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Facial Cleansing Brushes to Boost Your Skincare Routine
Take your skincare to the next level with one of these facial cleansing devices...
Loved by dermatologists and beauty editors alike, facial tools are famed as total game-changers. As Expert Facialist, Abigail James, says, 'they are far more thorough at cleansing compared to just a regular cream or gel cleanser - exfoliating the skin’s surface without the use of harsh chemicals or gritty particles.' They're also great for a facial massage - stimulating blood flow, leaving skin firm, super soft and unclogging pores.
From understanding the basics to the common user mistakes, consider this your cleansing brush 101 (including a round-up of our top 11)...
Which face brushes are the best?
On the pricier end of the spectrum, sonic face brushes like the popular Clarisonic, £185, and Foreo Luna 3 Face Brush, £169, use rapid oscillations (up to several thousand per minute) to deeply cleanse the skin. However, there are more affordable options like Magnitone's Cleansing Brush, £40, on the market too. Some cheaper brushes have heads that rotate in one direction which will still give a more powerful cleanse than the average flannel-and-water job, but it's worth noting that this can prove harsher to sensitive skin.
Whether you have oily, blemish-prone skin or are looking for a brush with radiance-boosting benefits, you'll find the one for you in our comprehensive edit below...
Best face brushes for all skin types
1. Best for all skin types
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Clarisonic Mia Smart Facial Cleansing Device, £185Whether you're a skincare expert or a beauty novice, think cleansing brush and the name Clarisonic will doubtless pop into your head. The brand has become ubiquitous for good reason: the most recent iteration of the popular Mia sonic brush uses a frequency of over 300 movements per second to rid the skin of dirt and impurities, boost circulation and prep the complexion to better absorb serums and moisturisers. Worth the investment, no?
2. Best for sensitive skin
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Foreo LUNA 3 Face Brush for Sensitive Skin, £169LUNA 3 is not only larger than LUNA 2, but its silicone bristles are longer and softer making it the perfect brush for a gentle, deep cleanse. What's more, it can be paired with the app for a bespoke facial massage (including full face, neck, jaw and eyes).
3. Best for anti-ageing benefits
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Darphin Sonic Cleanser, £130Darphin's luxurious skincare is already a mainstay for those in the know; now, the Parisian beauty brand continues its domination of our bathroom cabinets with this ingenious dual-headed brush: the bristled head promises a deep cleanse, while the steel massager leaves skin rejuvenated and radiant.
4. Best for oily T-zones
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PMD Clean In Blush, £89Powered by SonicGlow Technology (which offers 7,000 vibrations per minute), the PMD Clean Facial Cleansing Device works to remove excess oil and dirt while massaging the face. The brush head is made from an anti-bacterial silicone to prevent breakouts and is flexible and easy to manoeuvre around the T-zone.
5. Best for sensitive skin
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BEGLOW Pura: SkinSense Sonic Cleansing Brush, £109The silicone brush gently removes daily grime and pollution without irritating skin. Plus it's the perfect slide to take away with you.
6. Best for acne prone skin
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Foreo 2 Luna for Oily Skin, £149Using gentle silicone rather than a traditional bristled brush, FOREO's travel-friendly cleansing devices have been hailed as gamechangers in the beauty community. Designed specifically to help belmish prone skin, this particular brush features a cluster of thicker 'touch points' to better target oily areas.
7. Best for radiant skin
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Magnitone BareFaced 2 3D Vibra Sonic Cleansing and Toning Brush, £90Magnitone's cleansing brush comes in a clutch of colourful shades and uses a double whammy of sonic oscillations and pulsed vibrations to truly re-energise the skin, deeply cleansing, toning and firming all at once.
8. Best for healthier looking skin
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No7 Radiant Results Revitalising Sonic Action Cleansing Brush, £30For that fresh-faced, clean feeling try No7's brush. Totally affordable, this brush promises to cleanse skin 3x more effectively than your standard cleansing method. It removes makeup, impurities, pollutants and oil.
9. Best for travel
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Foreo Luna Mini 2, £99You needn't compromise your skincare regime when you're on the go thanks to this compact version of Foreo's cult product. Recently recommended by Cindy Crawford, the smaller, lightweight design boasts an impressively powerful cleanse, and can be used up to 300 times with just one full charge. Your carry-on bag will never be the same.
10. Best for sensitive skin
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Tweezerman Complexion Cleansing Brush, £18Gently move this soft bristled brush in circular motions over a cleanser to help remove makeup, dirt and impurities.
11. Best for a quick cleanse
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Philips VisaPure Mini Facial Cleansing Brush, £39.99Amp up your cleansing routine with Philips cleansing brush. The lightweight, compact tool can be used in the shower for a quick, powerful cleanse to do away with make-up and dirt in just 60 seconds.
Which skin types should use a face brush?
Abigail states that a cleansing brush is better suited to 'more robust' skin types, including oily complexions, but suggests that those with rosacea, broken capillaries or sensitive skin should probably avoid in favour of a more gentle manual cleanse.
How to use a facial cleansing brush?
