Clarisonic Review

In our industry, we see many “miracle” machines and have heard all types of horror stories pertaining to skincare.  Our clients try “it all” and spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to look their best.

It is no doubt that having great skin gives you confidence.  Just ask the estimated 2.7 million women that walk through the doors of doctor’s offices every year in hopes that they will solve skin conditions or slow the aging process.

The Pros are late to this party for sure as we have heard for the past 2 years, on a constant basis, how great the Clarisonic Cleansing System is and we finally had a client special request the machine during a shoot, so we added it to our professional skincare kit.

One of the Pro’s big rules is to never use products on our clients without first testing them on our own skin, but in this case we had to fulfill the client request and try it personally another time.

However, IMPO Pro Melissa Street saw first hand the benefits of using the Clarisonic and was so confident in the results that the cleansing brush would provide, that she decided to purchase units for herself, her IMPO partners, Cathi Singh and Aileen Wrench and for her two teenage daughters.

Each of the IMPO Pros (and the teens) had different results while using the Clarisonic personally, so we decided to write this post and share with our readers what we really thought of the brush and how it works for us.

Remember, all the Pros are in different age groups – 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, plus the teen’s perspective appears in this post, so if you are considering investing in this machine, hopefully this information will help you decide.

The Teen’s review:

Oh the woes of being a teenager!  Having a professional makeup artist as a mom has its perks, but it also comes with a price! Our mom is constantly lecturing us about skincare and each talk ends with the same words…”you will thank me for this...someday!”

Well mom, you are totally right!  Today is the day that we thank you for giving us the very special gift of the Clarisonic Cleansing System.

Because you know that we are very typical teenagers and sometimes indulge in a good old fashion pimple pop, french fry eating binge and we have fallen asleep without removing our makeup (your biggest pet peeve), you can rest assure that the Clarisonic comes to our rescue and cleans out our abused pores!

In fact, it has also helped dissolve the black heads that appear around our nose and has reduced the number of breakouts from our ever changing skin.  You purchased us the machine called “The Mia,” which is perfect for our needs and we love that it is totally waterproof so we can use it in the shower.

Thanks for making it easy for us to improve our skin issues and our confidence, but we will still eat french fries!

IMPO Pro, Cathi Singh’s review:

My skin just turned 28 and if what science says is true, the decline of my skin has begun. After 25, certain proteins that your skin naturally produces to create new cells just stop working! 

After hearing this alarming, and somewhat depressing news, I began an intense regimen of skincare and upped the ante on my sunscreen applications.

The piece to complete my skincare puzzle was the Clarisonic. At long last I had my very own. After waiting the torturous 24 hours to charge it, I was excited to experience the deep clean machine.

I was so distracted by finally having my own Clarisonic that I did not take into consideration the extremely sensitive condition of my skin due to the dry, cold weather change, the stress of two Thanksgivings at my home, and the construction in my backyard. All of it compiled on my skin, making it overly dry, with redness and a small breakout.


Wanting to use it so badly, I actually overused it by cleansing my skin twice a day for too long and not on the lowest sensitive setting. My skin fought back as it was being over stimulated. Keep in mind, this was an operator error.

However, after reducing my usage to once a day, and cleansing with the correct preset timer, my skin is glowing, blemish free, and more hydrated than it’s ever been.


Friends have approached me more than ever as to what I am doing differently to my skin. The key is to find the right balance for your skin type. Using it twice a day may be too much if you are extremely sensitive as I am.


I keep the sensitive brush head on, and use my Jan Marini BioGlycolic Face Cleanser, followed by Jan Marini C-Esta Serum and Orlane 25+ Anagenese Eye Contour Cream.

What I love about this device is the ease of it - it doesn’t take the time of a facial or exfoliating mask, but it polishes my skin in one minute and I look and feel like I’ve pampered myself all morning.

As discussed in previous posts, I am a professional makeup artist and an airbrush tanning technician and something I stress with all of my clients is the importance of exfoliating before the tan. It makes a world of difference in the depth of color and the life of the tan.

To put it to the test, I used the Clarisonic with the body attachment and exfoliated my left arm with the Clarisonic Refining Skin Polish. I scrubbed the right arm in the shower with a loofa sponge and body wash. I then tanned both arms and let the tan set. After rinsing off the cosmetic bronzer, here are the results:

*Note: I did not spray my hands.

