What is this Clarisonic cleansing brush gadget that we keep reading about? I’ve been digging around to find some answers and in the article below you’ll find information on the company, the founders, the technology and some of the reported benefits of using a Clarisonic cleansing brush.

Firstly, Clarisonic is a privately-owned business based in Washington, DC.

This was surprising to me given its success to date. I had really expected to see a big consumer giant like P&G or L’Oreal behind the Clarisonic cleansing brush. However this business just makes Clarisonic cleansing brushes.

David Giuliani, Clarisonic’s CEO was the former co-founder and CEO of the Sonicare line of toothbrushes. These toothbrushes also use a sonic brushing movement to clean. He sold Sonicare it to Philips in 2000. Aha! So Clarisonic is run by a founder who does have a track record in the consumer hygiene business.

In the same year, 2000, he set up Clarisonic.

Sonicare toothbrushes and Clarisonic cleansing brushes use the same sonic technology to get superior cleaning results.

But what is sonic technology? Sonic really means high speed micro movements. The brush head of the Clarisonic cleansing brush moves rapidly up and down in very short jumps. It jiggles all over the place at very high speed and within a very short space.

These tiny movements are enough to lift off dirt, dead skin cells and other substances left on your skin that regular cleaning wouldn’t be able to shift.

Most dentists agree that sonic toothbrushes do provide superior cleaning compared to a regular hand-held toothbrush, well this one does anyway. I think it’s probably safe to say that the claim by Clarisonic that it cleans your skin six times better, is more than likely true. I’m not sure if it’s six times better than with a flannel or with an alternative cleanser. However, I have no doubt they can provide research to back-up this claim and user reviews do reference repeatedly the amazingly clean feeling that the Clarisonic cleansing brush gives to their skin.

Now onto user reviews. And mostly these are very good. It’s rare to see someone say ‘No don’t buy this’. I’d say nine out of ten reviews I read, the user is extremely satisfied with the results.

Despite the slightly scary sounding ‘sonic’ word, which makes me think of space rockets and scientists, users repeatedly say the skin is gently massaged, it device doesn’t tug or drag on the skin. It’s very gentle.

Usage appears to depend on your skin type and what you can tolerate – so some people can use it twice a day without any drying effects or sensitivity. There are also those that say only use it once per day or sometimes once every other day as their skin becomes too sensitive.

The different models have different speeds so if you’re unsure what skin type you have, it may be best to choose a model that has more than one speed setting. I wrote an article all about which Clarisonic should I buy? a few weeks ago that cover speed settings as part of the review, so check that out if you’re still undecided about which model to buy.

And as for if you should buy one – well this is a bit like testing a mattress in a store. You just don’t really know until you’ve paid the money, got it home and slept on it for a few nights. Only then do you know if it’s the best purchase ever or….. not. The user reviews do speak for themselves and there are many many very satisfied customers. I’d go so far as to say there are many users who really do love this device and are big fans.

For all the benefits it appears to offer, it’s hard not to be tempted to cave in and just buy one! Great skin is such a wonderful thing and makes you feel so good inside. So why not!?

If you haven’t come across the Clarisonic yet – be prepared to be wowed! And if you have already got one, then I’m sure you will be breathless with wonder and happiness, as the reviews speak for themselves. This amazing new sonic cleansing device has very few negative comments. Mostly they’re all glowing, just like their users’ freshly cleaned skin.

Clarisonic

But the big question so many of us are asking who haven’t yet bought one is, “Which Clarisonic should I buy?”

So to help answer that question, I’m going to do a fairly indepth but concise review of all the features. Is this possible? Indepth AND concise? I’ll do my best.

After a quick scan of what’s available out there I have found there are five different models and going in price value from lowest to highest, these are:

Mia
Mia2
Aria
Plus
Pro

Let’s first of all discard the Pro model, as this can only be bought by beauty professionals. If you’re a regular consumer like me, we have to choose from the other four models above.

Let’s start with the Mia. This is the entry level Clarisonic product which if you’re short on cash, could make the decision very easy, as this is the cheapest one on the market. It will give you everything Clarisonic promises: soft, smooth, uber clean skin at the best price. Another advantage (depending on the way you look at it) is that it is small and only has one speed setting so no decisions to make like fast medium or slow, it’s literally on or off.

Sometimes we can have too much choice in life. If you want to keep things good value and simple, this looks like the answer.

Next up is the Mia2. The only real difference I could find in this model, compared to the Mia entry-level model, is that the Mia 2 has one more speed setting. So if you have very sensitive skin and would like the brush to go slower, then you can choose ‘Low’ to give you a gentle clean, instead of the more robust ‘Normal’. I’m not sure this necessarily justifies the 20% increase in price. I mean, if you want to have a slightly lighter cleanse, just cleanse for less time? And with use, I would think you would start to know when you’re face is saying ‘enough!’ The Mia 2 includes a travel case too, unlike the entry level Mia.

If you have sensitive skin and think this looks a good idea, this is the one for you.

Now we move onto the Aria . At close to $200, I’d expect to see some really exciting extra features to justify the price increase. And the Aria doesn’t disappoint: this unit is larger overall, it has three speed settings: Low, Normal and Fast and it can be charged for 30 minutes of use, instead of just 20 minutes, like its smaller rivals. It also has a drying stand and a USB charger which allows charging from a laptop or computer.

So if you have a life with lots of travel (plus your laptop) and are on the go a lot but also really value your daily Clarisonic cleanse, then this is the best model for you.

Finally a look at the Plus. At over $200 we’d hope for something super exciting! The Plus has four different speed setting, Low, Normal, Fast and a special Body speed setting. Yes, this model has a special brush attachment, which is basically a larger brush for body cleansing. It is also chargeable to 30 minutes of user time and is the same size as the Aria, being a larger unit than the two Mia models.

If you think you’re going to want to cleanse areas of your body, of course the Plus looks very interesting. However as a first-time user, it’s going to be hard to know whether to spend over $200 on something you don’t know is really for you, despite all the great reviews from many happy customers. $200 is $200 after all!

For me at least, I think I’d be inclined to buy the entry Mia level model first to see if this gizmo gadget is going to give me the skin I’ve always wanted and in a few years time upgrade to the Plus, by which time, no doubt something even more exciting will be available.

The only caveat to this would be if I was travelling a lot, I might consider the USB enabled Aria as it does look so convenient.

And finally if you worry about things going wrong I should mention that the Aria and the Plus come with two year warranties, whereas the two Mia models come with a 1 year warranty.

So if your unit going wrong is something that concerns you, you may wish to consider the more expensive models to protect yourself in the event of unit failure.

Ultimately, it’s good to know whatever model you buy, you’re going to have super clean, super soft skin. Right, time to check my bank account and which Clarisonic model I can afford…