Etude House AC Clinic Intense Trial Kit

Hello :)
I wasn't here for a while, so here you go: a well deserved, quite large review.

I came across quite few good reviews of anti-acne products from Etude Huse's AC Clinic, but couldn't decide which one exactly I should go for. Fortunatelly I came across this handy Trial Set - five samples of product for approx. £5, which according to seller should last for four weeks.

 Set contains: cleansing foam, toner, lotion, two spot products and a few cotton buds for application.

I am going to review products in the order they should be used.


AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser

Poduct description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid, Triclosan* and Sandalwood Oil, Acne Foam Cleanser removes acne causing germs to keep your skin clean all day. AC Clinic line is formulated without  acne-inducing ingredients to promote clear skin.

*Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal agent.

The trial version is a 30ml tube, protected with foil. The full size product contains 150ml.

The foam itself looks and smells like my dad's old fashioned  shaving cream ;)

 It's a thick, pearlised-white cream, which turns into rich foam when spread on wet skin. A little goes a long way - pea size of product is enough to clean the whole face. It has very characteristic, medicine-like herbal scent - I personally don't find it unpleasent, but I know some people might.

Pros:
+ a little goes a long way - when other products ran out, this one seems to be never ending ;)
+ leaves skin nicely fresh and squeeky-clean

Cons:
- dries skin up a little bit
- I haven't notice any improvment on my acne

Ingredients: WATER, GLYCERIN, STEARIC ACID, MYRISTIC ACID, PEG-32, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, LAURIC ACID, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, HYDRATED SILICA, GLYCERYL STEARATE, PEG-100 STEARATE, SALICYLIC ACID, PEG-90M, DISODIUM EDTA, SODIUM BENZOATE, FRAGRANCE 

AC Clinic Daily Toner

 Product description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid and Hinoki Cypress, AC Clinic delivers trouble care. Skin toner removes pore clogging residues. 

That's a strong stuff. Contains alcohol, which I can smell quite strongly among the herbal scent known from foam. I definetly wouldn't recommend this product to people with sensitive skin.

Pros:
+ cleans well, what we can see on a cotton pad...

Cons:
- dries up skin :(
- doesn't last for long - from all the samples, this one get used up quickest

Ingredients: WATER, ALCOHOL, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERETH-26, SALICYLID ACID, CHAMAECYPARIS OBTUSA LEAF EXTRACT, GLYCOPROTEINS, AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM (CHORSE CHESTNUT) SEED EXTRACT, SAURURUS CHINENSIS EXTRACT, CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) EXTRACT, AMPELOPSIS JAPONICA ROOT EXTRACT, CARICA PAPAYA FRUIT EXTRACT, ALLIUM SATIVUM (GARLIC) BULB EXTRACT, ALLIUM CEPA (ONION) BULB EXTRACT, ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS ROOT EXTRACT, ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER EXTRACT, LIPPIA CITRIODORA LEAF EXTRACT, MANNITOL, AMMONIUM GLYCRRHIZATE, ZINC GLUCONATE, CAFFEINE, PEG-60, HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, CELLULOSE GUM, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE, DISODIUM EDTA, PHENOXYETHANOL, FRAGRANCE 
 
AC Clinic Daily Gel Lotion

Product description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid and Hinoki Cypress extract, AC Clinic Gel Lotion clarifies and soothes troubled skin while maintain oil/moisture balance without aggravation.

AC Lotion is a lightweight moisturiser, white-ish, almost transparent. It has characteristic for this line herbal scent with a hint of alcohol (alcohol in a moisturiser?! Whyyyyy??!!). The application is annoying, because the bottle is hard and I can't squeeze the product out and shaking it out is also not very effective, so I ended up getting it out from the bottle with cotton bud.

The sample is 25ml, full size product 150ml.

Pros:
- absorbs quickly
- very lightweight, doesn't make skin oily
- moisturises a bit, but...

Cons:
- ...but not enough to make it the only mosturiser in my skin care routine, especially after drying foam and toner
- annoying application - what's interesting it doesn't improve in full size version, as it's glass bottle with casual cap and no pump or any other kind of applicator attached.

