Clairsonic..the Facial Electric Toothbrush

My mom bought me the Clairsonic Mia Facial Cleansing Brush for "Mother's Day" (I have fur babies).  I felt bad when she first gave it to me because I did not show more thanks than I should have...for a $100+ gift!  I thought this little brush was probably $25, and I sort of laughed off the gift as a sweet little "Mom to Daughter" gift.  Little did I know its true cost until I went to work and googled it.  Holy smokes, depending on the model you buy, these things can get up to $250!  Shocked, I immediately (and selfishly) thought, "Damn, Mom!  You could have gotten me a new Kitchen Aid stand mixer for that!"  I just could not fathom why a vibrating facial brush would be worth that much!  After doing a little research on the Clairsonic, I discovered the same inventors of the Sonicare toothbrush are responsible for the Clairsonic facial brush.  Then, I realized some of the reason for the brush's high price...cha-ching!

The reason my mom got me the brush is because I'm passionate about skin care.  I'm extremely picky about what I put on my face, almost never wear face make-up, and am an avid face washer and exfoliater.  With that being said, I'll admit I have pretty good skin tone and clarity...but, I didn't always.  I dealt with cystic acne when I was an early teen.  Fortunately, I decided to treat it with Accutane before any major scarring occurred.  Yes, there is a lot of criticism against the use of Accutane, but I did fine on it, and I'm prone to anxiety/depression.  At any rate, I know how frustrating and depressing acne woes can be, and I truly sympathize with those who suffer from it.

Back to the brush...I was not buying that this brush was any different from diligent and regular exfoliating/cleansing/toning, but I was absolutely willing to give it a true trial run since I didn't have to spend the money to buy it.  Since I was a regular exfoliater before, I didn't see how my before and after results could really be that drastic.  So, I set my exfoliating product aside, and I've been using the Clairsonic regularly almost morning and night for a little over a month now.  Here are my thoughts:

• My first worry was how the brush would affect my light case of Rosacea.  Clairsonic claims the brush was safe for those with Rosacea, and I agree.  My rosacea did not flare upon use.
• The first time I used the Clairsonic, I could definitely feel the difference in my skin.  Not going to lie; my face did feel a little raw and irritated, but it did not look raw and irritated.  That feeling subsided after a few days.
• My skin looks very even and smooth, but it did, as well, with my previous exfoliating product.  Did I see a drastic "before and after" difference in my skin upon using the Clairsonic?  No, not drastic.
• Blackheads on nose seem to be reduced and are easier to extract (big plus for me).
• Did I still have my regular hormonal breakouts?  Yep.  Key word being "hormonal" here.  Look, friends...if you have hormonal cystic acne problems, there's just not a whole lot your can do that doesn't require an oral medication.  I don't suffer from surface acne, so I really can't speak for the effectiveness of the Clairsonic for that.
• The brush holds its charge well and long.
• Due to occasional laziness, I would periodically skip using the Clairsonic and opt for a regular hand washing.  I could definitely see a reduction in results when I did this.  You really need to use it with every washing if you want optimum results.
• The Clairsonic is very expensive, and I'm still not sure it's worth it.
• Do I think it's results can't be reached by another method?  No, but in order to achieve those results, you will have to add an exfoliating step to your cleansing routine both day and night.  The Clairsonic conveniently combines the cleansing and exfoliating step into one.  

In conclusion.....I like the Clairsonic brush and believe it is a legit product.  My skin tone and texture is great with Clairsonic use.  I do believe you can achieve comparable results with regular exfoliating with each morning and evening wash, but the Clairsonic is the more convenient route, and convenience often leads to consistency in routine use which is imperative for stellar results with the Clairsonic.   Basically, this little machine is a skin-tone goddess.  I really was impressed with that aspect.  I don't believe this little brush will be a miracle worker for severe acne sufferers, but I do believe one will see decent results if you have that T-zone type, irritated, non-severe, clogged pore flare-up type of acne.  No matter what, the Clairsonic is not going to produce negative results, but the big question is....is it worth the price?!?!?!

Well, If you have an extra $100 laying around burning a hole in your pocket, then yes, I would buy the basic bottom-line model "Mia" at $115.  Personally, I would have a hard time shelling out $100 for the Clairsonic, and I definitely wouldn't if I were pressed for funds.  I absolutely would NOT spend over $100 for the other Clairsonic models.  In my opinion, the Clairsonic is definitely worth $50 - $75, but not a penny more.  If you want Clairsonic results but can't afford one, implement a regular exfoliating routine before cleansing both day and night.

Bottom line, I'm glad a Clairsonic was given to me, BUT there's a reason I use an Oral-B toothbrush instead of a Sonicare toothbrush  ;-)  I'm curious to see how the other electric facial brushes match up to the Clairsonic.

Thanks, Mom!  I honestly do love my Clairsonic...