It was my first time using the refining polish and body head attachment, and I instantly felt like I was getting a deep cleanse and thorough exfoliation. My arm looked more vibrant and had a healthier color even before tanning.

While the tan doesn’t appear completely different in the picture above, the feeling on my skin was. The Clarisonic “arm” had a noticeable smoothness and the tan set quickly and evenly. The right arm also set, but the sticky bronzer stayed longer and did not feel as smooth.

I highly recommend the body attachment for exfoliation if you have plans to do any type of sunless tanning as well as the Refining Skin Polish in the Clarisonic Pro kit.

IMPO Pro, Aileen Wrench’s review:

The Clarisonic Cleansing System is great but like many tools of the trade, you need to know how to use it and in my case, WHEN to use it.


I am going through two major life changes: I moved from the beach where I have lived for 20 years to an inland valley community AND I am pregnant.  So, I am contending not only with hormones but also the dry winter air of my new community (not to mention the heater that is on a ton in our new house!).

I am in my mid 30’s and have always had very sensitive skin, as my aesthetician will attest.  For me, the Clarisonic was NEVER used twice a day.  But now, I find myself using it less than twice a week!

The onslaught of hormones I didn’t even know I had play a fun game with my skin. Primarily I feel dry, which results in flakes but when I exfoliate, my skin becomes red and irritated, still flaky and dry.  Lotion and facial moisturizer are my best friends.

I have learned to use my Clarisonic less coupled with gentle face wash leaving my face more balanced between the dessert and jungle affects of previous routines.


For a short while, in the early first trimester of my pregnancy, my forehead broke out in little pimples and the Clarisonic was a godsend.  Oil production went into overtime in my t-zone but once I passed through that phase, I discovered the need to retire it to a once a week face-décolletage-back facial.


The Clarisonic is helping to keep my skin healthy during my big life changes and just because I don't need to use it daily, doesn't mean it wasn't worth the investment!

IMPO Pro, Melissa Street’s review:

As a…(cough, cough)40 something female, my skin is pumped full of some great skincare (as you know from past posts), but when I decided to purchase the Clarisonic Cleansing System I wasn’t prepared for exactly how much more amazing my skin would look and feel.

This machine really cleans the pores and preps them to receive the skincare.  In fact, it is my professional opinion that my skincare works better when using this cleansing system.

I am big into anti-aging products because truthfully, I am scared to go under the knife or have needles prick my face!  So, my answer to gravity is to try to defy it with moisturizers, serums and creams instead.  So far, I am winning that battle and I am hoping that with a combination of good health and excercise along with my Clarisonic, I can age gracefully for the next 20 years!

I use the brush to cleanse my face twice a day (morning and night) with my normal cleanser and I exfoliate both my body and face twice a week with the machine too.  My skin feels very clean and glows after using the Clarisonic and my pores are clear, open and prepped to receive my skincare.

I get compliments on my skin all the time and people tell me that I don’t look over 40 years old.  I really feel that it is a combination of great anti-aging skincare and the Clarisonic Cleansing System.

My clients have skin that is unpredictable and is caused by the crazy world of being a celebrity, but now that I have added the Clarisonic to my professional skincare kit, I feel confident that all the makeup I use on each client’s face is able to be removed properly and the skin is cleansed effectively and gently with this machine.

I even purchased another machine for my mother (who is in her early 60’s) and she loves that the Clarisonic is helping to reduce the large pores around her nose, forehead and cheek area, which eliminates the need for heavier makeup to hide imperfections.

When I decided to purchase the Clarisonic Cleansing System for my IMPO partners, my professional makeup team and for my family, I did a ton of research and read many blog reviews.  It was important to me to invest in a product that not only works, but also in a company that has a great reputation.

In conclusion, the folks at Clarisonic have great customer service and most are trained Estheticians so they give you professional advice on skincare, proper use of the machine and good product recommendations.  Their website is packed with incredible information and each cleansing system comes with a warranty incase of manufacturer defect.

The IMPO Pro's hope that our readers have found this post useful and be sure to visit the Clarisonic website www.clarisonic.com for great holiday specials! Please feel free to leave us a comment and let us know your review of the Clarisonic!