Clean & Clear Morning Burst Facial Scrub

Please note: the product name has changed slightly and you will now see this called Morning Energy Skin Energising Daily Facial Scrub.

I prefer to buy toiletries and beauty products from companies that don’t have a reputation for using ingredients tested on animals and that use as many natural products as possible which have been fairly sourced but I suffer from a nut allergy which means I have to be extra careful in what I buy. Facial scrubs are one of the products I find difficult to buy from my favoured brands because they often contain ground nut shells as the scrubbing grains and my allergy is so severe that it is triggered by any contact with the skin, not just when I eat nuts; the use of almond oil is also problematic and this ingredients is frequently used in products of this kind.

As a result I tend to buy facial scrubs from the more mainstream brands but I’m not loyal to any one brand and I’ll usually buy based on promotions, unless I find something I really like in which case I’ll stick with it for a while. It seems that recently there has been a flurry of new products in this area and the fruity gel cleansers have caught my eye because of their bright colours which give the impression of vitality and freshness.

I’d been using another scrub from the Johnsons Clean and Clear range but wanted to change because I found the scent too masculine and because the scrubbing grains were too fine and I didn’t feel that they were having much effect on my skin.

I bought the Johnsons Clean and Clear Morning Energy Scrub in February when my skin was dull and in need of revitalising. The packaging notes say that the scrub contains Vitamin C, ginseng and bursting beads that are supposed to burst with energy and vitamins, and help nourish the skin.

I’ll be honest and admit that I did flip open a tube of this in Boots to feel the texture of the scrub; I didn’t want to be disappointed like I was with the other Clean and Clear product. I couldn’t really feel the bursting beads though they are visible, but I could feel little scrubbing grains among the gel and they certainly felt like they’d be more effective than those in the other scrub.

The scrub comes in a tube with a flat topped flip lid which is easy to use with wet hands. Unfortunately the gel is not as thick as you might expect and care has to be taken not to dispense more of the scrub than required; there is no need to squeeze the tube as the gel runs too quickly and freely.

The scrub does have an orangey smell but it’s more synthetic than I’d expected. It’s not an unpleasant smell but it certainly isn’t zingy or zesty. This product sits on my bathroom window sill which may be the reason why the gel gets quite cool so I put some on the finger tips of one hand and rub gently with the other to warm it a little before applying it to my face.

The pearls do not burst and, believe me, I have tried; this may be because they are too small as they are certainly smaller than the pearls in other face washes. I always like the sensation of those pearls bursting so it was disappointing to find that they don't in this case. I do like the scrubbing grains and find that my skin does feel smoother and renewed after rinsing. I use this product daily (and it is gentle enough to do that) and I have seen some improvement in my skin since using it; the problem I have is that it's not that enjoyable to use. My skin doesn't have that dull appearance, though that could simply be due to having been outdoors in the fresh air a lot more after the winter. It doess make my skin feel a little tight after use but I always use a moisturiser anyway which counters this.

This scrub is distinctly average. It's not rubbish but it's no miracle product. The price is about average but it would go further if it was easier to control dispensing. I have to refute the claims about energising; it cleanses and refreshes but to say it's energising is a claim too far.

Clean and Clear Morning Energy Energising Daily Facial Scrub is available priced £3.99 at Boots but is currently part of a Summer 3-for2 mix and match promotion.

I have listed the ingredients below for readers for whom those things really matter:

Aqya, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Polyethylene, Lauryl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Zingiber Officinale Extract, Panax Ginseng Extract, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Menthyl Lactate, Lactose, Cera Microcristallina, Talc, Polysorbate 20, Titanium Diozide, Mica, Cellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Triethyl Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Methylparaben, Parfum, CI 19140, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 73360