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Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:24 pm  |
Should you use the Clarisonic system if you have rosacea or broken capillaries? The short answer in my opinion is no.
I am writing this lengthy version for people with rosacea and/or broken capillaries. My hope would be to give some useful strategies that I have learned through practical experience.
What to avoid and why:
1. The sun, use a sunscreen ~ the left side of my face has more broken capillaries and two (!!!!!!) developing moles/ brown spots, whereas the right side of my face with the correct care is flawless. Why? I think it is from incidental sun exposure while driving daily. Bottom line ~ daily use of sunscreen is essential.
2. Avoid strong acids. I went through most of my life not using any acids on my face, then my dermatologist recommended a cleanser with glycolic acid (I have combination skin with a tendency towards blackheads on my nose). At first my skin looked great. After several months, I had the worst rosacea flare – up of my life. It took a long time to realize that the skin barrier had been damaged and that the glycolic acid in the cleanser had done the damage; it took so much time for the damage to appear that I did not readily attribute the flare – up to the glycolic acid cleanser. It took months to calm my skin and to find the right products after this experience. Acids in concentrations higher than 2% are too much for rosacea in my opinion.
3. The Clarisonic is not your friend. It took one week for the Clarisonic to cause my broken capillaries to be more pronounced (from barely visible to a dark reddish color). My skin also looked blotchy; I took a week off and tried again being exceptionally careful with timing, pressure, etc. = same result. In my case and in my opinion, the Clarisonic is not helpful to rosacea and can actually make it worse.
4. Finally, you know your skin best. I see one of the top dermatologists in the Washington, DC area and yet she has recommended two things which I think are damaging to rosacea ~ the glycolic acid cleanser and the Clarisonic. I continue to see her because unfortunately I have “bigger fish to fry” than my rosacea (which is pretty much under control) and that is skin cancer, she is an expert on skin cancer and treatment.
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What I do now at 53:
Cleanse with ReVive Gentle cleanser in the AM. Put on ReVive Serum Protectif with a great antioxidant (SOD) and finish with ReVive Sensitif Cream with an “acceptable – to - me” sunscreen. I use the ReVive neck cream on my neck and chest.
The basics are a gentle cleanser, an antioxidant serum, and a sunscreen. I don’t think it has to be ReVive, just what works for you. I have found that for me the Serum Protectif is the keystone of my regime and it totally eliminates my redness. It does have glycolic acid of 2% concentration ~ I have used it for almost two years with no problems.
Finally, my dirty little secret  ~ I only cleanse once a day in the AM, I don’t wear make-up (I do get my eyelashes tinted) and I don’t cleanse at night. I do add stuff at night, like Aldara (skin cancer treatment for six weeks once a year three times a week) on my nose or Avage (Tazorac) on my nose three - five times a week when I am not using Aldara. In the winter, I sometimes use ReVive Fluid Superbe on dry spots at night.
My skin is still combination skin and normally not overly dry. I am very, very fair with greenish-brown, hazel eyes and chestnut, reddish-brown hair if that helps. I burn in the sun at first, but, will tan very slightly over time. I know this from my pre – sunscreen days. |
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Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:50 pm |
Charmed1, thank you for the information on the clarisonic with broken caps. I have been going back and forth between getting one or not. Knowing my luck, I would get worse broken caps than I have now.
I think you are 100% correct on your sun exposure while driving. Years ago the MD that I went to started doing in office peels. My right side looked great, but my left side was not responding. When he asked me what I thought the reason for that was, I told him the left side getting all the sun exposure while driving (and me sleeping on my left side all the time). He poo-pooed me, and made me feel like I was crazy to think such a thing. We do know our own skin better than any other person. Thanks again. Great post. |
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Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:11 pm |
Charmed1, I too Thank You very much for posting this. I have been reading so many wonderful things about the Clarisonic and wondering if it would be a good choice for me. The one thing holding me back was "What would it do to my rosacea and broken caps?" Well, I think my intuition was telling me what you just did. I so I truly appreciate your input on it.
Also, my prayers are with you about the skin cancer. I'm so sorry you are going through this. It has been a long time fear of mine and I wish you nothing but the best. |
_________________
Early 40's, fair skin, green eyes, rosacea, ocassional break-outs, dk. circles, sun damage. AALS, DermaWand, Safetox! |
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Wed Sep 02, 2009 5:51 pm |
Songbird ~ Thank you! That was so sweet! It is not the type of skin cancer that can kill a person ~ it is not melanoma. My skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas, but, any cancer is very upsetting. So, thank you for your kind words.
Rileygirl ~ I wrote this review especially for you! |
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Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:59 am |
I just ordered the smaller clarisonic after my derm recommended it to me to help clear out my congested skin area. They did a facial and microdermabrasion for me and used it on low and very gentle head. I don't need anymore of the broken caps, I have plenty already.
