Heh, well I suppose Clinique doesn't work for everyone-I'd never heard of people having problems with it before which is why I recommended it so enthusiastically, but of course everyones bound to be different.
Hikaru-chan: Which number toner were you using (just out of curiousity)? It took me awhile to find the right one as they come in different strenghts. For me, the number 2 is perfect (anything stronger and it almost burns my skin) and my mother's skin won't tolerate even the number 2.