Customer Reviews

Earth Therapeutics Clari-T, Acne Serum No.5 1.05fl oz

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I highly recommend this product to people who suffer from moderate acne and need a more potent remedy than 2.5% benzoyl peroxide (what you get with Proactiv and many other OTC products). Earth Therapeutics' Clari-T Acne Serum is hands-down the most amazing acne treatment I have ever used.

For the two years before I found this serum, I had been using 10% benzoyl peroxide on my face every night; it was severely drying out my skin but was getting rid of acne better than other products had in the past. Since the age of 12, I've tried nearly every acne treatment available except Accutane: I've used Proactiv, Retin-A, Differin, Finacea, and every OTC treatment, all to no avail. I decided to do some research and read Breaking Out: A Woman's Guide to Coping with Acne at Any Age, where I discovered that 10% BPO is only appropriate for über-oily "teenage" skin. Aha! At that point I knew I needed a 5% BPO product.

And then I found this gem: not tested on animals, inexpensive, and -- best of all -- amazingly effective.

I started out using this serum over my entire face twice a day, but it started to dry out my skin. So now I use it every night. Within the first few days, I saw immediate improvement -- a 50% reduction in blemishes, redness, and swelling. After five weeks, my skin had completely cleared up. I used to have 20-30 blemishes on my face at any given time, and now I have virtually none (a tiny one pops up once in a while, but it's nothing like it was before!). The serum is a creamy beige color and absorbs readily upon application. Sometimes, if my skin is feeling especially sensitive, it can sting lightly for a few seconds; I think this is the tea tree oil. Overall, however, I have found that the tea tree oil helps clear up the stubborn acne on my chin better than BPO alone.

The only thing I particularly dislike about this product is that it comes in such unnecessary, hard-to-open plasticboard packaging. Seriously, couldn't Earth Therapeutics just sell this cream by the tube? It's unfortunate that a company that is so "pro-Earth" doesn't see the wastefulness of their packaging.

Anyway, back to the serum itself: benzoyl peroxide is one of the best weapons to have in your anti-acne arsenal. Acne-causing bacteria thrive in oxygen-depleted environments, like pores clogged with keratin (the waxy plugs made by hair follicles). When you use benzoyl peroxide, the benzoyl opens pores just enough so the peroxide can get in and "kill" the bacteria. The zit lifecycle is 4-6 weeks long, and BPO only kills bacteria in the first few days of week 1. This is why you *must* use BPO every day in order for it to be effective, and this is also why it takes about a month for your face to completely clear up. By the time you see/feel the blemish (week 3-5), or by the time a pus head has formed (in its dying days), white blood cells have entered the pore and gobbled up the bacteria, rendering BPO totally ineffective on that particular zit.

(Acne can be further combatted by using a keratolytic, which allows skin cells to shed more readily, in combination with 5% BPO. But you must use them at different times of the day. Two effective keratolytics discussed in the book I mentioned above include 2% salicylic acid with a pH less than 4 [I use Ecco Bella's Leave-On Blemish Remedy], and a sulfur treatment/soap.)

I highly recommend this product, but I also recommend that you do some basic research (the book above is great) to find the acne treatment/regimen that's right for you. Good luck! Your skin and self-esteem are worth the effort!

** Update, April 13, 2010: I am still using this product and love it. It is by far the best acne treatment I have ever tried, especially in combination with the 2% salicylic acid treatment I use each morning. I will continue to use this serum until my skin decides to stop being blemish-prone.

I am very pleased to say that this really works. The secret ingredient (that isn't such a secret) is tea tree oil. This great serum actually shrinks swelling and redness in existing zits and blemishes; what's more, it's preventative and good to use prior to the onset of breakouts. Clari-T Acne Serum can be used on the entire face, not limited to your t-zone. You have to be a little careful, though. If used in excess, the serum dries out your skin, and you might need to cut back on using it so regularly. The reccomended frequency for application is between one to three times a day. I use it (probably) at least once a day. Nothing like Mother Nature, when it comes to treating your imperfections. I especially like that I can pronounce every ingredient listed on the back of the bottle!

I love this stuff. We've tried acne medication cream from a doctor...full of antibiotics..not good for you. This cream actually worked better and no dangerous stuff in it.

i thought i would try this product to treat small spots around my chin. the first few days i was amazed at how well it worked. i received complements from many people. however, after the first week of continual use, my skin became very dried out and began to peel. i started using it only once a day until my skin gets better adjusted. i still have a few spots but it is better and much more smooth. i have already recommended this product and company to many other people!

I loved this stuff when I first got it and it worked!! ...but then, not only did it stop working, it started giving me these huge stinging itchy red patches all over my face. It takes a day to a couple of days for the rash to go away. I had read similar reviews on other websites(same issues)and the only thing I can think of is that the chemicals change as it gets older ...but there is no expiration date.

This acne serum is the best of them all, really! I've tried many different serums, from the very expensive to the cheapest and they never did what this Earth Therapeutics acne serum is doing to my face. I have been using this for 4 days and I already feel and see the difference. If you're looking for an acne serum ... this is the one! Great price, the shipping was really fast and they even sent me a couple of presents!! :) I would definitely buy this product again and again and again. Totally recommended!

I'm 19 and since I was 13 I've had little red bumps on my t-zone, not quite full blown acne but enough to have to wear makeup and be self-conscious about it. I tried everything I could get my hands on, Proactiv, clean & clear, neutrogena, etc. Then about 1 and a half years ago I found this product listed on [...] with rave reviews so I went ahead and ordered it online. My skin improved ten-fold after using it for only a week. It has been clear with the exception of 1-2 spots a month. I feel comfortable wearing no makeup which to me is priceless. In 1 1/2 years I've only gone through 2 tubes of the spot treatment, so it lasts a long time. I love this stuff and will never go without it. Thank you Earth Therapeutics for giving me clear skin!

I use as a spot treatment on problem areas not as a daily product and am very pleased.