Clinique Acne Solutions Kit: Pricey or Priceless?

Recently someone recommend that I try out Clinique's famous "Acne Solutions" kit. I have tried most treatments out in the market that fit my budget and I have heard many good things about Clinique so I decided to give it a try. Macy's was doing a promotion where this kit, which is a trial size version (valued at $43) was available for $29 so I picked one up.

The kit consists of four components: Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam, Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion, Acne Solutions Clearing Moisturizer, and Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel. These are to be used in a "step" process; basically you use one after each other in the same time period in order for the results to be more effective. I will go through each of them individually to give you the description and my personal take.

Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam

This is the first step in the process and basically comes in a 1.7 fl oz pump dispensing bottle. My only complaint about this is that you have to use multiple pumps to make sure that your face was thoroughly cleansed because the foam was so lightweight. However, the formula was non-drying, and although took a lot, seemed to cleanse well, even makeup. This is a bit inconvenient but, still on the effective side.

Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion

This is the second step in the process and despite the name serves as a toner or astringent. It does a pretty good job of getting rid of any leftover dirt or possible makeup residue which you can tell when you look at the cotton ball you just used it with. This formula also does not dry the skin out and keeps your skin feeling clean and refreshed. This comes in a 3.4 fl oz capped bottle.

Acne Solutions Clearing Moisturizer

This is the third step in the process and sadly it is the main reason why I would not buy this kit again. This is supposed to be applied onto your face and acts as a continuing acne-fighter. However, contradictory to its name, this formula completely dries out your skin and made me develop a rash. I thought at first maybe it was because my skin wasn't used to it, but after I would stop using it and let my skin calm down and then return to using it, my skin would still react to it each and every time. I would especially develop redness on the sides of my jaw lines and t-zone areas. Luckily, I had makeup to cover up the flaws, but I can't imagine how people who don't use makeup could walk out with such a red face. I have oily-combination skin type, and for this kit to be made suitable to "all skin types", well, I would have to certainly disagree. This comes in a 1.7 fl oz capped tube.

Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel

This is an addition/bonus to the step process, but it actually is my favorite out of all of the items. It works as a target spot acne treatment, and yet, it is very gentle and very effective. Any larger zits I had would greatly diminish in size overnight, using this. What is also great about this is that it goes on clear and absorbs very quickly so you can wear it during the day and under makeup. This comes in a .5 fl oz squeeze capped bottle, but a little goes a long way.

So basically, to sum things up, would I buy this kit again? No. Would I buy some of the items individually? Definitely, especially the Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel. The great thing is that you can purchase these individually; the only drawback is that they come in regular size, not like these trial versions. Yet, why would you consider purchasing the regular size a bad thing if you like the product and find it effective? So if you have oily/combination skin, and have problems with acne I would recommend trying all of these except for the Acne Solutions Clearing Moisturizer.