Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System (Poppy Red)

I have had this facial skin cleansing system since the end of December, I waited until then as I thought it may be reduced slightly in the after Christmas sales but unfortunately it was not on sale so I had this pay full price. I was sceptical about this product, and because it is really pricey, but I have been using this about 4/5 times a week since I bought it and I love this product - and it gives great results in my opinion.

- Product description (from Clarisonic US website)

"Traditional methods of cleansing don't get your skin as clean as you'd think. Fortunately, the lead inventor of Sonicare discovered a breakthrough in how we cleanse. Using Sonic Technology, Clarisonic' s patented micro-massage motion works within skin's natural elasticity to gently remove the impurities traditional methods leave behind- leaving skin softer, smoother and more beautiful. Works with skin, not against it, to gently massage away impurities trapped within pores. Prepares skin for better absorption of creams, serums and moisturizers."

- Product specifications

*One speed
*Cordless and comes with a magnetic mains 'compact pLink Charger' - rechargeable
*Waterproof can be used in the shower/bath
*Available it a lot of colours, I have the colour: 'Poppy red'
*Gentle enough to use twice a day
*Interchangeable brush heads (sensitive, normal and body)
*My Clarisonic mia came with a free hydro cleanser and instruction booklet too

- What is the Clarisonic and why I bought this product

I would describe the Clarisonic mia, and the other Clarisonic products, as an electric toothbrush for your face! This product is a bit unusual but I had been using the Champneys version of this before so it was not as unusual for me. This product is like an electric toothbrush but with this product instead of the brush head rotating or spinning, it vibrates...This product does look a bit strange and I think some people may mistake it for something else (minds out of the gutter!). The brush head on this cleansing system is supposed to work with your facial cleanser and cleanse your skin really well (and gently) and improve your skins appearance - in terms of clarity, size of pores, smoothness, softness and your skins elasticity.

I bought this product as firstly, I had heard so many fantastic reviews of this product from American websites/blogs/forums as this product has only been available in the UK since December last year, so when I wanted to buy it, there were hardly any/no UK reviews of this product. I bought this product as I had the dreaded curse of eczema and the type of eczema that I had makes my skin incredibly dry, patchy and very, very flaky and I wanted a cleansing system to help with the dryness and flakiness that my skin had (notice the use of past tense). I also bought this product as it is stated to be suitable for sensitive skin which I have and it is also suitable for use twice a day. There are no other products on the market at the moment that are even close to this, as far as I know. The Champneys device similar to this that I was using rotates/spins, whereas this vibrates and also this product works so much better than the Champneys device - in terms of using the actual product, the appearance of the product and the results in my opinion (see my previous review of the champneys product for more information).

- What you get in the set & appearance, colour and packaging

I bought my Clarisonic Mia from asos.com, when they were first stocked on asos and I bought the poppy red Clarisonic mia. Although this device comes in various colours such as: white, red, pink, lavender, yellow, light blue, black and pale yellow. There is also a limited edition paisley print version of the Clarisonic mia only available in Selfridges. This brand and product is American and in America there are so many more colours available such as: peach, coral, fuchsia, turquoise, sapphire, berry and more.

The poppy red Clarisonic mia that I have is just that, a plain poppy red colour, with grey on/off button on the front and there is 'Clarisonic mia' printed on back of the device. This product also comes cap/brush head protector, which is translucent. The packaging for this product has printed information on about the product, its claims and the packaging holds and stores the device really well.

- Setting up and charging the Clarisonic Mia

The only negative point that I found when I was reading about this product before I bought it was the charging time, in particular the initial charging time (and the price, but with this product you get what you pay for and it is well worth it in my opinion). With this product you have to charge it for a full 24 hours before you can use it! The charging time is really long and it is a bit annoying as I was excited to use it and I had to wait for 24 hours while it charged up fully (I am fairly, well very, inpatient so I used this product after it had been charging for about 18 hours and it worked really well, then I let it carry on charging for the remaining time). The charger for this product is quite unusual as it is a magnetic charger, it just clicks onto the bottom of the device and it charges - sometimes this charger can slide off the device but if it does this the device will buzz once (it will also buzz once to indicate that it is charging too). To set up the product all you have to do is charge it for the 24 hours, then use it - it does not require any other set up, other than charging it. The brush head for my Clarisonic was already attached so all I had to do to set up the Clarisonic mia was to read the instruction booklet and charge the product - then I could use it.

