Thoughts on the Clarisonic Mia

I'm the type of person who will prioritize skin cleansing over treatments (i.e. applying serums and fancy after-cleanse skincare products). I am a firm believer in the saying "less is more" and this goes the same with makeup.

Since it first launched, it is a no-brainer that the Clarisonic Mia caught my attention. Sadly, I was a struggling college student then. Now that I am working and able to save up for one, I am happy to say that I finally have this ridiculously expensive face brush. What a perfect time because I didn't know that the Clarisonic Mia line has evolved so much that it is now on its third generation, which meant the original Mia's price became more affordable for me, although not too drastic of a change.

Now the question I asked myself was "Do I need the newer version of the Clarisonic Mia?" and after much contemplation I opted to just stick with the original because no matter how you look at it, the three versions of the Mia use the same technology, which is what I was after in the first place. The incorporation of timer and speed options are not necessary in my opinion because really, all you need to do is clean your face using this brush. I do not believe that those add-on's in the newer Mia models have significant bearing. Saves you more money too.

The first night I used this, my partner already told me that my face is clean and looked brighter. Of course, adding the Mia to my routine made me believe it was doing something magical to my face. I guess it was all psychological. The first night went by and I did not notice anything significant, good or bad. However, upon the third day of  continuously using the Mia, I noticed that I was developing these small bumps on my face like whiteheads, which I never really get because I have pretty normal-oily skin but not really acne-prone. Due to the horror, I stopped using the Mia for an entire week and waited for the small bumps to subside.

I was ready to give away or sell the Mia right at that moment because I thought it did not work for me, until that day at work when I wore heavy makeup and proceeded with my usual makeup removal routine. Something about having used the Mia once that made all the difference when it comes to my face feeling clean. Despite having a bad initial reaction to the Mia, I cannot deny how clean my face felt and looked after using my typical cleanser with this brush. You can even double check via the cotton pad after you apply toner. In my case, the cotton pad is cleaner than usual after I use the Mia. Also, if you are like me who tends to wake up with oily face, I have observed that the cream (a heavy one) I use every night absorbs quite well after using the Mia. I wake up to fresh-looking skin without the grease, which is something unusual for me because I always and I mean ALWAYS wake up with a greasy face. But the Mia blew me away because it did live up to its claim that your skin care products will absorb better if your skin is cleaner - that is, cleaner is used with a Clarisonic.

Trying to avoid breaking out again, I did test the Mia again but this time, I made sure to use it every other day instead of what I did of using it every single day. This being said, I try to schedule the days when I would wear makeup so I know if it's time for me to use the Mia.

After one month of sticking to my every-other-day usage of the Clarisonic, I must say that I am rather pleased with how well it delivered. It made my skin clean, which in turn made my skincare products more effective. So far I have not broken out yet the same way as from when I was using it everyday.

Three months into using the Mia and I am happier than ever. My face felt smoother and less oily. My colleagues kept on commenting on how clear my skin is. I love how this took away the dullness from my skin. Although I do not think it removes dead skin cells, I swear that it removes the dirt on the surface of the skin effectively, which is the main point of the product. I have always thought that using my usual makeup remover and then double cleaning would make my skin clean, but then came the Mia, skin cleansing has definitely changed.

Ask me now if this devise is worth it and I'll say definitely yes, but use it with caution because your face may react differently to it. Point still is that it does what it claims to do - remove makeup and clean skin more efficiently than normal cleansing (using bare hands). So do not expect this product to take away wrinkles and age spots, to remove acne, and others. Always keep in mind that this is just a cleanser.

If it weren't for the expensive brush heads that need meticulous replacement every 3 months, I could have given this 4.5 out of 5. But for now, I'll stick to 4 out of 5. Kuddos to Clarisonic for this helpful tool!