As you know, I love my Clarisonic. I step into the shower a pasty-faced zombie, I step out with glowing skin. Miracle.product. But now that I have convinced so many of you to buy a Clarisonic, I feel like I should teach you how to care for your device.
First off, if I have not yet been lured by the Clarisonic siren’s song, allow me to hum a few bars. This product is amazing. Once you’ve washed your “clean” face with a Clarisonic and seen the dinge left behind by conventional washing, you will never be able to go back.
Also, the Clarisonic Mia is usually priced at $119. But, if you buy it from Skinstore.com and use the code G2GSPR, you can take one home for $95 and standard shipping is free.
Lastly, when choosing a brush head, I have had multiple dermatologists and facialists tell me that the vast majority of people should be using the sensitive skin brush or the delicate skin brush. They work just as well as the normal skin brush, but are gentler to the skin. So unless you have really tough skin, it’s better to underestimate your needed cleansing power than overestimate.
Now, let’s talk about how to care for your device.
Even though the brush heads are made of an non-porous material that resists bacteria growth, I do find that they are prone to product buildup. So I follow Clarisonic’s instructions, and I clean the brush head with anti-bacterial soap once-a-week.
You should also wash and rinse the handset with warm soapy water. Additionally, I like to use a Q-tip to get some of the buildup out from under the primary gear. If you have hard water, you’ll notice a rust colored material under the brush head, and it’s good to remove that to keep the handset in good working order.
I also replace my brush heads every three months. Some people say that that’s not frequently enough, but I’ve never noticed a difference. Plus, it’s how often Clarisonic recommends, so why overspend?
I’ve had my Clarisonic for three years and it works as well as the day I bought it. It’s definitely a worthwhile investment. I recommend them to everyone, and I’ve never had anyone tell me that they were disappointed.
So if you have the means, pick one up. If you care for it properly, it’ll pay for itself in no time. This is one of the few products that really lives up to the hype.
Can you remind us what soap you use with the clairsonic? Do you wash your back with it? My main concerns right now are acne on my back 🙁
The more expensive one comes with a body scrubber attachment. I'm not sure if it fits the Mia, it might not. But I do use my regular brush head on my shoulders and back.
On my face, I use whatever soap of the moment, but nothing with abrasives or exfoliants in it. On my body, I use Glytone soap.
Thanks for this post! Just last night I was wondering how to care for and clean my Clarisonic.
i really just need to buy a clarisonic.
You will NEVER regret it. I’m 58 years old and my dermatologist tells me that my skin is better than many 20 year olds that she sees.
I had purchased a regular Clarisonic a few years back and loved it. But with a heavy travel schedule and some living abroad it died. After about a year where I just didn't feel like spending on something I'd already purchased once, I picked up a Mia this weekend. My skin already looks better! I can't believe I let myself wait that long.
I'd also mention that the Sonicare does for teeth what the Clarisonic does for skin. Another great buy.
I love this product so much. I bought one last year, and never looked back. Although this reminds me to order a new brush. Thanks for the recommendation on the brush- I never know which one to order!
Other readers or Belle, I am very interested in a Clarisonic, but as a graduate student on a shoe string not sure if I should spend my money on it… Has anyone tried the Olay knock off version? I saw it at Walgreens this weekend but didn't want to throw away $35 if it wasn't at least a decent alternative.
Such a timely post — i was just thinking of this very question this morning as I used my Mia! Thank you for being one of the most consistently useful sources of beauty information in my world.
I noticed you mentioned in previous posts that you also cleanse the brush head with vinegar, how often do you do that and for how long?
You rock! Thanks for the link with the discount offer! I have been meaning to pick one up but have been putting it off.
Belle- what about the sonic opal infusion system? Have you (or any of your readers) tried it? Thanks!
@ Beth, I have the Olay version. I bought it on sale and with the recommendation of beautypedia. (I would check the Sunday paper for coupons as well or at least use the BBB coupon.) I can't personally compare it to the Clairsonic, but I like it (can't say I loooove it). It is battery operated, but the batteries have not died in 4 + months of using it. I have extremely dry skin, so I only wash my face once a day (at night). The cleanser that came with it is an exfoliant and made my skin flaky, so now I use Cetaphil.
I think it's time to break down and buy one. What's the difference between the Mia and the other models?
Belle, do you have the Mia or the Classic? Readers, which one do you have? I've looked at Clarisonic in the past, but I've been overwhelmed by the number of options. The differences between Mia and Classic are size and speed?
