Friday, April 19, 2013

Carley's Clear And Smooth Skin Challenge!

As I mentioned in my last post, I haven't been entirely happy with my recent routine of cleansing with Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and moisturizing with their Moisturizing Cream. It's a gentle routine that doesn't irritate, but it's just not enough for my acne-prone skin. And so, my search began once again.

A few years ago, I was looking into a brand that I came across on Ebay called "Carley's Clear & Smooth". The products had amazing testimonials, but I never got around to ordering. Just recently, I was browsing Acne.org, a great website with all sorts of information for acne sufferers, and saw reviews of Carley's once again. I contacted the company and spoke with Steve, who is extremely knowledgeable about skin care. For as long as I've been researching skin care disorders and dealing with them myself, I consider myself a connoisseur of skin care, but it's people like Steve who put me in my place and remind me that there are always new things to learn. I told him about the skin conditions that I suffer from and he explained how most of the products available today are very acidic and damage the skin's natural protective flora. Instead of actually helping your skin, they make your skin more sensitive and susceptible to even more damage.There is all sorts of information on the website at Carley's Clear and Smooth and they also have a blog that has TONS of useful information, here: Carley's Blog.


Steve challenged me to use their products, and ONLY their products, for the next several weeks to get the full benefits of using the line. This would mean that I could use NOTHING from my current arsenal, no other moisturizers, no other cleanser, no other makeup, etc. Being the human guinea pig that I am, I gladly accepted the challenge. Here is what I received:




As you can see, I received an amazing assortment of products from the company! It was so much fun opening and looking through the box! Here is a list of what was included and the price of each:


  • Carley's Clear and Smooth Acne Treatment - 16oz for $22.99
  • Carley's Day Time Moisturizer for Acne Prone Skin - 8oz for $19.99
  • Carley's Soothing Eczema Cream with Black Seed Oil - 4oz for $19.99
  • Carley's Tamanu Cream - 1oz for $21.99
  • Carley's Natural Soap -Single Bar for $8.00 or 4 for $22.99
  • Carley's Elder Flower Mask for Acne Prone Skin (sample) - 4oz for $19.99
  • Carley's Regeneration Anti-Aging Moisturizer for Acne Prone Skin (sample) - 1oz for $21.99
  • Carley's Exotic Butter Night Time Moisturizer (sample) - 8oz for $19.99
  • Carley's Kukui Nut Body Lotion (sample) - 8oz for $19.99
  • Carley's Midnight Moisturizer for Acne Prone Skin (sample) - 8oz for $19.99
  • Carley's VANILLA moisturizer (sample) - 8oz for $19.99
  • CupuaƧu Face & Body Butter (sample) - 8oz for $19.99
  • Carley's Clear and Smooth Kick Ass Industrial Strength for Teens (sample) - 16oz for $25.99
  • Carley's Tangerine Lip Balm - Set of 5 for $17.00
  • Carley's Mineral Foundation - 10 grams for $19.00
  • Carley's Mineral Bronzer (sample) - 10 grams for $19.00
  • Carley's Mineral Blush (sample) - 10 grams for $19.00
  • Carley's Mineral Finishing Powder (sample) - 10 grams for $19.00


For the past 7 days, I've been using the Clear and Smooth Acne Treatment, Natural Soap and the Day Time Moisturizer for Acne Prone Skin, and occasionally, some of the other products as well. I ONLY use the makeup they sent and haven't touched anything else from my stash. This is only my initial review and I will be updating for the next several weeks. Steve informed me that it may take weeks to clear someone completely up, so I'm not going to expect a complete skin reversal this short time in. My main problems when I began were a persistent eczema rash on my forehead, light breakouts along my jaw and clogged pores around my nose. I also have mild rosacea, which causes my skin to flush and produce hive-like bumps.

 So, here's the process:


You can use the treatment day or night. I chose to use it at night. In the shower, I take a big dollop of the Clear and Smooth Acne Treatment and massage around on my face for around 30 seconds. It has a lot of scrubbing power and I don't think my skin could handle much more than that, although they say you can scrub with it for up to a full minute. 

Next, I lather up a white terry cloth wash cloth with the Natural Soap and thoroughly wash all parts of my face, making sure that I remove every last trace of the Treatment. This step is said to be very important and so I've been using a bright blue towel to dry my face and make sure that it doesn't bleach from any leftover product. 

After my shower, I coat my face with a dollop of the Day Time Moisturizer for Acne Prone Skin and let it soak in completely.

In the morning, I wash gently with the Natural Soap again and apply the moisturizer. I let it soak in completely before applying makeup.

 After 7 days, I can say that my forehead is almost completely clear. There are only a few remaining specks of the outbreak, which is great. My skin is still pretty sensitive and red, but I'm definitely breaking out less.The clogged pores around my nose are still pretty persistent, but I have faith that they'll soon be gone. My jawline stopped breaking out completely, which is great. I'm going to be trying out the Tamanu cream on the leftover marks that the blemishes left behind. I'm also loving the body moisturizers! They feel amazing and so nourishing. I haven't tried them all, so I have yet to report on my favorite. 

I think this is going to be all for now. Like I said, I'm going to be updating on my progress for the next few weeks and I hope you'll join me! 

Thanks for reading!! =)




3 comments:

  1. I have been using this line for about 4 years now. It's the best!!!

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  2. I have to admit, I'm really loving it. I've seen a huge improvement already!

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  3. I have been using their industrial strength cleaner for months. It has not completely cleared all my skin issues yet but is the only product so far I've used that has had the most effective. Maybe one day I will be completely clear, but I still love their products for all they have done.

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