Skin reaction to Clarisonic
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Sat Jul 07, 2012 9:00 am

Hi everyone. I love reading all the great information on this site. I'm having a little problem and would appreciate your thoughts.

I just got the Clarisonic Mia with the sensitive brush head. I have very sensitive skin that reacts with red blotches. I often can tell what product would be bad for my skin but sometimes my skin does surprise me in either direction.

I had previously gotten the little NutraSonic device which was cheap but I thought it would be a good test before spending the money on the Clarisonic. I could use this device for several minutes on my skin and I had no negative reaction at all. My skin looked more polished and the pores looked sort of flatter, so I figured the Clarisonic would be even better.

Yesterday I used the Mia for the first time, for the recommended 1 minute with the sensitive brush head. My skin looked about 10 years older and stripped, much like when an acid mantle is removed only worse. I could see cracks, lines, and plenty of red blotches that still have not gone away today.

I am really confused with this considering how I reacted to the other machine. The Mia looks like a much more quality machine. I know I have to be very careful and tread lightly with my skin, because my skin reacts to many things: cleansers, moisturizers, scrubbing, etc. It is extremely picky so I have a really fun time. Sad

So I wonder if the low speed would have been better (Mia 2); delicate or acne brush head (which is the softest??); or just use this machine once a week, or not at all?

I'd really appreciate your input on this. Thank you!

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 9:53 am

I think I would return the Mia and stick with the one that made your skin look good and not old.

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:19 am

Is it possible you are pressing too hard? I believe with the Clarisonic you are supposed to hover it above the skin surface, it's the agitation of the liquid that is supposed to cleanse the skin more than the bristles. You might try a gentler head or a different cleansing product - some that are suitable for daily cleansing might be too harsh when you are scrubbing it into your skin.

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:24 am

I agree with the above my friend has one (I dont) and it took her a while to find the brush head which suited her best. She developed broken capillaries which she had lasered and her skin was extremely red for weeks. I hate scare mongering and take it with a pinch of salt but I witnessed it myself

Wasnt good. No matter what Clarisonic say it does exfoliate, if it didn't it would be used daily...

Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:46 am

Thank you!

@Firefox: yes, it's possible. I thought I wasn't pressing hard but it was new to me so I don't know for certain.

@nuttymadam: yikes, yes, that wouldn't be good. That's a bit scary. She decided to continue using it after all that? Would you by any chance know what head your friend decided on, and what speed she used then / now? Does she now see good benefits? When you said "...otherwise it would be used daily" - I thought people were using it daily? Clarisonic says it is gentle enough to use everyday (just not for me!)

The delicate head is supposed to be very gentle, but then again, the acne head says more or less the same thing. I had seen some posts saying people still had problems with the delicate head but none with the acne head, which made me wonder if the acne head is the softest.

I'm also thinking the Clarisonic just over-exfoliated my skin when it wasn't needed yet. Maybe it was in better shape beforehand than I thought?

Sometimes I do wonder if doing too much to the facial skin is counterproductive... I have a friend who has never washed her face with anything but just water (uses cleanser only for her body) and never wore makeup. She has the most flawless skin of anyone I've ever seen. I mean she truly looks like an airbrushed photograph in person. She does nothing to her face other than eating right and taking good supplements.

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:49 am

onegirl wrote:

@Firefox: yes, it's possible. I thought I wasn't pressing hard but it was new to me so I don't know for certain.

Sometimes I do wonder if doing too much to the facial skin is counterproductive... She does nothing to her face other than eating right and taking good supplements.

IMO you have hit the nail on the head here. The top layer of 'dead' skin has long been known to be an important barrier against water loss, bacteria and chemical entry, and in recent years has been proven to be highly active. For those of us with sensitive skin or with a skin complaint it can be all too easy to over-cleanse or over-exfoliate.

Some years ago my face reacted negatively to SIX hypoallergenic moisturisers in a row! But since I made over my routine to eliminate all known irritants and make every product work towards hydration/ barrier repair I have massively less reactive skin. I've learned there are many actives that can calm or heal skin at the same time as being effective on ageing or acne. Very Happy

With the benefit of hindsight I was over-cleansing or over-exfoliating for my skin, but often only to a level that would be considered 'normal' to most women. Nutrition is also key in reducing underlying inflammation and calming inappropriate immune responses in the skin.

Sat Jul 07, 2012 11:59 am

Tiny wrote:

I think I would return the Mia and stick with the one that made your skin look good and not old.

Tiny, I've been reading more threads on the Clarisonic and found a post from you saying you bought a sonic tool that you love, not Clarisonic. May I ask what it is?

Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:02 pm

Firefox7275 wrote:

IMO you have hit the nail on the head here. The top layer of 'dead' skin has long been known to be an important barrier against water loss, bacteria and chemical entry, and in recent years has been proven to be highly active. For those of us with sensitive skin or with a skin complaint it can be all too easy to over-cleanse or over-exfoliate.

