It's been about five weeks since I treated myself to a Clarisonic and I've been using it pretty consistently - so I feel like I can now give my thoughts and feedback for those of you who may be thinking about picking one up for yourself or are just curious about what I think.
I feel it's important to start this off by saying that I wasn't expecting this to "cure my acne" or to be the solution to my skin issues. Truth be told, I don't have really bad acne, or even bad acne - though I do get the occasional pimple or two (usually near my chin or on my cheek). My issue, I feel, is that I have blackheads (ugh, that word is just so ugly) which is caused from clogged pores. So, in looking for skin solutions I'm always looking for something that can unclog my pores and pull the gunk out (or at least to the surface) - if it happens to help with zits too...bonus.
This leads me to why I bought the Clarisonic. It wasn't to get rid of acne - it was to help go that extra step in my skin care routine and give me a deeper more exfoliating like clean - helping to keep my pores clean. Though, I suppose, if your pores are clean that can help with breakouts too - so win win.
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Okay, so my thoughts? In short, I love my clarisonic and it's become a key part of my skincare routine. Over the past five weeks I've used it every night except five and it has made such a difference in my skin. If I'm being completely honest, I noticed results after the second use - but thought it might have been me just "looking for something" so I didn't think too much about it. At around the week and a half mark I asked my mom if she thought my skin looked any different and she said it looked "smoother." The test was what my sister would say (she is not one to mince words..she's honest and upfront to a fault) and when I saw her over the holidays I asked her if she noticed anything, good or bad, with my skin. I was about 12 feet away from her so I got closer and she said that from further away my skin looked more radiant and that up close it looks smoother. My sister's boyfriend said it looks softer. My 17 year old brother said that my skin looked smoother and the 20 year old said he saw no difference (20 year olds!).
Minus what the 20 year old said, this is what I call winning folks.
Here's what I've noticed. Like I said, after two days I noticed that my skin was brighter and it looked smoother - but I didn't know if that was just "in my head." However, by the week and a half/two week mark it was definitely brighter (or more radiant...I like "radiant") and smoother. The two week mark is around when I started to apply moisturizer to my entire face at the end of cleansing and I noticed that it definitely absorbed better than when I applied moisturizer in the past. I feel like now, any type of skin care treatment applied absorbs much better thus allowing it to really do its job. I got a zit near my chin around the 4 week mark and noticed that it dried up a lot faster than it normally does - don't know why that is but I thought it was worth noting. Now, five weeks into using it consistently I can say that my skin doesn't look any brighter or smoother than it did at week two - but I wouldn't expect it to. I figure the brightness was the result of the Clarisonic getting off layers of dead, unradiant, skin. Now that it's off, it's about maintenance.
How do I use it? I think the directions say that it can be used twice a day (morning and night) but I only use it in the evening. I don't use it with the cleanser it came with because of all the reviews I read no one seemed to use it with the clarisonic cleanser. To be honest, finding the right cleanser to use with it has been the hardest part. There seems to be lots of discussion online as to whether to use it with a foaming cleanser or non-foaming and here's my experience. Before the Clarisonic I prefered and used foaming liquid cleansers - I just always felt like they got my skin cleaner...but using my regular foaming cleanser (Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser) with the clarisonic left my skin feeling super duper dry. I proceeded to try it with a few different cleansers, both foaming and non, and found that, for me, I like it most with a non-foaming cream cleanser (my skin felt and was noticiably less dry after using a cream cleanser).
Note: In the beginning, for the first two weeks or so, I was not using a moisturizer at the end of my routine and now I am...so that totally helps with the dryness! But even so, less dry when using non-foaming even before applying moisturizer.
