Clarisonic Mia 2 Review - Yay or Nay?

So, I waited patiently to do this review and have now been using the Clarisonic Mia 2 for a whole 4 months - that's like a lifetime in waiting-to-write-a-blog-post years.

If you've not already heard about this product, the Clarisonic Mia 2 is a facial sonic cleansing brush with an oscillating brush head that's meant to give you squeaky clean skin by cleaning 6 times more intensely than if you would wash your face with your hands alone.

What, where, how much

Let's look at the basic info - the Mia 2 model is a good one to start with. It comes with a compact charger (each charge will last you 30-ish uses), a sensitive brush head, a sample of the Clarisonic cleanser and a travel case. It's definitely pricey at AED 700 - see it as a relatively long-term investment but do keep in mind that it's best to change brush heads every 3 months which cost roughly 100 AED. You can get the Mia 2 as well as the brush heads at Sephora. There seem to be vendors selling it online for cheaper, be cautious of fakes as always.

How does it work?

It's pretty easy to use - apply your cleanser of choice either onto the brush or onto your face. Mia 2 also has a useful setting which is a buzzer for every time you need to switch to a different spot on your face in the 1-minute period - 20 seconds on chin/nose, 20 seconds on forehead, 10 seconds on each cheek. It also has two speeds in case you want to experiment with what works better with your skin.

So, switch on the Clarisonic and follow the vibrating buzz-es. Afterwards, rinse your face and then rinse your brush head, dab the brush head onto a towel to remove the extra water, put on the lid and it should dry off before your next use. You can use it in the shower even as it's waterproof.

Chapter 1: Mia 2 + Sensitive Brush Head

Now, for the review itself. My expectations from the Mia 2 was to help improve my skin texture in general. I started off using the Mia 2 once a day with the sensitive brush head that came with the product and the first time I used it - I was very impressed, my skin was super smooth, soft and so clean.

Yeah, this lasted all of one week. I started breaking out so horribly and I hadn't changed anything else in my routine except for adding the Mia 2. So, I gave it up and decided to just chalk it to a bad purchase. I went online, read some reviews to see who I can blame this on and move on with my life, and came across a bunch that mentioned that they had the same issue before it got so much better.

So, I went back to reluctantly using the Mia 2 and waited for the light at the end of the tunnel. Nope, nothing - still as bad and no signs of improvement. At this point, I did feel as though the sensitive brush head was harsh on my skin and caused redness, but I just dismissed that thought assuming that that is how the brush felt and plus I was still waiting for this to turn better as it did for most people.

Chapter 2: Mia 2 + Acne Brush Head

My final ray of hope was to try a different brush head. My skin had been strangely sensitive over the last 6 months prior to Mia 2, so I had figured that the 'sensitive' brush head that I'm already using should be best for it. I anyway looked at some options and decided to try out the acne cleansing brush head which is usually for acne-prone skin.

In the meanwhile, I stopped using the Clarisonic till I got this new brush head and as soon as it came, I braced myself for whatever was about to come - one last try.

And.. it worked. The acne brush head is INCREDIBLE. It is essentially the brush head that is meant to be used for people with sensitive skin - it's much softer and gentle on your skin than the damn sensitive brush head + it almost feels like it's polishing your skin while deep cleaning it. So if you've reached this part of the post and hate your Clarisonic, try the acne brush head!

Since the acne brush head, I've experienced some vast improvements in my skin - much smoother, my skin feels so soft and radiant, my pores seem smaller and makeup goes on much nicer. It's even helped with absorption of my other products into my skin helping get better results from them as well, so more bang for your buck. I usually use it once a day at night and follow it up with my night routine.

It didn't seem help to particularly help with scars or pigmentation - let me know if you've seen otherwise.

Verdict

Yay! Absolutely recommend if you're looking to elevate your skincare routine. You'll be fine without it for sure but I'm glad I got onto this wagon (though it took a while). If you're looking for a good cleanse and refined skin texture, you can bank on this product for that. It also means for fewer facials (lesser $$) as you have far less blackheads, acne and clogged pores etc. You're giving your skin some TLC essentially everyday with this one.


And that brings to me to the end of this saga. Let me know if you have any tips/tricks for me to try out with this one!

Mona xo