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Clarisonic - does it work?

rubyshoes

rubyshoes

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Apr 12, 2011
Messages
716
I have a horrid blackhead problem. The only time I can get my blackheads to go away is when I get a facial (which isn't often) and I am too lazy to use Biore pore strips. Lately I've been looking at Clarisonics. There are a few inexpensive Mia models available on ebay. My question is, have you ever used a Clarisonic or similar brand and do you think it actually works or is it just a gimmick? :))
 
I think it definitely works! It's like an electric toothbrush for your face. It vibrates which I think loosens up the stuff in your pores, and the brush cleans your skin really well. The one caveat is that if you have sensitive skin it could irritate your face. I have fairly sensitive skin so I use it every other day at most. They do make a sensitive skin brush head now, so that may help. It isn't irritating enough to warrant me getting that head, though.

Oh and apparently they've come out with a blackhead brush head as well. I haven't used it but I saw it somewhere, possibly in a promotional email.
 
Have you tried adding a sprinkle of baking soda to your face wash? I do this about 3x a week, and it's worked wonders for my complexion.
 
thing20f2, A blackhead brush! That's perfect for me!

mrsjam, I am scared to try baking soda as I have sensitive skin, and it gets even more irritated in winter due to the wind/cold.
 
Yes! I love mine. I have the full size version and I've had it for I think 5 years now. Works great!
 
thing2of2|1362692778|3399380 said:
rubyshoes|1362692099|3399370 said:
thing20f2, A blackhead brush! That's perfect for me!

mrsjam, I am scared to try baking soda as I have sensitive skin, and it gets even more irritated in winter due to the wind/cold.
Click to expand...

Yep, just double checked, it's called the Deep Pore Cleansing head: http://www.clarisonic.com/shop/facial_brush_heads/facial_brush_heads_deep_pore/#deep pore cleansing
Click to expand...


I<3 my Clarisonic. I have a bad bad acne problem combined with dry skin. I bought mine before the MIA came out, though I wish I waited! I have sensitive skin, as well, and I use their sensitive head. I was curious about the deep pore one, but I'm scared it would be too rough. I use my Clarisonic with a non-foaming cleanser every other day. I love it. I love how it feels afterwards, and I love how my skin just DRINKS UP my night creams and lotions after I use my Clarisonic. HTH! :))

You can always buy from Nordys, so if you have any issues, they'll take care of it.
 
I have the Olay knockoff (I think it was around $20-25 at the drugstore) and I'm obsessed! I've sampled the real thing at Sephora but haven't worked up to splurging on it....yet.
 
I have the Mia, baby blue. It's very convenient for travel, the charger unit is nice and compact and mine is a pretty baby blue colour.

Best of all, it clears up my skin. Way fewer spots now. Highly recommended.
 
Cool! Thanks, ladies. I think I'll get the sensitive brush head to start. Damn, I wish there was a groupon out there for this!
 
I actually think it's horrible. I really have given it many college tries. I have tried three different types of them (the regular, mia and mia 2) and every different brush there is, and I can literally tell a difference in my skin for the worse when I use it. I break out significantly more, my blackheads are much worse, and my skin is flakier and overall less nice looking when I use it vs when I do not. I use a washcloth without issue. The cleanser doesn't change. It's only when I use the device that my face doesn't fare well. And I use retinoids, etc. daily. The only change is the introduction of that device and that makes a huge negative impact.

When I stopped the device and wondered if I could try something different, I asked my dermatologist about this, and she emphatically said this is a device that has made her extremely wealthy in treating the damage that it's caused on the skin of many of her patients. She said no one needs it and it's generally going to cause more problems than it solves, if for no other reason than the germs living on the brush. If you're using a good cleanser your skin is going to get clean, no little device is going to do anything more or less. A washcloth is nice to add for extra exfoliation occasionally, but you only use that once and toss it in the wash.
 
Huh - the dermatologist I saw recommends it and uses it in their office
 
I got both the cheaper Nutra Sonic and the Clarisonic from Amazon a couple months before my wedding. I *loved* the Nutra Sonic and the effects it produced on my skin. Just super silky smoothness, amazing. However, just like the reviews on Amazon indicated, it broke after a short while. I think the product has a defective battery. But it was so much better than the Clarisonic while it lasted... the Clarisonic is languishing in my drawer right now, but I'm kind of contemplating getting another Nutra Sonic... the effects were addictive.

And yes, I realize I sound like a commercial. I just really liked it while it lasted. Though it did break down right before my wedding, terrible timing :nono:
 
She was very emphatic about a simple is better approach to stuff like that, if your cleanser is effective the device isnt necessary. And my face definitely reflects that. My face really does not like it.

I have spent a fortune on these and the brushes and it is seriously ridiculous. I tried to believe the "purging" nonsense I'd read but it never got better, only worse. And literally within two days of not using it my face would be clearer and nicer again. And better the longer I avoided it.
 
