Okay, you can't post that without weighing in on the great 'Is the Clarisonic worth it?' debate. ;)

You know I had never heard of the Clarisonic Mia and didn't know what it was for when I first start living with my girlfriend, but after using the thing, I have to say - it might just be worth it.

i like the idea of the clarisonic and id love to get one as a gift....the only reason i wouldnt recommend it is bc they have other lesser known brands at TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Homegoods that work just as well and range $20 - 30. i bought one for $30, ive had it since december and it works wonderfully. but i guess thats the case with a lot of innovative tech.

I'm actually just about to return my Mia - it wasn't worth as I didn't notice any major difference with my face. But I have that cordless hair dryer and it's fantastic!

@Prozachew, I would have to disagree. In have tried the cheaper versions and ended up wasting money on them because they don't clean my face as efficiently. I can gauge the the degree of success by the quantity of acne I've had, and considering how I don't have any now while using my clarisonic, I'm guessing that it's doing it's job well (which is a miracle to having "teenage skin" way into my twenties). the Clarisonic is also so much healthier for your skin. With the cheaper brands, you really have to scrub to clean your face, but with this you barely have to move the thing across your face to clean it.

Also, it is made by the sonicare family, which is just as amazing. It's one of those things where my mouth doesn't feel as clean when I use another brand of electric toothbrush (or just a normal toothbrush). My friend showed me the mechanics of the sonicare and clarisonic under one of those super fast strobe lights and it's incredible to see how/why these things work so well. On youtube, there are slow motion videos that show the same thing.

My only bathroom tech is my electric toothbrush, recommended by my dental hygienist. It is cordless and rechargeable, but the base you store it on holds the un-removable cord. (Bad design -- I could otherwise stash the cord in the drawer between charges. It blinks when it needs power.) As it is, the cord drapes across my countertop mirror, not lovely, but not too bothersome, either.

However, we did have outlets installed INSIDE the cabinets of our vanities for things like this, my guy's rechargeable razor, etc. So that's sometimes an option for hidden recharging.

I've had a Clarisonic (the full size, not the Mia) for a few years and without a doubt its one of the best skin care investments I've made. Makes way more a difference than some of the expensive products I've gotten suckered into buying over the years. We have a linen closet that adjoins our teeny bathroom so my huz installed an outlet in the closet and it works beautifully and keeps our counters clutter-free.

I love the Mia. Got a slightly better deal on Amazon but it was still an investment. It was worth it.

I have an old ConAir Cordkeeper (which also has a folding handle - it's full size, but foldable) and thought it was great until it stopped retracting the cord all of the way after a few (maybe 6) uses (I don't use it very often, so it probably took 10-12 months before it happened). It now has about 10 inches that just won't go back in. I'm hoping they improved the design since then, because it really is handy!

Sherry et al,

I received the new Philips Diamond Clean Rechargeable toothbrush as a gift last year, and wouldn't trade it for anything. My teeth are squeaky clean. It's perfect for my small space b/c the charge lasts. Every 3 weeks the light blinks yellow and I take out the charger & charge it overnight. I use the little lucite base when not charging but others may like the water glass. Perfect for travel too!

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-HX9332-05-DiamondClean-Rechargeable/dp/B0052JN7XG

Btw, am so looking into that KONE vacuum...

I have a Clarisonic. When I bought it, I used it on one side of my face for 6 months, and washed the other side normally, to see if I could tell any difference - I have a tendancy to "imagine" benefits when I try a new product, and I wanted to be somewhat scientific about it. The skin on that side of my face felt soft, but there was absolutely no difference - no difference in skin appearance, oiliness, pore size, or flakiness during the winter.

I love my Clairsonic Mia 2! Thanks to my mom, who religiously uses this on her amazingly beautiful 60 year old skin (which is flawless), she bought one for me. It cleans my skin so much better and my skin is softer.

Washcloth, basic face cleanser, exfoliant (aha or bha) and an effective serum at night. During the day, instead of a serum, use sunscreen. BOOM! Saved you $200-$300 bucks.

Oh and a good make up remover might help.

geesh.

I have to say I love my Mia. It has helped clear my acne, not the only thing obviously. I did start to notice a difference after about 2 months in my skin's smoothness. However the price to me is still kind of much...and replacing the brush heads isn't cheap but I have bad skin.

also @ Wengi

the washcloth was not enough nor my AHA. In fact I think the wash cloth made my skin worse.

@Wengi - You'd be surprised. I did all those things religiously, and have developed acne for the first time ever at the ripe old age of 37. :(

I love the [somewhat] scientific experiment *chuckle* and suspect the results were highly accurate. . I think we all have a tendency to see the results we *want* to see despite reality. (the reason for double blind studies). Bottom line, this is nothing more than a high $ exfoliator, abeit a good one. It's good because it allows one to exfoliate the entire face without missing a spot with very little effort. Even the most anal about skincare usually do not take the time to do this thoroughly and/or do it improperly. It's marketing/selling points are based on our own laziness and *hope*...hope that 'this' will provide the solution we are looking for. Phooey. Never mind that attempting to treat acne is an exercise in futility...admittedly, general skincare is another matter altogether.

Brings to mind the saga of a childhood friend. During her high school years, her mom would make the 2 hr trek to the city once a month to take her to a dermatologist. The dr prescribed some new miracle drug which supposedly cleared up acne with continued/regular use. Although there were no noticeable results after long term use, my friend was hysterical when she misplaced her meds two wks before the prom. Yep, you guessed it. She had a major acne episode. Thing is, those miracle pills were placebos. (I overheard her mom share this w/my mom who swore me to secrecy). To this day, whenever I recall this saga, all I can think of is all that $ that went down the drain. Might as well pull it out of your wallet, et fire to it and watch it burn. What a waste.

left out a word
*attempting to treat acne EXTERNALLY*

and a critical typo *set fire to it*

so, you make me fall in love with that vacuum, and i can't find it ANYWHERE! any help finding something similar, design-wise?

This is good to know. I have tried everything from Burts Bees but way to oily. I’ve tried every product too at whole foods almost. I do the at home facial with the Riiviva Microdermabrasion tool for my acne scarring and it’s terrific. Its here at http://www.riiviva.com.
Do you have any recommendations as to what avenue to take for mositurizing with out all the oily residue that happens when I use oils. Thanks