Does This £14.50 Salicylic Acid Cleanser Really Help to Clear Breakouts?
I’ve always struggled with cleansers and finding the right one for my combination skin. I’ve tried everything from wipes (it was the 2000s, OK!), to oil cleansers, micellar waters, gels, and powders that emulsify.
I need a product that won’t dry my skin out, one that doesn’t make my skin too oily, but one that also helps to unclog my pores – all while removing my SPF and makeup.
I had been using The Inkey List’s Oat Cleanser (I still love this cleanser but now only use it in my double cleansing routine), but my skin just didn’t feel clean enough and I always felt like I had a film of oil left on my face. After trying the CeraVe Renewing SA Smoothing Cleanser, I knew I’d found the perfect one for my skin.
Here’s why I love this product so much.
The product
This is a gel cleanser designed for the face and body and, let me tell you, this has worked wonders on my face, shoulders, arms, and back to smooth any rough skin and clear up any breakouts. I live in a sunny country, so I wear SPF on my body basically every day (every day on my face!) so I’m REALLY happy this cleanser is suitable for use on my body.
Dermatologists also suggest this for issues like keratosis pilaris because it’s an exfoliant but a really gentle one.
The salicylic acid helps to gently smooth and exfoliate, hyaluronic acid helps to retain the skin’s moisture, and the ceramides help to protect the skin’s natural barrier. It’s fragrance-free and non-comedogenic, too.
From the first time I used this cleanser, my face felt cleansed without being stripped, but it also felt really smooth. It is great for soothing the hormonal breakouts I occasionally suffer from, as well as being gentle enough to remove any dry skin without irritating it.
Not to mention the big bottle, which makes it amazing value for money. This comes in 236 ml (£14.50 on the Boots UK website/$16.99 on the Ulta Beauty US website) and 473 ml (£23.50 on the Boots UK website/$19.99 on the Ulta Beauty US website), and they last me over a month.
Image – Courtesy of writer
How I like to use the product
This is a gel formula but it’s quite thin, I like to use 2 pumps and I start with applying it to damp skin. I emulsify the product and work it into my face and neck for around 2 minutes, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies around my nose, as well as working it into my chin because that’s where I seem to get the most sebaceous filaments and clogged pores.
I leave it to sit on my face for another 30 seconds or so, before adding a bit more water and work it in for another 10 seconds before removing the product with a warm damp cloth.
It’s quite important to let your cleanser get to work – particularly if it includes actives – rather than trying to get it done as quickly as possible. If you don’t give enough time for the active ingredients to work, you might as well just wash your face with water – and this is not effective enough!
After spending around 5 minutes on cleansing and making sure all of the product is removed, I move on to my serums or retinol, then my moisturiser.
When I use this cleanser on my body, I do the same process, applying it to damp – not wet – skin and letting it work. I use this mainly on my back, shoulders, and arms, but I also use it as a gentle exfoliator on my thighs and legs rather than using a thick scrub.
The skin types this cleanser is best for
This is the perfect cleanser for people with oily, combination, dry, or normal skin, and it’s especially good for those of us who get clogged or blocked pores. It’s great for people who have keratosis pilaris as well as being a comforting cleanser for acne-prone skin.
Those with very sensitive skin would need to know whether salicylic acid is suitable for them because, even though this is a gentle cleanser, it’s still a chemical exfoliator which may be too harsh for sensitive skin types.
Image – Courtesy of writer
What other people have to say
One user on the Cerave website writes “I love skin smoothing duo as it suits my skin and dryness. I will never use a regular shower gel again as this makes my skin silky soft. I’m 63”.
Another says “Got for granddaughter and seems to be making a difference on her skin”, and a user who struggles with acne and pimples writes “I used this on the small bumps on my forehead and because I was mainly getting pimples there and the first 2 weeks I used it I noticed I was getting more pimples and spots and was going to stop using it until I found out that I was actually ‘purging’ which meant my skin was adapting to the cleanser and renewing my skin cells and after the 2 weeks of using it the spots went away and actually improved my skin and made it smoother [than] before I started using it.
“I also noticed I’m getting so much less pimples and the bumps are slowly going away, I recommend this product so much and I think the only reason this product has bad reviews is cause of people not searching up why they are breaking out since it’s from a good reason as it improves your skin after 10/10”
The takeaway
I really rate this cleanser and I have no reason to try a different one! It cleans and smooths without being too harsh.
I use this cleanser every day, sometimes twice a day if I feel like my skin needs a morning one, and it works really well to remove every trace of makeup, SPF, and dirt. It’s also perfect for a second cleanse after using an oil cleanser.
I’d really recommend this product to people with acne-prone skin, oily skin, combination skin, and those with an uneven skin tone.
The price and large bottle are an extra added bonus!
Get Glowing!
