Many would argue that cleansing is the most important step of any skin care routine, setting a good foundation for what comes next. While you may already have your own technique and style when it comes to cleansing your skin, it’s always good to evolve and adapt, especially when game-changing products are introduced onto the market.
Recently, cleansing brushes have been all the rage. These are available in numerous shapes and sizes, but they all pretty much claim to do the same thing – give your face a deeper cleanse than you would have achieved with just your hands.
So, do cleansing brushes really work? Is this a product you should be using?
Here’s everything you need to know…
The Importance of Cleansing
Cleansing brushes were developed to help people improve their cleansing routine, since cleansing is such a key aspect when it comes to healthy skin.
Why is cleansing so important?
Because your skin is constantly being exposed to dirt, bacteria, pollution and other unwanted impurities from the environment. It also has to deal with its own oil, sweat and dead skin cells, none of which you want hanging around on the surface of your skin.
Regular cleansing helps to clear all of this away, keeping your skin fresh. It prevents pore blockages, which will cut back on acne breakouts, and will also stop dead skin cells from building up on the surface of the skin, keeping your complexion looking bright, fresh and radiant.
Cleansed skin is also essential when it comes to the absorption of any other skin care products you apply. If you don’t cleanse, then all of those impurities mentioned above will be sitting on the surface of your skin, blocking the openings to your pores. Any skin care products you apply over the top of this will not be able to properly penetrate into your skin, rendering them useless.
What Exactly is a Cleansing Brush?
A cleansing brush is exactly what it sounds like – a brush designed to help you cleanse your face even more effectively. While manual cleansing brushes are great for on-the-go usage, it is the battery-powered cleansing brushes that you should turn your attention to…
These gently rotate and pulsate as you glide them over your skin, giving you a deeper and more thorough cleanse. Thanks to the way in which the bristles on a cleansing brush can penetrate further into your skin than your fingers, a cleansing brush is able to offer up some unique benefits…
A Light Exfoliation
While using your hands to cleanse gets rid of any surface debris, you are still left with all of those dead skin cells that have lodged themselves slightly deeper into your skin. As these build up, they can lead to everything from breakouts to roughness and dullness, which is why regular exfoliation is such a key part of any successful skin care routine.
In addition to cleansing, a cleansing brush also provides the skin with a light exfoliation, clearing it of those dead skin cells. Since cleansing brushes are designed to be gentle, the intensity of their exfoliation is light enough for everyday use.
An added bonus to regular exfoliation is an increase in skin cell turnover.
Wondering what that is?
It’s the rate at which your skin creates fresh, new skin cells to replace the older, drier and damaged ones at the surface of your skin. This vital process slows down with age, but regular exfoliation helps to speed it back up and maintain its increased rate.
For those of you who suffer from acne…
The way in which a cleansing brush consistently clears out the pores means that you will be much less likely to deal with breakouts.
Improved Absorption of Skin Care Products
Everyone wants their skin care products to work in the best way possible. After all, these are products that you have invested in, so it only makes sense to want to experience the very best results.
Well, as mentioned above, cleansed skin absorbs products much more efficiently than skin that hasn’t been cleansed. This applies to those who just use their hands to cleanse too, instead of a cleansing brush.
However, if you do decide to use a cleansing brush, then product absorption increases even more. Since the brush will have cleared out your pores, in addition to the surface of your skin, the products you apply after this will be able to delve deeper into your skin’s layers, where they can then have a greater effect.
A Circulation Boost
The way in which a battery-operated cleansing brush gently rotates against the skin has a massage-like effect, meaning a boost in blood circulation. In addition to giving your skin a natural, rosy glow from within, this increase in circulation also results in your skin cells having access to a greater amount of oxygen and nutrients, enabling them to really thrive. This helps when it comes to collagen-building too, giving you a firmer and smoother complexion in the long run.
A good facial massage, just like the one you would receive from a quality cleansing brush, has the added bonus of stimulating the lymphatic system.
Why does this matter?
Because when your skin cells eliminate waste and toxins, it’s your lymphatic system that carries this away and out of your body. When your lymphatic system is sluggish, all of these impurities are left to hang around, which doesn’t do your complexion any favors.
Reduced Expression Lines
Have you noticed lines appearing on your face, especially around your forehead, eyes and mouth, when you are making certain facial expressions?
This is completely normal, and, while you’re young, your skin will simply bounce back into place once your muscles relax.
However, as you get older, your skin weakens and its structural proteins deteriorate, causing those expression lines to stick around for longer.
Wondering how a cleansing brush can help with this?
