UNDER REVIEW: THE (very) POOR GIRL’S CLARISONIC

In other words – THE BODY SHOP’S FACIAL BRUSH WITH LID

I know EVERYONE raves about the Clarisonic range of cleansing brushes, but no, I can’t bring myself to part with over £100 for one. I was toying with the idea of one of the (much cheaper) Clarisonic ‘clones’ though.

These two are very reasonably priced and the reviews are positive.

No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Brush £24.95

Olay Regenerist 3 Point Super Cleansing System £26.66

But then I spotted this cute, teeny-weeny (5 x 3cm) Barbie sized facial brush by The Body Shop.

FROM THE BODY SHOP:

This round brush can be used with cleansers, facial washes and exfoliators. Enhances cleansing. Shaped to follow facial contours.

HOW TO USE:
Apply cleansing product. Gently massage into skin with the Facial Brush using small, circular movements. Rinse off with warm water. For extra exfoliation, use with a facial polisher.

Broken down, it’s essentially a soft bristled, (sort of) nail brush in a circular shape, packaged in a study plastic pot, but the online reviews are nothing short of incredible.

REVIEWS:

A really lovely little brush that is very good for getting into the little creases in your face such as around the nose.

For something so little and cute this really does make a difference very effective gives the face a great scrub leaving it soft and smooth. I use 2-3 times a week with my seaweed cleansing wash as I feel maybe using everyday might be too harsh plus nice to have more intensive exfoliator couple times a week I feel this has given me better complexion.

This is a nice facial brush, about 3cm diameter. It’s not scratchy, but does the job nicely. I could not give 5 stars as it is so difficult to get it back into its lid without splaying the bristles. A slightly bigger lid would have solved this issue!

I love this. Just lather up with your usual facial wash and use this little brush to give your skin a lovely deep clean. Really makes a difference to how your skin feels. Wouldn’t be without it.

Great little product for the price. I have sensitive combination skin and this gives me a deep clean without upsetting my skin. The bristles are firm enough to remove dead skin but soft enough not to irritate. I would recommend anyone to try it especially for the price. The lid is good as it allows the brush to dry without squashing the bristles.

I bought this based on the reviews I read – however it’s not as I thought it to be. The bristles don’t really ‘scrub’ more like wipe … and it takes a while to fully dry after being used. You must keep the lid open all day for it to dry which I think can be unhygienic?

I bought this spur of the moment and started using it every morning, almost immediately noticing a difference – I guess I had never realised how much daily exfoliating could do! I have noticed the bristles are a bit softer over a month on, so will need to replace it more often than is ideal. But genuinely had more of an effect on my skin than any facial cleanser or moisturiser, so I’m not going to begrudge it that!

This really is smaller than expected, even reading the reviews I still thought it would be bigger. In real life it is about the size of a 50 pence piece. This is small, and it sounds like it wouldn’t do much but it really does work, I use this daily with my cleanser and it has really helped my skin not be as dry and the tone has really improved.

SOFT BRISTLES:

This brush is small with densely pack clusters of bristles. Perfect size for travelling. The bristles themselves are soft enough for sensitive skin, but dense enough for you to really feel they are scrubbing away dead skin cells. I use it in circular motions around my face with a cream based facial scrub and it works wonders.

The size is perfect for use on the face, and the bristles are soft enough to not irritate the skin yet firm enough to gently exfoliate. The brush removes makeup extremely well and I never see any makeup residue after using a toner.

I love this brush & use it regularly. For those people who said it was way smaller than they expected, how big do you want a face brush to be? To me, it is the perfect size for exfoliating the face. I use it with my usual face wash for a deeper clean.

I find it leaves my face very soft & not as dry (I suffer dry skin). I love the design of it, that allows the brush to be placed back in its little cup and drained. It looks so cute too. I will probably always use this now & will repurchase when I need a new one, as it’s also incredibly cheap!

I have the worst sensitive skin, but I don’t find this too scratchy at all as others have suggested, it isn’t too hard, any softer and it just wouldn’t do the job. I don’t find it too harsh using it daily but I do like to mix up my routine, using cleansers and toners on odd days too, as well as once a week a mask.

This is good for applying skin cleanser. It makes your time a bit more special. It’s a bit rough to use on delicate skin around the eyes. I find it is better than exfoliating scrubs. Always dry out between uses.

I also have quite a few large pores on my cheeks and this really does get right down in there to clean. Skin looks firm and toned too from using. I have been using with a branded creamy cleansing wash but I am now looking forward to instead using this with the Vitamin E Cleansing Bar. The key to this little wonder is not only the deep clean you get but also because it stimulates circulation and skin cell renewal which is a big must for spot prone skin and maintaining a youthful look.

HARD BRISTLES:

If you have sensitive skin then I would probably stay away from this. It can be a little scratchy and hard. However, I have oily/combination skin, and I love using this to exfoliate my face. It works really well at getting off dry, flaky skin. It also lasts a long time, I’ve had mine for over a year with no need to replace it yet.

A little less soft than I’d have liked so I don’t use every day but is brilliant with a foaming cleanser for use 3 or 4 times a week. Leaves my skin feeling really clean. Is also nice & small so you can get to all parts of your face.

This facial brush is small and perfect for using on your face. The only down side is that I found the bristles a little too hard but if you only use this once or twice a week I think it works great for exfoliating. I have slightly large pores in my T-Zone and I found this facial brush helps to exfoliate and deep cleanse minimising blackheads!

USE WITH CARE:

Dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting warns not to overdo it when cleansing with a facial brush. She’s talking about the battery operated ones, but I think this advice applies to the ‘self hand operated’ Body Shop brush as well.

If you’ve got problem skin or sensitive skin, start by using a brush every other day at night for no more than a minute altogether (try 20 seconds on each side and 20 seconds on your forehead). See how your skin reacts. Avoid overly foaming cleansers, which can irritate, and if skin feels tight, you’ve gone too far.

I’m going to be using it with my Asda N-Spa Cleanser over the next month, I’ll let you know how I get on.

The Body Shop Facial Brush with Lid £4.00