I have one. Full size. Sensitive brush. I had to find out what schedule worked for me. I cannot do everyday. I do it every three days with La Mer foaming moisturizer.
 
I was really interested in this product as well. So finally I did a bunch of research. What I found was mainly positive user reviews, but also a fair number of reports of users experiencing *more* skin issues after using it. The experts' reviews (physicians, estheticians, etc) were mixed as well - mainly positive, but some negative. After all of that, my take is that lots of people have good experiences, but for some, it just disrupts the skin's natural moisture barrier / defenses *too* much and that causes issues (mainly either more breakouts or skin flaking). Leaving at least some dead skin cells on the skin's surface provides some benefits around sun and pollution exposure.

I read a really excellent expert's review, I wish I had bookmarked it. She had a lot of good points. I will post back if I can find it.

In the end I didn't buy. Although I wanted to! I am sticking with my washcloth and gentle scrub routine for now.

BTW, apparently if you brush your skin to the point of it looking tight and shiny, you are going to far. lol

Anne
 
I wanted to mention I love mine. Got it 3 years ago, 5 speed, sensitive brush and body brush.

All my derm friends attribute it's success to daily exfoliation - but that's off the record and said in passing. I'm sure you can get the same results with the washcloth method, I just don't like how it pulls my skin, this feels surprisingly more gentle if you use it appropriately without scrubbing. Just rest the device on your skin and move in circles :)

Good luck!
 
My derm is strongly against it. She says it's too harsh and also mentions the bacteria issue. Most users on the skincare board I follow are also fairly negative towards it. Have you tried a microfiber washcloth?

The poster above me mentions using it properly and I think this might be a key issue-- it *feels* so good (and I agree!) that people overuse it and use it improperly.
 
To be honest, I've never been that impressed with my Clarisonic. I thought I just had to have one, but I sort of wish that I hadn't spent the money on it. I get better results from a jar of Peter Thomas Roth "Unwrinkle Peel Pads"
 
Eh, I've had the Mia for a couple years and use it only occasionally. I am with the others who said it makes it worse before it gets better, if it does even get better. It never really did for me, so not worth it for me. And the skin system I use (Acne.org -- totally works!!) really emphasizes that irritation is bad news. So, actually, you don't want to be exfoliating your skin, because it will make it worse (if you are acne-prone). The regimen emphasizes being very, very gentle to your skin, almost not even touching it when cleansing with just your hands, and barely touching it to put on the treatment and moisturizer.

My sister recently bought me the Origins Checks & Balances face wash, and it's even more mild than the Acne.org cleanser, so I'm loving it. I only use the benzoyl peroxide every few days, mostly just the AHA+ lotion overnight and SPF tinted moisturizer during the day.

The ONLY thing that has ever worked for me for blackheads is the Bioré pore strips, especially the ones with tea tree oil. I find they are easier to use than the Clarisonic, because that involves getting your face wet, putting cleanser on the brush, doing the cleaning thing for 60 seconds (or more if you do your neck or whatever), then rinsing your face, and rinsing the brush out, and cleaning the brush so it doesn't get gunky and horrible. Pore strips: 30 seconds to wet it and put it on my face after normal cleansing, go do something else for 10-15 mins., and then rip 'er off. One of life's most satisfying things! :cheeky:

Edited to add: I have had a couple friends who swear by the Queen Helene Mint Julep face mask. I got some of it, and it feels really good to me, but I am not sure if it really works.
 
I have mature, oily, acne-prone, sensitive skin, and I didn't like it at all. I've never been able to do mechanical defoliation. It wakes up the acne.

I went back to a thin, coarsely woven washcloth that I use very gently (no scrubbing) and use a chemical peel by Neostrata.

My professional clarisonic came highly recommended by a dermatologist. Then you can buy that much more of the expensive product they sell in their offices (raised eyebrow).

Simple is better IMO.
 
I went looking for studies. I figured what Rubyshoes needs a study where they took a large group of people with bad blackheads, photographed them, divided them into three random groups, and left group one alone, gave group two a Clarisonic, and gave group three the Clearasil box kit. Then they photograph everyone again and give the before and after pics to an expert who doesn't know who's in which group. Takes a little planning, but not exactly rocket science.

The only studies I could find at all were done by Clarisonic, and they were kind of odd. "Clarisonic use increases vitamin C absorption." My first thought was who gets vitamin C through the skin? Most of us get it from fruits. Then I wondered why study that at all? Vitamin C is cheaper than a Clairsonic. If it's so great for the skin, double the concentration in your cream.

My conclusion was that Clairsonic did a bunch of studies and published the ones that actually worked. I then wondered if maybe they had done the blackhead study, and squelched it because Clarisonic made everyone worse.

I'm a cynic, but I am also an unimpressed cynic.
 
Hmm. Interesting to hear the other side of the story as well. I literally do not have any skincare issue besides my blackheads and that is pretty much all I want/need taken care of. I read the article and even to me as a layperson, using it 2x a day seems incredibly unnecessary. I mean, unless you're a coal miner, exactly how dirty is your skin going to get? I actually do use the Queen Helene mask and it's nice but does zilch for blackheads.

