I have mixed feelings about beauty gadgets, especially when it comes to my skin. I have always had kind of bad skin. I, by no means, have a full face of acne, but I have always struggled with break outs on my face and on my back. After years of teenage acne and now acute adult acne, I’ve figured out a few things that help a little, but I’m still looking for that one thing that does the trick.
I never thought I had sensitive skin, but I do. Every product that goes onto my face has to be non-comedogenic and (relatively) fragrance-free, all my clothing and sheets have to be washed in free & clear detergent and I try to wash my hands as much as possible. If I don’t do these things, you can literally see it on my face… zit city.
Basically I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s really not that easy to cleanse your skin thoroughly, especially if you have skin like mine. I’m, like, 95% sure that I don’t shed properly or something. So this is where the Clarisonic would come in.
After reading many blogs and reviews (Cat Marnell’s for one), it seems like a lot of women really really love this little gadget. Rave reviews everywhere I look and I can help but get excited when I read what the product claims to do:
- Removes 6X more makeup than manual cleansing
- Leaves skin feeling and looking smoother
- Removes impurities that keep creams and serums from working their best
- Gentle enough to use twice a day
- Reduces oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
- Minimizes the appearance of visible pores
Sounds awesome right?? Yeah, maybe too awesome. Scary awesome.
Clarisonics range in price from $119-$225, and that is a big chunk of change for someone like me. A friend of mine ordered one and was over-the-moon excited post ordering it online. But when she got it, she returned it pretty quickly, claiming the bristles scratched up her sensitive skin!! Scary! I had set aside some money to finally buy one because I had heard so many good things, then I chickened out because of my friend’s story. I ended up spending the money on clothes — go figure.
To be fair, I saved the money, but I was still on the fence about actually buying it. There is something weird to me about using electronics to clean your skin; And Like I said, that’s a lot of money for something I’m terrified wont work or will make things worse (like mostly everything else I’ve tried).
I have tried so many products to clear my skin (Proactive doesn’t work, people) and I finally feel like I’ve found the products that work best for me. Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for my face wash and Dr.Bronners Castile Soap in Tea Tree for my body. Sure, I smell like tea tree something fierce post-shower, but it’s worth it because it really does work. Oh and I’ve been drinking a lot more water… which was really hard for me to do for some reason, but, it has really helped a lot.
This me without makeup… coolest thing you’ve seen all day right?
I look super cray-cray.
I feel like my skin is healing itself, and even though I still get break outs, I’m no longer scared that any little thing will cause it go nuts. That being said, I have once again started saving money for a Clarisonic. My skin certainly looks better, but it is nowhere near it’s best and I truly believe this might be the product that, with a little care, will give me the skin I always dreamed of.
Have any of you ever tried Clarisonic? Opinions? Reviews?
rose / 937 posts
Before investing in one I’d suggest either buying a manual brush (like ones sold at The Body Shop or Sephora – maybe Google for reviews on specific brands) or using a (baby/muslin/microfibre) washcloth instead first. See how your skin responds to 1-2x a week usage, and if your skin is ok with this type of manual exfoliation then you can either keep up with those tools or give the Clarisonic a shot to see if it works even better. If so get it through Sephora because they have awesome return policies. I haven’t tried it myself but I know that brushes and washcloths irritate my face something fierce so I’d clearly not want to try a $100+ machine that irritates as well haha. But I’ve seen a number of girls on makeupalley say how the clarisonic either does work but isn’t really much better/more efficient than those cheaper tools OR was irritating on their skin. Imo your skin looks totally fine – you should see MINE. I don’t have acne anymore but like you I get zits sometimes (usually if I pick at my face or touch my face at the gym), but I also have mild red marks and mild but numerous scarring
It’s gotten so much better though and I feel fine without makeup on.
