Clarisonic Review | The Harsh Truth

Clarisonic Mia

Overall Performance: 5.5/10

Price: £125 for the Mia 2; £155 for the new Aria

I’m sure by now, everyone remotely interested in the beauty industry would have heard of the Clarisonic. Since the new Clarisonic Aria has just launched into the market, I felt that it is timely to write this post. From the low ratings above, I’m sure you can tell that the Clarisonic and I do not get on well.

The sad truth is – the Clarisonic is just way too harsh for my skin, especially for everyday use.

Clarisonic Mia Bristles

The Clarisonic is a facial brush, cleverly devised by the same people behind the Sonicare toothbrush. And to some degree it looks exactly the part, an interesting mutant giant of an electric toothbrush. The Clarisonic uses a patented sonic frequency technology. When turned on, the brush head spins more than 300 movement per second to slough away dead skin cells, removing more dirt and makeup than regular cleansing would. The manufacturer also states that that Clarisonic is safe to use twice a day. (Point of this post: no, it isn’t.)

I’ve had my Clarisonic Mia for about 5 years now, and our relationship has been going on and off since day one. Let me start from the beginning.

Clarisonic and I first got together when my face was a hot mess. I had oily teenage skin and was searching high and low to find a remedy – the Clarisonic wasn’t it. But I kept on using it for about half a year, because it seemed to be helping with my blackheads. I stopped using it when I felt that my face was getting slightly red after each cleanse. It was then stowed away at the back of my toilet drawer, forgotten.

Around two years later, my face was much clearer, and I decided to start using it again, but only at night. A month went by and everything was great, then bam – one day, I had sore, red, irritated cheeks. I stopped using the Clarisonic, then used it again a week later – the same thing happened. It was then that I realised I was allergic to it. And I haven’t used it since.

Maybe you would think it impossible to suddenly develop an allergy after all these years. In truth, when an exfoliant is too harsh, it still takes some time to erode the outer layers of the skin, until finally, the skin is so thin that it is left with no defence. That’s when irritation strikes.

I know this because, I had a similar reaction to benzoyl peroxide. As a teenager, I, not so much as used, but slathered, BP on my face everyday religiously because I thought it would help with acne. It worked like a charm for about a month, that is, until one day I woke up with a swollen, balloon face due to an allergic reaction to it, and had to be sent to the hospital.

The case in point is that, although the Clarisonic is nowhere as strong as BP, it is still a potential irritant. It really depends on the sensitivity of your skin. More importantly, if you find that you have become allergic to it like I did – no matter what good it did you before, stop using it right away! It might be a hefty investment, but your face is more important.

For those who are planning on purchasing a Clarisonic, let me walk you through both the goods and bads of the Clarisonic –

The Pros:

My experience with the Clarisonic is not there to deter you from buying it. Again, you should decide whether you would like to get it based on your own skin type. A lot of my friends have actually had great results with the Clarisonic.

If you have relatively lacklustre, congested, or dry skin (that is not sensitive), and have had great results with constant exfoliation, I could imagine that the Clarisonic would work for you. True to its hype, the Clarisonic is great for clearing dry patches and blackheads. Like any exfoliation, it sloughs off the outer layer of your skin to unveil new, glowing skin underneath.

It is important to keep in mind that leading dermatologists and beauty gurus, such as Caroline Hirons, have all come to a consensus that the Clarisonic is too harsh as a daily exfoliant. So when you are using the Clarisonic, you should do so sparingly, and not everyday as advertised.

There are actually a lot of beauties out there, who find that using the Clarisonic once or twice a week has greatly benefited their skin. But if you are looking for a daily facial brush, I recommend that you take a look at the Foreo LUNA brush, which is much better suited for sensitive skin.

The Cons:

Aside from being too harsh as a daily exfoliant, the biggest downside of the Clarisonic is that it is not very hygienic. When I was using the Clarisonic, I would wash the brush head with soap every time after cleansing. But after a month or so, the brush would start to develop a yellow hue.

You also have to be careful of how you store the brush as it dries. If you store it horizontally with the brush side up, water will be trapped underneath the brush head. And you will soon find yourself in the company of some new, green friends growing there between the gap. Don’t ask me how I know this, it still gives me nightmares.

Furthermore, a new brush head is £21 a piece, and you have to change it every 3 months. Save that money and you can buy yourself a set of wonderful skincare to get you glowing.

—

Would I repurchase this product? No.

Have you tried the Clarisonic? What are your thoughts? Leave them in the comments below! If you are looking for a great facial brush for everyday use, also take a look at my rave review for the Foreo LUNA here!

Get The Clarisonic Here!

—

Surprise! Last chance to make a guess of what my next green beauty review would be! (It’d be my first beauty product review ;)) What do you think this is?

Hint: Good things comes in threes.

Google+ | Twitter | Bloglovin | Pinterest | Stumbleupon