In recent years, electric face cleansing brushes – especially the Clarisonic and less expensive options such as Olay, Neutrogena, Clinique and other brands – have grown popular among the skincare savvy!
These high-powered beauty tools feature vibrating heads that clean and are supposed to cleanse your skin three times deeper than a facial cleanser. They also get rid of more makeup and grime than hands or a washcloth, according to their manufacturers.
High-end models such as the Clarisonic cost over £100 with an added £30 on top for the brush (which should be changed every 3 months).
So is a face cleansing brush really worth the investment?
Skincare expert Claudia Fallah says” “I must say that being specialised in traumatised skin for almost 30 years I would not recommend the face
brush to any of my clients. All their skin conditions would get worse. In fact this brush should not be sold to anyone with sensitive skin or other skin conditions like rosacea, acne or people who have eczema or reactive skin.
“The reason for this is that you can spread skin infections across your skin and make your condition worse.
“If you are suffering from acne and your face is suffering from spots that have pus, when you go over your face with the brush, it can spread an infection across your entire face. Once it burst open it goes everywhere and the bacterias stay in your brush and you will start suffering from breakouts every time you use it afterwards.
“Just because you are using soap every time you use the brush, doesn’t mean you won’t have to clean it.
“If you insist on using one of these devices, I would advise you to change the head every week to reduce the risk causing more breakouts to your skin.”
Like L’Oreal would say “because you are worth it” … and so is your skin says Claudia Fallah.
Claudia says she’s seen lots of instances where clients have caused more harm to their skin then experience a freshly buffed skin, in fact it turns out that they have all reacted with their skin suffering redness or worse, spreading infection across their skin.
Also over use can lead to broken capillaries, excessive dryness, irritation, sensitivity and redness.
“I think the brush would be great in professional hands but once it goes into every household like mass market with people not being aware in how to keep it clean or over using it or sharing it with their friends,” she adds.
If you decide to splurge on a face cleansing brush, be sure to follow best practices for its use. Bacteria thrives in damp environments, you’ll need to change your brush head once every three months.
To keep your brush clean and mildew-free, wash it with a mild liquid soap, pat it with a towel and let it air-dry after each use.
Though electronic face brushes are designed for daily use, over cleansing and over-exfoliation can strip the skin of its natural oils, causing irritation.
If you notice redness or dryness after your first use, avoid using it until the redness and irritation goes.
