Review: Ponds Pimple Clear Range

When it comes to my skincare routine, I tend to keep it as simple as I can – the less products, the better, but without compromising on the quality. As a beauty blogger, I’ve had many opportunities to test and review various skincare products, but I always managed to still ensure that my routine included minimal but high quality items that would deliver trustworthy results.

My last skincare review was the Pond’s Flawless Radiance Derma+ range, and wow! I was impressed! So much so that I never really needed to change products after that – until now. Myself, together with Beauty Bulletin and other micro-influencers for the #StopHidingSA campaign, joined Pond’s to not only spread this powerful message across the country, but to also put this new Pimple Clear range to the test. Here’s my full review:

Face Wash

Since this is a range made especially for pimple-prone skin, I luckily (this sounds strange to say :’)) had a juicy red pimple to investigate some of the claims made by this Pond’s range. Like the other products, this Face Wash has unique Lock & Clear Technology that’s been specifically designed to remove pimple causing germs and prevent them from coming back. One of the big claims I was paying attention to with this product was that it starts to act instantly.

After personally using this myself, I surprisingly agree with this. As you lather up the white silk-like texture of the Face Wash, you not only notice the scent but you may feel a slight tinging on the first use. It’s nothing like a burning sensation but there is a little tingle. Don’t worry though because this does go away by the 3rd day of usage.

This isn’t a face wash that you need to let sit for a while – which is what I normally do. It dries up within 5min if you do this, so lather up and rinse off in 2min. I noticed my red pimple had already turned this white-ish colour (almost as if it had been popped) and it was softer than before. You already start seeing a visible difference from Day 1 and by Day 3, I was left with just a mark that would have normally appeared a week later (if I don’t pop the pimple before hand). Just over a week later and a once dark mark now looks more like a lighter version of my beauty spot.

The great thing about this product is that it comes in different sizes (starting at 15ml for R19.99) and you’re given the freedom to first try it out yourself before committing to a bigger size that will last you longer. As a customer, I genuinely appreciate this aspect and consideration. Not to mention that this small size is great to pack for whenever you’re travelling.

Micellar Water

In all honesty, I was comparing this Pimple Clear Micellar Water to my usual Pond’s Flawless Radiance Derma+ one. Unlike the unscented Micellar Water from the Flawless Radiance Derma+ range, the Pimple Clear one is definitely fragranced; it’s actually hard to miss, and if you have a sensitive skin condition, this is something you need to be mindful of. I’ve always thought that a fragranced skincare product may be harsh on more sensitive skin but this Micellar Water has proven to be gentle enough to use, even on the eyes and lips when it comes to removing makeup…

Speaking of, I spoke highly of the Flawless Radiance Derma+ Micellar Water in my last review in terms of how effective it was at removing makeup but I actually find the Pimple Clear one to be much better at the job. Even though both products are made to remove makeup, the Flawless Radiance Derma+ one works well at brightening the skin too as it removes impurities (although I felt a slight tightening sensation afterwards). The Pimple Clear one, on the other hand, works phenomenally as a makeup remover (you could even get away with using this as a toner after cleansing). I’ve only ever needed 2 wipes to remove makeup from my face and neck using this product, a change to the 3, sometimes 4, that I normally would use. Not to mention that there is no tingling or tightening sensation. You’re actually left feeling more refreshed.

This has the same Thymol and Terpiniol ingredients as all the other products in this range have, so it’s made for pimple prone skin. Admittedly, I could’t really see a difference in my pimple after using this Micellar Water specifically. It works best with the rest of the range if you want to see pimple-clearing results. But if you’re looking for an effective makeup remover or toner, at R69.99, which is around R10 cheaper than the Flawless Radiance Derma+ one, this is definitely worth getting. By far, it was my firm favourite from the range and comes highly recommended.

Leave-On Clearing Gel

The last product of the range but certainly not one to be overlooked, this Leave-On Clearing Gel was an interesting one to try out.

Much like the Micellar Water, I was comparing this to the Flawless Radiance Derma+ Hydrating Day Gel. Even though both are made for different things, there were a couple of similarities. For one, the texture is a pretty cooling gel that’s great for dry areas of my face. Fragranced? Not so heavily but again, be mindful of it. Both are also just a little helpful at controlling some shine in more oily areas like the T-zone. This gel also doesn’t leave a tacky-like feeling after application – your skin actually feels quite smooth and hydrated. But when it comes to the pimples, this product seemed to work more on the appearance of the pimple I had.

Again, it’s not a big difference you’ll see at first – it happens in stages but the difference does begin to appear within the 3 days, just as claimed. I think it’s important to remember that the Pimple Clear range promises to reduce the appearance in 3 days, not make them completely disappear or remove the dark marks. The bigger pimples I get usually leave a mark on my skin and it was no different this time around. The difference is really in the reduced appearance within the short period of time. It’s not as dark and the size of the mark is marginally smaller than the initial pimple I had. At R45.99 for 18ml, it works out to be more expensive than its Flawless Radiance Derma+ counterpart (R119.99 for 50ml) so it really comes down to your own personal preference and the results you are looking for.

Overall, I was genuinely and thoroughly impressed with this range. From price point to packaging and ultimately the results it gave me, there’s no doubt that I have switched to including all of these products into my current skincare routine. Would I repurchase these products? Certainly, because the outcome was THAT convincing for me! The proof is in the (pimple-free) pudding and I hope you’ll head out and try one of these products too!

NOTE: All prices were sourced from Clicks and were correct, to my knowledge, at the time of publishing this post.