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Clarisonic Mia 1 Review: Is it really worth the money?

Hey Guys!
This week I will be reviewing the Clarisonic Mia 1. I have been wanting to try out this facial cleansing brush for quite some time. I finally caved and bought it. For those of you who don’t know, Clarisonic facial brushes claim to clean your face 6x better than regular washing with just your hands. The brush is supposed to give you softer clearer skin, and help you skin absorb products better (lotions/vitamin creams). It transmits sonic frequency of 300+ movements per second. Before buying my Mia 1, I went to Ulta to check out the different Clarisonic brushes. Many of you may believe that Clarisonic brushes spin but they actually don’t. The brushes “vibrate” extremely fast. I found that interesting. Before investing in this brush I did a lot of research of which one to get. Hopefully this blog helps you clear up any questions you have about Clarisonic devices! Happy reading :)



Clarisonic Devices & Pricing
Product
Price
What it does
Mia 1
$99
      One speed (Universal)
   Waterproof and rechargeable
 Interchangeable brush heads
    1 Year Warranty
     Comes with: Sensitive brush head, sample size cleanser, and universal charger
Mia 2
$149
 Two speeds (Universal and Delicate)
    Waterproof and rechargeable
    1 minute pulsing T-Timer (tells you when to move to a new area of the face)
 Interchangeable brush heads
     2 Year Warranty
      Comes with: Sensitive brush head, protective travel case, sample size cleanser, and universal charger

Mia 3/ Aria
$199
 Three Speeds (Delicate, Universal, Powerful)
Waterproof and rechargeable (USB Charger)
Adjustable T-Timer
Interchangeable brush heads
3 Year Warranty
      Comes with: Sensitive brush head, sample size cleanser, and USB charger

Mia Fit & Alpha Fit
$189
Two speeds (Delicate and Power Cleanse)
Waterproof and rechargeable (USB Charger)
 Interchangeable brush heads
 Compact
 1 min pulsing T-Timer
  2 Year warranty
      Comes with: Radiance brush head, sample skin illuminating cleanser, and USB charger
Smart Profile
$265
 Four speeds &  body turbo mode
SMART technology when smart brush head is used
Brush head replacement notification
3 Year Warranty
Waterproof and rechargeable
    Comes with: Dynamic facial brush head, Turbo body Brush head, sample size cleanser, sample size refining polish, wall adapter and charger

Alright, I know what you’re all thinking—These babies are expensive! It took me a lot of courage (and some Ulta gift cards), to go and buy one of these things because I thought it was absolutely ridiculous to spend $100+ on something you wash your face with.
Let’s start with why I bought it: I have been having some major skin issues. Comedogenic acne, painful zits, dry skin (eczema), and dull skin. I have been seeing the dermatologist to help with my acne problem but everything she gave me wasn’t helping! I thought I would try a Clarisonic brush as I have heard a lot of great things about them.
I bought the Clarisonic Mia 1 (read everything it includes above). It is $99; the cheapest brush that Clarisonic has. I knew that buying a Clarisonic brush was going to be a long term investment because you have to replace the brush heads every 3 months, so I opted for the cheapest brush.

Let’s do some math:
Clarisonic Brush: 99$+
+
Clarisonic Brush Heads: 27$+ X 4 times a year
=
$207… for the first year (yikes)
AND
$108 every year after that to replace the brush heads (NO THANKS!)

So, I did some research!! It turns out that you can buy Clarisonic dupe facial brushes on Amazon for CHEAP!! The cheapest I could find was four “normal” brush heads for $5.41. To be honest, if I couldn’t find a cheaper alternative for my Clarisonic brush head replacements I probably wouldn’t have brought the brush. Click here for the link!

*I am still using the brush that my Clarisonic Mia came with, but once I order and use these dupe brushes I will do a review on them to see if they’re just as good as the Clarisonic brand. If you know more about these brushes please comment below!!

