Review: Clearasil Ultra Seal To Clear Spot Treatment Gel

Have you ever had one of those days where you wake up and you can feel a spot just waiting under your skin, preparing to ruin your day?  Unless you have been blessed by some higher power, the answer is probably yes.  And unfortunately, at 22 and a half years old, I still get them at least once a week.

Over the past... 10+ years, I've tried all the home 'treatments' for spots - toothpaste, ice, lemon juice, tea tree, face washes, face scrubs, face masks, and always ended up with it staying exactly the same or getting worse - one bad face mask left me with a red, burning face and the spots looking angrier than ever.

In March I had a bit of time on my lunch break and went into Home Bargains looking at the beauty products.  I saw Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Seal To Clear Gel and figured I could give it a shot.  I didn't expect it to work but at least I would feel like I was being proactive.

The packaging claims that it will 'visibly reduce spot size and redness in 4 hours. The seal helps hold the spot-fighting ingredients on the spot as it clears.'  It forms an invisible barrier to help protect spots and attacks them with Salicylic Acid 2%.  

Salicylic acid acts as an exoliant, and helps encourage the shedding of skin cells - which occurs less in acne-prone skin.  2% is the highest concentration of Salicylic acid which can be purchased over the counter.

As it is a chemical exfoliant, you may experience a slight burning sensation (if this persists, discontinue use) or dry, peeling skin (a good, oil-free moisturiser can sort that out).

The directions say to apply a drop of the gel onto spots morning and night, but if I'm not going anywhere, I will reapply every 4 hours or so, and it really does make a big difference in the size of my spots - breakouts that would usually last a few days to over a week now last 1-2 days.  

I do experience dryness and some flaking of the skin around the areas I apply it to, but I use a good water based moisturiser and Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant and it usually gets back to normal pretty quickly.

One of my favourite things about the gel is that, because it creates an invisible barrier and dries pretty quickly, I can apply my makeup over the top and I'm still getting the benefits of the spot treatment when I'm out - I don't have to sit inside for 4 hours and wait to wash it off.

The packaging is great, as it comes in a little tube like a lipgloss - perfect for your makeup bag or handbag.  You get 12ml of product, and mine has lasted 3 months so far and doesn't look like it's set to run out any time soon.

The gel is currently on offer from 7 Day Cosmetics, at £2.45 down from £6.50, and I would highly recommend taking advantage of the deal.

It is also available from a variety of shops on ebay (check the seller's rating before purchasing!), for £3.74 on Amazon, for £5.37 at ChemistDirect or for £6 at Tesco.

There are a lot of Salicylic Acid products on the market, including face washes, scrubs, lotions and creams, but I feel that this is an excellent place to start.

If you try it, let me know what you think of it in the comments below!

If you haven't liked my Facebook page, head on over and get updates on new blog posts and some extra mini-reviews etc.  Click Here!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Previous Post: Review: biOrganics Salon Secret Range
Next Post: Coming Soon...

Review: Glossybox October 2012

Glossybox is a monthly subscription of 5 high-end beauty product samples (with some full-size products sometimes, too) for £10 + £2.95 p&p.

You can earn Glossydots by reviewing the products sent to you in a quick survey, and redeem points for a free box. (1000 GlossyDots = 1 free box)

 'Tried and tested by the Glossybox Pros, Glossybox does the hard work for you'

The theme of the October Glossybox was 'DIY Beauty', and the first item was the Don't Just Clean It Woman, Scrub It body scrub by Anatomicals. It's a grapefruit exfoliating scrub, it has a strong smell but really nice and not at all harsh, it's refreshing and excellent for waking me up in the morning - and the smell lasts on my skin for a couple of hours after use. 

The exfoliating beads are big, but very gentle.  It doesn't make me feel like I'm scraping my skin off, which is a bonus. It's not at all drying or irritating to my super sensitive skin.  

The packaging is bright pink with a yellow cap, with a typographic narrative design which makes it stand out from other products you might find it with - not your typical pictures of fruit and flowers.  A 200ml tube lasts a while - mine's still going after 3 months of using it 3-4 times a week, and it's free from DEA's, sulphates, parabens and SLS's.

(RRP. £3.49/200ml, available for £2.99 from FragranceDirect.co.uk)

The next product in the 10/12 box was Anti Blemish by Skinetica, a topical solution to reduce and clear spots and pimples.  

It's ingredients are deionised (purified) water, ethyl alcohol, fragrance and organosilane quaternary ammonium chloride.  Ethyl alcohol is very drying to the skin, but used in moderation can help with acne - although I don't recommend it's use.  

Fragrance is very non-specific, and companies only need to list the word 'fragrance' to cover the dozens of chemicals which could make up the smell of a product - it could contain allergens, hormone disrupting phthalates, neurotoxins, and synthetic musks - which can also disrupt hormones, similar to the effects of parabens.  The ammonium chloride acts as an antimicrobial agent, and the water is deionised so that the sulphates etc. usually found in water don't disrupt the balance of the product.  

Considering all of the above, I wouldn't use this product.


Next is the Premium Beauty Balm by Dr Jart+.  I don't really buy into the beauty balm hype, to me they seem like glorified tinted moisturisers.  A lot of them make a lot of incredible claims, and this one is no different - *deep breath* a brightening, tightening, anti-ageing, hydrating, firming, pore-minimising, skin-tone perfecting, imperfection minimising, UV protecting, need-for-foundation lessening super miracle product.  

I used it once because I heard good things about the brand, but it was way too dark for my skin.  I decided to look up the ingredients for this review and have picked out just 4 of it's 37 ingredients at random:


Dimethicone - found in McDonald's Chicken McNuggets and head lice treatments.
Propylparaben and Methlyparaben
CI 77492 - Irritating to eyes, respiratory system and skin

I wouldn't use this product knowing this.


Fourth in the box was the Instant Anti-Wrinkle Mousturiser Hydra Vegetal from Yves-Rocher.  It contains 100% botanical based ingredients, including different types of tree sap, and witch hazel.  It comes in a long tube with a thin applicator, making it easy to get the small amount you need.  

It smells fresh, the most accurate description I can think of is that it smells like trees in the rain.  I love it.  It's very hydrating and not at all heavy.  I use it on days where my skin is feeling extra-dry or bland, and it keeps my face feeling brighter and smoother all day.  

This is a product I would absolutely recommend

(RRP £18/30ml, available from Yves-Rocher.co.uk for £9.25)


The final product in the October 2012 box was the Complete Salon Manicure from Sally Hansen.  It's a 5-in-1 base coat, strengthener, growth treatment, colour and top coat.  It uses patented Vita-Care technology for long-lasting care, wear and shine.

I have it in the colour Midnight In NY - black with a subtle sparkle.  The instructions recommend 2 coats, I'd recommend that you make the coats very thin, as even though the first layer goes on sort of grey, the second coat gives it a perfect finish.  Anything more than the minimum you can use to cover the nail, and it would be far too thick to dry without smudging and getting dents and bumps in it.

This nail varnish usually stays on my nails for a good 4 days to a week before I've picked it all off and have to re-paint.  Those with more self-control would probably find it lasts over a week.  It's not a small bottle either, at 14.7ml, and the price isn't sky high at £6.99 - It's well worth the money and I'd recommend this 100% for fuss-free nails.

(RRP. £6.99/14.7ml available from Boots.co.uk)


Previous Post: Review: Glossybox September 2012
Next Post: Coming Soon...