Garnier PureActive Acne & Oil Clearing Foam

 I think I bought this a year or two ago, but I've only ended up emptying it now. But when I say empty, I mean uber empty: I've already cut out the tube and got the last bits out!

Garnier's Acne & Oil Clearing Foam is a long standing product and has been with me for more than a year. I'm glad it's been formulated so well that it didn't smell or look funny even with how long I've had it. So thanks to all those parabens, I guess... I'm not particular about it either way, but in this case, I'm glad they were in there.

I first bought this cleanser because I ran out of a good facial wash and this was easily available at Watsons. After a quick look, I found it had Salicylic Acid (as well as something called HerbaClear), which I always look for in my acne prone skin (at least one salicylic-laden wash per day!) so I ended up buying it.

Anyway, it's supposed to deal with blackheads, acne, open pores, acne marks, uneven skin tone, clogged pores, roughness, excess oil, darkness, pollution, dullness and make-up residue. That's a lot, but a lot of the promises are basically for the same things: acne, cleansing and texture. And I've found it good for its acne and cleansing-related promises, but not for the texture bits (which is too much too ask for, honestly, at this price point).

What I wasn't too fond of (and was part of the reason why it took so long to finish), was how creamy this was. I honestly prefer gels and this was a creamy wash that may be better for those with more normal skin types. Or for colder, drier weather, like now. The ingredients have water, glycerin, myristiric acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid as the first five with potassium hydroxide after to balance it out. It also contains kaolin, some sort of blueberry fruit extract for the HerbaClear part, perfume, as well as the labelled salicylic acid. They could do away with the extract and it'd perform the exact same thing. 

I think I'd recommend this for acne-prone skin in teens, as is, I think, their target market. I wouldn't really recommend this for older groups since the finish is a bit drying for drier skin types (though not for mine), but the cream is too creamy for oilier skins - then again, this is a sensorial thing and I may just be unable to get over it. Still, I probably won't repurchase this again, but I can see myself recommending this to a teenager sometime in the future.