sunflower / 300 posts
I’m getting the Olay Pro-X. The Mia felt AMAZING on my skin for the week I used it at a friend’s house, and my skin looked brighter, but my god it’s so expensive. The Olay Pro-X is like $25-$30 on Amazon and it feels just as great, although a little different.
orchid / 103 posts
My Mom bought it for me for Christmas last year. I really liked it at first, it definitely made my skin less clogged. Over time, I kind of just stopped using it. I got tired of getting bristle replacements and it ended up seeming like just another thing in my bathroom.
guest
I have the Clarisonic Plus and have had it for about 3 years now. I love mine, although I only use it once a day instead of twice. They have different brush heads if the one that comes is too rough for your skin. And you can also lower the setting as well.
guest
Clarisonic has a different brush head for those with acne/sensitive skin that’s supposed to be softer than the original.
When I get the money, I plan on buying one. Sephora has a great return policy.
guest
Nice advert.
peony / 3 posts
But how do you keep it clean? Surely if your going to be cleansing your face with something that’s not super clean it’s going to make the problem worse, no? We’ve all seen the ads for washing your dishes in a dirty dishwasher, it’s the same principle! Mind you, my aunt has one and raves about it, so you never know! Maybe her dishwasher’s all sparkly!
guest
If you have acne prone skin, don’t use this product. Basically, this looks like a giant exfoliator, which is the last thing you want to use on acne prone skin since most acne is caused by irritation and not “dirt.” Rather, you should go the exact opposite route and wash your face as gently as possible with a gentle, fragrance free cleanser. If you still suffer from break outs, try using benzoyl peroxide once or twice a day (start out with small amounts and build up). If you really want to exfoliate, try to use a chemical exfoliant like AHA a few times a week.
As soon as I stopped trying to exfoliate away my breakouts, my skin improved dramatically. It’s still not perfect but I break out once every couple of months now rather than once a week.
guest
How often do you change your pillowcase? because I’ve noticed I need to change mine rather frequently to lower the amount of breakouts I have.
sunflower / 313 posts
@Thatslifekid@xanga - not as much as i should. Ive been trying to do it every week/week and a half
orchid / 177 posts
I’ve got a Nutra Sonic Companion (comparable to the Clarisonic Mia) and it’s AMAZING. I don’t work, so dropping a dime on a Mia wasn’t in the budget. Even though it is now, why pay more for something just as good?
Electronic facial brushes of any kind are worth it to me; go ahead and do research on a few and test them out. But, they’re just like toothbrushes, so don’t ask to borrow a friends.
EDIT: I’ve also got to say that if you’re trying to justify the price of the facial brushes, just think about the money you spend on hair. Chi? $100. Some products? $20 a bottle. There you go.. plus they last forever.
orchid / 177 posts
@Pure_Taint@xanga - Yep, I feel like her friend used a Normal brush on a Normal setting. I feel bad for her friend, but Clarisonic has made accommodations for sensitive skin.
guest
Shop and compare online..i got mine for cheaper online with a promo code! I think I went to askderm.com and then googled promo codes for that site
cherry blossom / 29 posts
i bought the mia about 3 months ago by the requests of my dermatologist that i use it. after the first time i used it, i noticed a better skin tone. i have adult acne thanks to my mirena iud, but i feel like the mia helps to clean deeper into my pores. it also is amazing at taking my bare minerals makeup off at the end of the day! it hasn’t really helped my breakouts (mostly on my chin, thanks to all the mirena hormones), but it makes my face feel amazing afterwards. i haven’t not used it since i bought it.
i definitely think you should just dive in and go for it! you won’t regret it.
edit: i, too, have sensitive skin… so i bought the sensitive brush head. they say you’re supposed to change the brush head every 3 months, but i clean mine with dove soap every other day… & it looks no different than the first time out of the box.
guest
My dermatologist says I have oily yet very sensitive skin PLUS a mild form of eczema. The Clarisonic is a big no-no for me. I would never be able to use something as abrasive as a brush for my skin, no matter how soft or expensive.