So for me, I like using it with the Neutrogena Grapefruit Cream Cleaner. I've been using the Neturogena Grapefruit line for at least 3 years now and it works for me (although, like I mentioned above, before using the Clarisonic I'd use the liquid foaming formula). Another reason I prefer the creme cleanser is that I feel there is less "splatter" - I like to keep my eyes open when I use it (or at least an eye at a time) and I found when I used a foaming cleanser some would splatter into my eye and sting :-/ Another thing to note, the dryness I felt could be because, on most days, I use a cleanser with salicylic acid (which I think can be quite drying). On days when my skin doesn't feel as grimy (or just depending on my mood) I use a different cleanser - one I brought back from India that is all natural - and I'm also looking at getting this Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser, which I sampled with the Clarisonic and really liked, to use on days when I want something gentler but still leaves my skin feeling clean. Hmmm, what else..... I'm averaging one charge every 2.5 weeks (I've charged it twice to date). The charger is really handy as it just snaps onto the front via magnet. I clean it probably once a week using Cetaphil...because I figure it's a gentle cleanser so...why not (I do not use Cetaphil for my skin as I find it's way too gentle and my skin doesn't feel clean after using it so I always have to wash with something else right away). I use my Clarisonic for the recommended one minute (it automatically shuts off after 1 minute) and spend about 20 seconds on my forehead and temples, 15 on each check, and 10 on my jawline and chin...honestly, I just guesstimate it really spending more time on the areas I find more prone to clogging. (Note: The Mia 2 has the added feature or beeping every 15/20 seconds, prompting you to move from one area on the face to another...but I didn't think that feature was worth spending the extra money - so I have the Original Mia). One thing I love about it is how easy it is to use. A part of me was worried that the novelty of it would wear off after a week or two and I'd wind up with an expensive gadget just sitting on the shelf, but it only takes one minute. No matter how tired I am I can usually spare at least 60 seconds. Plus you can also use it in the shower which is nice.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. I know it's a bit of an investment so you may want to wait for a sephora coupon or something - I had a coupon for $15 off purchases over $50 so that was something (plus I was gifted a $50 mall gift certificate from work so both of those helped). I know there are other, less expensive, options out there like the olay brush but I haven't tried it and haven't done any research on them so I really can't comment - but that might be an option if the cost is something that's stopping you. Although I've never had a professional facial, I liken the Clarisonic to treating my skin to a little extra facial-like tlc every night. If you're one to get facials, that might be one way to look at the cost of the Clarisonic...it's equals the cost of 2-3 good salon facials.
Honestly, I think my skin, the texture and the radiance of it, looks the best it has in a while. I'm working on improving my eating habits, drinking more water, and getting more physical fit..so I'm excited to see how those changes, combined with my new skincare routine, will reflect in my appearance.
Hmmm, I think that's it.
Any questions, let me know and I'll do my best to answer them in the comment section.
+Just in case there's any question, this is not a sponsored post. But if the people over at Clarisonic got wind of this post and wanted to send one over for me to do a giveaway that'd be totally amazing!
I feel it's important to start this off by saying that I wasn't expecting this to "cure my acne" or to be the solution to my skin issues. Truth be told, I don't have really bad acne, or even bad acne - though I do get the occasional pimple or two (usually near my chin or on my cheek). My issue, I feel, is that I have blackheads (ugh, that word is just so ugly) which is caused from clogged pores. So, in looking for skin solutions I'm always looking for something that can unclog my pores and pull the gunk out (or at least to the surface) - if it happens to help with zits too...bonus.
This leads me to why I bought the Clarisonic. It wasn't to get rid of acne - it was to help go that extra step in my skin care routine and give me a deeper more exfoliating like clean - helping to keep my pores clean. Though, I suppose, if your pores are clean that can help with breakouts too - so win win.
Okay, so my thoughts? In short, I love my clarisonic and it's become a key part of my skincare routine. Over the past five weeks I've used it every night except five and it has made such a difference in my skin. If I'm being completely honest, I noticed results after the second use - but thought it might have been me just "looking for something" so I didn't think too much about it. At around the week and a half mark I asked my mom if she thought my skin looked any different and she said it looked "smoother." The test was what my sister would say (she is not one to mince words..she's honest and upfront to a fault) and when I saw her over the holidays I asked her if she noticed anything, good or bad, with my skin. I was about 12 feet away from her so I got closer and she said that from further away my skin looked more radiant and that up close it looks smoother. My sister's boyfriend said it looks softer. My 17 year old brother said that my skin looked smoother and the 20 year old said he saw no difference (20 year olds!).
Minus what the 20 year old said, this is what I call winning folks.
Here's what I've noticed. Like I said, after two days I noticed that my skin was brighter and it looked smoother - but I didn't know if that was just "in my head." However, by the week and a half/two week mark it was definitely brighter (or more radiant...I like "radiant") and smoother. The two week mark is around when I started to apply moisturizer to my entire face at the end of cleansing and I noticed that it definitely absorbed better than when I applied moisturizer in the past. I feel like now, any type of skin care treatment applied absorbs much better thus allowing it to really do its job. I got a zit near my chin around the 4 week mark and noticed that it dried up a lot faster than it normally does - don't know why that is but I thought it was worth noting. Now, five weeks into using it consistently I can say that my skin doesn't look any brighter or smoother than it did at week two - but I wouldn't expect it to. I figure the brightness was the result of the Clarisonic getting off layers of dead, unradiant, skin. Now that it's off, it's about maintenance.