All in all, Clarisonic is definitely not a cheap product. I hope that it lasts long, and the dupe brush heads work great! I will keep you updated as time goes on :)

How to use & how I used it
Directions:
·      Remove eye makeup by hand
·      Apply cleanser directly to moistened skin or to a damp brush head
·      Push the on/off button to turn on your cleansing brush
·      Do 20 seconds on the forehead, 20 seconds on the nose & chin, 10 seconds on on  cheek, and 10 seconds on the other cheek
·      Don’t press too hard onto the skin

How I Used It:
First I removed my eye makeup with my make up remover wipes. Then, I splashed warm water onto my face to clean some of the make up off of it. Then I moistened the brush head with warm water and got the excess water off of the brush head. I then filled the entire center of the brush head with CeraVe cleanser for normal to dry skin. I started on my forehead and scrubbed until I felt like moving on, going from cheek to cheek, then chin and nose. This device shuts off after a minute and I tended to use it longer than that so I would have to turn it on again throughout the washing cycle (no big deal). Also, if I felt need be I would add more cleanser. Towards the end after everything felt clean I slowly dragged the brush over my face to give it a little massage and extra cleaning! Ta-Da! Then I rinsed my face off and the brush. I dried the brush off and invested in a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol to spray the bristles (at least once a day). I would take the brush head off of the device and clean underneath every 3-4 days (face wash accumulates underneath).
I use the brush 2 times a day for about 2 mins every time (in the shower and out of the shower). I charged the device for 24 hours after getting it and I haven’t had to charge it since. I am estimating its charge to last for about 4 weeks! Not too bad at all J A lot of what I have read said that Clarisonic’s devices constantly need charged).

How well the product worked

I think this product is AWESOME! I haven’t gotten a single pimple or break out since I started using it. It is slowly clearing up my comedogenic acne and even some of my acne scars. My dry skin flakes are disappearing and my skin has never been softer or smoother. There were a couple things that I read or heard in reviews that I wanted to test out with the product:

·      Cant hold a charge- I didn’t find this to be true. I charged my brush fully the day I got it and I haven’t charged it since. It’s been 3 weeks. I am expecting the charge to last for 4 weeks or longer! This exceeded my expectations. I don’t find the charge to be an issue what so ever.

·      Get’s water damage- I have a 30 day return policy and a 1 year warranty so I was really going to test this out. I haven’t fully submerged the device underwater (there is no need to). I have used it in the shower, cleaned it under running water, and taken off the brush head and ran water underneath. So far, I have gotten no water damage to the device.

·      The dreaded purge- I heard that my skin would purge (breakout) just about on every blog or video I watched. Even a worker at Ulta told me my skin would purge the first 2 weeks but I haven’t gotten a single pimple or breakout since I started using Clarisonic Mia. I am wondering if it’s their cleanser? I am using the CeraVe cleanser instead of the free sample I got with my device. I have also heard that people are having an allergy to the nylon that is used in the brush heads which is causing an initial break out. I’m not sure, but I didn’t have a problem!

PS- The sensitive brush head (the one that comes with the device) really works well for my skin! It’s not soft, but it does it’s job. I haven’t had any irritation or skin breakdown.

Likes
Clears up acne, helps even skin tone, exfoliates dry skin, can use with ANY cleanser, helps skin absorb products better, helps you spend necessary time on your skin, comes in cute colors.

Dislikes
Self timed to turn off, expensive, and expensive brush heads.

Buy/use again?
I hope I will not have to buy another Clarisonic brush for a long time! I hope this one lasts me 3 or 4 years. I will continue to use it 2x a day, everyday! I am really glad I invested in this product.

Three Helpful tips
1.     If you are contemplating on buying a Clarisonic brush, I suggest going to Ulta and checking out all of the options there. Ulta has great return policies. You can try the brush risk free for 30 days, and if it’s not working for you you are able to return it no questions asked.
2.     Go to clarisonic.com and register your device. You will get a coupon which you can use towards brush replacements or anything on their website!
3.     Buy your (dupe) replacement brushes on Amazon to save $$$


Three Month Update: I bought my Clarisonic almost 3 months ago! I still use it twice a day every day. It has exceeded my expectations. When I don't use my Clarisonic I notice more large pimple breakouts as well as my skin getting oilier quicker throughout the day. I am about to buy the Amazon replacement heads in a couple weeks. I don't think the bristles on my brush head are worn very much at all (YAY)! I think I may be able to get away with replacing the brush head every 4 months instead. I don't have any complaints on charging. I have charged it only 2 times since I wrote this blog. I haven't had any water damage. My Clarisonic did get dropped in the shower and didn't show any signs of damage other than the plastic cap being cracked (no big deal). I am definitely still loving this product!!



Thanks for reading!
-K

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