[caarlyntryl]

Hey all, I'm embarking on an quest to find new/better skincare products. I've been using the same cleanser (Oil of Olay Clarify and Cleanse) for about 5 years now and, while I have always loved it, my skin has become excessively oily lately and, after speaking with a couple of estheticians that I know, it has been determined that my cleanser is too abrasive and strips all of the moisture/nutrients out of my skin. Thus, the excessive oilyness. Also, the pH balance of my skin is off.

So I was at my local Chanel counter testing the new mascara (I'm still unsure, by the way, but only have applied it once) and looked at the Purete line of products. The sweet SA gave me samples of the gel cleanser and toner to try. I tried them this evening and noticed the following things:

1) They smell heavenly. Scent, however, is not always good, since it is typically added and not natural. My skin isn't sensitive, though, so this shouldn't be an issue.

2) My face felt clean. This is good, but at the same time I am accustomed to a product that strips my face... so is if this product makes my face feel clean, is it still too drying?

3) I have cystic acne that pops up every now and then, and this isn't a product that claims to help such issues. Not only may it not help, but might it cause breakouts?

4) It is expensive. If it works, then that isn't an issue. If it does not, it is.

So, I wanted to see if any of you sweet tPFers could shed some light on the little-known-to-me Chanel skincare collection, specifically the Purete line but any product would be ok to review!

Also, if not Chanel... what? Any suggestions for other lines?

Additional information that may help clarify what I'm looking for: I have combination/oily skin which, lately, has been over-the-top oily. As previously stated, I have clarity issues. I also have lots of blackheads (sorry if TMI) on my nose that, for the life of me, I cannot get rid of unless I go for extractions on a weekly basis. I'm looking for a cleanser (have never used a toner, but am certainly open to all cleaning/etc products) as well as an overall moisturizer (day and night, if applicable).

Whew! There we go, my dilema in a nutshell. Thanks for any assistance that might be lent!

[Jayne1]

I won't use it and I am not acne prone as you.

They have poor anti-acne and oily skin products. Also, it's very expensive for what you get. There are better skin care lines out there and I am a Chanel lover! But not their skincare line. The make-up line is great.

[caarlyntryl]

Awh, that's unfortunate. I love Chanel's makeup line, and was hoping that the skincare would be good, too! The packaging is just too chic.

[Jayne1]

I love the packaging too. But I won't pay for it unless there is something of exceptional value inside. And I mean state of the art ingredients.

[Kansashalo]

I've tried it and it was ok but not enough for me to buy it again. I prefer Arbonne's NutriMin C over anything else I've ever used.

[lelgin]

I personally love their precision moisutrizers. I've been using the day cream with an SPF 15 and their night cream for the past two years or so. I think they work really well. I've even had friends comment on how good my skin looks, and I'm not someone with great skin.

[Cheryl]

I tried it 2 years ago and I wasnt impressed at all. Infact I didnt even get through 1/2 of it before trying something else... Chanel Cosmetics is good for their makeup and perfume ONLY!

[VPT]

HONESTLY they did nothing for me. IMO why pay higher prices when there's no difference in effect? My answers in bold below:

Originally Posted by caarlyntryl

So I was at my local Chanel counter testing the new mascara (I'm still unsure, by the way, but only have applied it once) and looked at the Purete line of products. The sweet SA gave me samples of the gel cleanser and toner to try. I tried them this evening and noticed the following things:

Mascara is about average quality among many brands its range. Cleanser is ok, nothing wonderful.

1) They smell heavenly. Scent, however, is not always good, since it is typically added and not natural. My skin isn't sensitive, though, so this shouldn't be an issue.

ALL skincare products contain "scents". Even unscented ones contain fragrance additives they're known as "masking fragrances" in the cosmetics industry. That's because the bases to make creams or semi solids are extremely smelly, an average person will refuse to put that on their face. So the skincare industry will add something to neutralize those bad odors and the item will appear to either have no smell, or have a slight fragrance. Other terms used in place of "fragrance" include "essential oils", which can either be fully organic, or a mix of organic and synthetics. In present times most fragrances are synthetic to prevent depletion of natural resources. In US, it is not mandatory for skincare companies to disclose every single ingredient, therefore we consumers will never know what exactly they included. Read the following articles if you don't believe me, they're from organizations and not private companies!

