Clarisonic, officially named Pacific Bioscience Laboratories, Inc., is shutting down its operations after 10 years of being in the skincare business. The company, which is owned by global cosmetic giant L'Oreal, announced that it will be closing down its operations starting on September 30.

The company, which is best known for its vibrating skin cleansing devices, surprised customers and fans of its products when it made the announcement on its official Instagram account earlier in the month. Fans immediately went on social media to express their dismay of the decision, with some calling for the company to find ways to keep its business open.

One user on Twitter even went as far as to call on "Shark Tank" investors to help the company keep its business open. Other Twitter users called the decision "a big mistake" as demand for its products is still massive, particularly for its devices used for daily skin cleaning rituals.

 According to Clarisonic, the decision to close down the business was made so that its parent company can better focus on its core product lines. L'Oreal has yet to release an official statement to explain the closure of its subsidiary. L'Oreal originally acquired the skincare company in 2011.

Industry experts have pointed out that Clarisonic had been facing increasing competition in the niche vibrating skin cleansing device segment. Companies, which have mostly copied Clarisonic's effective cleansing devices, started to offer much cheaper alternatives, eating away at its profits. However, long-time users of Clarsonic's products have argued that the devices offered by other brands simply weren't as effective.

With the company closing down, users of the company's products have expressed concerns regarding where they would be getting replacement brushes and other attachments for their cleansing devices. Clarisonic did mention on its website that it will no longer be selling brushes and attachments after September 30, rendering devices with worn-out attachments virtually useless.

Clarisonic's competitors were quick to take advantage of its closure, with some announcing plans to produce replacement brushes and attachments. Florida-based skincare company Michael Todd Beauty is reportedly preparing to offer replacement brushes to meet the large demand.

Apart from offering replacement brushes and attachments, Michael Todd Beauty also announced plans for a trade-in program for existing Clarisonic users. Under the program, customers can trade in their old Clarisonic devices for a $40 discount on Michael Todd Beauty's own Soniclear sonic cleansers.

Clarisonic was one of the first companies to pioneer the use of sonic technologies for the skincare industry. Its devices proved to be very effective in cleaning pores and skin as compared with standard facial washes and cleansers. In 2018, Clarisonic had a 14 percent share of the U.S. skin cleansing device market, selling millions of units of its $169 sonic devices.