Friday 17 February 2012

Holy Fail of The Week: Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Cleanser


So here it is: The first post in my new weekly series of Holy Grail's and Fail's of the week(s). Considering how you probably haven't seen my opinion of these products before, these posts. will not only have my opinion but a mini review.

Now, onto the first failed product - the Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Cleanser.





I purchased this cleaners a few months ago when I was having particularly problematic skin. Mini breakouts occurring frequently were becoming quite frustrating to me, so after hearing many good reviews about this product, I took the leap and bought it (it also helped that it was grapefruit scented and fronted by Vanessa Hudgens).

The first thing I noticed was the incredibly long name. With all the little pieces of information in the name, I assumed that it would be a targeted cleansing wash, and I was not mistaken. But on to that later.

The next thing I noticed was the smell. Now it did smell very citrusy - like grapefruit - but it was a very artificial smell and was competing against an extremely strong 'soapy' smell. The smell didn't put me off  from using it, but it did make me hesitant to reach for the product.

They say when using a new skincare routine that you should wait anywhere from 3-6 weeks minimum to start seeing results. At first, I started noticing it drying out my spots, but they weren't clearing up. I continued getting spots and they were drying out, but not clearing up. I also began to notice extreme drying around my chin and nose - basically, I had two bright red stripes going down either side of my mouth and then around my nose. It got so bad that my sister began calling me Jack Nicholson (as in the Joker - with the bright red mouth). I don't suffer at all from dry skin, but actually quite the opposite with combination/oily skin, especially in the t-zone. These results were quite a shock for me, because I don't generally have sensitive skin, and to have these markings appear totally surprised me. I'm only annoyed I don't have any photo proof to show you how bad it was.

My only explanation for this is that it could be due to the 2% salicylic acid in the product. This product is marketed for acne prone skin, which I don't have, and salicylic acid is quite a strong product targeted at acne. I can only suggest that this product was to strong for my skin.

Either way, whether it didn't severely dry out my skin and leave ridiculously noticeable dry patches everywhere, I wouldn't purchase it again. Between the smell and lack of results, plus the drying out, I was highly disappointed with this product and would not recommend it again. I would also suggest to use it with caution if you have sensitive skin.

This is a big shame, considering I have used numerous other Neutrogena products and never had issues with them before.

Keep an eye out for the Holy Grail of the Week!
Love Gianna
xx 

5 comments:

  1. whoa! thats not good at all. I have sensitive skin so i should definitely stay away from that stuff!

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  2. This is actually my favourite cleanser! I have re-purchased numerous times. I have oily/acne prone skin though. The only thing is this cleanser doesn't work well with my new Clarisonic so Ive stopped using it. I've started using a cleanser by Burts Bees which is ok but my skin doesn't feel quite as clean.

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  3. That is awful...I had looked at this product before but didn't but it as I already had a cleanser. Glad I didn't go for it!
    x

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  4. Kerker and Candice - I would definitely proceed with caution if you want to use it, but then again we all have different skin, so you guys might react differently :)
    xx

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  5. This is my favourite cleanser! My skin type is very different though- combo/oily. Ive re-purchased many times.

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