Clarisonic Skincare brush

Contents: Pink Clarisonic brush, Sensitive brush head + cover for travel, 120V charger, and 3 cleansers.




One each for oily, normal, and dry/sensitive skin types:




Two lights on the back indicate when it is being charged:




Claims (from the website)

"Clarisonic is the sonic technology proven to gently yet effectively loosen dirt and oil to clear your pores. The Clarisonic Skin Care Brush uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to clean, soften and smooth your skin. In just 60 seconds a day, the Clarisonic micro-massage action cleans more than twice as effectively as manual cleansing.

In addition to cleaner skin with the Clarisonic, you’ll notice a reduction in the appearance of pores, improved skin tone, a reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and improved absorption of serums and moisturizers.

Clarisonic offers a safe, gentle and natural way to cleanse your skin without any harsh abrasion or chemicals."

Price
US$195 / CAD$217

Types available
White, Pink, Graphite (via Clarisonic.com). Sephora also has a Christmas package for the white colour which includes a Kinerase product.

There are also 3 types of brush heads available (US$25). The kit comes with the Sensitive version, but you can buy the Normal or Delicate heads from the website / Sephora / some department stores.

How it works
I apply my cleanser of choice over my face first, before turning the brush on and gently massaging it over my face one area at a time. It has an automatic timer set for 60 sec in total. Within the 60 secs it pauses momentarily to allow you to switch the brush to different portions of the face.

Its supposed to be gentle enough to be used as a daily cleansing brush. I've been using it twice daily without any problems. In the mornings I use a gentle cleanser (either the Clarisonic one or the Dove Sensitive skin wash). For evenings I use DHC Washing Powder or Bliss Clog Dissolving Cleansing Milk. If I wear makeup that day though I'll remove it first with cleansing oil before using the Clarisonic + face wash.

The brush is completely waterproof so it can be used in the shower as well.

One thing I noticed about my Neutrogena Rejuvenator and also the Wave is that they vibrate at really annoying frequencies (it actually makes my ears uncomfortable when using it). However with the Clarisonic that doesn't happen at all. The brush vibrations also feel much gentler than the Neutrogena versions.

I remember getting a question on whether it was equivalent to the method of using an electric toothbrush to exfoliate. The Clarisonic is definitely much gentler to your skin than the toothbrush would be. As for effectiveness I don't know since I was too afraid to use the electric toothbrush again after the first try.

Other observations
The brush stays charged quite long. I used it for over a week, twice a day without putting it back in its charger and it was still going strong. However the best place to store it is still the charger. The brush head is quite heavy so its hard to find anywhere else to let it dry properly.

Also the brush head looks larger than drugstore cleansing systems such as Neutrogena Wave, but the outermost ring of bristles don't move. Only the black bristles and whatever's inside vibrates, so it has about the same "cleansing area". Apparently the outermost ring is to help prevent water from splashing all over the place while in use (unlike say an electric toothbrush)

Results
I was afraid the brush might be too abrasive but thats not the case. The sonic vibrations are surprisingly gentle and don't irritate my skin at all. In contrast the Neutrogena Rejuvenator made my skin a bit red after cleaning.

My skin definitely felt cleaner after using the brush. It also feels smoother and a bit more radiant in general, because its like a little bit of gentle exfoliation everyday. I don't get much dry spots anymore, and my moisturizer is definitely doing a better job than before.

However I am a bit disappointed that I didn't see a reduction in the number of blackheads / whiteheads so far. From one of the demo videos they made it look like the vibrations would vibrate the gunk out of your pores, haha but that didn't happen. I still got the same number of blackheads and whiteheads, and I do still get a few breakouts here and there.

Pros
- cleans skin very thoroughly
- suprisingly gentle, much more than using an electric toothbrush
- helps moisturizer / lotions / serums work better
- built in timer prevents you from overexfoliating (unlike drugstore brands)

Cons
- does not reduce the size of pores that much
- does not clear pores as claimed
- pricey, plus brush heads have to be replaced every 3 months
- not very travel friendly, the brush is large and a bit heavy
- charger is only for 120V, so you can't use it in countries that do 240V unless you get something to change the current

Overall
It does help with cleansing your skin, but may not be enough to justify the price tag. If you already have a great skincare routine that works, then you will find this unnecessary. However if you have problematic skin and are looking for a way to cleanse more effectively and thoroughly, give it a try.

If you want to try it, I would strongly suggest getting it from Sephora or somewhere with a great customer satisfaction policy. That way if you end up not liking it you can still return it. Also according to Sephora I can bring it back at any time if it malfunctions, so I much prefer that over having to ship it back to Clarisonic to be repaired.


p.s. I replied to questions/comments in the previous post :)