My birthday is next week, so I'm think I'm going to treat myself : )
I own the Mia, after debating seriously between the Mia and the other models (I had been saving for the Clarisonic and was willing to spend more for their more expensive models) I finally decided the Mia was enough for me. The major differences are size and settings. The more expensive models have multiple settings that, for example, alert you as to when to move on to a different part of your face. I can do that myself. I also knew that if I fell in love with my Clarisonic as much as all the people who reviewed it as highly as most people do, I'd want to travel with it, and therefore, would want a smaller size. The more expensive models come with a charging station and the Mia does not, but that's no problem. All in all, there aren't any differences major enough for me to justify paying more than $100 for the more expensive models. I've loved the Mia since the day I bought it. I initially used the sensitive head, then moved on to the normal brush head and over this last weekend, when I hit three months, changed that out to the deep-pore brush head. Honestly, I haven't noticed much of a difference from one to another, though I have not been using the deep pore brush for very long. I use Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Pore Scrub as my face wash and I love how my face feels afterward.
Do you actually use this daily? That isn't too much? Is the Olay squeeze face soap OK to use? Thanks for the nudge, I've been considering this since you mentioned it.
I have the MIA and love it. I debated about which to get – the regular version has more speeds, settings to tell you how long to wash each part of your face, etc – but ultimately decided that the smaller, more travel-friendly version was better for me. I like that the MIA can be plugged in anywhere and I don't have to save space on the bathroom counter for a dedicated charging station. And it's not too bulky to toss in my toiletries bag when I'm traveling, which is great because my skin always breaks out when I'm in a new place.
I use my normal face wash – medicated in the summer when my skin gets oily, gentle cleanser in the winter when my skin is dry.
Belle, after months of debating and re-reading your posts about the Clarisonic.. I finally just ordered my Mia from Skinstore. They need to give you a commission! Thanks 🙂
@Beth: I wanted to try to improve my skin for my upcoming wedding this summer but I was skeptical of the expensive Clarisonic (even though my derm recommended it), so I tried the Olay version of the brush instead. I used it for about three months and ultimately decided to stop using it. The major difference between the Olay version and the Clarisonic is that the Olay brush actually spins around in a circle and eventually I found this to be too rough on my face. I also found it rather drying. Ultimately, I do not think it is worth the $20-$30. (I received a gift card for Christmas with which I finally bought the Clarisonic MIA last month. Having used it for a few weeks now, I can definitely say that it is a far superior product to the Olay brush).
I have the Classic, I bought mine before they made the Mia. I use just whatever face soap I have around, as long as there are no exfoliants in it, it's fine.
I stopped cleaning it with vinegar once I saw that the actual makers of the product recommended antibacterial soap.
I received a Clarisonic Mia for Christmas… after much begging due to your rave reviews about it and I absolutely LOVE IT! Cleans so much better than my hands or a washcloth, and is great for my sensitive skin. I've been using the cleaner that came with it, but since that is running out I have started using the Origins Sensitive Skin foaming facewash that came in one of my birchboxes (another great purchase!!) and I have found it to be working well with the clarisonic. I also like that I can buy my sensitive skin brusgh head with my birchbox points on birchbox.com 🙂
Drugstore.com has 20% off all beauty items until 3/9, which means that the Mia is now $95. Click through ebates and get 12.5% cash back, so the Mia comes to $83 after tax. Not bad!
Belle, you may have convinced me to join the cult of Clarisonic.
m: Come, join us, we have radiant skin and smaller pores…you know you want to…
I bought a Mia on Belle's recommendation this summer and it's super. Belle is so totally right. I use the sensitive brush and I have very sensitive skin. I use it only at night. I just started using the makeup cloth from the Blueberry thing that Belle recommendations. She is also dead on with that too. Then I follow with my Differin (prescription), every other night, alternating with Skinceuticals aging and blemish.
I ordered mine today! (Although I wish I'd seen the drugstore.com tip before I did. Oh well!)
OBSESSED with my clarsonic. I am 23, and still struggle with the “isn't this supposed to be over” acne from my teenage years. As soon as I started using clarsonic, my skin has been almost flawless. I use CeraVe's cleanser, which was recommended by my dermatologist.
I also find that when I put on my moisturizer after I wash with clarsonic, the moisturizer seems like it is melting into my skin and being absorbed in a much better way. Maybe that's just me, but it just feels so much better.
After months on the fence I broke down & bought the Pro but returned it weeks later (thanks to Sephora’s generous return policy) after getting horrible breakouts all over my face. I’m proof that a different brush head certainly makes a difference. Convinced by my aesthetician to give it another go, right now I’m using the Mia with the acne brush head, and it’s made a world of difference. I love, love, love my Mia and even though the body brush was great on the Pro I’m loving the fact that I can travel with the Mia and it fits better in my puny hand.
Did not know they had an acne brush head. Just bought one. Cannot wait to try it.
i just got the mia and was wondering how much face wash do you use? do you put the face wash on your face first or put it on the brush? i feel like if i put it on the brush, only the part that i wash first get soap.
I bought the Clarisonic Plus and it arrived yesterday- can't wait to try it out!
I think the body brush only works with the Plus.
Thanks Belle for the cleaning tips, I'll follow them to the letter. 🙂
I have one of the first Clairsonics – had it about 10 year. I clean it every time I use it. The problem I have and have had for some time is getting the inner part of the brush to revolve. Is there some way I can solve this?