Lots of people have been asking me which cleansers are appropriate to use with the Clarisonic and so I have been doing a little experiment, trying out various products and seeing how they fare!

If you haven’t heard of the Clarisonic before then take a look at the new Mia version which has just launched at Space NK HERE. I think that it’s actually a great improvement on the classic – not only is it a lot cheaper, it has a more convenient charging method and it’s slightly more compact. I have written about the Clarisonic before on A Model Recommends, so take a look at some older posts if you want to find out more on how it works!

A ‘Clarisonic-compatible’ cleanser needs to be, in my opinion,

1) non-abrasive

2) sufficiently thick and creamy in texture

3) non-foaming.

It needs to be non-abrasive because I’m already cleansing with a brush, and though that brush is quite soft it’s still a brush, and brushes aren’t as soft as my fingers! By non-abrasive, I mean no scrubs and no exfoliating cleansers that use enzymes or chemical peel ingredients. I just personally think that it’s a bit too much for my skin to take. I want to use a gentle cleanser, one that’s not too runny but also not too thick. I prefer a cleanser that doesn’t contain harsh chemicals – and definitely not soap – because I find that the action of the Clarisonic makes my skin slightly tighter and drier than usual anyway. I don’t want a foaming cleanser because (in general) the chemical agents used to create the foam are slightly drying. Not always – that was a sweeping generalisation – but often.

So what have I been testing out? I’ll tell you! These are my favourites:

Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser with Aloe Vera  (£20 from HQHair HERE.) One of my favourites, it’s nice and gentle, easy on the eye area but very effective. Great for all skin types, it doesn’t leave the skin dry or tight. It’s also a nice big 200ml tube which lasts forever!

 

NuBo Velvet Cleansing Cream (£28 from Cult Beauty HERE) is the posh one of the bunch. Utterly luxurious, it’s a powerful anti-ager yet gentle on the skin. You could even use this post-surgery or chemical peel, so it’s definitely one to look out for if you are prone to sensitive skin. (On that note; sensitive skins be careful with the Clarisonic!)

 

Trilogy Very Gentle Cleansing Cream (£22.47 from Boots.com) – does what it says on the tube. It’s very gentle and perfect for using with the Clarisonic. I like to massage this into my eye makeup to dissolve it and then by the time I’ve finished cleansing with the Clarisonic (NOT on the eye area!) I can use cotton wool pads or my flannel to gently wipe away mascara and eyeshadow.

 

Pai’s Camellia & Rose Organic Facial Cleanser (£25 from Pai Skincare) is absolutely gorgeous. It’s probably the one that will hydrate skin the most, it feels almost oily on the skin upon application. It smells amazing and it’s absolutely free from irritating chemicals. All ingredients are listed on the website (link is next to the price above) and there are no hidden nasties, which makes this one particularly suited to people who have specific allergies – it’s easy to check suitability.

 

Finally we have Liz Earle’s Cleanse & Polish (£11.75 from Liz Earle). So many people have asked whether it’s OK to use this with the Clarisonic, and so I have tested it quite extensively. Yes, it is absolutely fine. It’s quite a thick consistency, so I spent a while massaging it into my skin before starting work with the brush. (I did this with all of the cleansers, actually – never applied the cream to the brush itself.) It really cleansed well, but it felt sacrilegious using the cleanser without the polishing cloth! I think that Cleanse & Polish works so well as it is that there’s no need to start mixing it up with technology – out of all of the products above, it’s probably the least suited, but only because the texture is so thick.

So there you go! Hope that helps? I have been using my Clarisonic Mia once every three days, not more often than that. My skin has been outrageously smooth after each cleanse and has stayed very clear for the past few weeks. I think that the Mia is a great tool for deep cleansing but tread carefully – the brand’s recommendation that it can be used twice daily is, in my humble opinion. slight overkill! But experiment for yourselves – what suits my skin may not suit yours! All of the cleansers above are suitable for sensitive skin and I have chosen them all partly for this reason, so you should find them all to be gentle companions to your Clarisonic brush! Obviously I can’t test everything and there will be plenty of other suitable cleansers – just look out for a nice creamy consistency and something that doesn’t foam or contain soap or other drying ingredients. And make sure that it doesn’t contain any scrub particles (even Jojoba beads!) or peel/enzyme ingredients.

Happy Brushing!

The Clarisonic Mia costs £120 from SpaceNK – for more details see HERE