Why Clean and Clear will Never.. Compared to Organic Skincare Line Juice Beauty
If you have acneic skin this is for YOU
Selena Gomez, a public figure, once expressed in a People interview “When you are taking care of your skin you are taking care of your body and your mind and your soul just because I think it’s all connected.” All skin types benefit from tender loving care; as Selena said, it affects more than the skin, but how does one know what skin care line will help with the unique needs of a specific skin type such as oily acneic skin? I’ve chosen to compare and contrast Clean and Clear with Juice Beauty in order to determine what it takes to control oil for acneic skin. Oily skin is a result of sebaceous glands producing too much sebum (the waxy, oily substance that protects and hydrates the skin). The buildup of sebum can cause pores to clog and acne to form. Controlling oily skin takes a dedicated skin care routine with products that are going to prevent excess oil, but not strip the skin of its natural barrier. Clean and Clear was the mass skin care line I gravitated towards, because the name of the brand alone draws the eye of the average consumer looking for a quick fix for his or her oily, acne prone skin. Choosing a prestige line was a harder decision, there are so many brands with powerful mission statements that resonate with me. Juice Beauty was my final decision, because they use sustainable, clean ingredients and the brand was created by a California team.
Clean and Clear, the brand for teens by teens with a simple and catchy mission statement “Be Loud. Be Clear. Be YOU”. Clean and Clear can be found at Walmart, Target, Amazon, Walgreens and CVS. This company was first introduced with a skin cleanser in 1956 by Revlon. The company’s goal was to make skin care products for sensitive skin. The company is currently owned by Johnson and Johnson, and their marketing strategies are what have made this brand widely popular and commonly known. Juice Beauty is a brand that uses sustainable, vegan, cruelty free, and certified organic products. Karen Behnke founded Juice Beauty in 2005 with the idea of “cleaning up the beauty space”. Karen became dedicated to formulating clean beauty products when she was pregnant with her first baby. Her products are made with organic plants that feed the skin with every drop. Juice Beauty products are available at Ulta and juicebeauty.com.
Let’s start with the cleanse
Cleansing is the most basic and essential step in a skin care routine. Cleansing with the correct ingredients will break down impurities that clog the pores. This leads to less breakouts and a balanced acid. mantle.
For oily, acne prone skin an oil cleanser will remove excess oil and impurities without stripping the skin’s natural moisture and protective barrier. The Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Cleansing Oil would be an ideal cleanser from this brand for oily, acneic skin. As stated on the juice beauty website the product claims to “Purify, soften and balance skin’s natural moisture levels with this deep cleansing oil formulated with grapeseed, may chang and ho wood oils.” This product costs $34 and can be purchased at juicebeauty.com or at Ulta. This cleansing oil’s ingredients are all organic and cruelty free. Sunflower oil (helianthus annuus) is a rich source of Vitamin-E with emollient, softening and moisturizing properties. Champagne Grape Seed Oil (vitis vinifera) is a resveratrol rich in antioxidants, which will protect the skin from free radical damage and environmental pollutants. The FDA does not require cosmetic companies to list the specific fragrances used in their fragrances, however juice beauty specifies that May Chang (Litsea cubeba) is what gives their product its fragrance, and is a strong indication of Juice Beauty’s integrity. After the skin has been cleansed a toner should be used.
Next we TONE
Toning the skin after cleansing is a vital part of any skin care routine as it balances the skin’s pH levels, removes any dirt left behind, and prepares the skin for the rest of the routine.
The clean and clear website recommends oily acneic skin types to use the Clean and Clear Essentials Deep Cleansing Astringent. This product claims “Clean and Clear Essentials Deep Cleaning Astringent contains a maximum- strength acne-fighting medication that treats and helps prevent pimples” and is available at most drugstores for $4.50. This cleansing astringent contains Salicylic Acid (a BHA) at 2%. Salicylic Acid is a great ingredient for acneic skin as it effectively exfoliates the skin by penetrating deep into pores to loosen dead skin cells and break down the pustules and papules. Salicylic Acid reduces the sebum secretion, which helps prevent breakouts. It also reduces the redness and inflammation that comes with breakouts. This product also contains Benzophenone-4 which absorbs and dissipates UV rays, the main cause of premature aging. Denatonium Benzoate, the most bitter alcohol, acts as an astringent, and is antimicrobial and antifoaming. This product can be drying which can be concerning for the oily skin type because when the oily skin is dried out this causes the skin to over produce sebum, but the ingredients in this product would be effective at fighting breakouts.
