Ari's In Wonderland: Review: Olay Regenerist Advanced Cleansing System

A beauty item I’ve been lusting after for the longest time is a Clarisonic. We’ve all seen the reviews with people raving about it after all. And yet, I still haven’t gotten one for myself! Why? Well, first off Clarisonic doesn’t ship internationally, which means I’ll need to hunt down a friend or relative willing to receive and send out the package to me. Second, I’m just not sure if it’ll be worth the $100+ price tag. It may work great for others, but it certainly doesn’t guarantee it’ll work for me too. In the end, I may have been better off not getting it at all. Perhaps if the Clarisonic were more readily available I’d have already gotten it. For now though, I’ll just keep it on my wish list!

That’s why I was both pleasantly surprised and all kinds of excited when Olay released the Olay Regenerist Advanced Cleansing System here. Since I put the Clarisonic idea on the back burner, this is perfect for me to try out and really see if a beauty gadget like this is something worth investing in. Of course it’s no Clarisonic, but hey, it’s the next best thing!

Product info (from Olay.com.au):

BENEFITS:

Up to 4x better cleansing than cleanser alone.
Gently exfoliates.
Enables better penetration of the actives contained in Micro-Sculpting Cream when used together.

RESULTS:

Skin is instantly cleaner and feels fresher.
Skin texture is improved and becomes smoother with continuous usage.
For even more dramatic results, use in combination with Micro-Sculpting Serum & Micro-Sculpting Cream.

The cleansing system, as you may have already guessed, comes as a kit and contains 3 items: the Olay Regenerist Skin Renewal Cleanser, the Regenerist Cleansing System handheld device, and a brush head.

Let’s start off with the cleanser. It’s nothing new as the Regenerist Skin Renewal Cleanser has been out for a long while now. This is basically just a sample version of it to try out with the device as Olay recommends using both together to get the best results. The cleanser is supposed to "prime your skin for your anti-ageing regimen."

The cleanser itself is very light-weight in consistency, almost watery too. It has granules in it, if you can see them, which is for exfoliation purposes. Like Olay said, it’ll help with your anti-ageing regimen because clean and freshly exfoliated skin will better absorb other products you’ll be applying after you wash your face like your serums and whatnot.

I’m not a big fan of the cleanser though, simply because I think it doesn’t clean as thoroughly as I’d like it to. At least in comparison to my current favorite facial wash, the Neutrogena Deep Clean Energizing Foaming Cleanser. Yes, I have no doubt my skin is cleaner after I use it, but with my Neutrogena one, my face feels much cleaner too. With this one, not so much. I’m sure if you don’t have problematic skin and use as much makeup as I do on a near daily basis, and aren’t exposed to a lot of pollution too, then the Olay cleanser will work just fine for you.

The handheld device, which is the star of the show here, is a very simple but efficient battery-operated gadget with a 2-speed control setting. The top button is the on/off switch while the button under it controls the speed. You just have to press it once to switch between both. Oh, and the device is also water resistant so that it can even be used in the shower! Olay says that the brush "delivers daily deep cleansing & gentle exfoliation" which I like the sound of because with my acne-prone, dry skin, I pretty much need all the deep cleansing and exfoliation I can get!

The device feels quite sturdy, definitely not something that I think will break apart and no longer be able to function after just one fall on a hard, bathroom floor. It may seem a little weighty at first though. That’s thanks to the two AA batteries inside. I’m not sure how much your average Clarisonic weighs, but I’ll hazard a guess that they’re roughly the same since the Clarisonic, despite being rechargeable, is bigger in size. To replace the batteries, all you have to do is pull out the bottom of the device and pop it back in again with new batteries. Just be careful because it’s a little difficult to pull out and the first time I did it, the batteries practically flew out of the thing since it wasn’t budging initially so I tugged hard. Oh, and it already comes with two AA batteries when you buy it which is a plus!

Above is the device without the brush head attached, and then with the brush head attached. Attaching and detaching it is super quick and easy because all you have to do is literally pop it on and off. Olays says the brush head is "for better removal of dirt & make-up, even in the T-zone & chin. Specially designed to be gentle on skin for daily use." The bristles are nice and soft, but not too soft, so it won’t be harsh on skin but at the same time will offer thorough exfoliation. I’ve been using the device on a near daily basis for the past couple of months and so far the bristles are still holding up surprisingly well. There is some ‘fraying’ going on around the edges, but not too much yet!

Olay recommends replacing the brush head every 3 months. I was a little worried at first that the replacement heads would be pricey, but I distinctly remember they’re less than Php300.00, or around $7.00, so it’s definitely affordable. Again, surprisingly so!

If I were to summarize my experience with this product in 3 words, it would simply be: I. Love. It. As someone with skin so dry it flakes sometimes, this has been a life saver for me on more than one occasion already. It literally buffs my skin until it’s as smooth as a baby’s bottom, which makes applying both the rest of my skin care and makeup after so much easier and and faster. Aside from that, it really does give that extra help to deep clean your skin and scrub away all the impurities! If you’re curious, I use this 1-2 times a day, and slowly run it all over each ‘area’ of my face for about 10-15 seconds. So that means my cheeks and jawline, my forehead, my nose, and my chin. I linger about 5-10 seconds longer on areas that tend to get the the driest. Take care to not stay too long on one spot or area though or else you’ll end up over-exfoliating your skin and it’ll feel tender and sore after. I learned that the hard way!

Not going to lie, my complexion doesn’t appear any ‘brighter’ nor does this miraculously get rid of blemishes like blackheads, sebaceous filaments, acne, etc. but as it claims, my skin does indeed feel fresher and cleaner right after using it. Even cleaner than if I just used my face wash alone. Over time, my skin has also become a little smoother overall and I’m hoping that improvement in my skin continues the longer I use this! If you’re on the fence about getting a Clarisonic yourself, or if you’re not sure how or where to get one for the meantime, I highly recommend this as something to try out first. Since I like this so much, I now feel more positive about eventually getting a Clarisonic since I’m certain it’ll work even better and I’ll achieve more visible and longer-lasting results. But hey, if you’re more than happy with this after trying it then you can totally stick with it! It’s, without a doubt, the much more affordable alternative after all which is something I will applaud Olay for.

WHAT I LIKE:

Helps to deep clean and exfoliate my skin thoroughly.
Preps the skin for other skin care products like serums and moisturizers, as well as makeup.
It's water resistant so it can be used in the shower.
The replacement brush heads are affordable and readily available.
Already comes with two AA batteries.

WHAT I DON’T LIKE: