Post-Treatment Products and Care
It's important to use gentle, emollient, non-active ingredients in the days that follow your Clear + Brilliant treatment. That means pressing pause on retinol, AHAs, and BHAs, and instead dousing yourself in products that are highly moisturizing and improve your skin's barrier. My go-to products were Then I Met You The Cleansing Duo, $68, Missha Meditanical Rose Toner, $24.50, SkinMedica TNS Essential Serum, $281, and Naturopathica Gotu Kola Intense Repair Balm, $58.
I also used Supergoop! Superscreen Daily Moisturizer, $38 every day. On day four when I still had flakes but my skin was calm, I used Wander Beauty's BRB Multipolish, $36, a super gentle physical exfoliant that really helped slough old skin off.
In my experience, slight redness lasted for about 36 hours (remember, though, I'm very fair). However, a little Erborian CC Red Correct, $44 meant I didn't have to cancel my coffee date with a friend the next morning.
Pictured: My skin 24 hours later with red-correcting CC cream.
Image courtesy Wendy Gould
My Clear + Brilliant Results
Even though my face was still red the day after, I could tell that there was a lot of good happening. My skin felt firmer, for starters, and I could tell my pore size had shrunk (reduced pore size was one of my primary goals). By day four I started getting unsolicited compliments on my skin, and by day five I personally felt like a million bucks.
I don't know how else to describe my results except to say that Clear + Brilliant made my skin, well, clearer and more brilliant. My under eye and cheek area is particularly brighter, and I can also see a slight reduction in fine lines around my mouth. My pores are noticeably smaller (one of my biggest self-perceived "issues"), and in general my skin is more even in tone and texture. I also didn't expect my skin to feel so much softer and smoother, but I still can't stop touching my face even as I type this.
All in all, I would recommend Clear + Brilliant to anyone who's looking for a notable, swift improvement in their skin. It truly, 100 percent works. Given the price tag, it's especially ideal for those with an upcoming event — say, a wedding or a presentation or a gala. However, if you're in the mood to splurge and you're trying to find the best way to spend your money, this is a great option. I'll be back for more laser action in the future, for sure.
Image courtesy Wendy Gould
