Must Have | Clarisonic

Being the product junkie that I am, I could not go all the way to New York and not get myself the much talked about Clarisonic.

What is a Clarisonic you ask?

The short answer: It’s a cleansing brushes that uses sonic technology to cleanse your skin thoroughly and perfectly so that you don’t have to!

What is sonic cleansing? The Clarisonic Sonic Cleansing Brush, is powered by patented sonic technology that works with the skin’s natural elasticity, oscillating at more than 300 movements per second to gently massage away impurities trapped within pores.

The long answer: “We’re all guilty of the one-two splash in the morning or at night when facial cleansing takes a backseat to sleep or getting to work on time. Clarisonic® makes it so easy to get effective facial cleansing in just two minutes a day – 60 seconds in the morning and 60 seconds at night. And with this dedication to your Clarisonic® use, you get an added bonus: serums and moisturizers absorb better while your skin is left soft and pampered. In a recent study, up to 61% greater absorption of Vitamin C occurred after cleansing with the Clarisonic® as compared to manual cleansing. It’s no wonder why Clarisonic® is recommended by leading dermatologists, cosmetic surgeons, estheticians, and spas for superior facial cleansing.”

I bought it because of the rave reviews I read on various forums and websites that made claims like “smaller pores“, “smoother and more radiant skin“, “deep and effective cleaning“. Promise a woman that and she will be like putty in your hands. It did come with a pretty hefty price tag, but a) I did my research before I resolved to get myself one and b) I reasoned that I would give up my monthly facial for this bad boy (and also use masks and treatments) (of course).

I bought the Clarisonic Plus which is also for the body. I had the greatest intentions of using it nightly to exfoliate my skin, but to tell you the truth, its more of a schlep than anything else. If I were to make a recommendation, I’d say get the Clarisonic Mia 2 or the Aria. It’s not worth spending the extra bit on the Plus to get the body cleansing benefits. Another factor that puts me off using the body mode is that it eats the battery like crazy, and that means I have to charge it more often. A lot more often. The charging cycle is mental. I haven’t timed it, but I’m guesstimating that a charge cycle is 12 hours. I did get mine from the States and I do charge it using a convertor, so maybe it’s just mine. There is NOTHING worse than wearing your happy face to your bathroom to use your electronic toothbrush/Clarisonic only to remember that you were supposed to charge it the night before.

Anyhow, I do use it nightly on my face (after I’ve removed my eye makeup) and cleansing is a breeze. I apply face wash to my skin, wet the Clarisonic and off I go. The Clarisonic has a timer and beeps every time you need to change an area. It starts off with 20 seconds for your forehead, then 20 seconds for your nose and chin area, followed by 10 seconds for each cheek. Once its done, it switches off automatically, making it impossible to over-stimulate your skin. Clever Clarisonic!

I can definitely confirm that my skin feels smoother and looks cleaner and I can only assume that product penetration is better as a result. I love using the Clarisonic, because it does all the work, and I know it’s working! It’s a definite must have.

If you have any questions or are wondering about whether to invest in one, click here or here to get your questions answered.

Rating: 5/5
Product: 5/5
Packaging: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Price: Around R2500 for the Mia 2, R2996 for the Aria and R3495 for the Plus
Would I buy again?: I would get the Mia 2 or the Aria
Where to buy: The Clarisonic will be available from mid-January 2015 from select Stuttafords stores