their moisturizers- I’ve had oily skin since I was ten, and then after I had my son a year ago, I’ve ALSO had DRY skin- if I don’t use moisturizer as soon as I get out of the shower, it feels like my face will crack into a million pieces! 🙂 Their moisturizer doesn’t make me break out & it smells good! 🙂