Clarisonic, the makers of the Clarisonic Brush [a staff favorite!] just came out with a brand new product using the same gentle micro-massaging movements as the Clarisonic Brush & the Sonic Toothbrush, but geared toward your under-eyes. Although the product was just released on Tuesday, our office was lucky enough to receive a sneak preview of the product about 30 days ago. We were given some Opals for us and some of our patients to try out before the product was even on the market!
We asked our “test” patients to supply us with some basic feedback of the product, based on 7 simple questions;
Was the product easy to use?
Was it difficult to add to your normal skincare routine?
Did you see immediate results?
Did you apply other product(s) either before or after use?
Did you like the serum that came with the product?
Did you use any other product in the opal, instead of the serum?
Do you have any major complaints?
At a quick glance of the responses, the feedback was great! The product was easy to use and effortless to add into a normal skin care regimen. It seemed that the big amazement for everyone was the immediate results you could see after using the Opal. One patient exclaimed, “Actually, much to my surprise…I could see an immediate difference in the reduction of small lines around my eyes!” Based on feedback, the best time to use the Opal seems to be after cleansing as you apply your facial moisturizer. Instead of patting in the eye cream you currently use, simply switch over to the Opal and in the same amount of time, you can expect immediate “plumping” of the skin around your eyes.
Another praise we heard from our patients is the futuristic appearance of the Opal itself. Not only of the sleek outer shell, but also in the trendy design of the charger – even being compared to the Wii remote charger. One patient loved “the magnetic click you hear when you set the Opal on its charger base.” Some did experience a little confusion when first setting up the charger, because it is so different than most product chargers in the industry – and for that very reason we have an Opal laid out in the office so you can play around with it before you take yours home!
A specially formulated Anti-Aging Serum is included with your purchase. The Opal has not been clinically tested using any other product besides this serum – but we know how attached some are to their eye creams (myself included with the TNS Illuminating Eye!) - so we were interested to see if some of our “test” patients used their favorite eye product instead of/or in addition to the serum. Every patient liked the serum included, noting that “It has a very nice consistency and smell to it. Very cosmetically elegant,” and “…it's smooth and disappears quickly.” No one seemed to use one of their products in the Opal, in place of the serum, but instead just used their favorite eye cream before use, and then continued with the regimen after use (i.e. Essential Serum, sunscreen, Vitamin C).
I know what you all are wondering - were there any complaints? Not one patient had a MAJOR complaint about the product, just a few small concerns or unanswered questions. First of all, one patient showed interest in learning more about the serum itself; what ingredients are in the serum and what went into the development of this serum to work hand-in-hand with the Opal. We went straight to Clarisonic for that answer, and here it is:
“Our
Ingredients include, “…Key marine and botanical ingredients to hydrate (Trehalose); to firm and tighten (Glycosaminoglycans and Kigelia Africana Extract); and to soothe and protect (Canadian Willowherb). As well, our serum has a natural preservative derived from naturally occurring substances and is Paraben free.”
Other patients expressed a need for more instructions on use, “…how much pressure to add or how to rotate…because it's so different from the Clarisonic Brush and it's close to the eye.” That is a great question, and based on our experience, both with the Clarisonic Brush and so far with the Opal; pressure is not really needed. What’s so great about the Clarisonic Brush is that the sonic vibration shakes and lifts dirt and bacteria out of the skin without much pressure at all. Same with the Opal, the gentle vibrations will plump and softly infuse the serum into your under eye area – doing all the work for you, no need to add additional pressure!
Another question that frequently arose was the expectation of how long the serum will last and how many applications you should expect with each serum. The answer there is - 180 applications, 90 per eye at twice a day – so you can expect the serum to last you 45 days. If you choose to use the product once a day, then obviously you will see a longer life from the serum – it’s up to you and your face!
Now for some fun! What other advice or insider information did our patients have for future Opal users?
“…it is great for when your sinuses are full after a nights sleep and you want to reduce the puffiness under eyes!”
“I shared the Opal with my husband before a party for instant plump!”
“The Opal is really great for travel… It's small, looks good and comes with a great little bag. “
“I am going to use the Clarisonic on just one of my eyes for the next few months. I will do it in the morning everyday after I wash my face with my regular Clarisonic Brush.” – Stay tuned for some before and after pictures!
After you try out your Clarisonic Opal – please let us know how you like it! We would love to hear your thoughts and I’m sure those interested in buying the product would love to hear them as well!
