The Holy Grail of skincare, have you tried it yet?

Heard about Clarisonic, but still not sure what it is or what it does?

Read on for the low down on what has been described as the Holy Grail of skincare.

(If you know all about them and have landed here for the ‘facial brush face off’ scroll down past the video.)

Think of the Clarisonic cleansing system not as a frightening skincare equivalent of the Curl Secret, but an amazing advanced way to cleanse the skin.

Like an electric toothbrush for your skin, the facial brush micro-massages your skin to loosen and remove dirt, oil, and makeup.

Sound a little scary? It’s not. It’s been clinically proven to cleanse the skin six times better than with hands alone and it’s gentle enough to use every day.

(I use mine 2-3 times a week, depending on how many times I’ve remembered to take my makeup off *cough*)

How do you use it?

First remove eye makeup by hand, and apply cleanser (it comes with one, which has more of a gel-like consistency than you’re probably used to) directly to moistened skin or to a damp brush head.

Select the speed and follow the timer prompts (20 seconds on the forehead, 20 seconds on the nose and chin, and 10 seconds per cheek) while moving the brush head in small circular motions. The key is to not push it down hard on your face. It automatically shuts off after the cleansing cycle. Then rinse skin thoroughly to remove cleanser.

I don’t know a beauty editor who doesn’t swear by the gadget, and if you’ve heard some of the hype about the Clarisonic, you’ll know that fans report having uber-clean, glowing skin, fewer breakouts, and softness comparable to a baby’s bottom even after the first use.

If your usual ‘cleansing system’ consists of facial cleansing wipe at the end of the day, should you invest in one?

The entry level Clarisonic, the Mia brush, starts at $139 (you can get it online around $119 excluding shipping) and isn’t exactly cheap. So we’ve faced it off against the other facial cleansing brushes that have hit the market.

1. Clarisonic Mia 2

I’m not going to lie, I love my Clarisonic, I’m not a huge fan of facials (I get claustrophobic) so I prefer to do my deep cleansing from the safety of my bathroom.

The Mia 2 works in just 60 seconds and is great for those who travel. It’s compact, waterproof and can be used safely in the shower or bath.

RRP: $139

2. Olay’s Regenerist Advanced Cleansing System

While Clarisonic uses a sonic oscillation system that produces over 300 movements per second, Olay uses a rotating one. It’s battery-operated rather than charging on a base like the Clarisonic does. It’s water-resistant but not waterproof so it can’t be used in the shower.

I found the bristles to be slightly softer on the Olay System but the noise and movement scared me a little after having been so used to the Clarisonic.

It does however still produce clean-feeling, ultra-smooth soft skin results, making it a good option for those who want to trial a facial brush without outlaying the expense for a Clarisonic.

RRP: $30.

3. Philips VisaPure

Philips VisaPure is the closest thing to the Clarisonic on the market and promises to be“10x more effective than hand-cleansing but just as gentle.”

This newbie is great for those who have sensitive skin, it has two settings – gentle and deep cleansing. And you can also choose between brush heads, normal and sensitive both of which are ultra soft.

Like the Mia 2, Philips VisaPure programme lasts 60 seconds, is waterproof, can be used in the shower, rechargable and automatically switches off after use.

RRP: $199

FYI: If you’re already a Clarisonic fan, you’ll be excited to know that there’s a pedicure version coming in 2014. Watch the video below.

Are you a Clarisonic convert? Do you think it delivers the holy grail of soft, pimple-free, glowing shiny skin? Keen to try the others?