Olay Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System Review

I'm pretty low-maintenance when it comes to my skin care and beauty routine--I have neither the wallet nor the patience for trying and using all kinds of products and gadgets. However, I wanted to go ahead and give the Olay Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System Brush a try. I'd considered the Clarisonic brush, but it doesn't really fit into my current debt reduction budget.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Olay System/Brush, it claims to cleanse your skin six times better than basic cleansing alone and to be just as effective as the "professional cleansing system costing nearly $200" (Clarisonic). Did I mention it's only $30?

Here's what it looks like:

 

The set comes with the tool itself, one circular brush, a small tube of Olay Exfoliating Renewal Cleanser and two AA batteries (the system is battery operated). 

It's simple to use. There's a large button to switch the tool on and off and a button below it to change between two speeds. The round brush head pops off easily to clean and dry after each use.

It feels good on your face. I was weary about using any kind of brush on my face at first because I thought it'd irritate my skin, but the brush is very gentle. The Olay cleanser included is also very nice--MUCH less abrasive than other exfoliating cleansers I've tried. As I've used the brush and cleanser, I've never felt the exfoliating beads scratch my skin. The whole exfoliating aspect of the cleanser is pretty much unnoticeable.

I suppose I should mention that I have fairly unproblematic skin. I'm one of those fortunate people who rarely breaks out, and when I do it's normally due to some lax evening where I went to bed without removing my make up (shame on me, I know). My skin is neither extremely oily nor dry. I guess it's more combination than anything. The one thing I do have is a bit of pore cloggage/blackheads on my nose. More than anything, I ordered the Olay system with hope that it'd help reduce that problem.

The Verdict?

I've been using the brush for one week now and I'm honestly impressed. My face feels significantly smoother than it did a week ago (my BF even noticed) and I've noticed a slight reduction in the number of blackheads on my nose even after only seven days of use.  My skin just feels cleaner overall. I'm digging the Olay Professional Pro-X Exfoliating Renewal Cleanser, though I'm curious to experiment with the brush and other facial cleansers in my shower.

The only drawback to this system that I foresee is the use of batteries. I intend on using rechargeable ones, though, so it shouldn't be a huge problem.

I'm planning on following up in three weeks or so to share what kind of results I've experienced. A one week review may be a little premature :) I'll try to post some images of the results, too, if I can take a good enough picture.

Speaking to the Olay system compare to the Clarisonic one, I really can't weigh in since I have not tried the Clarisonic. But if you're looking for a better way to clean your skin without making too big of an investment, the Olay system is the way to go.

Note: I have not seen the Olay system in stores, but you can purchase it online at Amazon or Drugstore.com. I purchased mine (along with two replacement brush heads) at Drugstore.com and used a sweet 20% coupon. The whole thing--shipping included--worked out to a little over $30!

Another note: I'm writing this review on my own accord and am in no way affiliated with Olay or P&G. Just wanted to share my opinion of this awesome $30 contraption!

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UPDATE JUNE 16, 2011: 

I've been using the brush/cleanser on a regular basis (2-3 times a week) and HIGHLY recommend it. I wouldn't go so far as to say it works wonders, but the skin on my nose has noticeably less blackheads. And, of course, my skin feels cleaner and looks more vibrant after each use.