Masking fragrances - http://dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/fragrance-allergy.html
Disclosure regulations - http://www.fpinva.org/Regulation/regulation.htm


2) My face felt clean. This is good, but at the same time I am accustomed to a product that strips my face... so is if this product makes my face feel clean, is it still too drying?

Not necessary. To find if your skin is dry smile broadly. If you feel tight around your lips, your skin is dry.

3) I have cystic acne that pops up every now and then, and this isn't a product that claims to help such issues. Not only may it not help, but might it cause breakouts?

Chanel skincare doesn't really treat acne, it's more suited for people with already good skin who want an extra pampering.

4) It is expensive. If it works, then that isn't an issue. If it does not, it is.

So, I wanted to see if any of you sweet tPFers could shed some light on the little-known-to-me Chanel skincare collection, specifically the Purete line but any product would be ok to review!

Also, if not Chanel... what? Any suggestions for other lines?


There are many drugstore brands that are more effective in clearing up acne than Chanel does, I don't know if it's way below your budget but they're worth trying: Clean & Clear, Neutrogena, Aveeno, Biore.

Additional information that may help clarify what I'm looking for: I have combination/oily skin which, lately, has been over-the-top oily. As previously stated, I have clarity issues. I also have lots of blackheads (sorry if TMI) on my nose that, for the life of me, I cannot get rid of unless I go for extractions on a weekly basis. I'm looking for a cleanser (have never used a toner, but am certainly open to all cleaning/etc products) as well as an overall moisturizer (day and night, if applicable).

Whew! There we go, my dilema in a nutshell. Thanks for any assistance that might be lent!

[exotikittenx]

I almost got a facial cleanser and stopped because I noticed one of the main ingredients was mineral oil... I think you can get just as good cleaners at the drugstore, if not better!

[Claire_Dior]

I like their cleanser that has little green beads in it. I have combination skin and it help me exfoliate w/o another product.

[caarlyntryl]

I've tried just about everything on the market at one point or another. After many failed attempts, I thought that I should try something that I hadn't used before - Chanel just happened to fall into that category. I love the packaging, but that alone won't sway me to purchase it.

I think I've been a little unclear - I have acne sometimes, but my main concern at the moment is not that; rather, I want to find a more gentle cleanser that will (over time, of course) assist my face in lowering its oil production. Something that did not cause breakouts is necessary, but preventing them is not.

Thanks for all the comments already! I really appreciate the input.

[caarlyntryl]

Originally Posted by Claire_Dior

I like their cleanser that has little green beads in it. I have combination skin and it help me exfoliate w/o another product.

Do you happen to remember what this was called? I don't recall seeing it at the counter.

[coachwife6]

I stay with Natura Bisse and La Mer for skincare but love the Chanel serum. I do like Chanel make-up more than their skincare. I did use their rectifiance moisturizer and serum for awhile. It was OK.

[luvshopping90]

I used Chanel skincare for about 2 years. It was great on my skin at first since it was such an improvement over what I had been using. My skin looked much better but it kinda hit a point where it wasn't doing anything anymore. I used mainly the Rectifiance line but had issues with the day lotion because it had oil in it.

I finally needed to change for financial reasons and because I just wasn't feeling that I was getting what I was paying for. The skincare stuff gets really expensive! I went to Bobbi Brown and my face has improved a LOT. It might just be the change or it might be a better fit for my skin, not sure.

The cleanser that was mentioned above is for oily/combination skin and is great but it did seem to hurt after awhile since you exfoliate on a daily basis. It really didn't seem to help with the oiliness that I was having either.

It is good that if you want to try it and it doesn't work out you can always take it back. Also they have samples of almost all of their skincare stuff. Nordstroms is great at giving out samples. I think the toner is the only thing you can't get in a sample.

[caarlyntryl]

A lot of people seem to use La Mer, but I can't decipher what I might be able to use from them; there are so many options. I will have to look into it more!