Clairsonic Cleansing Brush; friend or foe
I do not recommend daily use of the Clairsonic brush. Now let me say, I love the Clairsonic as a tool for deep cleansing, and if used correctly it can be a wonderful addition to your skin care regime. I utilize it in my treatment room all the time. However, for most skin types, it is a tad too much stimulation for daily use and may create a variety of unwelcome skin issues such as redness, dry skin, flaky skin, skin sensitivity to products, flushed appearance in the cheeks and nose area, even the dreaded breakouts or cystic acne lesions.
This brush was created to preform deep pore cleansing. What that means is, it was designed to rid the surface and the pores of any dirt, pollution and oil, as well as dead cells or cellular debris that keep the skin from looking fresh and feeling clean. This is where the use of the Clairsonic get tricky, I mean the statement above makes it sound like the holy grail of skincare tools…right? OK, so lets look at an example of how the tool is typically utilized. Often times the client is selecting a brush head for themselves based on their perceptions of their skin. The brush is then utilized for cleansing the skin, usually everyday because customers love the result they get the first time and the figure that it will only get better each time they use it.
Let’s examine how the Clairsonic works. It is truly superior to all other tools that claim to be similar. They are not. For years, a round shaped brush head attached to spa facial equipment would rotate around and around, thus pushing dead cells off the surface, a procedure called manual exfoliation. That is not how the Clairsonic brush works. It is a patented design, where the round brush head oscillates back and forth in tiny minute movements to create a sort of push and pull on the surface allowing the oil in the pores to be gently purging itself gently under the slight pressure of the bristles. This is why is it stressed not to use the Clairsonic with cleansers that contain exfoliating granules as they can get lodged in the skin like a splinter. The constant stimulation of the epidermis by using this device daily can cause surface irritation, which leads to inflammation. Now that inflammation can present with redness, red splotchy area’s, bumps, even dry patches! So if irritation leads to inflammation,and inflammation leads to breakouts, it stand to reason that upon the smallest amount of irritation begins the downward spiral that leads to a plethora of unwelcome skin issues! Oh, and if you happen to be someone with cuperous skin, which is diluted red blood vessels up at the surface, it can exacerbate them. Another thing to think about is that often blood vessels very close to the surface sometimes ooze blood when under pressure, thus creating the appearance of dark bruised appearance to the skin and trust me, you don’t want to squish those delicate little babies with a vibrating brush head!! If you have any of the above issues, when you use your Clairsonic brush please do so with caution. You do not need to apply pressure to the brush, remember it needs to be able to gently oscillate do it’s job!
Here it is…my advice on what to do with your Clairsonic cleansing brush!! I like to see this brush utilized with an enzymatic cleanser. The reason for this is simple. Enzymes help proliferate dead cells and debris, by digesting the intercellular glue that binds them to the stratum cornium. (The outer most layer of cells in the epidermis.) The Clairsonic brush will push the product further into the skin therefore creating a beautiful and gentle exfoliation leaving the skin brighter and tighter. My favorite product to use along with this amazing skincare tool is DerMed Renewnal Cleanser, a Lactic acid cleanser. Lactic acid targets cell proliferation and melanin, so this is a great combination for targeting sun spots and dry dead skin cells! This type of cleansing is appropriate for most skin types, as it can create great results with a gentle approach! I could go on and on about this subject, so if you are using a Clairsonic, or want to be, come and have a facial treatment so we can discuss the how to acheive the best benefit for your skin. I would love to see you in my studio!
IMPORTANT NOTE: I do not sell Clairsonic skin devices, I do not get any sort of kickback if you buy one so this blog is purely for educational purposes. I hope you like it and I hope you learn something you didn’t know!