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My daily face-cleansing routine for the last, um, 15 years or so has been pretty basic: Dove bar soap + moisturizer.
Image Credit: Dots Blog
My routine works for me because it is quick, it’s cheap, and it keeps my face decently clear. Bumps and blackheads are not uncommon on my face (double-negative love), but lately I have been noticing an abundance of ugly bumps on my chin. Probably from all my deep pondering as of late.
With the wedding coming up, I want to have clear, beautiful skin. Who wouldn’t? So for the last couple of months I have been considering purchasing a Clarisonic Mia face-cleansing system. The alleged benefits of it sound magical: improves skin tone, reduces pore size, and super cleanses your skin, making it soft, supple, and gorgeous.
I am wavering on purchasing the Mia not only because of price (over $100…nothing to sniff at), but because of the mixed reviews I have seen online about its effectiveness.
And then I remember that it comes in super-cute colors.
Image credit: Clarisonic
If they sold this in green, it would already be mine. Hear me, Clarisonic? Green. Greeeeeeen.
So, do I splurge on this or stick with my bar o’ soap method? More importantly, which color do you like best?
Nordstrom has (had? may have been a limited edition) a tangerine color. I’ve been using it for about 6 weeks with mixed results. I’ll give it another month, because I’m too stubborn to accept that my $150 may have fallen down the toilet!
In regards to the most important question - purple. Most decidedly.
I bought a Mia about 4 months before our wedding and use it faithfully every single night. However, I cannot fully evaluate its effectiveness as I saw a dermatologist 3 months prior to our wedding and also started using Retin-A. I can say that the combo has resulted in my skin being *way* less oily and my pores look marginally smaller. However, over this past winter, I dealt with a truly horrific amount of flakiness - it was like my entire face was sloughing. I don’t know if this was due to a combination of the two or a sensitivity to one or the other. But it was bad. Either way, though, I got married in September 2010 and wasn’t seeing any of the horrid flakes that early in the year, so should you go the Mia route, you’ll hopefully be fine!
I thought about buying it too, but was turned off by the price tag. Instead I purchased a facial brush from DHC and I’ve noticed a big difference in the texture of my skin.
Olay has a similar one for under $30. Maybe try something like that before dropping $100 (a little much, I know.) Sadly, it does not come in green.
Perhaps rather than springing for the pricey Mia, perhaps you could just try some cleansers for acne that contain salicylic acid. I use St. Ives medicated scrub a few times a week and a foam cleanser with salicylic acid every night to remove makeup.
I like the pink purple or blue
I heard these are awesome! You will break out at first so make sure you have a good 2 months before your wedding.
I bought it. Didn’t like it. Sold it to a friend who loves it. I would recommend at least buying an actual face wash- cerave and cetaphil are both affordable and amazing. And ever few days, at night using a mild scrub ti deal w the bumpies and pores (which is my huge problem). I have expensive products. But acc ti my dermatologist- using plain ol baking soda is a perfect scuba, and gnetle enough for everyday use. And of course- moisturizer. (once again, both cerave and cetaphil have phenomenal moisturizers ).
Based on someone’s recommendation here on the ‘bee I bought the super cute pink Mia over a year ago. I really, really wanted to love it. I have to say that it did make washing my face kinda fun, and that feeling lasted for a few months. I didn’t, however, notice any change in the texture of my skin and/or the frequency of breakouts/bumps. It also didn’t necessarily feel any cleaner than it did when I just used my regular facewash and water. I know some people report great results with it, so hopefully you’ll be one of them. If not, you can sell it on eBay. (Since I bought it used on eBay and sold it used on eBay, I think my total cost was just for the new replacement brush head I got to go with it.)
If you’re looking for something similar, but cheaper, try the Olay Pro-X! You can pick it up at most CVS, etc., and coming from someone who has used both — I didn’t notice any difference! They both work very well, but the Pro-X is much MUCH cheaper!
I have the original clarisonic and use it with my Dove soap. I notice when I don’t use it, I seem to break out more. If you’re worried about cost, QVC usually has them on specials like ezpay and you have 30 days to return it if you don’t like it.
I like white.
I have a normal clarisonic- I bought it on a whim and thought I’d never use it. Two years later I use it religiously. Once you start, chances are you won’t stop. I notice such a difference.
Bar soap is not good for your facial skin. It leaves behind a film that clogs pores.
Thanks for the input. That’s why I am so confused, either people love it or don’t. And I’m stuck on the Mia over other brands cause I’m a label whore like that.
@futuremrshc: Really? I think Dove soap might be ok for your face (or at least not as bad as a regular soap), although I am in no way qualified to make that statement.
My face was only a little bit bumpy to start, but I did notice an improvement. The biggest thing I like about it is that it gets rid of the bumps on the backs of my arms. I’ve tried everything for that, and the Clarisonic is the only thing that works, so it’s worth it just for that!
I got my Mia about three weeks ago - while I wouldn’t call it a miracle product, I do notice that it makes my face feel softer.
Rather than buy the Mia, I’d opt for a middle-of-the-road facial cleanser. Most of the ones I love have salicylic acid (Clearasil, Clean and Clear, etc.). I stopped using them because they made my face TOO dry. But they’re great for an overnight facelift 
I agree, with futuremrshc…you should not be using soap on your face. The other thing I want to mention is that using something as abrasive as a brush (or any form of deep exfoliation) will likely bring all kinds of things up to the surface of your skin (good in the long run) and make you really break out for a while (bad in the beginning). I’d recommend switching up your facial cleanser (I love neutrogena fresh foaming cleanser) to something designed for your face before dropping $100+ on something like this.
I have a green one! I ordered it on QVC though and they no longer sell the green one =[ Sorry!
I use mine every morning and every night and I have noticed a huge difference in my skin!! I had HUGE nasty looking pores full of black heads and nothing I tried, no matter how expensive has made such a difference. The key is to use the face wash they sell!! It is pricey but that tube lasts me atleast 3 months using it morning and night. I have tried it without their facewash in conjunction but wasn't impressed with my result. Some face washes strip your skin but theirs leaves my skin feeling silky and smooth and glowing!! Def. worth the money. The other key is to stick with it, no matter how tired you feel at night and even if you didnt wear make-up that day you HAVE to wash your face at night. Hope you make the choice thats right for you though! =]
Oh but def. the purple one…or if you check them out on QVC they have cute patterned ones!! And check out Amazon for the green one…they have them in stock!
Hey, no worries about the bar soap thing- for real, Dove soap doesn’t have the same chemical properties as, say, ivory or dial bar soap and is perfectly fine to use on your face. My sisters and I (19, 21, and 25) have all used it our entire lives and we have great skin
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Mrs. Pony, Bloomington, IL Age and Occupation: 25, Attorney Fiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Attorney Engagement Date: March 22, 2010 Wedding Date: September 2011 Venue: Mackinaw Valley Vineyard; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts About Me: I found my Southern counterpart in law school and since he popped the question last March, we have been busy graduating, job searching, bar taking, and wedding planning. My loves include must see TV, magnets, quotes, anything green, my car, fun socks, the Cubs, and my Mr. Together we love wine, playing outside, and exploring the world together. Stay tuned to see our Midwest wedding full of Southern charm, vintage flair, lots of DIY details, and a whole lot o’ wine.
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