- Using the product, the brush head and initial impressions

To use, you have to make sure the product is charged, and then you just remove the protection cap from the brush head. I have used a number of different cleansers with this product such as my avene gentle cleanser, Superdrug hot cloth cleanser, Boots Botanics moisturising foaming cleanser (which does not foam at all) and also my Aromatherapy Associates renewing rose cleanser too. Out of the cleansers that I have, I find that the Superdrug hot cloth cleanser works the best, although I thought that the Clarisonic would make my cleansers foam up but it does not. Firstly, I wet my face with warm water, then I either dot the cleanser of the four main areas of my face (cheeks, forehead and chin) or I apply the cleanser directly to the Clarisonic brush head. I usually just apply the cleanser to my face to ensure an even distribution of the cleanser. I have also tried the cleanser that came with my Clarisonic mia a couple of times, the Clarisonic gentle hydro cleanser. The Clarisonic gentle hydro cleanser worked well in my opinion but the scent of the product was horrible, it smells like plastic/rubber. Once I have applied the cleanser I switch on the Clarisonic with the grey button on the front of the device and the Clarisonic will start to vibrate. The Clarisonic will vibrate for one minute only, although you can switch off the device before that time or you can just press the button again and use it for longer. In the booklet that came with this product it specifies times for each area of the face. For example, nose/chin = 20 seconds, forehead = 20 seconds and each cheek = 10 seconds. I don't really follow these guidelines, as everyone's skin is different and you may not need to use the Clarisonic on one area as much as is stated. Therefore, I just use this product according to how my skin is that day, for example, if my skin is drier in one area (usually my forehead now as my eczema is about 90% gone now!) I will use the Clarisonic more in that area.

The sensitive brush head that comes with the Clarisonic mia is really good, even though my eczema is nearly gone my skin is still dry and sensitive and this brush head does not irritate my skin and it does not feel harsh at all on my skin. The brush head has an outer circle of white bristles then a circle of black bristles and then and inner circle of white bristles. From the black bristles inwards are the bristles that vibrate and the outer bristles don't move - the bristles are really smooth and soft too. When I have finished using the Clarisonic I rinse the brush head under the warm water, then I remove the water from the device with a towel - I also dry the brush head slightly with a towel and I then let it air dry (with the protective cap on). I then use a damp flannel soaked in warm water to remove the exce4sss cleanser from my face and then I pat my face dry. Using this Clarisonic mia is a little strange at first but you will get used to it and it is really easy to use and it works well with all of my cleanser. But it does not make any of my cleansers foam up at all - the Liz Earle cleanse and polish, which I used religiously a couple of years ago, is supposed to work really well with the Clarisonic mia. In terms of ergonomics, the design of this product makes it easy and comfortable to hold and it is not too heavy. I sometimes using this product every day (as it is stated to be suitable for daily use) but I mostly use this product every other day, just because I don't feel like my skin needs to be thoroughly cleansed everyday - especially if I don't wear any make up that day.

Using this product for the first time was quite unusual as I had not used anything like this to cleanse my face before, although the Champneys one is based on a similar concept. This product was really easy to use right from the start, as all you have to do is move the Clarisonic in small circular motions around your face while the Clarisonic is vibrating - it is really unusual and it feels strange for about a week but you do get used to the sensation. The Clarisonic itself is easy to hold, it fits fairly comfortable in my hand and it is easy to use - although it is a little bit heavy but not uncomfortably or annoyingly so. Also there are no cords, cables or wires, which make this product even easier and safer to use. The brush head that comes will all Clarisonic Mia's is that of the sensitive brush head, which is as the name suggests suitable for sensitive skin - but there is also a 'normal', 'delicate' and 'body' brush head.

- Results (after a couple of weeks of using the product)

While reading blogs/reviews of this product before I bought it, one of the results mentioned was that of break outs/spots occurring for the first week of using this product - but I did not experience this. In the first week of using this product I did get a one or two spots but this may just be the result of my skin getting used to the Clarisonic, this is another reason why didn't want to use the new Clarisonic cleanser as I didn't know how my skin would react to the Clarisonic device alone. The first week of using this product made my skin feel really smooth, soft but not as clear as I would have liked my skin to be. Although with the second week of using the Clarisonic I found that my skin started to clear up but I didn't have a lot of spots to start with. I have a few main problems with my skin which are as follows: 1. Dryness and flakiness caused by eczema (the eczema is now nearly completely gone, thanks to a new topic cream I have been using but this product has been helping a lot too). 2. Large pores and 3. Because my skin is dry is can sometimes feel a bit rough and not very smooth. In the first couple of weeks the Clarisonic helped with my skins dryness, smoothness, softness - although in the first couple of weeks this product did not really have a major effect on my pores. I did not experience any irritation, spots, redness or breakouts after using this product for two weeks. Also from the first few times I used this product I feel like it made my cleansers work better, it seems to help the cleansers cleanse my skin really well. And I also find that with the first few times of using this product that my other skincare items (such as my simple moisturiser, my lush eau roma water toner and my eucerin moisturiser) work/absorb a lot better and more effectively than before.

