Clinique

Clinique Clarifying Lotion One.

Moisturizers

About this product

An alcohol-based exfoliating toner formulated with salicylic acid, witch hazel extract, and dyes, designed as a daily clarifying astringent step in skincare routines.

Full ingredients

Water, Butylene Glycol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Cyclodextrin, Salicylic Acid (0.5%), Panicum Miliaceum (Millet) Seed Extract, Glycoproteins, Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder, Arginine, PEG-10 Soy Sterol, Ceteth-20, Dimethicone, Ceteth-2, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Green 5, Yellow 10

Guru Score

46%

Nay

4 experts · Moderate agreement

What they flagged

High alcohol content can strip and irritate
Witch hazel and dyes may sensitise skin over time
Salicylic acid unnecessary for dry or sensitive skin

What the gurus are saying

This toner's high denatured alcohol content makes it a harsh astringent that can strip and irritate, especially for sensitive skin. Reviewers also flagged dyes (yellow 5, blue 1) and high witch hazel as irritants. While the salicylic acid has merit, gurus found the overall formula outdated and unnecessary, pointing out that daily exfoliation (which this was designed for) isn't best practice. Skip it if you have dry or sensitive skin.

Synthesized from 4 expert reviews · most recent take August 2025

Best for

Oily skin Acne-prone skin

Type

MoisturizersLotion

Key actives

Salicylic acid (BHA)

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Sephora → Ulta → Amazon → Google →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

James Welsh

1.58M subs

✕Nay

"The clarifying lotion, which is basically an astringent, has gone from revolutionary to kind of infamous to be honest with you."

All 2 takes from James Welsh

Clinique Walked So CeraVe Could Run - The Rise And Fall Of Clinique Skincare

"Step two is exfoliate using their clarifying lotion, very heavy alcohol based exfoliating toner. This is one of the first like mainstream to reemphasize daily exfoliation although as we know to this day that's probably not the best thing to do."

Why Dermatologist Skincare Brands Are DYING (and How They’re Coming Back)

"The clarifying lotion, which is basically an astringent, has gone from revolutionary to kind of infamous to be honest with you."

Dr. Somji Skin

360k subs

✕Nay

"On their website it's designed for people with very dry sensitive skin. [...] If we look at the ingredients of this clarifying lotion, it does have witch hazel in it, which [...] I'm not a big fan of because of the tannins involved and how it can actually make sensitive skin like this a little bit more sensitive over time. It does have coloring in there with yellow coloring and blue coloring, which is a little bit disappointing."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

✕Nay

"Everything that is problematic. I'm so glad that it works for Huda, I literally don't know how, but I just can't get with this. Clinique is like the old lady that screams at you from her front lawn for riding your bicycle past her house. Clinique is the old lady of skin care and the cranky and miserable neighbor is not our friend. She needs to innovate, she needs to try something new."

Hyram

4.34M subs

✕Nay

"Plus it has dyes like yellow five and blue one which can also be irritating to the skin. [...] I'm not crazy about it, and I find it interesting that this is her favorite product considering she does have sensitive and what looks to be dry skin. Clinique's toners are the one product of theirs I'm just not into."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid dissolves in oil, so it can get into a pore rather than just working on the surface. That is why it has long-standing evidence for blackheads and milder acne.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is Clinique Clarifying Lotion One?

An alcohol-based exfoliating toner formulated with salicylic acid, witch hazel extract, and dyes, designed as a daily clarifying astringent step in skincare routines.

Is Clinique Clarifying Lotion One worth it?

Mostly no. None of the 4 gurus who reviewed it came away sold, leaving it a Guru Score of 46%.

What is Clinique Clarifying Lotion One's Guru Score?

Clinique Clarifying Lotion One holds a Guru Score of 46%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 4 expert reviewers we have collected.