A face brush could be a great addition to your double cleansing routine (find out the best way to double cleanse here). After using a lighter product such as a micellar water, use it to supercharge your second cleanse with a foaming face wash. Medical aesthetician and facialist Ingrid Raphael explains, 'First, ensure your skin is fully coated in a good foaming cleanser. Wet the brush and bristles and use upward circular movements to work across the chin, jawline, cheeks, nose and forehead. This will encourage blood flow, lymph drainage and remove dead.'
Are facial cleansing brushes good for skin?
The rapid oscillations of the brush means that the resulting cleanse is much more intense than a 'manual' one. Ingrid adds that, 'incorporating a cleansing brush into a good skincare routine lets you benefit from up a cleanse up to six times deeper than just hands would be able to achieve.' It can also help supercharge your skincare regimen, as 'a cleaner face means better absorption of products and their active ingredients.' Double win.
Common cleansing brush mistakes
Although face brushes are pretty simple to use, take note: the following mistakes might stop you from getting the best out of your device...
Pressing too hard with the brush head - Your brush is meant to give you a deep cleanse, not scrub away the top layer of your skin entirely. Its oscillations have been designed for the optimum cleanse, and pushing the brush into your skin can prove abrasive, particularly for sensitive complexions. Instead, let it glide over the surface, rather than pressing it down.
Giving up if your skin initially breaks out - If you break out when you first give your brush a whirl, worry not. Some users notice spots appearing in the first week of usage, as the deep cleansing effect can cause bacteria and toxins to come to the surface (similar to if you've ever had a breakout after getting a facial). Experts call this 'transient acne', as the spots tend to disappear as quickly as they arrived. Just make sure that you clean your brush thoroughly after use and use a low setting to start with - your skin should soon clear up as it becomes used to the brush's powerful cleanse.
Not using your brush with enough water or cleanser - It might sound obvious, but if you're finding that your cleansing brush feels abrasive or harsh on the skin, you might not be getting it wet enough. The bristles need to be thoroughly soaked before you apply the liquid cleanser and start brushing - experts suggest you should fill the inner circle of the head with product.
Using the wrong brush head - Ingrid notes that 'more sensitive skins should ensure that the bristles are not too harsh or the vibrations too strong. A lot of the machines on the market today have multiple brush options and vibration speeds.'
How often should I use a facial cleansing brush?
Some manufacturers suggest that the brushes can be used twice a day, morning and evening, but for Ingrid, 'once daily is sufficient, as otherwise it may over-stimulate the skin.' Abigail agrees, explaining that although the 'squeaky clean' feeling can prove addictive, 'over use can impact upon the quality and and health of the dermis, making your skin more prone to sensitivity.'
Which cleansers should you use with a face brush?
What's the best face wash for maximising your brush's cleansing potential? According to Ingrid, 'whether a brush is made of bristles or silicone, it is always best used with a foaming cleanser. If used with an exfoliator, sometimes the granules can be difficult to remove fully from the brush. Using an exfoliator along with the brush may also be too harsh, especially for those with sensitive skin.' Abigail adds that oil based cleansers should be avoided, as 'these are really going to clog up the bristles.'
Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Cleanser, £10, and Elemis Gentle Foaming Facial Wash, £28, both give a deep cleanse and are gentle enough to use in conjunction with your brush. For an extra skin boost, follow your cleansing routine with a luxe face mask (shop from our favourites here).
How do you clean a face brush?
It's vital to keep your make-up brushes clean, and the same rule applies to your cleansing brush if it's of the bristled variety. Once you've cleansed, be sure to keep the brush clean using water and an anti-bacterial wash. Every week, you'll need to commit to a deeper clean to avoid the build up of dirt and bacteria: un-screw the brush head then use soap (a mild liquid soap or baby shampoo should do the trick) and a clean cloth to scrub, repeating with the handle, then leave to dry overnight.
How often should you change the face brush heads?
The bristles of a cleansing brush will start to lose their shape and clump together over time, so just as you would with an electric toothbrush, you’ll need to change the head regularly. If you’re using your brush multiple times per week, you should invest in a new head every three to four months; if your usage is less frequent, you can wait a little longer. A replacement Clarisonic head costs £21, to keep your brush in shape in the mean time, make sure you store it in the protective case in between uses (rather than, say, keeping it upside down in your bathroom cabinet, which we've certainly never done...)
Do face brushes help acne?
Blocked pores are the main factor behind acne formation, so it's no surprise that using a facial brush can help acne sufferers: it provides a deeper clean to remove clogged excess sebum and debris before it forms a comedone (the technical term for a blocked pore that appears as a white or red bump under the skin). If you are suffering from moderate to severe acne, however, it's worth chatting to a dermatologist or GP before adding a face brush to your daily routine, especially if you're already taking medication to treat the condition: your skin may be extra sensitive if so.
If your breakouts are less severe but still causing you discomfort, it's also worth considering what is causing your spots before radically altering your skincare routine: breakouts around your chin could be the result of a hormonal imbalance, while spots around the forehead and t-zone could be linked to stress, alcohol or excess caffeine. (Shop our round-up of the best products to banish blemishes here)