7 Day Scrub Cream

One of the first dermatologist-developed facial exfoliants available outside of the doctor's office, 7 Day Scrub Cream quickly evolved from “occasional treatment” to “everyday essential.” 50 years later, it’s still the gold standard.

Launched: 1968

Beauty breakthrough:

Imagine a time when skin would look dull, feel rough, and you just had to accept it. Maybe you’d slather on heavy creams to try and moisturize away the blah-ness. Maybe it helped a little. Imagine a time when no one knew the blissful feeling of freshly exfoliated skin or the simple pleasure of looking in the mirror and seeing a truly translucent glow. This was real life before 7 Day Scrub Cream. Back in 1968, when face scrubs weren’t really a thing, Clinique introduced this dermatologist-developed superficial peel as a way to gently slough away dead skin cells and reveal the radiant skin beneath. For women around the world, life suddenly got much smoother.

Ironic, iconic staying power

So, a product made to remove what’s dull and dead has stayed relevant and beloved for 50 years. While exfoliation trends in the beauty industry have come and gone, 7 Day Scrub Cream has always been a sure thing—with a creamy, hydrating texture, gentle buffing, and a big dose of instant gratification. It polishes and refines skin’s surface, so with each use you immediately see fresh, beautiful brightness where skin used to be dull and flaky; and, skin’s texture feels next-level soft and smooth. Plus, there’s a bonus: with dead skin cells cleared away, skincare products can sink right in and makeup has better glide and color payoff. The product was originally called 7th Day Scrub Cream—the thought being that women, generally new to exfoliation, would start off using it once a week (Sunday, for example). After a while, Clinique removed the “th” because people were, in fact, scrubbing up their skin Monday to Sunday. to clear the way for moisture and makeup.

Rave review:

“Amazing! I love this stuff! It's gentle enough to use every single day, and I do! It preps my skin for smooth application of my makeup. It takes so little that this tube lasts me for months!” - AmandaGupton on Sephora.com

Must-know application tips:

How many days a week should you use it? If you’re brand new to exfoliation, add 1 to your Skin Type. For example, if you are Skin Type 1 (very dry / dry), then use it twice a week. If you’re Skin Type 4 (oily), then use it five times a week. After a few weeks, you can build up to daily manual exfoliation. Already a pro at exfoliating? You can use the 7 Day Scrub seven days a week. P.S. It also makes for a great lip scrub.

Cool fact:

Clinique has removed and excluded plastic microbeads from all products since 2016 and replaced them with natural spherical silica.

Words: Alix Light Perez | Photos from top to bottom: erin & erica, Saria Atiye