Clear Out Extra Strength, 8% Azelaic Acid & 2% Retinol to Clear Skin, Blackheads & Whiteheads on Acne prone skin, Non-comedogenic, 30ml

This product does not work and the company does not honor their 'money back guarantee' or their refund policy. Don't waste your money.

This treatment looks to move beyond the typical salicylic acid acne treatment by adding azelaic acid and retinol. However, for me, it's not performed significantly better than a standard 2% salicylic acid treatment.The cream is easy to apply and disappears quickly. It comes in a pump bottle that dispenses it easily but in a controlled manner so that none gets wasted. It has not caused any skin irritation, and there's next to no scent to it.All those are positives, but for me, the actual performance has not been notably better than a standard 2% salicylic acid acne cream. The cost, however, is substantially more than a conventional cream.While this gets good marks for performance and ease of use, when factoring in the overall value compared with other 2% salicylic acid treatments, my score drops to 3 stars. It's not something I would get again since I get the same benefits from other options that cost a substantially less than what this runs.

Yes, this product is expensive, but it has worked extremely well when used on one of my family members. In short, dramatic results overnight. But unlike the directions laid out on the box, more than a quarter pump is required for a full face. In my case, I've been using about half a pump for each cluster of acne pimples. Some other reviewers here seem to have some complaints about this product, but keep in mind that like any product this one will work out well for some and not as well for others.

I used this every day for a month and saw no difference in my skin. It didn't irritate or bother my skin, but it didn't seem to help either. Maybe it will work for some but for me it did not.

I tried another Clearly Basics product to help lighten some acne scars that worked wonderfully, so I wanted to give this product a try as well.I have dry, cranky, mature skin. I do still get breakouts in my T-zone though. In the areas next to my nose and under my eyes I always have congested skin. Sometimes I'll get a zit in that area, but mostly its just oily enough to look slightly puffy with congested pores. Same with on my chin. I'll get a bit of redness and pores full of excess sebum.I've been using Clearly Basics Clear Out Extra Strength daily for the past couple weeks. The box says to use only 2-3x a week until your skin acclimates, but I already use retinoid products so was able to go to daily use as soon as this arrived. It has helped. In just 2 weeks. I've gotten a few almost pimples in those problem areas, but I kind of expected that as this stuff is supposed to clear that stuff out. I used pimple patches when those occurred and they drew out the excess gunk. I'm really encouraged. This stuff is helping get the excess sebum out of there so when it's clear, some of my pore shrinking stuff will work better without all the gunk holding my pores open.Good stuff that does what it says it'll do.

I’m not sure if it’s only because I switched to a new product or because of the product itself, but immediately after I started to use it my acne got worse. I use all the ingredients this one has in other products already so I’m not really sure why.

