My Clarisonic Experience

In November time, i was struggling with deciding on anything i wanted for Christmas from my parents. I just couldn't decide on anything; as, now i have a full time job, if there's anything i want i tend to go and buy it myself. However, i racked my brains for ideas and landed, very last minute may i add - amen for John Lewis Click & Collect (nice plug, there!), on a Clarisonic. Now, this is something i would never buy for myself as they're just so darn pricey, but everyone and their cat had one about a year, or two, ago and raved about them. So, seeing as their was a Price Match on at John Lewis, plus the ability to use discount, my lovely mum popped this in her basket and checked out.

So, today i'm here to tell you about my Clarisonic story and my experience using it so far.

So, after looking at all the Clarisonics, reading up on what they do and what features they had, plus keeping an eye on the prices (wowzer!), we decided on the Clarisonic Mia 2. It's cheaper, and smaller, than the original and it still has everything i could need.

"The Clarisonic Mia 2 is a compact cleansing system designer to fit your lifestyle and help you obtain beautiful skin at home or on-the-go. It utilises Sonic technology and Clarisonic's patented micro-massage motion to work with your skin to gently remove impurities and leave your skin feeling softer, smoother and more beautiful."

It features two speeds and a pulsing 't-timer' which pulses when it's time to move on to the next area of your face. It also comes with a travel case, as the main purpose of the Mia 2 is that it's smaller, and is easier to travel with. It has a universal voltage charger, and comes with a sensitive brush head but you can buy other heads to target different skin types - which i'll talk about later - as well as a 1.oz trial size of the Clarisonic cleanser.

The t-timer that is in-built within the Mia 2 pulses first after 20 seconds for you to do your forehead, then after another 20 seconds for your chin, and lastly 10 seconds for each cheek. However, i've found that for my skin it works best if i spend 20 seconds on my forehead and chin, and then 20 seconds on each cheek - so i restart it after it's finished the original 60 seconds - and then while it's restarted i run it over my top lip and around my mouth, as well as up each side of my nose as i know where my problem areas are. That's something i read a lot in the reviews, that lots of people take no notice of the timer and work their skin as you know your own skin.

My Clarisonc routine starts with wetting my face, applying my cleanser of choice all over my face and then working it into the skin using my Clarisonic as i explained before. I've spent the past three months trying different cleansers with the Mia 2, and i've landed on the Ren Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Gel being my favourite, with the Neal's Yard Rose Facial Wash for Normal or Sensitive Skin being a close runner up. I've found that i really dislike foaming cleansers but especially to use with the Clarisonic, and that's something that i've learned from the amazing Caroline Hirons - skincare queen.

I would say that something i was worried about originally was the 'purging period' everyone speaks of; as when you first start using the Clarisonic, i heard that for about a two to three week period your skin would be rife spots as it cleans so deeply, it's bringing all the dirt to the surface. However, although i did get spots, not half as bad as i was expecting. So if you're worried about that, i would just go for it!

Before i started using the Clarisonic i was kind of getting to the end of my tether with my skin; it was constantly spotty, one things after another, and it just felt generally bumpy and sore. Since using it, however, the overall condition of my skin has severely improved. I don't have as many little lumps and bumps, but i would say i also think that you need to find a cleanser that works well for you with the Clarisonic, as i found that some cleansers didn't work as well as others. I still get spots, and i do still find that i get a few of those horrible under-the-skin spots but i've again found that these are limited with the use of the right cleanser. The Clarisonic isn't the answer to everything, the rest of your skincare has to work well for you too but it really is a great base for me. It really helps the overall look and feel of my skin, and that was a huge bugbear for me.

The Mia 2 comes with a sensitive brush head already attached and that's what i decided to go for too; they suggest you change the brush head every three months so that's what i plan to do, and i'm about to change mine for the first time. However, you know your skin best and there are other skin heads to target different skin types, for example there's a delicate head, a deep pore, a normal, one for your face and body as well as some pricier heads including the cashmere cleanse facial, the velvet foam body, and the satin precision contour. You can buy them singularly but also in two packs too, which is what i bought. It works out cheaper in the long run, and i tend to buy them when they're on price match from John Lewis.

There we have it, my Clarisonic experience. If you have any more questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments or tweet them to me and i'll do my best to answer.

K|xo