How do I use it? I think the directions say that it can be used twice a day (morning and night) but I only use it in the evening. I don't use it with the cleanser it came with because of all the reviews I read no one seemed to use it with the clarisonic cleanser. To be honest, finding the right cleanser to use with it has been the hardest part. There seems to be lots of discussion online as to whether to use it with a foaming cleanser or non-foaming and here's my experience. Before the Clarisonic I prefered and used foaming liquid cleansers - I just always felt like they got my skin cleaner...but using my regular foaming cleanser (Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser) with the clarisonic left my skin feeling super duper dry. I proceeded to try it with a few different cleansers, both foaming and non, and found that, for me, I like it most with a non-foaming cream cleanser (my skin felt and was noticiably less dry after using a cream cleanser).
Note: In the beginning, for the first two weeks or so, I was not using a moisturizer at the end of my routine and now I am...so that totally helps with the dryness! But even so, less dry when using non-foaming even before applying moisturizer.
So for me, I like using it with the Neutrogena Grapefruit Cream Cleaner. I've been using the Neturogena Grapefruit line for at least 3 years now and it works for me (although, like I mentioned above, before using the Clarisonic I'd use the liquid foaming formula). Another reason I prefer the creme cleanser is that I feel there is less "splatter" - I like to keep my eyes open when I use it (or at least an eye at a time) and I found when I used a foaming cleanser some would splatter into my eye and sting :-/ Another thing to note, the dryness I felt could be because, on most days, I use a cleanser with salicylic acid (which I think can be quite drying). On days when my skin doesn't feel as grimy (or just depending on my mood) I use a different cleanser - one I brought back from India that is all natural - and I'm also looking at getting this Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser, which I sampled with the Clarisonic and really liked, to use on days when I want something gentler but still leaves my skin feeling clean. Hmmm, what else..... I'm averaging one charge every 2.5 weeks (I've charged it twice to date). The charger is really handy as it just snaps onto the front via magnet. I clean it probably once a week using Cetaphil...because I figure it's a gentle cleanser so...why not (I do not use Cetaphil for my skin as I find it's way too gentle and my skin doesn't feel clean after using it so I always have to wash with something else right away). I use my Clarisonic for the recommended one minute (it automatically shuts off after 1 minute) and spend about 20 seconds on my forehead and temples, 15 on each check, and 10 on my jawline and chin...honestly, I just guesstimate it really spending more time on the areas I find more prone to clogging. (Note: The Mia 2 has the added feature or beeping every 15/20 seconds, prompting you to move from one area on the face to another...but I didn't think that feature was worth spending the extra money - so I have the Original Mia). One thing I love about it is how easy it is to use. A part of me was worried that the novelty of it would wear off after a week or two and I'd wind up with an expensive gadget just sitting on the shelf, but it only takes one minute. No matter how tired I am I can usually spare at least 60 seconds. Plus you can also use it in the shower which is nice.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. I know it's a bit of an investment so you may want to wait for a sephora coupon or something - I had a coupon for $15 off purchases over $50 so that was something (plus I was gifted a $50 mall gift certificate from work so both of those helped). I know there are other, less expensive, options out there like the olay brush but I haven't tried it and haven't done any research on them so I really can't comment - but that might be an option if the cost is something that's stopping you. Although I've never had a professional facial, I liken the Clarisonic to treating my skin to a little extra facial-like tlc every night. If you're one to get facials, that might be one way to look at the cost of the Clarisonic...it's equals the cost of 2-3 good salon facials.
Honestly, I think my skin, the texture and the radiance of it, looks the best it has in a while. I'm working on improving my eating habits, drinking more water, and getting more physical fit..so I'm excited to see how those changes, combined with my new skincare routine, will reflect in my appearance.
Hmmm, I think that's it.
Any questions, let me know and I'll do my best to answer them in the comment section.
+Just in case there's any question, this is not a sponsored post. But if the people over at Clarisonic got wind of this post and wanted to send one over for me to do a giveaway that'd be totally amazing!