Breakouts and design issues means I didn't like it

Note: This is an extremely long, detailed review, taken from weeks of testing the unit. For a short summary (if you prefer a basic review), scroll to the bottom 'summary' section.

I really, really wanted to like the Clarisonic Mia Prima, but there were so many problems from day one. From strange design choices, to the simple fact that it didn't really improve my skin and led to breakouts, I just wasn't a fan. It's really disappointing, because there are so many heads and lots of different uses for this product, not to mention people rave about it, but my experience over three weeks was not one that justifies the high price tag.

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Effect on skin
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One thing you'll hear again and again with Clarisonic is people talking about the 'purging period', but what exactly is that? Simply put, it means that when you try a new product like the Clarisonic, your skin may get worse before it gets better. People say it's because it recycles the cells of your skin faster, revealing spots or zits that were getting ready to come out. Some say their dermatologist said it, others say science doesn't support it and it's not a thing. Regardless, as a detail orientated tester, I wanted to make sure I gave Clarisonic the time it needed. People say the purging period is not more than 2 weeks, so while I'm sceptical of the existence of it, it's the reason I tested this product for almost 3 weeks and why my review has come in so far after everybody else's. So when I say I really tested and understand this product, that's not a brag or a lie, I tested this thoroughly for a long time before solidifying these thoughts.

The reality is, my skin hasn't improved in any way worth the effort. It also gave me many problems with strange skin breakouts. While my skin has felt softer and the pores on my nose look perhaps a little cleaner, it's nothing drastic and the negatives far outweigh the positives. While testing the Clarisonic, I changed cleansers once or twice and each time the problems with the Clarisonic remained, so I know these weren't caused by the cleanser. On that note, I'm not convinced that any improvement in my skin wasn't caused by dedicated daily cleansing. I can be pretty sloppy with my skincare routine when not testing, but with Clarisonic I was cleansing daily for 3 weeks, this alone could have improved my skin by the minor amount I saw.

The biggest problem I had with the Clarisonic was breakouts. I don't tend to break out a lot, as an adult. My skin is combination, so I do get the occasional pimple or whitehead and I struggle with blackheads on my nose. Within a day of using the Clarisonic I started to see a lot of whiteheads and also red headless spots; little bumps. At about a week's use, I saw a strange kind of acne I'd never experienced a whole bunch of tiny whiteheads and red spots in almost a rash like formation in lots of areas of my face. Keeping in mind the purging period, I persisted, but I felt ugly, oily, weird and scabby all at once. It's true that since passing the two-week mark I haven't had any insane skin problems like at the beginning, but I still see a lot of small red bumps on my skin and I'm still getting whitehead breakouts. I stopped using the Clarisonic today and I'm going to note if there's any improvement over the next few days. I'll update if not, but if you don't see anything here, assume my skin improved.

So the reality, for me, was that the Clarisonic showed only minor improvements to my skin, while causing a whole lot of skin problems I'd never seen before. That's a lot of negatives for an expensive device that took me time to use everyday. Using a simple swipe of micellar water, toner and moisturiser is much faster and my skin was better. So I can't recommend the Clarisonic for skincare, based on the effect it had on my skin over that three week period.

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Brush head and accessories
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Before we talk about Brush heads let's talk about the one that comes with it. The Daily Radiance Brush Head. When doing my research into Clarisonic (something I always do after testing a few times, to make sure I'm using a product correctly) I saw a lot of unhappy customers blasting the company for this redesign of this brush. It was pretty funny, because all the things they were saying, were accurate to my experience with the brush head, so I'll share those thoughts here.

Anytime I saw someone use the Clarisonic in a video, they just put the cleanser in the centre and then start to clean, but the new design of this brush (as pictured) has a big hole in the centre. Not only does it mean less brush coverage, but it's been replaced by an obnoxious sensor which will tell you when you need to change your brush head. This feels like a big push to make you spend more money, it's unnecessary, less effective and looks ugly. On top of that, if you're using a think cream cleanser, it gets stuck in the middle and won't actually go onto the moving parts of the brush. This means that overall it's just easier to apply the cleanser directly to your face, but that doesn't foam or feel as pleasant as using it on the brush. It baffles my mind that they made their product more difficult to use and annoying.

That's not all. The new Daily Radiance Brush Head, barely moves and has silicone paddles on the outside (immovable) circle section. Many have complained that these were not comfortable and I have to agree. The bristles are so soft and lovely and don't feel painful at all, but every day my face felt almost slightly razor burned and I have to conclude that the slightly harsher silicone bristles are responsible. Even pressing very gently, I didn't enjoy their sensation and they ruined the head for me.

