No more crater face? (Neutrogena Visibly Refined Pore Refining Facial Wash)

Member Name: louise1971

Product:	Neutrogena Visibly Refined Pore Refining Facial Wash
Date:	25/04/02 (892 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Does what it says

Disadvantages: Buying whole range would be a bit pricey!

Oh, oh, another skin-care opinion.

I have been lured to Boots again, thanks to the power of advertising! But I do believe it was worth it, for this fab product – Neutrogena Visibly Refined, Pore Refining Facial Wash.

Those lucky people with good skin will wonder what all the fuss is about, but nothing looks worse than your foundation collecting in those big flipping holes in your skin!

So, after seeing the lovely girl on the telly advertising this new collection of skin care from Neutrogena, I had to go and try this wonder product for myself.

I had planned to buy the moisturiser, but that was £9.99, and this was a couple of days before payday, so I settled on trying the face wash. There was actually an offer on at Boots at the time, so I got 25% off the product, meaning I bought the face wash for £3.50ish.

Neutrogena’s main selling point is that they are recommended by Dermatologists, however I have found some of their products too astringent based for my skin (and judging by a couple of the ops I have read, so have a lot of people).

This product, however, uses alpha and beta hydroxy to get the desired results. For those who don’t know, alpha hydroxy is derived from fruit, such as lemons, grapes and apples. This substance was frequently the subject of articles in women’s magazines about 4 years ago – it was seen as the saviour of skin, then quickly turned into the ‘baddy’ of the beauty world, as too much alpha hydroxy could make your skin very sun sensitive, after peeling too many layers off!

I hasten to add though – this was when used in excessive quantities. Skin care companies have now come to their senses, and are using a safe and effective amount, i.e., just enough to exfoliate slightly.
However, if you do have sensitive skin, I would recommend you do a patch test somewhere on your face initially, which won't be too visible
if you have a reaction.

Beta hydroxy is traditionally used in the treatment of acne (Salicylic acid is a common beta hydroxy acid), and as far as I am aware, is the gentler acid of the two.

So, why do I like this product?
As soon as I use this product (I only use it once a day, in the morning), my skin feels softer and smoother, as if I have put a light powder on it.

Also, this tube looks like lasting for ages. It comes in 200ml, and the squirty hole is pretty small, so little chance of using too much. It comes out in a line, rather than a ‘blob’ – I recommend squirting out about an inch and a half of the wash.

When I first started using this, I had a couple of spots – these disappeared in half the normal time (after about 3 days). I did start using this at the same time as starting my exercise regime though, so that could also have something to do with it!

The main reason I like this product though is that, for me, it does exactly what it says on the tube! My pores are much less visible (unless I stand under a fluorescent light and look at my face through my magnifying mirror!).

I have also not had any new spots since I started using this – what more can I say?

If you have the money, I would recommend you use the ‘matching’ moisturiser for this – the moisturiser comes with or without a SPF 15.

And if you are feeling really flush, try one of the other products from this range:

 Visibly Refined Toner

and

 Visibly Refined Shine Control Mattifier


May every day be a tiny pore day!

Summary: