Clarisonic Mia 2

I realise that the Clarisonic is quite an extensively reviewed product around the blogosphere, but as this blog is fairly new, I thought I should talk about the staple products I use every day, just so that you get to know what I think are the best products out there. So this blog is going to be about the cleansing part of my regime.

Just to give you a bit of information about my skin, I have combination/oily skin but it also tends to get very dry in some places (around my nose and eyes in particular) and I have a little bit of scarring from acne. My acne has cleared up now, thank goodness (although I should probably thank my dermatologist who gave me every treatment on this earth until she found the right one to help me), so I have just been left with a little bit of scarring on my chin and lower cheeks. It's mostly just discolouring, so I can cover it up with foundation. Also, I do naturally have quite visible pores, which really doesn't help with spots etc. So as my skin has been quite problematic over the years, my cleansing regime is really important to help keep the spots at bay. It definitely isn't the be-all-and-end-all (eating healthily, drinking lots of water, getting lots of sleep all help too) but it is really important if you want your skin to stand a chance against acne and oily skin.

SO now I've got all of the gory details out of the way, I can get on with telling you about my Clarisonic. I have the Mia 2 in pink, which just means that it has two speed settings instead of one (like the original Mia). I think they're around the same price, so I thought I might as well go for this one. That said, I only use slower setting, so don't worry if you can only get hold of the Mia! I did think about going for the Clarisonic Classic, but my dermatologist has one and she says it is a waste of money because it has the same size brush head but is just much bigger in the body, so it isn't easy for travelling etc. I don't use mine for my body, but if you wanted to, you can buy different heads for the Mia 2 that suit various different functions.

Incase you haven't heard of a Clarisonic, it is a 'sonic skin-cleansing system'. It is basically like an electric toothbrush for your face. I know this sounds a little bit scary, and I have very sensitive skin so I was a bit worried that it would make my face sore, but it honestly isn't at all uncomfortable. In fact, my skin doesn't feel clean without it now! It claims to clean skin six times better than a regular cleanser used with water.

The Clarisonic does come with a little tester of their own brand cleanser, but I don't like it at all. I found the consistency really oily but the effect really drying, and it just didn't suit my skin. So I use my Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pore and Shine Daily Wash with it. (On a side note, if you have oily/combination skin or visible pores, I highly recommend this facewash. It is only £2.99 in boots and it has worked absolute miracles on my skin. It is really soft and gentle, but somehow really manages to reduce the shine on my face. It is definitely on a par with my more high-end favourite facewash which is the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish.) Anyway, I find that this cleanser is really good with the Clarisonic because it foams nicely, so it's easy to spread all over the face.

So I just squirt some of that onto the Clarisonic brush, wet my face and the brush with a little water, and off I go. The Mia 2 vibrates three times to tell you to move onto a different section of your face. The whole thing takes one minute. Then after it's done, you just rinse the wash of your face with some water, and hey presto your face is clean! It depends on the state of my skin as to how often I use my Clarisonic, but it's either once or twice per day. Some people find that they need to use it much less than this though, so I think it depends on your skin.

The Clarisonic retails at £125, so it is definitely an investment purchase. If you are someone who has good skin without needing to spend a lot on it, then this product probably isn't for you. But if you are like me, and have always spent a lot on skincare, or if you just haven't found a skin routine that really suits your skin, then I would definitely recommend giving the Clarisonic a go. It will come with one brush, but the brush has to be rinsed in soapy water every week and changed every 3 months. The replacement brush heads are around £20, but they do pop up on offer every now and again so I tend to stock up then.

All in all, I am really really happy with my Clarisonic Mia 2. For me, it has totally been worth the money I spent on it because it has completely transformed my skin. My pores appear less noticeable, I haven't had a single spot since using it, and my skin just looks brighter and healthier in general. Some people mention in their reviews that they went through a flush-out period in the first few weeks of using their Clarisonic where it drew out all the nasties from their skin and they got a few spots because of that. I have to say, I didn't experience that at all, but again, I guess it just depends on your skin. But if you have any of the problems I had with my skin - acne, scarring, oilyness, shinyness - or you just feel like your skin needs a bit of a boost, then try the Clarisonic out.

Have any of you tried the Clarisonic? Do you have any particular facewashes for normal or dry skin that you would recommend people to use with it? Leave a comment below if so!

K
xx