Ingredients: WATER, ALCOHOL, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, BETAINE, DIMETHICONE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, SALICYLIC ACID, CHAMAECYPARIS OBTUSA LEAF EXTRACT, GLYCOPROTEINS, AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM (HORSE CHESTNUT) SEED EXTRACT, SAURURUS CHINENSIS EXTRACT, CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) EXTRACT, ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS ROOT EXTRACT, ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER EXTRACT, LIPPIA CITRIODORA LEAF EXTRACT, AMPELOPSIS JAPONICA ROOT EXTRACT, CARICA PAPAYA FRUIT EXTRACT, ALLIUM CEPA (ONION) BULB EXTRACT, ALLIUM SATIVUM (GARLIC) BULB EXTRACT, MANNITOL, AMMOINIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE, ZINC GLUCONATE, CAFFEINE, DIMETHICONOL, OCTYLDODECETH-16, POLYACRYLATE-13, DIMETHICONE/PEG-10/15 CROSSPOLYMER, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, POLYISOBUTENE, CARBOMER, POLYSORBATE 20, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, TROMETHAMINE, DISODIUM EDTA, FRAGRANCE


AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder Spot

Product description: Contains Salicylate acid, Retinispora, Chaga Mushroom, Houttuynia. Two level concentrate spot care with pink powder and water. Treats sensitive skin for clearer look. Non-artificial color, Non-comedogenic.

The product is a cloudy  liquid containing pink powder, which stays on the bottom of the bottle. Important: don't shake the bottle! It should be applied on spots with cotton bud, which is meant to go through the liquid before reaching the treating powder, to make sure application is hygienic. It leaves pink marks on the skin, so it's recomended to use during the night.

The sample contains 5ml, full size product is 15ml. The full size product is not available on it's own, but in a little kit with sample size Pink Powder Water, as the products are supposed to be used together.

Pros:
+ dries up quickly, so doesn't stain bedding
+ helps treating acne

Cons:
- because of pink marks I can't use it during the day
- doesn't last for long

Ingredients: WATER, ALCOHOL, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, BETAINE, DIMETHICONE, CYCLOHEXASILOXANE, SALICYLIC ACID, CHAMAECYPARIS OBTUSA LEAF EXTRACT, GLYCOPROTEINS, AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM (HORSE CHESTNUT) SEED EXTRACT, SAURURUS CHINENSIS EXTRACT, CENTELLA ASIATICA EXTRACT, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA (LAVENDER) EXTRACT, ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS ROOT EXTRACT, ANTHEMIS NOBILIS FLOWER EXTRACT, LIPPIA CITRIODORA LEAF EXTRACT, AMPELOPSIS JAPONICA ROOT EXTRACT, CARICA PAPAYA FRUIT EXTRACT, ALLIUM CEPA (ONION) BULB EXTRACT, ALLIUM SATIVUM (GARLIC) BULB EXTRACT, MANNITOL, AMMOINIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE, ZINC GLUCONATE, CAFFEINE, DIMETHICONOL, OCTYLDODECETH-16, POLYACRYLATE-13, DIMETHICONE/PEG-10/15 CROSSPOLYMER, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/VP COPOLYMER, POLYISOBUTENE, CARBOMER, POLYSORBATE 20, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, TROMETHAMINE, DISODIUM EDTA, FRAGRANCE

AC Clinic Intense Pink Powder Water

Product description: Formulated with Salicylic Acid and Hinoki Cypress, Powder solution alleviates trouble swelling on contact to minimize damage.

The name of product may be confusing, as it's white not pink... It's also a cloudy liquid which splits into two layers just like the Pink Powder Spot, however in that case we have to shake the product before use. It is kind of a day version of Pink Spot Powder, as it not so visible on the skin:

However as it dries up it can leave white residue on a skin, which is annoying and hard to cover with make up.

The sample contains 5ml of Water, full size product is 45ml and it is availabe on it's own.

Pros:
+ not so visible on the skin as Pink Powder Spot

Cons:
- doesn't work as well as the Pink Spot
- sometimes leaves white residue on skin, which is hard to cover with make up.


Summary

Unfortunatelly I haven't notice much of improvement on my skin while using these products. I am a bit dissapointed, as usually my skin responds well to Salicylic Acid. Actually the only product from the Trial Kit which clearly worked was Pink Powder Spot, but I am not going for the full size version anyway. As it comes to efficiency, the only products that lasted four weeks were foam and lotion.