In general, foaming cleansers don't clean my skin as well as I would like. It usually feels like it leaves behind a soapy residue or it hasn't effectively broken down the dirt and oil on my face. In the end, I feel like I haven't washed my face at all. Conversely, exfoliating cleansers are too abrasive. It strips my skin of all moisture - along with a few layers of skin. At the end of the week, my face starts to peel from the dryness (despite my strongest moisturizing methods). I have been reduced to mixing cream cleansers with bits of exfoliating cleansers to make my own facial wash. I have been getting increasingly frustrated with this method because facial cleansers usually last me a good year before I need to buy more. By the time I find what works for me, the cleanser is (unsurprisingly) discontinued.
I read about the Clarisonic experience from a thread in a forum I love and respect. Many of the ladies raved about it. I figured their reasoning made sense. Instead of buying a ton of cleansers to experiment with, I could just get a good cream cleanser and use the Clarisonic as the exfoliator. In the long run, I would be saving money.
I treated myself to the Clarisonic Pro. It appears to be the biggest Clarisonic system available. It is also sold by Clarisonic to professionals only. It is not available for sale in retail stores, but aestheticians, dermatologists, and cosmologists can resell them in their offices.
PRO Sonic Skin Cleansing
Featuring four facial speeds including an exclusive PRO speed - plus a body mode. The PRO is only available for sale by skin care professionals.
- Removes 6X more makeup than manual cleansing
- Removes 2X more dirt and oil than manual cleansing
- Cleanses so effectively that products absorb better
- Clears pores and reduces the appearance of pore size
- Helps reduce oily areas, dry patches and blemishes
- Remarkably gentle for cleansing all skin types, including skin affected by complicated conditions
The Pro comes with a sensitive brush head, a brush head cap, a charging station and three Clarisonic cleansers. It operates on 4 speeds: Low, normal, high and pro speeds plus Body Mode (normal and pulse).
I have used the Pro for about 5 months on the lowest setting so far and can say I am very happy with the results. While I was skeptical of how clean it would leave my skin, the device left me pleasantly surprised. From my first session, my skin had a squeaky clean feel to it that I haven't truly felt since the onset of puberty with overactive oil glands. Even running my nails over my skin I couldn't feel any residue or buildup.
The first couple of weeks are all about purging the skin. I experienced some minor acne outbreaks within the first week. It quickly subsided. Next, my skin started to overcompensated for the overly clean skin by overproducing sebum. I experienced another week of unnaturally shininess. Once my skin adjusted, it returned to its natural healthy looking self.
I eagerly searched the mirror for signs of smaller pores too. I noticed that the Clarisonic very effectively loosened my blackheads. It really helped in clearing out my pores. I knew smaller pores would be further down the future. 5 months later, I can attest to the the effectiveness the Pro at reducing the appearance of pores. They are differently smaller than they used to be, but not microscopic by any means. In general, my overall skin tone is much more even.
The only note of caution I have is about the eyes. I have read reviews where users mention seeing lines around the eye area after using the Clarisonic. I noticed a few around my eyes too but I can't be sure if it's from the Pro or from age. I do try to keep the Clarisonic away from the orbital eye area. (Perhaps this is why Clarisonic introduced the Opal??)
All photos (c) Little Luxuries 2013.
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