November 2008

 CLINIQUE Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturizer, for Very Dry to Dry Skin ($42.50 for 1.7 ounces). This is a slightly reformulated version of Clinique’s former Continuous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer for Very Dry to Dry Skin, and the claims remain the same: using this will protect your skin from free radical damage and help make it stronger. Antioxidants applied topically (and consumed as part of a healthy diet) do much to diffuse and reduce free radical damage but it isn’t physically possible to stop free radical damage in its entirety. Antioxidants have their place in skin-care products but they are not an all-out rescue from or an impervious shield against free radical damage.
Super Rescue is the richest of Clinique’s three Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturizers, and is appropriate for dry to very dry skin. Interestingly, this version contains greater amounts of antioxidants known for their potent anti-inflammatory effect. That attention to detail can help dry skin repair itself because the less inflammation skin endures the better able it can strengthen itself and repair damage. Some of the intriguing ingredients aren’t present in amounts large enough for skin to take advantage of, but there are enough bells and whistles in this moisturizer to compensate for that. It is great news that with this re-launch Clinique kept the opaque tube packaging that debuted with the Continuous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer, which means the many light- and air-sensitive ingredients will remain stable during use. All of Clinique’s Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturizers are fragrance-free and suitable for sensitive skin. Note: Clinique offers Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturizers for other skin types, too. All of them received a Paula’s Pick rating.

WORST
 JUICE BEAUTY Blemish Be Gone  ($15 for 0.27 ounce). This portable blemish solution gets off to a really bad start with the second ingredient being lemon juice, an ingredient that irritates skin and can also cause a phototoxic reaction when skin is exposed to sunlight. The sugar cane extract in here is not a source of glycolic acid as claimed, and the willow bark in here is a poor substitution for salicylic acid. Blemish Be Gone also contains other irritants including sage extract, lavender oil, and myrrh oil. Ironically, anti-acne products loaded with synthetic ingredients stand a much better change of reducing the size and severity of a breakout than this mostly natural product.