I previously tried the Clearly Basics Clear Out Retinol + Azelaic Acid and absolutely loved it, so I was excited to try another product from the brand! My previous one has 8% azelaic acid and 2% retinol. The product page for this one says that “Clear Out Extra Strength (COES) is 20% stronger than the original Clear Out for those who have no issues with sensitivity.” This one also has 8% azelaic acid, but it has 2% salicylic acid it does not give the percentage of retinol. It does say that it contains a “medical grade retinol.” The ingredients were listed on the product page and it did list actual “retinol” as an ingredient.This comes in an outer product box. It is made in Singapore. It is non-comedogenic, vegan, cruelty free, fragrance free, oil free, colorant free, lanolin free, silicone free, gluten free, phthalate free, and paraben free.This is recommended for night use only since it contains retinol. It states to be sure to wear SPF 35+ during the daytime.I love that they state the exact percentage of azelaic acid and salicylic acid - 8% azelaic acid and 2% salicylic acid! It states, “In the first week, use only 2-3 times per week, gradually increasing to nightly application as your skin adjusts.”I find it odd that they say this is 20% stronger than the original Clear Out, which they state the retinol percentage of - 2% retinol. It’s odd they don’t give the percentage of retinol in this.At first I didn’t see any explanation as to WHY this would be considered stronger than the original. The original Clear Out has 8% Azealic Acid and 2% Retinol. This one also has 8% Azelaic Acid, but has 2% Salicylic Acid. I honestly would think 2% retinol would be stronger than using 2% salicylic acid? But, this also has retinol in it, but again, they don’t list the percentage of it.Then, when I scrolled to the middle of the product page, I found their explanation - “Stronger with Salicylic Acid. Clear Out Extra Strength is 20% stronger than Clear Out as it has a higher concentration of retinol. It also uses salicylic acid in place of pracaxi oil to help exfoliate the skin and break down even the thickest and stickiest of sebum trapped deep within your pores.”So, I liked they actually included a reason as to why they say this one is stronger. But, I still find it very odd they don’t state the percentage of retinol, especially since with the original Clear Out they gave the percentage of retinol used, but with this one they’re staying this has a higher percentage of retinol but not saying what that percentage is. I don’t get why they don’t state the percentage of retinol when they’re saying the concentration is higher in this than in the original - If they’re going to go as far as say it’s 20% stronger than the original because it has a “higher concentration of retinol” and “uses salicylic acid in place of pracaxi oil” why not give the actual percentage of retinol used?? It’s really odd to me.I also found it odd that the original Clear Out that has 2% retinol, the retinol is the 12th ingredient. But, in this Extra Strength one, which they’re saying has a higher concentration of retinol (but not actually giving the number) has retinol as the 14th ingredient. Now, brands are required to print ingredients in the order of highest to lowest concentration. However, once the list gets to ingredients that are included at a concentration of 1% or less, they don’t have to be in order. Usually, the first ingredient in skincare products is water or aloe (making up 70-95% of the product). After that, the next 4 are usually at concentrations anywhere between 3% and 5%. So, the next ones are 2% until they get to 1% or less, and they list those in any order they want. In the original Clear Out they say retinol is 2% and it is listed as the 12th ingredient out of 19 total. In this Extra Strength Clear Out it’s the 14th ingredient out of 19 total ingredients. I don’t know if I believe the concentration of retinol is in fact higher than it is in the original. But, they say it is, so without a active percentage I can only go by what they say.Given that retinol can cause side effects like redness, peeling, and dry skin, and salicylic acid can cause similar side effects, one might worry about using a product with retinol AND salicylic acid. Of course, you want something that is going to be effective on your skin, but you also don’t want to make your skin worse. When just starting off with Retinoids, a lot of people go through the “retinol purge” stage. Retinol promotes cell turnover, which means that it brings new, healthy cells to the surface of your skin in order to replace old dead ones. As skin cell turnover speeds up, the skin starts shedding dead skin cells faster than normal. The end result is fresh skin cells underneath coming up and revealing clearer, younger-looking skin. However, in the process, before the new, healthy cells come to the surface, it ‘purges’ up all kinds of other debris hiding under your skin, like excess sebum, flakes, and buildup, which may lead to sudden breakouts. This can clog pores and cause breakouts.A lot of people have this happen and either think that it means the product isn’t good for their skin, it will continue on like that, or don’t want to push through it and they stop using the retinoid product. But, purging is temporary. If you keep with it, your skin will improve. Retinoids dry out skin and can cause irritation, especially in people with dry skin. This is different from purging and may last longer. To minimize the risk, you want to initially use retinoids 2-3x a week and gradually build up to using it nightly. Using a good moisturizer before application can also help.This doesn’t really have any moisturizing ingredients in it other than glycerin, so I was a little worried it would be extremely drying with the retinol and salicylic acid. But, I didn’t find it too drying…but, I did use it with a really good moisturizer.It is a cream consistency. It glides onto the skin easily. It doesn’t take much. When I first started using the original Clear Out, I did feel a little when I applied this on to my skin, not tingling really, but something. I didn’t had any redness, dryness, or flaking. When I switched to using this Extra Strength Clear Out, I didn’t feel anything when I applied it. I also didn’t get any redness, drying, or flaking. The original had been helping my skin a lot. I hardly got any hormonal breakouts and it helped with my post acne marks. So, I am hoping this one will help keep the hormonal breakouts away completely and heal up the rest of my post acne marks. I don’t know that this has helped more than the original. I was using the original before this, so that could be why. But, I’d think if this was 20% stronger I would have noticed something different when I switched to using this. So far, I haven’t noticed a difference between the 2 of them.Overall, I like this. It goes on easy, absorbs quickly, and doesn’t leave any residue behind. It seems to actually be having a beneficial effect. Like I said, I don’t really notice a difference between the original and this extra strength one. The original is $45.90 and this is $53.90 (at the time of writing this review). I do feel it is beneficial, but I think when I’m done with this bottle, I’ll purchase the original. Unless I notice this helping heal the post acne marks I have left quicker than the original healed the ones before. But, for now, I don’t notice a difference. I give this 4 stars. It works well, but I don’t think it is 20% stronger than the original, at least not that I can tell yet. I also don’t like they say it has a higher concentration of retinol than the original, but don’t give the percentage of retinol.INGREDIENTSClear Out Extra Strength Ingredients (21 ingredients total)water, alcohol, azelaic acid, cetearyl alcohol, PEG-6, cyclomethicone, PPG-3 benzyl ether ethylhexanoate, salicylic acid, glycerin, cetearyl ethylhexanoate, isopropyl myristate, glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, retinol, pentylene glycol, lecithin, polysorbate 20, potassium phosphate, triethanolamine, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerinFOR COMPARISON, INGREDIENTS OF ORIGINAL CLEAR OUTwater, alcohol, AZA, cetearyl alcohol, cyclomethicone, cetearyl ethylhexanoate, isopropyl myristate, PPG-3 benzyl ether ethylhexanoate, glycerin, glyceryl stearate, PEG-100 stearate, retinol, pentaclethra macroloba seed oil, pentylene glycol, lecithin, polysorbate 20, potassium phosphate, phenoxyethanol, ethylhexylglycerin