How, When, and Why to Use a Facial Cleansing Brush
Your facial cleansing brush can be more harm than good unless you use it properly. (Photo: Instagram.com/Pipaplu)
So you scored a facial cleansing brush over the holidays and are already loving the deep-clean feeling that these suckers can deliver. But know this: most of us are overdoing it with our cleansing brushes — and that can lead to dry, sensitive and inflamed skin. “Overusing these brushes can compromise the oil barrier, causing more redness and irritation than necessary,” says Arielle Panarello, a medical aesthetician at Union Square Laser Dermatology in New York. “With these brushes, we can also over-exfoliate the skin, which creates surface tears in the skin, causing rougher skin texture and inflammation.” What qualifies as “overdoing it” exactly? For most, it’s using the devices as directed — for some models, up to twice a day.
Pressing the brush into the skin when cleansing is another way to go overboard. “The most popular cleansing brushes vibrate to gently lift debris off of the skin and out of the pores,” notes Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, a dermatologist and clinical professor of dermatology at the George Washington Medical Center. “However most people apply too much pressure while cleaning, and that’s too harsh. People should float the brush over the skin with barely any pressure.”
Many of us also overextend our devices by forgetting to swap out old brush heads. This oversight not only allows bacteria and mold to fester on brush heads, but can cause the gunk to spread back onto the skin with continued brush use. To cut down on bacterial brush buildup, Panarello suggests keeping our cleaning brushes out of the shower and bathroom when not in use. Further, celebrity facialist Joanna Vargas suggests cleaning the brush head with antibacterial soap after every use and replacing brush heads once a month, even if instructions suggest otherwise.
Finally, pairing these devices with the wrong types of cleansers can push exfoliation into overdrive and exasperate the aforementioned skin issues, causing breakouts. Talk about a beauty backfire. To one-up the instruction booklet and land on a cleansing brush routine that’s configured for your skin type, here are some general rules of thumb from our skin care pros.
Skin type: Dry
Frequency of use: Bust out your brush every other day, advises Tanzi. If this rhythm of use leaves skin feeling tight, scale back to using your brush twice a week.
Best cleanser type: Dr. Joshua Zeichner, a New York-based dermatologist and director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City, suggests reaching for an “appropriate cleanser that doesn't’ strip skin of oils, like an oil cleanser.” To get the most of your oil while using a brush, apply it to your face and emulsify with water before touching the cleansing brush to your face.
Try: Tom Ford Purfying Cleansing Oil ($80). This new cleansing oil, which cocktails nutrient-rich flower and fruit oils like jasmine, evening primrose, buriti and tamanu, feels light, not greasy on skin.
Skin type: Oily
Frequency of use: Oily skin types can often handle more frequent washings with a cleansing brush. Try using it two-to-three times a week in drier, winter months. Come summer, some oily types can benefit from daily use.
Best cleanser type: The best cleanser to eradicate excess oil? Powders or gentle foaming cleansers, Zeichner says. Just be sure to pick a foaming cleanser that doesn’t contain harsh surfactant or soap ingredients, which can strip the skin and provoke acne.
Try: Espa Balancing Foam Cleanser ($46). This soap-free version that calls on balancing oils, like orange, to keep skin in check.
Skin type: Sensitive
Frequency of use: Both Tanzi and Vargas suggest cleansing with brushes just once a week for this skin type. “Think of it as a treatment,” Tanzi says.
Cleanser type: Just like when cleansing without a brush, sensitive skin types can best benefit from soothing formulas free of exfoliating acids.
Try: Chantecaille Flower Infused Cleansing Milk ($66). Rose flower water — this cleanser’s first ingredient — joins mallow,cornflower and chamomile to make an anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing formula.
Skin type: Acne
Frequency of use: Panarello suggests cleaning acne-laden skin two-to-four times a week, paying attention to whether washing with a cleansing brush aggravates blemishes. If so, scale back on weekly use.
Cleanser type: Glycolic cleansers can be a godsend for acneic skin — they help clear surface oil and exfoliate away dead skin cells. But for some, pairing a glycolic cleanser with a cleansing brush can be too stripping. “I wouldn’t suggest using a glycolic cleanser with a cleansing brush,” says Panarello. “I think it’s too harsh.”
Try: Kat Burki Ocean Mineral Gel Cleanser ($44). Consider using a more gentle gel-based cleanser when washing with a brush.
Skin type: Aging
Frequency of use: Used once or twice weekly, cleansing brushes can help make skin softer, help with absorption of product and give a more radiant complexion.
Cleanser type: Look for a ceramide-rich, cream based cleanser, or a gentle cleansing milk, Zeichner says.
Try: Le Metier de Beaute Daily Renew Cream Cleanser ($65). This formula contains a proprietary cocktail of skin-nourishing minerals, along with green tea and vitamin E to soothe the skin and deliver antioxidants.
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