Clarisonic Mia 2: One Week Update

If any of you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have seen that I invested in a Clarisonic last week. I have been contemplating getting one for about two or three years now. I've heard amazing things about the cleansing tool from bloggers and YouTubers worldwide. The reason I hadnt invested in one sooner was down to the many doubts I had about the product. It is quite pricey so was it going to be worth the money? I had never used a cleansing brush. Was it going to be harsh? Would it damage my skin? My skin wasn't overly bad so did I really need it? I realised the only way I could answer these questions was to try it out for myself. 

Now, for those who don't know what the Clarisonic is, let me explain. The Clarisonic is a cleansing brush that claims to cleanse the skin six times better than hands alone. The brush uses a sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to deeply cleanse the skin. Clarisonic promise to transform your skin and even have a 90 day money guarantee. I like a company that are confident and can stand behind products that they really believe in. Clarisonic have a number of brushes to choose from; Mia, Mia 2, Aria, the Plus, the Pro and the new Pedi (for feet). 

I opted for the Mia 2. It's small and compact and easy to travel with. You have a choice of two speeds. Plus it was €50 cheaper than the Aria. I had watched a review on YouTube and it said it was a lot easier to use and handle due to the size. I felt it suited me perfectly. The Mia 2 also came in an array of colours to choose from which I liked. I chose the pink model and paid a total of €149 in Sephora, Spain. This included the device itself, a sensitive brush head, a protective travel case, a sample size of their Refreshing Gel Cleanser and a charger. I compared prices elsewhere and the Mia 2 seems to be €149 everywhere whether it be euros, pounds or dollars.

So over a week ago before I started using the Clarisonic my skin was good, and when I say good I mean nothing special. I have combination skin with an oily nose and chin, normal cheeks and I am quite dehydrated on my forehead and around my eyes. I have quite large pores on my nose and cheeks but very rarely would get blackheads. My pores usually look clean. I don't really get spots anywhere except around my chin and mouth. I have been using my Dermalogica Skin Kit for the past few months and my skin is a lot better than it use to be but I was hoping with my new Clarisonic, it would look its very best. To say I could not wait to use it was an understatement. I was so excited! Let's bare in mind I am a skin FREAK! 

The night finally came and I got to use the Clarisonic for the first time. I decided to use my Dermalogica Gentle Cleansing Gel with it as it has been what I have been using and I knew the Mia 2 required a cleanser that would foam with the brush. You must wet the brush before use and then with a limp wrist, move the brush in light circular motions. You are expected to spend 20 seconds on your nose and chin, 20 seconds on your forehead and 10 seconds on each cheek. The Mia 2 has a Timer which indicates when to move on. Honestly, when I first started using the Clarisonic I felt it to be quite rough and sore on my skin. I started to panic a little thinking did I just spend €149 on something which is going to tear my skin to bits. Worry not! I don't know if the brush was a bit stiff or if I was putting too much pressure on my face but it doesn't feel half as rough now. Despite the horrible feeling instantly, after my first use, my skin looked bright and healthy, my pores looked smaller and my face was smooth and soft. I couldn't believe it. I continued to use my Clarisonic morning and night (twice daily as recommended) happily going without make-up to show off my skin. 

I had heard of a lot of people going through the so called 'purging phase'. This sometimes occurs the first week or two after starting to use the Clarisonic. It's down to all the impurities, dirt and oil being pushed out of your skin causing you to break out. It doesn't happen to everyone and I thought I was getting away with it until a few days ago. I woke up with the biggest, sorest spot on the side of my mouth. I can't ever remember getting anything like this one my face. This was huge. Thankfully, it started to go down after a couple of days but at that stage I had broken out even more. I had a spot on my cheek where I never ever get spots and a few on my chin. If there was anywhere I was going to break out I knew it would be my chin. Strangely enough they aren't coming up to anything. They're just small bumps that are making an appearance and disappearing quite quickly. For the first time ever, I actually looked if I had mild acne on the right side of my face. I have also noticed some blackheads on my nose which I rarely get. I'm putting it down to the Clarisonic pushing all the gunk out. I'm really just hoping that it also gets rid of them eventually. 

 

On a more positive note, I have noticed a big change in the texture of my skin. Above I mentioned that my forehead was quite dehydrated. It consisted of fine lines, small bumps and a thick looking texture. I tried hydrating masks and exfoliating but nothing worked until I started using my Clarisonic. The skin on my forehead looks so much smoother than before. The small bumps are almost completely gone and the dehydration lines have vanished. I also used to get tiny blackheads in the crease of my chin which have dramatically decreased. I can't believe it and I'm really hoping that the results continue and these spots disappear FAST!

I wore a full face of make-up the other night since I started using the Clarisonic. Removing my make-up was going to be the true test for my Mia 2. I didn't want my brush head to be covered in foundation so firstly, I used some cotton pads and the Garnier Micellar Water to remove most of the make-up then I went in with my Clarisonic and cleanser. After patting my face dry, I always tone and more often than not, I see my make-up hasn't been thoroughly removed. The evidence is left on the cotton pad. Your face may look clean but god only knows how much make-up and dirt is trapped in those pores. After the use of my Clarisonic, the cotton pad was clean. Success! I was left feeling confident that I wouldn't be going to bed with any make-up left on my face and for someone who never goes to bed with their make-up on, this makes the job so much easier.

I have only been using the Clarisonic Mia 2 a little over a week. It is still early days and too soon to be giving a full review. I'm not 100% convinced this is good for my skin. Only time will tell. I'm not giving up just yet. I just thought it would be best to keep you up to date as I go along rather than trying to remember each week for a full review in a month or two. I'm excited to see how my skin looks in a few weeks. Stay tuned to the blog and I will have more updates on using my Clarisonic. For now, thanks so much for reading and if you have any questions don't be afraid to get in touch through one of the links below. Mwah!

Holly X

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