Clairsonic Skincare Brush Review

Recently I decided to finally take the plunge and purchase a Clairsonic Skincare Brush. I've wanted this since I first saw them displayed in Sephora, but I was a bit turned off by the price of $195. Recently though my skin hasn't been doing as well as it should be and combined with a 10% off coupon from Sephora I figured I'd give it a go.

What really made me fall in love with the Clairsonic Skincare Brush was the fact that it works on the same premise as my Oral B SmartSeries toothbrush by dividing the face into zones and timing how long to clean each area. It takes all the guess work out of making sure your skin has been cleaned properly. Using the sonic technology the brush head doesn't actually rotate, but instead vibrates in order to clean. I love the fact that it does remove makeup better than just regular cleanser and washcloth. The biggest draw for me though is that I have very dry skin and this helps my skin to not only be gently exfoliated, but also better absorb the moisturizer that I use. You can use your regular favorite skin cleanser (as long as it doesn't have any jagged particles), but they did include a few that you can try in the package.

"It's a technology."

After charging over night the brush is ready to use. They recommend moistening it with water first, but it depends on your own cleanser. My usual cleanser (boscia Soothing Cleansing Cream) was too messy to use with water and dribbled all over my face! So instead I run it under the tap and then shake off the water leaving the brush moist, but not wet. The brush beeps as you start and times 20 seconds for your forehead, 20 seconds for your chin and nose, and 10 seconds for each cheek using an audible beep and short pause to let you know when to switch to the next section. The brush that I got has the option of different speed and timing settings. You can use both normal and low speed and can change between the default one minute setting to either a 2 minute setting with beeps or 2 minutes without beeps. The brush is also water resistant so you can use it in the shower or tub, and the brush heads can be changed off so if you want to share it with someone (like your significant other) you can with an additional brush head. As you use the brush, you'll want to replace the brush heads about every six months, just like a toothbrush.

The three cleansers that were included with mine are all from Clairsonic; “nourishing care cleanser” for normal to dry skin, “gentle hydro cleanser” for all or sensitive skin, and “refreshing gel cleanser” for normal to oily skin. Since I have dry skin I decided to try both the “nourishing care” and “gentle hydro” cleansers. First impressions of the “gentle hydro cleanser” was that it was very light and did have a certain smell to it which actually reminded me of some kind of sesame/ginger salad dressing if you can believe that. (Maybe I was just having a weird nose day.) Overall the only impression it left on me, besides the befuddling smell was that it was a bit more drying than I would have liked. Even after applying my normal moisturizer my skin still felt a bit tight and dry. However I do tend to have slightly sensitive skin and I didn’t feel any adverse reaction. Next I tried the “nourishing care” cleanser and it was definitely more moisturizing than the “gentle hydro cleanser”, but also had a strange citrus smell to it. It was also an effective cleanser, but I think overall I just didn’t care for them mostly because of the odd scents.

It's so awesome, it floats on water! (No, not really.)

I was warned by the shop girl who I bought the brush from that my skin might purge at first and be worse before it got better. I've been using it regularly though and I haven't had any problems since I've been using it. In fact my skin seems better than ever! The dry/red blotchy areas have definitely diminished and I’ve noticed that my pores have gotten smaller and I haven’t seen any black heads on my nose which is usually my problem area. I know that the price point is going to turn most people off, but I really love the fact that my skin is healthier and better looking and for me that's worth the cost. They do offer a new smaller and less expensive version of the brush that's also travel friendly called the "Mia" that seems to be the exact same product except smaller and with a different charger.

If you're interested in purchasing a Clairsonic Skincare Brush, they are available in stores at Sephora in both white and pink colors along with the new Mia Skincare Brush and replacement brush heads. They’re also available direct from the Clairsonic website where you can even get your brush engraved with a personal “Beauty Mark” message! They also offer the included cleansers in full sizes along with the replacement brush heads.