Clarisonic vs. Foreo: Why I Switched and Switched Back

(Left: Clarisonic Mia 2 Fit; Right: Foreo Luna 2)

For makeup lovers, people with problematic skin or even as we get older, skin care is key. You have to take care of your skin in order make your makeup look its best, fix any problem areas or combat the signs and effects of aging.

Just washing your face with cleanser and water won't cut it. Sonic brushes for cleansing your face have been on the market for several years now and there are so many options to consider. The top two sonic brushes options are made by Clarisonic and Foreo, and I've used both devices in the past to . In this week's post, I'll share why I left Clarisonic for Foreo - and why I came back.

Clarisonic Pros and Cons

I've always had blemish-prone skin and realized that I needed to step up my skin care routine to help improve my skin. I purchased my first Clarisonic several years ago and really enjoyed it - here are the benefits:

• It deep cleans and exfoliates skin in just one minute each use. My skin was left really clean and prepped to soak up my skin care products.
• I could swap out the brush head to change the level of intensity to suit my needs.
• It's great for travel. The cap on each brush lets me cleanly stow away my Clarisonic in my wash bag while in transit.

After a while, I started to note a few drawbacks to using a Clarisonic:

• A Clarisonic is more expensive than other devices. While base prices for some units have come down, the overall cost of changing a brush head every three months really adds up.
• The nylon bristles of the brush head might be abrasive for sensitive skin. My skin started to get really irritated and it was certainly a motivating factor in my decision to move away from using a Clarisonic initially.
• I found myself charging my Clarisonic about twice a month - and each charging session lasts for 12 hours. I'd often find myself without a usable device while I waited for it to finish charging.

Foreo Pros and Cons

While I did like my Clarisonic, I had to acknowledge that it wasn't working out well for me. That's when I made the switch to the Foreo Luna nearly two years ago. Here are the pros:

• Foreo itself promotes the nonporous, hygienic silicone bristles on its cleaning tools as a featured selling point. Those bristles delicately clean skin while stimulating it, so even the most sensitive skin can benefit from using it. It's a feature I highlighted in my skin care faves post.
• It's very cost efficient. The base price for a Foreo is cheaper than Clarisonic's offering, and because there's no replaceable brush head, the Foreo is also cheaper in the long run. 
• The battery life is phenomenal. I've been able to get several months' worth of battery power off of a single hour-long charge. The Clarisonic can't compare on that front.

And yet, for as much as I enjoyed my Foreo, I started to notice that my skin had plateaued and I wasn't receiving the same level of cleaning that I needed to take care of my skin. Here are the cons I considered:

• I realized over time that the beauty of being able to change my Clarisonic brush head was that I could have the same device but customize it as needed. The Foreo is one unit, so if I needed something else, I'd have to spend the same money all over again buying a different version.
• The Foreo works best on a two-minute cleaning cycle. It's not a long time at all - but in a rush to get ready, it can actually be significant.
• I started to miss the deep cleaning that I got from my Clarisonic. While the Foreo cleans skin it certainly doesn't get as far down into my skin as the Clarisonic did. I also own a Foreo toothbrush, and even the all-silicone brush head cleans better because the toothbrush is a more powerful device than the Luna range of face tools.

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Overall, I've just jumped back to a Clarisonic (this time the Mia 2 Fit) and I immediately felt the difference in cleaning. I stopped into my local Sephora to pick up the new Clarisonic and learned a few great points to protect the investment, reduce overall costs, and make it workable for anyone with sensitive skin:

• Don't use excessive pressure or exfoliating/acid-based cleansers when using your Clarisonic. The combination has good potential to irritate your skin.
• Try using your Clarisonic once a day or every other day. The device exfoliates while deep cleaning and more frequent exfoliating (like the first bit of advice) can be irritating.
• Use either the Luxe or Radiance brushes, the top two most delicate brush heads that Clarisonic offers. 
• Once a month, clean you Clarisonic brush head with rubbing alcohol and warm water and soap to disinfect the brush and extend its life.

Overall, the Clarisonic and Foreo are two solid cleaning tools that I'd recommend to anyone. I hope this post will help you figure out which device to buy based on your needs.