The Best Facial Cleansing Brushes To Boost Your Skincare Routine

Facial cleansing brushes are your skin’s best friend when it comes to a beauty tech device to remove every last scrap of make-up, pollution and grime that’s thrown our way daily. Designed to be used in tandem with your facial cleanser, a cleansing brush works to thoroughly clean and gently exfoliate skin without irritating it.

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 great for a facial massage and to prep the skin before using your at-home LED face mask to stimulate 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 the best facial cleansing brushes.

Why should you use a facial cleansing brush?

On the pricier end of the spectrum, sonic face brushes, like the most popular, use rapid oscillations (up to several thousand per minute) to encourage your cleanser to work harder to remove any impurities. Just like pore vacuum devices, facial cleansing brushes will deeply cleanse the skin, including those hard-to-reach areas. 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.

How to use a facial cleansing brush?

A face brush could be a great addition to your double-cleansing routine. After using a lighter product such as 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 and lymph drainage and remove dead.' If you're looking to recreate a professional facial at home - a facial cleansing brush will prep the skin before switching on your facial steamer will leave your skin feeling squeaky clean.

The Best Facial Cleansing Brushes At A Glance:

Best Facial Cleansing Brush Overall: FOREO Luna 4 Smart Facial Cleansing and Firming Massage Device

Best Facial Cleansing Brush For Sensitive Skin: PMD Clean - Smart Facial Cleansing Device

Best Cleansing Brush For Exfoliation: FOREO Luna 4 Body Massaging Brush

Best Budget-friendly Facial Cleansing Brush: No7 Radiant Results Revitalising Sonic Action Cleansing Brush

Whether you have oily, blemish-prone skin or are looking for a brush with radiance-boosting benefits, you'll find the one for you to shop in our comprehensive edit below...

SHOP: The Best Facial Cleansing Brushes

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.

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.

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, 'overuse can impact upon the quality 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.'

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.