Thanks to the massage-like effect that it has, a cleansing brush causes the facial muscles to relax, immediately smoothing away those pesky expression lines.
Choosing a Cleansing Brush
If you have never used a cleansing brush before, then your first step is finding a quality brush to invest in…
The OROGOLD 24K Deep Facial Brush Set is perfect for both beginners and pros. It comes with two different brush heads, enabling you to really tailor your treatment to suit your skin:
- A soft-bristle deep cleansing brush head
- A silicone gentle cleansing and moisturizing brush head
Both brush heads provide a thorough cleanse and a relaxing facial massage, but vary when it comes to their exfoliation effects.
Just like other cleansing brushes, you will need to apply a cleanser to the brush before using it on your face. Although the brush works exceptionally well, your choice of cleanser matters too…
Choosing a Cleanser
As good as your cleansing brush may be, it won’t have much of an effect if you are combining it with a cleanser that isn’t good for your skin.
The most important thing to remember when choosing a cleanser is…
Make sure that your cleanser is suitable for your skin type. Some cleansers are gentle enough to be used on all skin types, while others are designed to target specific issues, such as acne or dark spots.
Need some help picking a good cleanser?
The OROGOLD 24K Vitamin C Facial Cleanser is always a good choice for all skin types. It is gentle yet effective, and has been infused with numerous skin-enriching ingredients, including vitamin C, vitamin A and aloe vera.
If you prefer cleansers that lather up into a creamy foam, then give the OROGOLD 24K Mousse Cleanser a try. Although many foaming cleansers are guilty of stripping the skin of its essential oils, this one contains the perfect combination of botanical extracts to keep your skin’s protective barrier intact, while still giving the surface of your skin a thorough cleanse.
Both of these cleansers can be used with a cleansing brush – this will only enhance the effects of the antioxidants within each cleanser.
Introducing a Cleansing Brush Into Your Skin Care Routine
Before introducing a cleansing brush into your skin care routine, there are a few things you should know…
Most importantly, be careful when using other exfoliating products. As mentioned earlier, although a cleansing brush is primarily designed to cleanse, it does also have an exfoliating effect too, meaning that using another exfoliant along with this could cause redness, irritation and other issues.
While this may be the case, don’t give up if you notice your skin breaking out in the first week or two after adding a cleansing brush into your skin care routine. This is a side effect that is actually very common, and is caused by your skin purging all of those toxins and impurities that it was holding on to. This is often referred to as transient acne, and will not stick around for long.
Now, you might be wondering…
How often can I use a cleansing brush?
This does depend on the brush you pick, as well as your skin type, but, generally, once a day, ideally in the evenings, is all you need. If your skin is overly sensitive, you may only be able to use a cleansing brush a couple of times a week.
However, when first introducing a cleansing brush into your skin care routine, it may be best to take it slow, no matter your skin type. Begin with just twice a week, before moving this up to three or four times, and continuing to gradually increase this at a pace that suits your skin.
Of course, no matter your skin type, you do need to be gentle when using a cleansing brush on your face. It may be tempting to press the brush into your skin to really give your pores a good scrub, but this will only be too abrasive for your skin, even with the softest of bristles. Instead, you need to hold your brush lightly against the surface of your skin, allowing the bristles to smoothly glide over.
Wondering whether you can use a cleansing brush to remove makeup?
No, you will need to use a makeup remover first, before using your cleansing brush.
Once you are done using your cleansing brush, make sure to quickly move on to the rest of your skin care routine. Whether this means applying a toner, a face mask, a serum, or skipping straight to the moisturizer stage, try not to leave your skin bare for too long after cleansing.
Don’t Forget to Cleanse Your Cleansing Brush!
With your cleansing brush being exposed to so many impurities each day, it should come as no surprise that you will need to make sure that your cleansing brush stays clean. After all, you don’t want to be spreading those impurities back over your skin the next time you use the brush – this will only lead to breakouts.
Don’t worry, keeping a cleansing brush clean is simple. Give it a quick wash with some anti-bacterial liquid and water after each use, and then a deeper clean each week with a gentle liquid soap, or even a baby shampoo, before leaving it to dry overnight.
It is also important to remember to never share your cleansing brush! Not with your mother, your best friend, or anyone else. This applies even to those who are religious about keeping their cleansing brush clean, as the spread of bacteria is still a very high risk.
With cleansing being such an important step in anyone’s skin care routine, it only makes sense to ensure that you are giving your skin the best and most thorough cleanse you possibly can. A cleansing brush guarantees this each and every time, while offering up so many other benefits too, making this a product truly worth investing in.
