I know this is primarily a recipe blog but from time to time I feel like sharing some of the things I love. Let me start by saying, I haven’t received any sort of compensation for doing this…I didn’t get a freebie in the mail and I’m not expecting anything in return for saying nice things. This is just something I love, I’m glad I found it and I thought I’d share my opinion with you.
You may not know this about me but I am a product junkie. If admitting your problem is the first step in recovery, well…I’ve never hidden my proclivity for purchasing products. I had to keep my obsession in check when we lived in a tiny NYC apartment. Now however, the gloves are off…this big ol’house in the ‘burbs has plenty of nooks and crannies for stashing my prizes.
After turning 40, I decided I needed to take my skin care regime seriously. Since having children I’ve learned the value of sunscreen, I wear it daily so I have that working in my favor. Working against me is my lifelong inability to take my makeup off at night. I wear really good mineral make up (I’ll post about that one later…I can rave about Jane Iredale for hours and she definitely deserves her own post!) I’ve even been told the make up I use and the fact that I use so little actually means I can be a little lax in the removal category. BUT, I really felt it was time to start using a nighttime moisturizer on a regular basis…hey, I’m not getting any younger, you only get one set of skin, insert cliche here. I did a lot of research at spas and dermatologists offices and things kept leading me back to a REALLY expensive brand that has many devoted followers. Now, to know me is to know that I go out of my way to use as many natural products as possible so I was very hesitant to purchase something with an ingredient list that looked more like it belonged in a chemistry class than on my face. I should’ve gone with my gut. I purchased the insanely expensive Frankenstein-ish Skin Care system and decided I had to make certain sacrifices to my “all natural” ethos to rid my face of huge pores and fine lines. I’m married to a younger man, I gotta keep up the charade as long as possible! It smelled awful and tasted like crap whenever I accidentally got some on my lips during the rinse process. Also, after about six weeks of use, it really didn’t seem to be making a difference in my skin…in fact, the nighttime moisturizer, the whole reason I started this method, was making me look like a pimply faced teenager. Honestly, I didn’t breakout that much in high school. It was awful and I knew something had to change. Since the nighttime moisturizer was the only one actually doing visual harm to my skin, I decided to take it back to the spa where I purchased it. I was given a store credit…but I knew I wouldn’t use it to purchase any more of the super industrial strength face resurfacing products. What they did have at the spa was…the Clarisonic Pro. Seriously, it was like a carefully placed spotlight was making the display model glow! So, I dug out 25 more dollars to go with my store credit and took the plunge. (I told you the Franken-moisturizer was ridiculously expensive!!)
The Clarisonic Pro is the bomb-diggity! It’s 100% waterproof so you can use it in the shower. It’s fast, only takes 1-2 minutes. You can use your own cleansing products – in my case, something more Earth-friendly. And, AND…it works! In two weeks I noticed my pores, especially the ones on my nose, were less noticeable. My skin felt softer. My crepe-y neck looked decidedly less crepe-y. My fine lines around my…well, my crows feet (ugh…I can’t believe I just typed that) didn’t look as frightening as before!
I use it twice a day. Yep, you read that right…I actually use it at night! Ok, not every night…I’m working on changing my habits – it’s a process, there’s a curve…but I’m doing much better! The Clarisonic Pro (there’s a smaller version also, called the Mia)has these little soft rows of brushes. It’s so soft and gentle I’m actually a little sad when the beeper tells me to move to another section of my face. The brushes vibrate and rotate, really getting in there to scrub your pores but leaving behind ZERO irritation and redness. The spa-lady said the Clarisonic Pro cleans deeper therefore leaving your skin cleaner and more open to absorbing your products better. I’m sure she tells all the old ladies that but honestly, I think she’s right. I’ve seen a drastic improvement in my skin and I haven’t changed any of my regular products…except for the addition of my Clarisonic Pro. (I used up all of the expensive Franken-products and went back to my reasonably priced, closer to natural goodies that smell good and don’t make me gag if I get them in my mouth accidentally)
Good bye saggy pores!!
Ok, so bottom line. Clarisonic Pro is worth the money – I paid about $195 but the Mia, which is the same thing, just a smaller, travel sized version is less expensive, closer to $100 I believe, but don’t hold me to that. I wish I hadn’t spent so much money on the Franken-products, they really were a waste and in the end, did more harm than good, but you live and learn,no? Sorry I didn’t have the forethought to take before and after pictures but honestly, I don’t think I would’ve posted them anyway. I’ll admit, I’m too vain to post a picture of myself highlighting my saggy pores and wrinkles…some things are just TMI! Hey, Mother’s Day is right around the corner – I’m just saying, it’s a nice gift!
My name is Donna. I cook. I write about it. I share. Mostly, I cook. 
