Stridex Conditioning Acne Scrub:
This is a lightly foaming scrub with salicylic acid. This product can be used daily as both a cleanser and gentle exfoliant (thanks to the super-fine exfoliating beads).
Stridex Conditioning Acne Scrub is best for very mild acne and blackheads. It can also help to reduce oily skin. It won't improve moderate acne or severe acne.
If you're seeing a dermatologist for your acne, ask for the OK before you incorporate this product into your skin care routine.
Active Ingredient:
Salicylic acid 2%
Inactive Ingredients:
Acrylates copolymer, ammonium lauryl sulfate, citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil, cocamidopropyl betaine, disodium cocoyl glutamate, disodium EDT A, DMDM hydantoin, fragrance, glycerin, honey, lauryl glucoside, malpighia glaba (acerola) fruit extract, maltodextrin, menthol, mica, polyethylene, purified water, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium hydroxide, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, titanium dioxide, tocopheryl acetate
Price:
About $6 for a 6 ounce tube
Where You Can Get It:
You can find this product at many grocery stores and most drug stores.
Pros:
- The exfoliating beads are supremely gentle.
- You can use this as your daily cleanser as well as a scrub.
- The smell is to die for.
- A little goes a long, long way.
Cons:
- It will only clear up the most superficial breakouts and blackheads.
- The mentholated scent may burn sensitive eyes.
- The scrub won’t give your skin a particularly deep exfoliation.
Stridex Conditioning Acne Scrub:
I have a love-hate relationship with scrubs. On one hand, I love the way they make my skin feel (super smooth and silky). On the other hand, they can be rough, aggressive, and make my skin look red and blotchy.
In some cases, they can even make acne worse. Have you ever used a scrub before bed only to wake up the next morning to a huge breakout?
Plus, a lot of us really go crazy with scrubs. As in, let's see how much skin I can abrade from my face type of crazy.
That particular problem won't be an issue with the Stridex Conditioning Acne Scrub. For one thing, the exfoliating beads are super fine. They aren't too gritty at all, and they definitely don't scratch up the skin. This scores an A+ from me.
It's a great one step cleanser/scrub combo. It foams up lightly and removes oil, dirt, and makeup. The beads exfoliate as you do so, and it's gentle enough for most skin types to use daily. It's deeply cleansing but not over-drying. All of my testers agreed that the skin felt smooth and clean afterwards, but not stripped or like it had just been "sandblasted" by abrasive particles.
They also agreed that this scrub smelled fabulous, and I think so too. The fragrance is reminiscent of vanilla, citrus, with just a subtle menthol undertone. It's not too overpowering, though. Every one of my testers commented on the wonderful scent.
Another bonus is that you need very little of this product. A tiny amount goes a long, long way. The consensus is a pea-sized amount is all that's needed for the face, maybe a bit more if you're also using it on the neck.
Try using less scrub than you think you need at first; you can always get a bit more if needed. Use too much and you'll likely have a tough time washing it off. Otherwise, the scrub rinses away easily and doesn't leave any residue on the skin.
The scrub also has a cooling, mentholated feel. Here's where my reviews had differing opinions. Some though that the cooling effect was refreshing. Others felt it was more of a burn. One even reported that the menthol burned her eyes during use. I personally felt the scrub was cooling and refreshing, but if you tend to have sensitive skin or eyes it might be too much.
There was also some dissent on whether the scrubbing particles actually "scrubbed" enough. About half felt that this product is better described as a cleanser. The beads just aren't large enough or plentiful enough to really feel like a scrub.
While I'm far from a fan of harsh, gritty scrubs, I do agree that this scrub is a bit light on the exfoliation aspect. For daily use it's perfect because it is so gentle, but once in a while you'll need to add a stronger exfoliant into the mix (like glycolic acid, maybe?)
This is a very nice product to add into your skin care routine if you're looking for a super gentle scrub. It won't clear up anything but very mild acne and blackheads on its own, but you could use it along with other OTC acne treatments like benzoyl peroxide for added effectiveness. If you're using prescription acne meds, though, talk with your dermatologist first.