If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll know that I’ve had the Clarisonic for a while now. After about 3 months of testing, i’m finally ready to review this rather pricey gadget.

Let’s see what they have to say about it:

Removes 6x more makeup than manual cleansing

Leaves skin feeling and looking smoother

Cleanses so well that products absorb better

Gentle enough for twice daily use

Helps reduce oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes

Helps reduce the appearance of visible pores

So firstly I’ll just clarify that, despite that first bullet point, it’s not a makeup removal tool and actually now comes in a charcoal grey Men’s version (same thing but different colour) that I spotted in-store yesterday:

What does it do? The Clarisonic is a cleansing tool to be used with a gentle cleanser (don’t use this with a face scrub!). I think it’s best to think of this as a souped up electric toothbrush for your face. It works in a very similar manner to one; the sonic vibrations of the Clarisonic help to buff and dislodge all the dirt and dead skin off your face – the same way in which an electric toothbrush blasts your teeth cleaner than a manual ever could.

Initially I didn’t think I’d like this at all. Having not heard much about it I expected a super-expensive product that promised things it couldn’t deliver. To my surprise the (admittedly pricey) Clarisonic promises only what it can do.

How to use it? It’s very easy to use, just set your speed (only need to do this once) and then use the brush with cleanser on your damp face, focusing on specific areas (forehead, cheeks, nose, chin..). The device will beep when you have to switch to another area and it’ll shut itself down when you’re done. That means you won’t run the risk of scrubbing too much or too little. Clean it with a bit of soap afterwards and pop it in the charger when you’re done.

Results! I found that after about two weeks, I could definately see the difference in my skin. Living and working in the heart of London means that my face becomes inevitably clogged with all manner of grime and debris. The Clarisonic cleans my face more thoroughly than regular cleansing or exfoliating alone. The result? The pores around my nose look smaller because they’re cleaner, skin feels incredibly smooth and because my skin is so completely exfoliated and cleansed – any skincare I use afterwards soaks straight in and seems to work deeper in the skin. The regular facial stimulation also keeps your face looking in good shape, similar to the way your face looks after a jog – healthy looking and fresh.

The Clarisonic Plus comes with both sensitive and regular brush heads. If you’re going to use this daily, I’d recommend going to for Sensitive head – if you’re only going to use it a few times a week go for the regular. I tend to use the regular head on the days I shave. Speaking of shaving, the Clarisonic has firm, dense bristles that can work their way through short stubble – used before shaving it ensures skin stays smooth and ingrown-free. The bristles also seem to soften up the beard hair a bit too, especially when used in the shower (it’s waterproof!). Definately makes shaving a lot nicer.

As for cleansers, I find that it can make even the most mediocre cleanser work really well. I usually use Cetaphil with it which works wonderfully but I’ve used foaming cleansers to great effect too.

Negatives? Other than the price (you can go for the slightly cheaper Mia version if price is an issue), I’d say the biggest drawback for me is battery life. It seems to die completely after only a few uses. For something that takes so long to charge (you’ll need to leave it for a good few hours), you’d expect it to have a decent battery life. Considering you only use it for about a minute a day, I’d say that was pretty poor. You can avoid this problem if you place the Clarisonic in it’s charger after use but it’s still a major flaw. Also, taking a minute out to cleanse your face might be a bit tiresome to some people – I find it sort of relaxing.

Who would like this? Well this is by no means a necessary tool and you could certainly live without it. The Clarisonic is made for people a little more serious about their skincare. It’s basically a deep cleanser and exfoliator, going above and beyond anything your hands, a cleanser, an exfoliator or even a manual facial brush could. Even with my (exhaustive!) skincare routine I found that this made a positive difference in my skin. Nothing groundbreaking but enough to make me continue using it. I’ll  repurchase this if it ever dies on me.

Use the Clarisonic? Have any questions? Post them below!