Some years ago my face reacted negatively to SIX hypoallergenic moisturisers in a row! But since I made over my routine to eliminate all known irritants and make every product work towards hydration/ barrier repair I have massively less reactive skin. I've learned there are many actives that can calm or heal skin at the same time as being effective on ageing or acne. Very Happy

With the benefit of hindsight I was over-cleansing or over-exfoliating for my skin, but often only to a level that would be considered 'normal' to most women. Nutrition is also key in reducing underlying inflammation and calming inappropriate immune responses in the skin.

Thanks Firefox. I think you're right. What system / products do you use to work toward barrier repair and hydration?

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:27 pm

onegirl wrote:

Thanks Firefox. I think you're right. What system / products do you use to work toward barrier repair and hydration?

Gentle cleanse: cheap lotion cleanser plus warm water and a cotton muslin cloth
Treatment serum: Myfawnie KinNiaNag (proven antioxidant, antiageing, ceramide promoting actives)
Moisturiser as required: organic aloe vera gel (anti-inflammatory, collagen inducing) mixed with a Weleda cream containing lanolin (cholesterol, saturated fatty acids)
Sunscreen as required: Devita (aloe vera and other natural actives)
Exfoliate weekly to fortnightly: light lactic acid peels (natural to skin, humectant, increases ceramides)
Mask as required: Rene Guinot Masque Essentiel (lanolin).
Gadgets: dermarolling for anti-ageing not barrier repair. Have used a Lightstim LED but not consistently.

I never use any cleanser containing sulphates, other anionic surfactants nor alkaline soaps because these all damage the skin barrier. This cuts out even many supposedly gentle foaming cleansers and exfoliators. Will soon be switching to the Holy Grail serum, which is similar to KNN but also contains retinol ... never thought my skin would be strong enough for that but I really think it could be! Pray

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:14 pm

onegirl wrote:

Tiny wrote:

I think I would return the Mia and stick with the one that made your skin look good and not old.

Tiny, I've been reading more threads on the Clarisonic and found a post from you saying you bought a sonic tool that you love, not Clarisonic. May I ask what it is?

I use one from a company called skinn, the only reason is they had a special and I got it for considerably less than clarisonic, it is a sturdy machine, but I have not used the clarisonic, so I cannot compare.

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:24 pm

Tiny wrote:

onegirl wrote:

Tiny wrote:

I think I would return the Mia and stick with the one that made your skin look good and not old.

Tiny, I've been reading more threads on the Clarisonic and found a post from you saying you bought a sonic tool that you love, not Clarisonic. May I ask what it is?

I use one from a company called skinn, the only reason is they had a special and I got it for considerably less than clarisonic, it is a sturdy machine, but I have not used the clarisonic, so I cannot compare.

I bought the Skinn brand thanks to you, then a few weeks later a friend who lost a sister to BC about 10 years ago bought a special pink BCA awareness Clarisonic edition as gifts for her 3 DIL's and a few friends one being me!

It is not the Mia (regular one but special edition), what my impression having used both aside from price not any difference IMHO! Smile

I did not have the heart to say a thing too her about the one I bought a month prior, so thanked her profusely, sent a card and kept both!

She did this to honor her sister's memory with something that was a BCA item.....too sweet and touching!

Sat Jul 07, 2012 2:44 pm

I think that the clarisonic is like any other tool.. You need to customize it to YOU.
I use a very light touch on the cheeks for example, just dusting the skin. Love it on my neck and jawline. A little more pressure on my forehead, etc.
There is no rule that you need to use it for a whole minute either.

free skin care · Sat Jul 07, 2012 3:24 pm

I too had issues with the Clarisonic Mia sensitive brush head. I now switched to the delicate and its SO much better Cool

With the sensitive head I never used it for the full minute and only 2 x a week maximum. Now, I can use the delicate head every 2nd day...even every day if I wanted.

Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:43 am

Update: I have since gotten the acne brush head which they say is their softest and most gentle. It has made a world of difference. This brush head gives me no irritation whatsoever, and my skin looks and feels great afterwards (like I was expecting the first time around).

Thank you ladies for sharing your experiences to steer me in the right direction. I'm happy that I can use this device now. My first foray was a little upsetting!

free skin care · Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:51 am

My skin didn't like the delicate or sensitive brush. I returned mine.

I have been curious about the new acne brush head. I'm glad to hear its working for you.

free skin care · Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:12 am

I read the Rene Rouleau skincare blog. She is a facialist in Dallas. She had a posting on the clarisonic. She returned hers because she thought it was too exfoliating and drying. Then she started seeing her regular customers coming in with dehydrated skin. The common thread was the clarisonic. Now, I think in theory it may be a great product for some. I have had it for over 2 years. I was having a problem with over exfoliation also. I now use it once in a great while.

free skin care · Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:22 am

I have the Clarisonic Pro and use the delicate head for my face and the sensitive for my neck and arms. I only use it once a day and remember to not press on the unit as it should glide over the skin.

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