Claro | Beauty and Fashion Tech

Does acne have you down? What about adult acne? Personally, I have battled adult acne on and off for yeas and tried a number of options. My current favorites happen to be the Claro Treatment Device, Home LED Light Therapy, and Peter Thomas Roth Acne Sport Treatment.

The article below, which is syndicated from Total Beauty, looks at the best and worst acne treatment products based on their reader’s reviews. In the worst category, I agree with the raw minerals rating. Murad’s items were on that list and I am OK with those, although there are items that I like better. Also on the worst list is a 10% benzoyl peroxide product and, while I haven’t tried that particular one, I wouldn’t recommend that strength of benzoyl peroxide to anyone. There are better items that won’t dry out your skin so much-something that just usually leads to rebound oil production anyway. There is also a Neutrogena wash on the list that I have sitting here waiting to be tried. Now I am having second thoughts! The surprise item on the worst list is one very popular seen on TV product.

On the good list, there is a DDF mask that I adore, and a Peter Thomas Roth item that I like. But the M2 product that is very high on the list did nothing for me. Can’t win them all I guess!

Overall, this is a nice and useful list of products. To see all of the best and the worst acne treatment products, click on through below.

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The 18 Best and Worst Acne Treatment Products

Are you still dealing with acne even though your youthful high school days are well behind you? Try one of the acne treatment products that readers say works wonders, while skipping the duds

This is a TotalBeauty.com acne article

So much for saying “so long” to acne: Even adults are plagued by what was once though to be a teenage woe. As we get older, the spot treatments of our youth are less effective. If you are in your 30s, 40s, or 50s, seek a product that will address your skin’s unique needs. Don’t know where to start? Check out our reader favorites and flops here.

Read reviews

The Worst No. 10: Clinique Acne Solutions Post Blemish Formula, $14

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.8

“This product caused one reader to break out again and didn’t even lighten the prior spots. Overall, readers saw 0 percent improvement after using the product on their red, post-acne marks.”

The Worst No. 9: Bare Escentuals RareMinerals Blemish Therapy, $18

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.6

“The product doesn’t stay on the pimple, and the color is so light that it makes my pimple more obvious and it’s four shades lighter than my skin tone so it doesn’t blend.”

The Worst No. 8: Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Foam Wash, $7.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.5

“This cleanser aggravated what was already problematic on my face, and dried out whatever clear skin remained to the point of flakiness.”

Want to see which one was the worst (and which were the best)? Click here!

Do you have a favorite acne treatment product? What didn’t work for you? Share in the comments here or provide your own comments and rakings on Total Beauty after you browse through the list!

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

About the Author: Carleen Pruess Coulter

Comparing the Zeno and Claro Acne Treatment Devices: Treating Acne can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you are like me and have adult acne. I am in my 40s and still breaking out. Fortunately, there are a couple of good treatment devices on the market that work rather well on standard pimples, and also have some effect on cystic acne, even through they are not marketed for use on that type of problem. I have written about both items separately in the past, but though a comparison chart would be helpful for readers who are considering purchasing an acne treatment device, but can’t decide on which one to try.

The Zeno Acne Treatment Device (link is to previous review) uses heat to kill bacteria and dry up acne, while the Claro Acne Clearing Device (link is to previous review) uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to kill bacteria.

	Zeno	Claro
Treatment Mechanism	Heat	Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
Acne Types Treated	Pimples, Pustules Does not treat: Cystic Acne Whiteheads Blackheads	Pimples, Pustules, Areas of Inflamed Acne Does not treat: Cystic Acne Blackheads
Treatment Time	2.5 minutes	Two six second treatments with a brief pause between treatments.
Comfort	Comfortable heat. Must hold the device in place for 2.5 minutes.	Comfortable heat.
Ease of Use	Very easy. Device is easy to place and hold.	Generally easy. Sometimes lining up the device or keeping it in contact with the skin is difficult.
Effectiveness	Moderately effective. The device works best on new acne and on mild acne. Clearing is hastened, but not complete within 24 hours. Not as effective on highly inflamed or severe acne. Had no meaningful effect on cystic acne (device is not marketed or recommended for use on cystic acne).	Very effective on new and mild acne, giving clearing within 24 hours. Greatly assisted clearing on difficult and heavily inflamed acne. Cystic acne was lessened but not cleared (device is not marketed or recommend for use on cystic acne).
Rechargeable	Yes	Yes
Product Life	Varies among models. The Zeno I reviewed lasts for 90 uses before a replacement tip must be purchased.	800 six second treatments.
Pros	Easy to hold and use, very portable, comfortable. New Hot Spot Model is quite affordable.	Quite effective and comfortable.
Cons	Less effective on severe acne, takes 2.5 minutes for each treatment.	Sometimes difficult to line up and keep in place, must wait one minute between each cycle of 2 treatments.
Price	$150 (90 treatment model). Replacement tips run between $25-$35. A New Zeno Hot Spot model offers 80 uses for $40.	$250 (800 treatments)

Between the two devices, I personally prefer the Claro, but I stick the Zeno in my bag when traveling because it is smaller and more portable. Zeno also has a new Hot Spot Acne Treatment Device that retails for around $40 and is good for 80 treatments. I have not tested that model, but it seems like a more affordable way to try out a Zeno device.

Shopping for an acne treatment device? You can buy the Zeno or Claro below:

Note: The Claro portion of this review is based on a product that was given to me by a representative of the company. I purchased the Zeno on my own. For more, please see my disclosure page.