Clinique claim "good skin can be created" and their famous 3 step skincare system is very popular among many women of all ages. Clinique have a number of different versions of the 3 step system to suit different skin types and these are as follows:

1. Very dry skin
2. Dry skin
3. Oily skin
4. Very oily skin

Liquid facial soap is step one of the three step system and they recommend following it with Clarifying Lotion for the relevant skin type and Dramatically Different moisturiser.

This liquid facial soap mild is intended for skin types 1 and 2. I usually use products for skin type 3, and I often use the liquid facial soap in oily skin formula, however I have started to also use the mild formula as my skin is not as oily these days and I don't want to dry my skin out by constantly using the oily one. So as not to dry my skin out I now like to alternate use of both of them.

The Clinique website has a virtual consultant who will help you find out which skin type you have by asking a few simple questions and work out which range from 1 to 4 would suit your skin best. If you go to a Clinique counter the assistant will also be able to do this for you in person.

The liquid facial soap comes in a large clear green pump bottle with typical Clinique branding. I wet my face, then use one pump of soap to lather up in my hands and massage over my face. It usually lathers up very well, but occasionally I have found it doesn't produce enough lather and this is because my face was not wet enough. I find I have to completely soak my face and hands, with water sinking into the skin well, before the soap produces a lather.

It is worth pointing out that this cleanser is supposed to cleanse your actual skin, and so it is not really intended as a product to remove your makeup. Clinique have separate makeup removers to do this so that the cleanser can do its work on your bare skin and really do a proper clean. I always take my makeup off first. However, if you don't have a separate cleanser this does do a good job of lifting away most makeup unless you use really longwearing stuff.

Some people worry that it is not good to use soap and I often seen it recommended not to use soap as it is too harsh and strips away the natural oils. When I first started to use this I did wonder whether I would like it, but I found that I do. The oily skin formula one can leave my face feeling slightly tight, but not excessively so and I don't really experience any tightness at all from this mild one. The mild one feels more moisturising but still seems to be effective at stripping my skin of oil, as I don't suffer any shininess of face when I am using it. Some people warn that soap only makes your skin produce more oil but I don't find that to be the case for me. The whole three step system helps to keep my skin free of oil and shine, and the clarifying lotion is very effective at that, so I don't necessarily always need the oily formula soap and I find the mild one does the job just as well while feeling gentler.

The facial soap is dermatologically tested and hypoallergenic, like all Clinique products, and has never irritated me. It is fragrance free.

I am happy to use other cleansers now and again and sometimes try other brands for a change, but I do find other brands a bit hit and miss and occasionally I have had bad reactions to other products or found my skin looking worse with different cleansers, so I always come back to Clinique. I regularly buy it and I would say it is my preferred cleanser.

It costs £14 for 200 ml.