Clean & Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash

As a buyer of facial washes and scrubs, I have tried a few on the market and when I pick one up, I want to know how well and how quickly it will work. That is why I am updating this review daily, from day 1 to show how it may or may not work.
Obviously I use other products (toner, moisturiser and foundation) and although these are not from the same brand or line, I have been using them for at least 3 weeks so the effects I find will be as a result of Clean & Clear wash.

First things first.....

WHAT IS IT?
Johnson and Johnson's Clean & Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash is quite a self explanatory name! But there is more...the bottle says that it is oil free, with 'gentle micro-beads to unblock pores and smooth skin'. I have no idea what exactly micro-beads are, but it says on the back that they prevent spots and blackheads so I guess they're a good thing. An exfoliator is designed to remove dead skin cells, dirt and oil from the skin's surface so you have a fresh face. Some exfoliators I have used in the past have had ground up walnut shell in them and can be quite harsh on your skin. Although micro-beads are synthetic and NOT natural, they are not as harsh.

PRICE:
I bought a 150ml bottle for £2.74. I didn't see any other sizes of bottle available, only other products on the same line. I chose this one as it was the cheapest exfoliating wash that I could see in Tesco.

BOTTLE?
The bottle design has changed from the picture shown by Ciao. The shape is still the same, but it is now a dark powder blue at the top, fading to white at the bottom, with the words 'OIL FREE' in a pink box. Mine also has a promo sticker on it about winning tickets mtv.co.uk's party thingy (which wasn't actually their party...)
On the back is printed the standard information on beauty products (a brief description of what it does, ingredients, ml's, helpline number, cautions and how to use). The bottle rests on its lid, which means that when it has nearly run out, the last bits of exfoliating wash will squeeze out immediately so it needs little shaking. To open, simply flip the lip open and squeeze out the product from the hole which is tiny, about 2mm wide. It does need to be this small as the product is quite liquid and comes out quickly.

Now that I've got the innuendos out of the way....

SMELL:
This is what I'm not too fond of...it smells quite soapy but also has that standard 'unisex' scent to it. It reminds me a little of washing up liquid but I'm not at all bothered as this is a product that you wash off and cover with the smell of moisturiser anyway.

TEXTURE & LATHER:
As expected, it is gritty but very gentle. I've massaged a little bit into my hand and the liquid has absorbed into my skin leaving the little gritty bits. HOWEVER! On the directions, it says that you are to apply it to a wet face and massage into a lather. Now, I've had a few that have told me this yet it seems very difficult to get it into a lather. This stuff on the other hand is very easy. After about 2 seconds of massaging it forms a thick white lather, and although it takes a while longer than normal soap to wash off, this indicates to me that it works and is taking the dirt, makeup, oil and dead cells from my skin.

USE:
I was wearing foundation, powder, mascara and eyeliner before I used the wash for the first time. I wet my whole face and squeezed out some of the product, about the size of a 10p piece onto my hand and applied directly to my face, massaging it into a lather for about a minute. When washing it off, the soapiness washed off very easily but the gritty bits: 'microbeads' needed a bit more encouragement! When I got them off I followed my usual routine of toning, then moisturising. My face now feels very fresh and a little smoother than before. Like every other wash I have used, it did NOT remove all of my eye makeup. You need cleanser or eye make up remover to do this. Although it did remove a little bit.
If I had not have used moisturiser my face would have been too dry as I could feel it getting tight when I dired my face. However, my face does this with every face wash and I did not expect it to moisturise my skin in any way.

SENSITIVITY:
I am always concerned when using new face washes, moisturisers and face wipes as I've had a few allergic reactions where my face goes bright red for three days, pimply all over and eventually peels. Yes it is lovely, and my friends thought it was hilarious. No I don't have a picture.
I can usually tell within about 20 seconds of applying a product if it's going to have this effect as it feels like it's stinging or burning. This product did none of these things.
I am NOT saying that people with sensitive skin can use this product though! I am just saying that I do sometimes have temperamental skin, yet was fine with this product.

Now to wait and see if it makes a difference!

DAY ONE:
I have now used the scrub twice, still with no allergic reaction I'm pleased to say! This time I tone and moisturised as normal, but put makeup on afterwards. Surprisingly the scrub seems to have tighetened or smoothed my skin so it is actually a little easier to apply foundation. The change isn't spectacular but it's definitely a positive. I still have the same spots that I did the day before, and one has reared its ugly head. I cannot blame the product though as I'm due on my period and only one spot is actually quite incredible!

DAY FIVE:
My skin is very soft and feels fresh but there are a couple of problems. Well, four to be precise- spots! They are quite big, red and painful (lush I know) BUT I cannot blame this on the facewash!
1. I have been on my period which equals spots regardless, plus eating tons of chocolate.
2. Last night I went out to a club, came home and fell asleep with my makeup on which always causes problems.
Therefore- had I not been hormonal and going out drinking my skin would be perfect!

DAY TWELVE:
The damage has been repaired! I now only have ONE visible spot near my nose and a couple of teeny tiny ones under the skin on my chin. Please bear in mind I used to always have atleast 5 spots on my chin and near my lips. Considering I am just getting over a bout of 24hr flu I'm surprised I haven't had a breakout. I'm giving this product a star rating as it really does work! It also keeps skin soft, and I have recently stopped using toner, which hasn't had any effect either.

ONE MONTH ON:
It would seem my search for a miracle facewash has simply lead me to a mediocre one. Yes, the facewash works but it is not fantastic. I still have some spots. Don't think that I am suggesting the facewash isn't worth buying though...it does the job- it is simply my lifestyle which means my skin demands too much!

SUMMARY:
For such a cheap price, this seems like a very good face wash. Apart from the smell of it, it's great! It has made my skin feel fresh and clean and for a first use, I couldn't have asked for more from it.