Of course, you can always use a different head and Clarisonic has an endless amount to choose from. From sensitive heads, to body brushes, cream applicator, massage heads and even a foundation brush head. You can buy off-brand for many of them, but obviously, there's no guarantee of quality. I was really intrigued by the foundation head, but unfortunately didn't receive it and can't comment on it or any other heads. I find the heads pretty over-priced, especially at the recommended replacement rate of three months, but even if you want to try a new type of head, it'll set you back a pretty penny. I feel like given the price and basic design of the Mia Prima (not smart or anything), that it should come with one or two different heads to try.

I do like that there's a lot of options, which means the Clarisonic can be much more than just a cleansing brush, if you have the money to sink into it.

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Design
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I was surprised that the design of the Clarisonic was so bad, many of the choices baffled me. I already listed the info about the head above, but even the shape of the Clarisonic was poor. For example, I found that in order to properly drain the head of water (it is basically never completely dry) you must sit Clarisonic with the brush head (cap on) facing down, but it's really poorly balanced and always wants to tip over. Basically putting the Clarisonic anyway that isn't on it's back, usually results in it falling over. It's not well-balanced, clunky and isn't even particularly light or comfortable to hold.

I also found when I was using it I wanted to always hold near the head of the device, to make sure I had control over how gentle it was and could easily use the 'circular motions' it required. I know you can find different models that are just a head, no handle and I feel like that's personally a more natural design, I never held the handle the entire time I was using it and doing so felt awkward.

I was happy to see the cap had ventilation (to prevent mould), but otherwise hated it. Putting it on was a nightmare that even with practice resulted in me almost always bending the bristles twice before getting the right angle. I can't help but feel it's poorly designed on purpose to make you wreck the head faster and by more replacements. That's definitely a little pessimistic of me, but surely there's an easier to apply cap design than this.

I find the white, curved design quite cliche, not particularly nice to look at and overall it just doesn't work like I want it to. It was also difficult to apply the head (with no clear guide) and removing it with wet fingers is near impossible.

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Setup and App
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Setup of the Clarisonic is actually very easy and one of the first really positive points I can make. It's as simple as plugging it in to charge and pressing a button. You can also use the app and I do stress that while the app is designed for the SMART brushes (which I'll also point out have tons more fun options) that you can track your progress, takes selfies and see guides on the app, regardless of model. Originally, I had a lot of complaints about the app (like it allowed you to pick a skin regime, without telling you what brush you needed), but mercifully Clarisonic redesigned the app mid-testing and it's now one hundred times better!

One thing not mentioned in the app, which gave me trouble, was that after wetting the Clarisonic you're really going to want to face the head down and shake HARD to get out excess water. They always tell you to wet the head a lot, and your face and apply cleanser, but not to shake it. If you don't shake the excess water you will end up with water and cleanser flowing down your face and into your eyes, which happened to me on my first use.

The charge lasts a blessedly long time and I haven't yet had to recharge it, so it's a brilliant amount of charge. Upkeep is simple, just rinse it every time and clean it with baby shampoo once a week.

Setup, battery life and the app are simple and wonderful and show what the Clarisonic could be capable of, if they redesigned with customer comfort and ease in mind, instead of excessive profit.

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Summary
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Overall, Clarisonic Mia Prima is a device I had heard a lot about, that I wanted to love, but disliked a lot. The most important factor was skincare and the improvements to my combination skin were minor. That coupled with painful design choices and annoyances meant that my experience with the Clarisonic was a disappointment.

Pros:
+ Minor improvements to skin softness and pore cleanliness (possibly due to daily cleansing as opposed to specifically the Clarisonic).
+ Bristles are very soft and suitable for sensitive skin (exception, silicone bristles, see cons)
+ Massive selection of heads with so many uses (massage, makeup, cream application etc.) Can be much more than a cleansing brush.
+ Ability to remove Clay masks easily is a neat feature.
+ Third party heads are available at a cheaper price. (Some like foundation head, don't have that option)
+ Sonic technology.
+ Setup and charge is easy.
+ Use is a simple button press.
+ App has great guides and has been redesigned to be helpful, can be used with any model (not all features).
+ Charge lasts a long time.

Cons:
- Doesn't live up to the hype.
- Only improved skin minorly.
- Experienced breakouts and strange spots/zits even after 'purging period'.
- Difficult to apply the head, difficult to remove with wet hands (no guide on applying).
- Requires more dedicated cleansing regime (depends on your routine).
- Redesign of Daily Radiance Brush Head is not good (cleanser stuck in centre hole, obnoxious sensor, rough silicone bristles).
- Heads are expensive with no guarantee you'll like them and the unit only comes with one.
- Clarisonic is poorly balanced and often falls over.
- Head never seems to dry well.
- Handle is pointless, I didn't use it. (your mileage may vary!)
- Cap is difficult to put on and often leads to bent bristles.
- Design is boring white and not pretty.

Recommended: No. While I feel it has a lot of potential, unless you're rolling in money and ok with it potentially making your skin worse, I'd avoid the hype. Heads are overpriced and the device comes with only one, so it's a costly mistake if it doesn't work for you.