After a lifetime of youthful looks and clear skin, you look in the mirror and realize something isn’t quite right. You’re not as young as you were. Those days spent in the sun at the ocean’s edge have taken their toll, despite your religious use of sunblock. Is that . . . a . . . line? And what are those round things? How did they get there?
Gasp!
You couldn’t be old enough to look . . . old, could you? Darn that sun! Your mother always told you sunscreen didn’t really work. Perhaps if you swear to wear #50 every day for the rest of your life . . . never mind. The years are gone, and you can’t get them back. As any dermatologist or make-up artist will tell you, preventive action is the most effective, and now that you’ve noticed the signs that it could actually matter, a good first step is to make sure your cleansing ritual removes as much dirt, debris, and excess oil as possible from the surface of your skin, while exfoliating gently to remove dead skin cells. For a long time I simply used a washcloth (how novel!). Then, I combined oatmeal and cornmeal for a homemade scrub. Now, though, more serious measures are in order.
Off to the store I rushed, convinced that I was aging years with each passing moment. I had to have it NOW: that Clarisonic Face Scrubber I’d been ignoring as frivolous. From my chat with the saleswoman I learned that the Clarisonic comes in several models: the original Classic model and several new, smaller versions. The Classic is the original, larger model, with two speeds and a base. The newer Mia and Mia 2 are smaller, with one and two speeds, respectively. Models from the Mia 2 and higher have a 1-minute timer that buzzes after the appropriate cleaning segment for each quadrant of your face (forehead, chin, each cheek). You can purchase them with cleansers, but if you have sensitive skin like I do, you can use the Clarisonic with your own soap for the same result. The Clarisonic Plus comes with brushes for other body parts, and you can buy additional brushes separately.
I have used face brushes before, but I was intrigued by the concept of the Clarisonic. I’ve had a sonic toothbrush forever, and I’ve been very pleased with its results. The principle is simple: a sonic brush uses a sonic frequency to create hundreds of brush movements per second, and those brush movements provide extra cleaning power to the surface they clean.
So the question is, does it work? It actually does. In just under two weeks of twice-daily usage, I’ve noticed that my skin feels cleaner and less oily. My pores look smaller, and what few blemishes I may have had have disappeared. All that exfoliation does seem to have reduced the faint lines I had begun to see, and I’m optimistic that persistent use will enhance that result. Spending that $140 has inspired me to upgrade my skincare routine to include regenerating serum and daily sunscreen, even beyond summer.
