A Wren Says

Have you ever tried so hard to fall in love with a brand, against your better interests? Truth be told, Clinique was my first skincare love. It was the maker of the first moisturizer I ever used as part of my burgeoning skin routine. And then we felt out of love. I moved on to other moisturizers that better fit my changing lifestyle and geography, but I continue to look back hoping to one day rekindle the relationship. This time, I figured I would try one of their cleansers: All About Clean™ Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser.

The first time using it was post an outdoor workout where I had put on mineral sunscreen. I blindly washed my face in the shower and was certain it was clean.

“Oh, did you put on sunscreen.” When the question came, it was clear. I had not fully removed the sunscreen. Back to the sink I went to fully cleanse my face.

I gave it another try. This time it was tasked with removing the day’s light makeup. This time I checked the mirror and yet again saw it did not take it all off. After getting frustrated with having to always follow up the cleanse with another, I set it aside.

I returned to the product for yet another chance to prove itself to me. Maybe I had it all wrong. Clearly it was a non-stripping cleanser and would be perfect for winter. But for some reason, that didn’t work either. After washing my face, my forehead became dry and flaky, alarmingly so. Was it just more residue that had dried on my face, or had it dried my skin out that bad? In other case, it just was not working out.

To be fair, I believe Clinique’s Take the Day Off Facial Cleansing Mouse and Cleansing Balm would likely be better suited for dry skin. (The Foaming Cleanser is for dry combination, combination oily, and oily skin.) Perhaps that would help with issues with dryness, but that wasn’t the key problem here. I’m more concerned with the lack of clean. It was not effectively breaking down makeup or other skincare products and rinsing away.  If my face just felt stripped dry but all the makeup had been removed, I would feel different. If I felt like any of the claims were met, I would be willing try more from the brand.

Clinique is a brand that I used to buy loyally, but people change. I know that the All About Clean™ Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser isn’t for me. And maybe it’s time for me to move on from the brand. But don’t be surprised if you see me reviewing anything else from Clinique. After all, you never forget your first love.

If you have any products you love from Clinque, whether they be skincare, makeup, or fragrance, let me know in the comments.