I use it because it makes my skin pretty/glowy/smooth (ditto Lush Oatmeal face mask) but it has no effect on blackheads. I think the best thing to do is get the Mia from Nordstroms as they have a great return policy, use it every alternate day, see how I feel about it and if I don't like it, I'll just return it. Hopefully I don't have the issues others have had with it.
 
I have had a Mia for a few years, and I have not noticed any improvement with blackheads (I use the sensitive head). However, I sometimes have an area of my jaw that gets these annoying bumps on them and within one use of my Clarisonic they seem to go away. For the record, the Biore strips do nothing for me either. :angryfire:
 
LittleRiver|1362694091|3399400 said:
I have the Olay knockoff (I think it was around $20-25 at the drugstore) and I'm obsessed! I've sampled the real thing at Sephora but haven't worked up to splurging on it....yet.
Click to expand...


I have the Olay knockoff too! I was contemplating the Clairisonic and my BFF who's an aesthetician said she wan't sure it would work for my skin. I hated to drop that kind of dough on something that could make my skin worse. I ended up getting the Olay one & I've had it for a year. I like it and think its makes my skin slightly better. I use it 1x/daily. I haven't felt the need to upgrade to the $200 Clairisonic.
 
Love my clarisonic mia! My hub got me the full version but it was too big/bulky since I was used to using my mia. I use the sensitive pads and have to make sure I change them or else they get scratchy, but my skin always feels so nice and soft afterwards. It *really* helps me exfoliate, which is big for me since I have oily skin and my dead skin cells get trapped easily and give me blackheads as a result :knockout: Anyway, definitely recommend it, it's one of my favorite at-home pampering tools.
 
mrs jam|1362691309|3399353 said:
Have you tried adding a sprinkle of baking soda to your face wash? I do this about 3x a week, and it's worked wonders for my complexion.
Click to expand...

Please do not use baking soda on your skin! it is NOT safe!!!


If you remember anything from your high school chemistry class, you'll remember that the pH scale works like this: 1 is acidic, 14 is alkaline. Things are either more acidic or more alkaline based on where they sit on the scale (unless it is 7, in which case it is neutral). As a reference point, your skin is roughly a pH of 4.5-5, blood is 7, an effective AHA or BHA is 3.5-4, baking soda is a 9, and the average WHITE vinegar (5-10% acetic acid) is 2.40-3.40.

pH is so very important in skincare -- too alkaline and the skin barrier is disrupted or damaged, too acidic and you risk burns.
Skin care problems are generally caused by genetics, diet, and mistreatment of the problem to begin with, such as scrubbing dehydrated, acne skin with baking soda, which damages the skincare barrier and makes your face a bacterial breeding ground. Think of your skin barrier as part of your immune system -- it is essential for keeping the bad guys out and the good stuff in, such as moisture. Scrubbing it with a too-alkaline cleanser is increasing moisture loss and decreasing the ability to keep bacteria on your skin in check. Worse, by toning your skin with a product with a pH of 2.4-3.4, you are putting your skin at risk for chemical burns, which at best are uncomfortable and at worst will scar.

Please, please use products that are made specifically for use on skin -- your face is not a toilet bowl or a sink. They are balanced by cosmetic chemists and generally use tried-and-true ingredients for cleansing or moisturizing.
 
rubyshoes|1362690224|3399337 said:
I have a horrid blackhead problem. The only time I can get my blackheads to go away is when I get a facial (which isn't often) and I am too lazy to use Biore pore strips. Lately I've been looking at Clarisonics. There are a few inexpensive Mia models available on ebay. My question is, have you ever used a Clarisonic or similar brand and do you think it actually works or is it just a gimmick? :))
Click to expand...

You should know that a risk of using it is broken capillary blood vessels on your face. These can only be removed with a laser...
 
monkeydogsundog|1362789744|3400247 said:
mrs jam|1362691309|3399353 said:
Have you tried adding a sprinkle of baking soda to your face wash? I do this about 3x a week, and it's worked wonders for my complexion.
Click to expand...


Please, please use products that are made specifically for use on skin -- your face is not a toilet bowl or a sink. They are balanced by cosmetic chemists and generally use tried-and-true ingredients for cleansing or moisturizing.
Click to expand...

I'm perfectly aware that my face is not a toilet bowl. Neither is my cake nor my chocolate chip cookies. But thanks for the tip.

I've been using a sprinkle of baking soda mixed in with my face wash for over 20 years now. A very small amount added to a mild face wash makes a wonderfully gentle exfoliant. At the risk of sounding immodest, it's the not-so-secret secret of my beautiful and soft skin.

"Cosmetic chemists" made me laugh; thanks! I prefer my beauty and household products green, simple, and vegan, so I'll stick to my sodium bicarbonate.
 
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