Product Review: Acure Pore Clarifying Facial Scrub

Do you use a facial scrub? For many years, I used one a couple of times a week. But when I started using a konjac sponge to cleanse my face, I felt like it kept my face pretty exfoliated, so I cut back my facial scrub usage to about once every two weeks. One of my long-time favorites has been Aveda Tourmaline Charged Radiant Skin Refiner (I think it was recently relabeled as part of the Botanical Kinetics line, and is just called Radiant Skin Refiner). However, I started using tretinoin (Retin-A) about 6 weeks ago, and while I feel like I may need to bump up my exfoliation game, I was concerned that the Aveda scrub would be too harsh during the time my skin was getting used to the tretinoin.


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It just so happened that one of the Target Beauty Boxes I ordered (I think it was the April box) had a deluxe sample of a scrub that was unfamiliar to me - the Acure Pore Clarifying Facial Scrub. When I read a little about it, I decided to give it a try, because it sounded like it would be mild enough to use along with tretinoin.

Can I just say that I love this stuff? Oh my gosh!

It's made for all skin types, and contains Moroccan red clay and argan extract, along with castor oil, jojoba oil, lemon peel oil, olive oil, a bunch of fruit extracts, and black jojoba beads for exfoliation. It's vegan, sulfate-free, paraben-free, and cruelty-free.


The jojoba beads are the perfect type of exfoliation for me right now - very gentle - not scratchy or abrasive to the skin. The formula is just so hydrating. My skin feels so soft and smooth after using this scrub. If you're concerned that the bright red-orange color will stain your skin - no worries - it doesn't. I would also say that if you're looking for a scrub that will do a lot of manual exfoliation, this probably isn't going to do it for you.



My tretinoin routine is slow and steady, but I've already seen improvement. I'm beginning the 6th week, and using the konjac sponge daily, the Acure scrub twice weekly, and a lot of good moisturization, I've only had a few tiny flakes in one area - and no irritation at all. Which makes me very happy, because I was worried my face was going to slough off or be irritated. I tried tretinoin once before - about 15-18 years ago - and of course, I used too much, too soon. My sensitive skin was a red, irritated, flaky mess. If only I had known then what I know now - I might look much younger, because I would've been using tretinoin for the past 15+ years! Ha!


But back to the scrub. The full-size Acure Pore Clarifying Facial Scrub comes in a 4 oz. tube and retails for around $12. What a great price! I love these beauty boxes! I've found so many good products that I probably wouldn't have given a second look otherwise. Definitely two thumbs up for this scrub!

Do you use a facial scrub? What's your favorite?