Clarisonic Aria – The Beauty Look Book 6 Week Update

July 23, 2014

I’ve been using the Clarisonic Aria for about 6 weeks now (first thoughts at 3 week mark here) and I am happy to report that it really works. In six weeks time with regular use my skin has visibly improved. I’ve been using it every other day one time per day in the evenings
although these are designed with brushes gentle enough for 2x per day
usage. Improvements I’ve seen:

Deep recurring pimples along the temple area and chin have disappeared
Acne scars have started to fade (they are still visible but I’m hopeful with the results so far)
Overall skin texture has improved, with smoother skin
Tiny bumps along the face that aren’t acne, red or pimples, but those small bumps that are clogged pores have started to disappear

I’ve tested with a variety of different cleansers. The Clarisonic cleanser minis I’ve tested proved to be too strong for my skin. After several days of consecutive use I started to develop tiny allergic bumps all over the face. I immediately stopped use and switched back to my go-to’s SK-II Facial Treatment Cleanser and Dior Purifying Foam Cleanser (the Dior is the only one my husband likes).

After evaluating all the different Clarisonic options (comparison chart) and using the Aria for several weeks I’m really happy with my decision. There are three speeds with the Aria. I started with the slowest speed but have been alternating between the default speed 2 and slower speed 1 (you can control the speed with the arrow buttons). I alternate depending on how sensitive my skin feels. There is a battery indicator that changes color to let you know when you need to recharge. I just recharged at the end of the 5 week mark (the light was red).

I like that it’s super easy to use, just wet the brush with warm water, apply cleanser straight to the brush and then start using it on the face.

I’m really thrilled with the way this has cleared up my skin. Last week though I made the big mistake of working out a couple times without taking my makeup off before hand so I have several break outs on spots that are healing. The skin isn’t broken so I can still use my Clarisonic without having it tear the skin or aggravate sensitive/tender areas. I’ve still been using the Sensitive Brush that this comes with and find it gentle enough for my sensitive skin. You can definitely feel the bristles though and while they are soft, they aren’t super soft. I suspect those with super sensitive skin will need a softer brush. My husband has tested the Clarisonic and really likes it. In a couple weeks I’m going to try a different brush. Based on recommendations from my original post, I want to try either the Deep Pore Brush Heads or Luxury Brush Heads.

Some overall thoughts based on my experience:

Even though this is a cleansing tool, you do need to start with makeup-free skin, if you use this with makeup on, you’ll get the brush dirty and it will be spreading your makeup around, start your routine by either removing makeup with a Cleansing Water (I like Caudalie or Koh Gen Do) or Cleansing Oil (I like MAC or Tatcha)
As with any skincare routine, if you have sensitive skin you shouldn’t do anything drastic, for this tool I was super nervous about how it would work with my skin, I eased into it by using it only a few times first and then increased usage according to my comfort level, I also started using it with my go-to cleansers
It will take time to see a difference, for the first 2 weeks I felt an improvement in texture but didn’t see any visible results, by Week 3 and now Week 6, I’ve seen a visible improvement, but depending on your skin conditions, it might take longer
Don’t use this on broken, raw or tender skin areas, I like that you can spot clean if you have specific areas you want to avoid