- Results now (after using this product for over two months)

I have now been using the Clarisonic mia for over two months and I have not really changed anything else in my skincare routine (expect the eczema cream that has nearly stopped my eczema completely). I think that over the past two months of using this product my skin has looked so much better, in terms of brightness, clarity and smoothness. And obviously the prescription eczema cream has helped so much but when my eczema used to flare up really horribly, this product really helped make my skin so much smoother and softer - which does not appear to be a great results but the eczema I had made my skin really rough and very flaky and for this product to make my skin really smooth, was just fantastic as I was not used to that. And having eczema, especially at 16 to 19 years of age was difficult and eczema really impacted on my self-confidence and self-esteem and this product made my skin looks so much better. Over the past two months this product has also decreased the size of my pores I feel, as the pores on my nose and my chin are really quite large and I find that since using this product they have decreased in size. I have had eczema now for about three/four years and my skin has never looked so smooth, healthy, clear and 'normal', and it is definitely in part thanks to the Clarisonic mia.

- Additional information (storing, cleaning and changing the brush head)

In the booklet that comes with this product it states that you should remove and wash the brush head once a week, although I have to say that I don't wash the brush head/handle every week - I probably wash them individually every month or so and not washing the brush head every month has not had a negative impact on my skin (as it basically gets washed with my cleanser/water every time I use it). But removing the brush head to cleanse it thoroughly is really easy; you just remove the brush head like you would a medicine bottle lid - push down and twist counter clockwise. I just clean the brush head thoroughly with either my Avene gentle cleanser or Simple bar of soap and then just rinse, towel dry and let it air dry fully. Also in the booklet it states to replace the brush heads every three months, and considering the brush heads are about £22 each I think, I will replace it every 5 months or so as mine still looks brand new (except for one or two bristles that have bend back due to the cap not being placed on well). In terms of storing my Clarisonic mia, the charger and the instruction booklet I just keep them in a small, but pretty, Lancôme box and it really does not take up a lot of room.

- Overall positives

The overall positives of this product in my opinion are as follows: firstly, the appearance of the Clarisonic mia, you can choose the colour and it is easy to hold and use - although it is a little bit weighty. The bristles of the brush head are really smooth and soft, so it does not irritate or feel harsh on my skin. Using this product is very easy and it only lasts for one minute which means that I actually cleanse my skin well and the results are this product are great - and noticeable after about two weeks of use. Since using this product my skin has become so much smoother, softer, and clearer and it has also reduced the size of my pores which was a bit of a problem for me as they were really quite large. It has so made my skin less dry/flaky and I think this is due to the slight exfoliating effect of the vibration/bristles and also because I feel like this product allows my other skincare products to work better and more effectively. For example, I feel like since using this product my facial moisturisers work a lot better and that they don't just sit on my skin, they absorb more effectively. The brush head and handle is easy to clean and it is easy to remove the brush head to clean it. The Clarisonic itself feels really durable, strong and really well made. The instruction booklet is also really useful and informative.

- Overall negatives

The overall negatives of this product in my opinion are as follows: the main negative point against this product has to be the price, as it is really quite expensive but in my opinion and from my experience with this product, it is definitely worth the money - although I obviously wanted it to be cheaper when I bought it. One minor negative point is that for the first charge it takes 24 hours, but after this initial charge the device will not have to be charged for another month or so. Another minor negative, not about the Clarisonic mia, is that the Clarisonic gentle hydro cleanser provided with this product smells horrible - like rubber.

- Price and availability

I bought this product from asos.com (free next day with orders over £100) and this product is priced at (brace yourselves)...£120! This product can purchased from the following websites/stores: feelunique.com, lookfantastic.com, Selfridges, SpaceNK, Harrods and amazon.co.uk. I don't know where you can buy the poppy red version, as when I was trying to buy this one; it was out of stock for a while but the other colours available include: lavender (which is the one I was going to get before this poppy red version came out), pale yellow, pale blue, pale pink and white.

Conclusions

Positives

*Very easy to use, easy/comfortable to hold and it is wireless (it is a little bit heavy though)
*Very easy to clean and to change the brush heads
*Has really made a difference to the way my skin looks and feels - in terms of smoothness, softness, pore size, flakiness/dryness and also I feel that using this product has made my skin overall look a lot brighter and healthier
*I hardly ever get spots since using this product (but I have never had a problem with spots though) and I feel like this product makes my skincare products, such as my cleansers and moisturisers, work and absorb better/effectively
* The brush head is really smooth and soft, so it does not irritate or feel harsh on my sensitive/dry skin
*Different brush head types for various skin types, various colours/designs to choose from
*Fairly widely available online, feels really durable and very well made
*Has not caused any negative or adverse reactions with my skin

Negatives

*The only negative point about this product is the price, as it is £120 (or $119) but in my opinion this product is great if you want to invest in your skin and this product is definitely worth the money for me
*One minor negative point is that it needs 24 hours to charge the first time you use it, which is not good if you are fairly impatient like me but after this initial charge I find that I don't need to charge it for about a month or so (and the Clarisonic gentle hydro cleanser smells like rubber)

(One start off only because of the price)

Thank you for reading my review - this review will also be posted on dooyoo under my username tigger1992