If you thought those days of pesky breakouts were over when we emerged (thankfully) from that awkward, just-hit-puberty pre-teen era, you’re wrong. Whether it’s stress, lack of sleep, or whatever reason you can come up with (hey, we’ve gotta blame it on something, right?), every now and then β when it matters most, of course, doesn’t it always work that way β we are still plagued with an annoying zit.
You’ve tried the creams, the overnight treatments, every face wash ever made. More often than not, they don’t seem to work, and those that do take days to rid your skin of unwanted blemishes.
Enter CLARO, a device that uses Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) technology β which combines heat and light β to literally zap those zits. According to James Pereyra at Solta Medical, CLARO, the only FDA-approved over-the-counter IPL device on the market, is preferable to other methods of acne treatments because of its ease of use.
“CLARO offers a completely new way to treat acne β with no lotions, creams or pills β and can fit within your schedule without multiple trips to the dermatologist or pharmacy,” he says. “Today, there are several acne devices available. Some offer heat therapy, some offer light treatment. Some require 20 minutes, twice a day. CLARO has the shortest treatment time among devices on the market.”
And you really can’t get anything with a shorter treatment time β before you can even unscrew the cap of your acne cream, CLARO’s already finished the job. Two series of 6-second light and heat pulses twice a day is all it takes to eliminate and prevent breakouts.Β
Unfortunately, I am not blessed with perfect skin, and my CLARO arrived just in time to greet three itty bitty (ha, I wish) blemishes. Eight hours of required battery-charging time later, I pressed the CLARO to my face…and waited. The next morning, the first thing I did was look in the mirror (and trust me, that is not what I am typically in a rush to do first thing in the morning), and after just one treatment, two of my blemishes had been significantly reduced in color and size and one of them was so yesterday, that I forgot it ever even existed. My results aren’t uncommon: Pereyra says that laboratory studies show a 94.8 percent decrease in acne bacteria after just one CLARO treatment.
Though CLARO is effective on its own, Pereyra recommends keeping up with your current skincare regimen.
“We recommend that you continue washing your face daily to reduce the amount of oils that can collect in pores. You can certainly use CLARO with other treatments, but if in doubt we recommend that you consult a local dermatologist for guidance,” he says.Β
One of the best things about CLARO β listen up, all you busy collegiettesβ’! β is how easy it is to use on-the-go.
“The great thing about the CLARO is that since it’s portable, you can carry it with you and zap those pesky blemishes wherever and whenever they show up β just remember the earlier you treat your pimples the faster they go away,” Pereyra says.
You can get you CLARO at Nordstrom, Sephora, or on the product’s website.