Juice Beauty’s Blemish Clearing Serum is recommended for Oily skin types and is designed to fight breakouts. The product claims to “Reduce breakouts, unclog pores, and clear with this powerful serum packed with willow bark, salicylic acid, Vitamin C, CoQ10 and organic fruit acids. Clears while hydrating.” This product is currently out of stock on juicebeauty.com but sells for $32. I would recommend using this serum as the toning step in the routine. It contains Salicylic Acid, (salix alba) derived from willow bark, which as stated above is a powerful Beta Hydroxy Acid which helps exfoliate and clear the skin. Lemon (citrus medica limonum) is rich in vitamins, lycopene, phytonutrients, flavonoids and alpha-hydroxy citric acids. The Lemon in this product provides powerful antioxidant benefits to help clarify and improve the skin’s tone and texture. This serum also contains Green Tea Leaf Extract; a potent antioxidant that promotes beautiful skin and protects against free radicals. This serum is a very effective product for fighting acne and balancing the skin’s moisture barrier, two essential actions for oily acneic skin. After the skin is toned a number of creative combinations of serums and moisturizers can be used to create a routine.
For the finishing touches
The final step of any skin care routine (besides spf) should be to moisturize the skin to seal in hydration and provide the skin with balance all day. Finding a good moisturizer for oily acneic skin can be a balancing act. If the moisturizer is too dense the skin will break out due to the thick coat clogging the pores. If the moisturizer is too thin the skin could be left dehydrated and this will result in the overproduction of sebum, leading to oily skin and unnecessary breakouts.
Based on the Clean and Clear moisturizers available, I would recommend the use of the Morning Burst Hydrating Gel Moisturizer. The product claims “This ultra-lightweight, non-greasy moisturizer wakes you up and leaves skin feeling immediately replenished. It’s formulated with water, not oil, and contains a unique blend of cucumber and green mango extracts. For clean-feeling and refreshed skin, use this facial moisturizer daily.” This moisturizer can be found at local drug stores for $5.50. The moisturizer has an overwhelming number of ingredients, most of which are synthetic silicones and emulsifiers which lubricate and moisten the skin. Some examples of these ingredients are Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, a viscosity increasing agent, and Cetearyl Olivate, an emulsifier which softens, increases absorption and leaves a silky finish. I find it ironic that the company discusses the use of cucumber and green mango extracts in their claim yet these products are the last ingredients to be listed. Meaning there is a very little percentage of these ingredients present in this product. Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract has antiinflammatory properties which repair dry, damaged skin and leave it softer and more radiant. Mangifera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract is high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and antioxidants which can prevent premature aging and protect the skin from free radicals, according to healthline. These two ingredients would be a very beneficial combination for sealing in the skin’s moisture and creating a protective barrier, if they were more present in the product. This product is essentially full of synthetic fillers that will make the skin feel moisturized, but will not have any long term benefits for the consumer.
Juice Beauty created an oil free moisturizer ideal for the oily acneic skin type. This product claims to “Hydrate and quench with this lightweight Oil-Free Moisturizer made with a blend of antioxidant rich certified organic grape and pomegranate, soothing aloe vera, vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrient-rich sea algae. Provides a matte finish, and clears while hydrates.” The product is made with all organic, plant based ingredients. The most active ingredients include Cucumber Extract (cucumis sativus) which hydrates the skin and can help tone, soothe and soften. Cucumber Extract is also in the previous Clean and Clear moisturizer making them very similar in claims. Sage Leaf (salvia officinalis) is a potent antioxidant which protects the skin from harmful free radicals and effectively cleanses the skin. Pomegranate (punica granatum) is a rich antioxidant with ellagic acid, a polyphenol that promotes brightness and leaves the skin glowing and radiant. This product retains and restores the skin’s natural moisture barrier with plant derived glycerin and sodium hyaluronate. This moisturizer will also soothe irritated (acneic) skin with its use of organic cucumber and avocado. Overall, I would say this product would be an ideal moisturizer for the oily acneic skin type as it will moisturize the skin without clogging pores, and will set the skin up for success in the harmful, free-radical filled environment we subject ourselves to every day.
That was a lot of info Jess, give me a summary
Out of the two lines I compared, I would recommend many products over Clean and Clear especially Juice Beauty. Clean and Clear products, however affordable they may be, are filled with “fillers’’ or synthetic ingredients that don’t have many benefits for the skin. The oily, acne prone skin type would not experience much improvement with the use of clean and clear products and may even worsen in condition. I find it alarming that many companies like this one have a name that suggests they will improve one’s skin condition and make bold claims stating their products will clear and fight breakouts, yet they do not have the ingredients in their products to back these claims. Juice Beauty is an honest company that uses ingredients that will provide results for all skin types. Juice Beauty has been clinically proven to be effective. This company has integrity and my full trust.
