CLARINS GENTLE EXFOLIATOR BRIGHTENING TONER

This was one of the very first products I ever bought that had been recommended by UK beauty blogging guru Caroline Hirons, and was my first real foray into acid toning. I love it just as much now as I did three years ago.

For all that Clarins calls it "gentle", I do find it packs a decent punch, thanks to the inclusion of glycolic and salicylic acids – it really feels like it's working, though without any stinging or tingling. (Glycerin being the third ingredient is probably the reason why it feels hydrating and like all that acid sits in a 'calm' base – even though I do tend to go fairly red after using it but it isn't uncomfortable). 

I like to use this two or three times a week. Get it onto the skin straight after cleansing at night, and follow it up with something hydrating (your pick: spritz, moisturiser, oil, all of the above). If it feels like my skin really needs a good exfoliation I sometimes don't follow it with anything afterwards and just go to bed and let it do its thing overnight, then follow with my normal routine in the morning.

It is my first port of call if I've accidentally scraped the head off a spot in my cleansing – trust me, it's great for quelling any delightful bodily fluids you might just have released! Get a small amount onto a cotton pad and press it onto the spot over and over until any bleeding stops. Note that this might take a while if, as I affectionately like to scream at myself in the mirror in manner of a TV ER professional, "we've got a bleeder!" 

*Originally published 17 June 2017