Effaclar Duo

Does it work? For me, Yes! Let's take the claims one by one.

1. " It reduces the appearance of blemishes". Well it does take down the redness in my skin, so we can check that. 
2. "Unclogs pores" I exfoliate almost daily, and extract my blackheads every week so I can't give a verdict on that.
3. " Helps to refine skin texture" A lot of people on the internet said they don't like the texture of the product and that it gets grainy on their skin. That never happened to me. In my opinion, it feels like a very light-weight cream that sinks in the skin immediately. And I use it as a serum, putting moisturiser on top. It doesn't feel dry at all, but don't rely on it as a moisturiser unless you are very oily. It has glycerin in it and some silicone so it can leave your skin smooth after use, but the grainy feel that others have experienced might be that their skin is dry or dehydrated when they put it on. If that happens, I would suggest to go in with a moisturising toner or face spray before applying Effaclar. 
4. "Controls the appearance of shine". It has some silicones in it, so it will do that to a certain extent, but not like a primer would. Also, being so light-weight it will not add to the "grease effect".
5. "Fights against marks". It has niacinamide, which is most likely the ingredient in it that takes down the redness. Also, niacinamide is used a lot in cosmetics because it helps with pigmentation issues. So we can agree with this claim.

This is my 5th bottle (had the old version too and liked it). I try new products but I repurchase it a lot because it helps my skin during it's tumultuous phases when my hormonal acne pops out to say "Hi!". I don't use it every day, just when I need it, and only at night. The main thing I like about it is how is calms down my face, takes down my redness and irritation feel. You know when you feel like there is something alive under your skin that is crawling out? Well this kicks it back down and tells it to shut it. It would be really good for oily skin, but I have dehydrated skin and often get very dry patches and I can still use it if I moisturise properly. Pretty good product. Always in my stash, ready to get out when I need it.