Let me preface this by saying that anything with an OTT cult following makes me leery (just think the frenzy caused by McDonald’s McCafés—it’s so unnatural). When a Clarisonic—the exalted skincare tech wonder—landed on my desk I doubted that it was as awesome as the mob of devotees claim. Well, someone get me a soapbox, because I stand corrected and I’m about to preach. Consider this: When you wash your face the archaic way (you know hands, water and cleanser), you remove less than half the impurities on your face. Old makeup, oil and dirt seep into your fine lines and wrinkles and actually make them widen/deepen more quickly. Not only is ancient crud from club-nights-past aging you, but also the lingering film of filth prevents your skincare products from working properly. Yes, that’s right, your Advanced Marine Biology Day Cream from La Prairie is only working at half-steam. Enter the Clarisonic PLUS, otherwise known as the Rolls Royce of cleansing systems. With three speeds—catered to cleaning both the face and body—the Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System uses a patented sonic frequency (inspired by the Oral-B sonic toothbrush) to buff your skin into baby-soft-complexion submission. This micro-massage action removes more than six times the makeup and two times the dirt and oil from your face than cleansing with your hands alone. If, like me, you’re a fan of applying a golden faux-tan in the summer months, the Clarisonic PLUS body brush preps your skin so you’ll never have to worry about Lindsay Lohan-like streaks. After a few days using the Clarisonic PLUS, I can’t believe that, beforehand, I chose the Neanderthal-like “hand method” as my cleansing method of choice. Friends, the future is here.