FitBeauty Reviews: Does ThermaClear work better than natural products?

On most topics, especially on looking and feeling fabulous, I can go on and on and on, darlings. I am happy to share my opinions and experiences and talk openly about what works for other people on the journey to wellness. But there are a few subjects I (perhaps ridiculously) consider delicate.

One of those is bodily functions (and believe me, since I've become a parent, I've blown that conversation open more than I ever dreamed possible). The other is blemishes (don't even think you'll get me to use the z-word).

While there is possibly a thesis full of psychoanalysis to be written on why I detest talking bathroom and skin issues, I am absolutely sure no one would read it, let alone care. But given this discomfort, I imagine you'll understand my trepidation at reviewing a product to treat acne. And given my hesitancy, imagine my surprise at how happy I am to discuss it.

Most products I review, I find and purchase on my own or through recommendations by my girlfriends or beauty bloggers. But when I was sent the ThermaClear acne treatment device to test, I was curious if it would address the blemishes my organic, Ayurvedic products hadn't been able to zap.

For the last year, I've been slathering my face in luscious essential oil blends, using an all-natural cooling gel, a soothing treatment for imperfections and a sweet-smelling eye cream, all Ayurvedic and each making me feel good about my skin.

After only a week or so of detoxing the perfumey, artificial fragrances from my skincare routine, I noticed that my skin was far more moisturized and that any imperfections faded quickly without the stinging and peeling and redness of other products. I was happy. The products are expensive but worth it and they leave me feeling like I am feeding my skin carefully and healthfully.

But when I ran out of oils and squeezed out the last drops of eye cream a few weeks ago, I knew that a dwindling beauty budget meant I'd have to wait to reorder. The weather got warmer, I started a new and sweaty dance class, my work stress amplified and my skin suffered. I kissed off my hesitancy and decided it was time to put the ThermaClear to work.

ThermaClear is a battery-operated device that you apply directly to your blemishes. It uses Thermal Pulse Technology -- which appears to the user simply as a flashing blue light with a bit of heat -- to treat acne that's already under the skin or has already surfaced by neutralizing the bacteria within the tissues of the skin. To use, you place the tip gently on the pimple, press the pulse button and hold until a beep alerts you the treatment is done. The process is easy, takes very little time and can be done 1-3 times a day.

The instructions for this gadget are expansive and there is a very clear warning that once the treatment begins, you will feel a pin-prick sensation as the bacteria's zapped. This is no lie, my friends.

In fact, it felt like a very hot pin-prick and the more I used it and the more heated the device got, the more startled I was. I have a pretty good tolerance for pain (which is clear only if you've also had a bikini wax while pregnant...hello!) but, unlike other reviewers, I just did not get used to the zap. At some points, I had goose bumps and startled, especially in areas where the skin is delicate or thin. The instructions suggest using the device on high for best results but to adjust to low if you experience pain. I personally couldn't tell much of a difference between the two settings or between the sensation of pain.

So be warned: If you have very sensitive skin (you eyebrow non-pluckers, I mean you) or have any kind of abrasion or tenderness in the area, and if you are not willing to ride it out until you build callouses or get used to the feeling, move on to other acne treatments.

Those instantaneous feelings of getting my face tattooed aside, ThermaClear did work. It didn't work miracles. It didn't completely erase the existence of all breakouts. But it did really reduce redness and swelling and the time it took for blemishes to heal. I admit, I was surprised at how well it worked.

For me, ThermaClear worked best on those little buggers that don't seem to ever go away. It also seemed to work some magic on the teensy fellas that you know are there but other people probably never notice. After a nighttime application, I woke up, peeked in the mirror and saw, to my delight, that those blemishes were gone.

I think this device will come in quite handy for those monthly irritations that have previously been inevitable and in giving relief to your overworked concealer for pre-fabulous event break-outs. A good male friend who also uses ThermaClear gives it a vote for men, too, noting that it made a big difference on razor bumps and the post-workout breakouts instigated by sweat and rubby clothing.

There are many reviews of ThermaClear online that outline experiences and details of the device. If you are considering putting ThermaClear to the test, I think these reviews offer a lot of insight into how it works, how well it works and how it compares to similar products on the market right now.

Let's be real: At $150, the ThermaClear blemish buster expensive. But so are all those crappy, harsh products we've all desperately ordered from an infomercial (thanks very much, Vanessa Williams, Jessica Simpson and Judith Light). And just after I scoffed at the price tag, I did have to give thought to how much I'd pay (to a salon, to my dermatologist, to the Ayurveda guru, to the goddesses of dewy, porcelain skin) in the middle of a very bad skin week.

I was surprised by ThermaClear. I won't be abandoning my Ayurvedic oil goodness that I know nourishes my skin, but I do think ThermaClear is a good compliment to the products I choose, especially when those blemishes refuse to be discrete.