Sonic Boom: Why Your Skin Needs an Electric Cleansing Brush

There’s nothing quite like an electric face brush when it comes to getting rid of a full day’s worth of makeup and environmental debris. Beauty professionals have long extolled the benefits of these wonderful complexion cleaning gadgets but those unfamiliar with them might raise the question: why use a machine to clean my face when I have two perfectly functioning hands that can do the job? Simply put, it’s like the difference between a manual toothbrush and it’s sonic counterpart. It’s a deeper, more effective cleanse.

When used correctly, sonic brushes can be life changing. They remove up to six times more dirt and makeup from skin and gently exfoliate the surface leaving it fresh and smooth. They’ve improved the texture of my skin endlessly and I’ve found that this kind of cleansing stops impending spots in their tracks. But as my skin is quite sensitive, I’ve found some brushes to be a little much for my skin; I prefer using the Foreo which is much gentler. It has soft silicon bristles and works through sonic pulsations rather than rotations. More on that below.

As with most things, too much is never a good thing. We might assume that we’re just removing dirt from our faces, but using a brush to do so is essentially an exfoliation process. Which means excessive use can lead to dryness, irritation, sensitivity and even broken capillaries. Whilst I’ve heard people claim phenomenal results with them, acne sufferers mainly, I would suggest that those with normal to dry-combination complexions limit their use to twice a week at most, three times if you’re particularly oily. Here are four that are worth investing in.

Clarisonic Mia 2

Unlike other Clarisonic models, this one is designed specifically for the face. There are a number of different brush options depending on your skin type and two different speed settings. If your skin is more on the sensitive side, I suggest trying the Satin Precision head as it’s very soft and still more effective than using your hands alone.

Foreo Luna 

This little gadget is just brilliant. There are three different options; pink for normal skin, blue for combination and white for ultra-sensitive. The soft silicon bristles are non-abrasive and resist the build up of bacteria making it 35 times more hygienic than a standard brush. What’s more is that the low frequency pulsations also work to improve lines and wrinkles meaning it’s an anti-ageing device too!

Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System

This is a dual speed rotating brush. It removes makeup and grime well, exfoliates effectively and is also water proof . Considering it’s a relatively cheap option, this is a good introductory brush for those new to the world of electronic face cleansing.

Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush

This device has an angled brush with bristles designed for deep pore cleansing. It’s lightweight and has a compact head that gets right in to hard to reach corners. A good option for those prone to breakouts.

Do you use a cleansing brush? Which is your favourite?