Best Buy Product Testing | Claro Acne Clearing System

When I was asked to review the Claro Acne Clearing Device I was beyond thrilled. You see, I never had bad skin as most people do as teenagers. For the most part, I had clear skin with only the occasional blemish or breakout. Then somewhere along the way after pregnancy something changed. I’m thirty something years old and I have blemishes (isn’t that such a fancy word for zit?) on my lower jaw at least 2 weeks a month. Isn’t that lovely? I will be the first to admit I don’t have the greatest skin care routine, but I don’t wear makeup much either. I use a foaming face wash and a moisturizer daily and that’s about it but it just isn’t cutting it. The Claro claims to treat blemishes making them less red, less noticeable and heal faster so you see why I was excited to give it a try.

When I received the package, I immediately opened it up to see what this thing was all about. The device comes with a power cord, a pair of safety goggles like you would use in a tanning bed and a very detailed instruction booklet.

When I started reading the instructions, the first thing was to give it an initial charge of 15 hours. I’m ready to start zapping zits… tomorrow! It is important to wear the safety goggles but I was so intrigued, I think I forgot to use them the first time. Now, I will usually just close my eyes. It’s a bit cumbersome to hold the goggles and line up the Claro at the same time.

To use it, you simply press the power button, line up your blemish between the two posts and it will beep letting you know it made contact. Then you press the button again and it begins pulsing lights and heat to the blemish for 6 seconds. Then you repeat for the second treatment. The Claro website says that it is painless and for the most part it is, but I did come across a few places where it was a bit more uncomfortable. It is definitely more noticeable in the areas where the skin was broken. It wasn’t a “pain” just a little pricking feeling. It’s only 6 seconds though so it’s no big deal.

What are all those flashing lights? It’s called IPL. The Claro website says that “Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) is a clinically-proven, safe technology that combines HEAT and LIGHT for fast, effective treatment of acne. CLARO uses heat and light to stimulate porphyrin, bacteria that cause acne to produce singlet oxygen that attacks and eliminates the acne bacteria.”

So, did it work?

I think in my head I was hoping for a magical disappearing act of blemishes. That wasn’t the case. That wasn’t Claro’s claim either though. It says that it reduces redness, makes blemishes heal faster and makes blemishes less noticeable. It did just that. After a few days of using the product, I noticed an overall decrease in redness and puffiness of the blemishes. I also used it on an area that felt like there was a new blemish on its way and it literally made a U-turn and went away before it ever really surfaced. Since using the Claro, I haven’t had an actual breakout in weeks.

What do I like most about the Claro? Obviously its effectiveness is number one!
Other pros…
- It’s lightweight and portable.
- It doesn’t require a prescription unlike other acne treatments.
- It’s more cost effective than dermatologist or spa visits.

The cons…
- The device needs a guide on it to show you the position of the light window. Sometimes I would wonder if I had it lined up correctly or missed the spot.
- To effectively use the safety goggles, they need an elastic strap to use them hands free.

For more information on the science behind Claro and to see actual user submitted photos, visit the Claro website at www.clrstechnology.com.

If you have monthly breakouts like me or a teen with mild to moderate acne, visit Best Buy to purchase a Claro Acne Clearing Device. While it does carry a retail price of $195.00, the initial investment is far less expensive than dermatologist appointments and prescription medications and similar costly spa treatments.

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the reviewed product at a reduced price or for free.