I called and asked about it and was told to use the lowest setting and the most sensitive brush head, but we will see. I will certainly be mindful, thanks for the warning. |
_________________
Joined the 50 club several years back, blonde w/ fair/sensitive skin, Texas humidity and prone to rosacea, light breakouts and sunburns, combo skin type, starting to see sundamage and fine lines |
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Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:45 pm |
AnnieR ~
I hope it works for you; I will keep my fingers crossed. My derm recommended it because I still get blackheads on my nose (so for congestion, too). It did work well for the congestion, but, my skin gets rosacea flare-ups very easily now that I am older and it did make those much worse and made my broken capillaries more pronounced. (my skin is all back to normal now ~ so no permanent damage, just temporary).
I suspect that since you were able to handle microdermabrasion, you should be fine with the Clarisonic.
Good luck!
P.S. I love my Sonicare toothbrush, so I have nothing against the Clarisonic company. |
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Fri Sep 04, 2009 8:12 am |
I haven't had microdermabrasion in a while until last week for that very reason. They have to be VERY careful on the procedure and it is a pretty light one.
I used the Clarisonic for a few weeks a couple of years ago with the regular brush and it was a bit harsh.
Hopefully this time with the sensitive brush it will be better, but I will keep an eye on it. I just need to really get my pores cleaner with the mineral makeup. |
_________________
Joined the 50 club several years back, blonde w/ fair/sensitive skin, Texas humidity and prone to rosacea, light breakouts and sunburns, combo skin type, starting to see sundamage and fine lines |
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Fri Sep 04, 2009 7:56 pm |
I use a washcloth in the AM with my cleanser. That's about as heavy-duty as I get.
Charmed1, the only thing that ever cleared up the blackheads in my nose was Paula's Choice 2% BHA Gel. Really, that stuff is magic! I've been using it for nearly six months now, and have had absolutely no problems with it at all. |
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Sat Sep 05, 2009 12:36 am |
| I too damaged my skin with AHA's. Luckily for me, IPL reversed the redness and broken capillaries. I do believe in the value of the Clarisonic. Perhaps you could use it on less sensitive areas, such as the forehead, chin, and sides of cheeks. One thing I do is pre-wash my face before I use the Clarisonic. I felt the Clarisonic was just pushing my makeup and sunscreen into my skin, and the brush was getting very grimy. Now I just use one of a number of cleansers first (Clinique mild liquid facial soap, Dr Bronner's baby soap, Cetaphil bar soap) with a quick wipe of my Salux cloth, and then I use the Clarisonic with plain water. I'm careful not to over-do on my upper cheeks and nose. It's also important to disinfect the brush once a week in hot water with a bit of chlorine bleach. |
_________________
"I know that only time will heal my broken heart, just as only time will heal his broken arms and legs.” --Miss Piggy |
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Sat Sep 05, 2009 10:43 am |
| I do not have rosacea, but do have several large broken capilliaries on my cheeks. I have been using the Clarisonic for over two years now and I have not found that my capilliaries are any more pronounced. I do use the gentle brush however. |
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Sat Sep 05, 2009 2:26 pm |
That was an excellent and very informative post.
Thanks. |
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Wed Sep 30, 2009 11:32 pm |
| Charmed1, thank you for the post. How do you like the Revive products so far. They seemed a bit on the pricy range. Have you have any chance to try other products than the cleanser. How do you feel about them so far? |
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Thu Oct 01, 2009 3:40 pm |
I have been using ReVive for two years now!
I use the gentle cleanser (pink), the serum protectif, and the sensitif cream. I just use those 3 products daily and it has really made a difference in my skin.
I will tell a very embarrassing story ~ I went outside in the sun with my magnification mirror one day to check out the color of my recently colored hair, I was so distracted by how flawless my skin looked that I kept looking at my skin not able to believe my eyes ~ that is how good it looks ~ magnification + bright sunlight and my 53 year old skin looked great!
Two dermatologists have commented on my skin and said to continue using ReVive as it works so well for me.
I even asked one of the dermatologists to recommend a cheaper line and she said for most people she would recommend Olay without hesitation, but, she said with skin like mine (sensitive + rosacea) and with my skin doing so well, she would stick with what works even if it is expensive and for me that is ReVive!
P.S. My skin is not perfect because I am starting to see sagging, but, virtually no wrinkles! No visible age spots, either. |
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Thu Oct 01, 2009 4:05 pm |
| Charmed1 , do you think you have vertually no wrinkles because of ReVive ? |
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Thu Oct 01, 2009 4:43 pm |
No ~ Truthfully, what I attribute to ReVive is my even skin tone. Before ReVive, my skin was almost always red, even in pictures my skin looked red all the time.
I think I have good genetics, my Mom is 80 this year and has no wrinkles and she has used Olay for forty plus years.
I mentioned the sagging just to be honest, my skin is aging and no cream that I know of is going to stop it. Probably, the only thing that might help sagging would be facial exercises, not a cream. To continue with total honesty ~ I am plump, which I think helps to “fill out” the skin.
I do love ReVive and it provides enough sun protection for my minimal sun exposure to (I hope) prevent UV - induced aging.
I was at lunch one day with friends and this lady joined us who had served in Iraq and who lived in California, she was very tanned and wrinkled. Another lady at lunch was in her late fifties, the same age as the tanned lady, and she had the most gorgeous skin that I have ever seen on anyone over forty. It was pale and flawless. BUT, guess who looked younger ~ the heavily wrinkled lady had a vitality about her ~ she was fit and strong and healthy. So, skin without wrinkles does not equate to looking younger in my opinion ~ it is the total package which includes a love of life, vitality, a look of health, and an inquisitive mind all together adding up to looking younger.
What I do believe is that my skin looks the best that it possibly can by using ReVive. I have used tons of skin care lines. For me at this point in my life, ReVive is my favorite!
If you look at my skin alone, it is doing very well, but, if you look at the total package, I am definitely 53! |
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Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:40 pm |
Charmed1, thank you for sharing your experience, but I have to say that I am surprised that the Clarisonic brush made your skin worse. Did you use the most gentle brush? I've used Re Vive and I can say it is a fantastic line and I support the doctor's theory on skin care ingredients that can help improve your skin. I stopped using Re Vive because I was getting tired of finding it being sold close to home. I understand that it readily available now in my city. I don't think I will go back to it, but I'm not sure. Cellcosmet is working for me with Clarisonic.
Can you tell me the strength of the vitamin C in Re Vive? |
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Mon Oct 05, 2009 1:05 am |
| RGGAL365 wrote: |
| I do not have rosacea, but do have several large broken capilliaries on my cheeks. I have been using the Clarisonic for over two years now and I have not found that my capilliaries are any more pronounced. I do use the gentle brush however. |
I have rosacea and a lot of broken capilliaries and for me the clarisonic hasn't caused me any problems. I've only been using it for a few weeks so it's early days but I use the gentle head for 1 minute with Cetaphil and it feels very nice and gentle. |
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Mon Oct 05, 2009 5:10 am |
| On my last post, I made a wording error, I meant to say that I stopped using Re Vive because it was not readily available in my city. Now, that is not the case and I'm not sure if I will switch back. I really need to know the percentage of the vitamin C. |
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Thu Oct 08, 2009 2:10 pm |
I e-mailed ReVive and will let you know the percentage of Vitamin C in their serum (ReVive Arrete Booster C) as soon as I know.
I found out the percentage of glycolic acid in their Serum Protectif by submitting an inquiry on their website at Live Chat.
For the Clarisonic ~ I understand that some people with rosacea use the Clarisonic with success. I am just speaking from my personal experience. I had such a bad reaction that even though I was using the Sensitive brush that came with the Clarisonic ~ I was not even remotely tempted to try the Delicate brush.
P.S. ~ I really don't work for ReVive! I am just sharing what works for me. For some reason when I reached perimenopause and after the damage caused by my glycolic acid cleanser, my rosacea became very reactive. I spent a lot of time and money searching for a product that would heal my skin and keep it calm. I was so pleased when I found ReVive and it evened out my skin tone, seemed to prevent further damage, and kept my skin calm and happy. Truthfully, I was just thrilled that my face was no longer constantly red! 
P.S.S. I also love other products ~ I used the Babor two step cleansing system for 20 years and loved it. It just became increasingly difficult to find for me after my esthetician passed away at a very young age. They do sell Babor here at EDS!!!
I also used Creme de la Mer for 10 years and received so many compliments on my skin during most of my forties thanks to Babor and Creme de la Mer. But, for some reason the La Mer stopped working for me ~ I still miss it, it was such a part of my routine ~ that and the La Mer Concentrate kept my rosacea under control for ages, but, then stopped working for me 
I just hope that my experiences might be helpful to someone else. |
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Thu Oct 08, 2009 5:48 pm |
| Thank you, I can't wait to see how they will answer the question. |
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Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:18 am |
Sorry ~
The reply is not very helpful.
A couple of years ago when I was concerned about the percentage of glycolic acid in the Serum Protectif, I received a concise and precise answer ~
not today...
"Thank you for your email.
We do not have exact percentages of each ingredient listed. All RéVive Skincare
products are formulated with optimal effective levels of ingredients.
Thank you," |
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Fri Oct 09, 2009 12:12 pm |
| That was the type of response I got also a few years ago. I don't remember if the question was about vitamin C, but something like that. |
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Fri Oct 09, 2009 3:20 pm |
Well, it is annoying when they won't give percentages!
I don't know how I got the percentage before, it must have been another person who gave it to me. |
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karainoz
New Member
 
Joined: 26 Aug 2009
Posts: 5
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Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:59 pm |
I bought a clarisonic about a month and a half ago, and have actually developed small patches of rosacea on my cheeks. Really ticks me off (for several different reasons), but I do still use it daily, I just skip over my cheeks.
However, I am still really disappointed by the clarisonic - in my opinion, it's totally not worth the money. Hasn't really helped my acne, my skin tone doesn't look more even, and my blackheads haven't gotten smaller or disappeared. Sad face. |
_________________
25 y/o, oily skin, semi-sensitive, acne prone. |
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Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:15 am |
| You are using the wrong brush and pressing too hard. It's not an exfoliator, but a brush to help clean your pores deeply. |
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