not an ad, just an endorsement

My skin is stupid and fickle. It breaks out totally irregularly, it’s often dry enough to feel uncomfortable, it’s allergic to everything. It’s rosy and yellow and pale and freckled. It’s a pain in my ass. Add to that my lax skincare routine (What? I’m forgetful. Back off!) and everything above my neck is kind of a mess.

I recently said, “I am so sick of this shit” and threw away every face product I owned. EVERYTHING. Hundreds of dollars of stuff I’d used once or twice, stuff that worked, stuff that kind of seemed like it might have, stuff I ended up being allergic to. I trashed it all and said, “What is the one thing I’ve used that ever worked?”

And I remembered six months of 2006 where I used Clinique’s 3 Step and got tons of compliments on my skin. Every older woman in my college classes offered me unsolicited praise, telling me to keep up whatever I was doing.

So why didn’t I? Because the stuff is expensive! But so totally worth it. Now that I’m using it again, my skin is clearer and less erratic. I have less days where it feels miserably tight every time I frown or scowl in disbelief.

I use the mild liquid soap in the shower, whether it’s morning or night and extra mild bar at the sink the other time. I use Clarifying Lotion 1 and the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. The salicylic acid spot treatment is working out for the times when I still get zits, though next time I might switch to their benzoyl peroxide spot treatment instead. I’ve yet to figure out which one works better on my temperamental face.

I like that the entire system is simple. I love the clean lines of the packaging. I love that none of it smells weird or chemical. I’m only a third of the way into my first order, but I think it’s a keeper. Way to go, Clinique!