The 7 Best Facial Cleansing Brushes That You Need for a Deeper Clean
We've tried nearly every one on the market — these are our favorites.
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Washing your face is almost as simple as breathing — or is it? Chances are, you're washing your face with the only tools nature gave you: your hands. But if you're looking to get a deeper clean in order to get rid of all of the acne-causing gunk in your pores, you're going to need a facial cleansing brush. There's quite a bit of confusion surrounding these brushes, though, so we tapped Dr. Konstantin Vasyukevich, M.D., a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon based in New York City, to get the true scoop on these trendy brushes.
The Best Facial Cleansing Brushes
- Best Overall: PMD Clean Pro
- Best Manual Cleansing Brush: Alder New York Cleansing Facial Brush
- Best Smart Cleansing Brush: FOREO LUNA 3 for Normal Skin
- Best for All Skin Types: meejee Facial Cleansing Massager
- Best for Exfoliation: Naturopathica Facial Cleansing Brush
- Best Budget: Buttah Skin by Dorion Renaud Buttah Vibe Brush
- Best for Sensitive Skin: Anisa Beauty Cleansing Brush
Are Facial Cleansing Brushes Good for Your Skin?
According to Vasyukevich, using a facial cleansing brush instead of simply relying on your hands can provide a deeper, more thorough cleanse.
“While they’re not necessary, they can be helpful, especially for individuals who wear a lot of makeup or like a deeper cleanse a few times per week,” says Vasyukevich. “On a good brush, the bristles will typically penetrate further into the surface of your skin, getting rid of dirt, debris, and oil.” He says the bristles are also more effective at exfoliating the skin, which in turn brightens the appearance of your skin and shrinks your pores over time. He also notes that clean, exfoliated skin can better absorb your face serums, oils, and creams.
Best Facial Cleansing Brush Features
When it comes to finding the right option for you, Vasyukevich recommends looking for a brush that has a range of speed settings, so that you can alter the amount of exfoliation/stimulation to best fit your skin's needs. "I'd also look for an antimicrobial brush head — preferably silicone bristles that are non-porous and capture less bacteria," he says.
Can I Use a Facial Cleansing Brush Every Day?
Facial cleansing brushes are excellent for getting a nice deep clean, so you should be more careful when using these brushes instead of your hands alone. Vasyukevich says that if used excessively and with too much force, these brushes can cause over-exfoliation, which can lead to issues like redness, irritation, and dryness.
So, what’s the magic number? “When starting off with a cleansing brush, I’d suggest using it one to two times per week at a slow speed, in order to see how the skin reacts. From there, you can increase the number of times you use it based on your skin’s reaction,” suggests Vasyukevich. If you have sensitive skin, you can still use a facial cleansing brush, but sparingly in order to prevent any accidental reactions, he adds.
How to Clean a Facial Cleansing Brush
The heads of facial cleansing brushes can also become breeding grounds for bacteria if not cleaned routinely and properly. In fact, not cleaning your facial cleansing brush properly can actually spread bacteria around the face, and have the opposite effect than the one you're looking to achieve! So, properly washing off your facial brushes with soap and water after each use is essential.
How We Tested
Look, we get it: Spending your hard-earned money on any product — especially a higher-end beauty tool — is an investment. We want to always be your go-to trusted beauty insider, so we tested several popular face cleansing brushes in order to see if they lived up to their lofty claims.
So, how did we test these brushes? We kept four key principles in mind throughout our testing experience, including:
- How well does the brush clean our face? Throughout our testing process, we stuck to one cleanser for all of the brushes to see how they performed. (ICYW: We used the Shani Darden Cleansing Serum.)
- Does the brush irritate our skin?
- What are the bristles made of?
- Is it worth its price?
After taking all of these points into consideration, these are the facial cleansing brushes that are actually worth your time and money. Believe us: Your pores will thank you for making the switch.
Learn more about how we test products, from the questions we ask our testing team, to the types of products we feel are actually worth testing, to the overall time we put into our testing process.
Pros
- Multiple settings
- Activewarmth technology
Cons
- No timer
- Price
This vibrating facial cleansing brush has by far been our favorite to use. Although this option is an electric-powered brush that needs to be charged, it still keeps things simple with four speed settings (two for cleansing, two for serum application). Plus, its handle makes this device easier to get around the contours of your face while making it look oh-so-sleek.
First off, the silicone bristles are perfect because they hit that “Goldilocks” point of not too firm, but not too soft either. The top corner of the brush head has firmer bristles to get into those hard-to-reach and easily clogged areas, like the sides of your nose or the cleft of your chin.
The first speed setting is great for sensitive skin types, but if you’re looking for a deeper clean, then use the second setting — which is as easy to switch to as a click of a button. The brush head isn’t timed, so feel free to gently scrub for as long as you please (just not too long!), and simply rinse off.
But what truly makes this brush exciting is the ActiveWarmth Facial Massage side of the brush head. It uses a combination of sonic vibrations with heat to allow your favorite serums to absorb deeper and quicker into your skin. Every time we use it, the heat instantly relaxes my skin after scrubbing, and my pores instantly drink up my favorite serums.
Read More: Here's Everything to Know About Dry Brushing
Intensities: 4 | Vibrations: 7,000 per minute
Pros
- Ergonomic palm grip
- Cost
Cons
- Needs to be replaced up to four times a year
- No vibrations
If you're not into the bells and whistles of smart brushes, then this manual brush from Alder New York should definitely be at the top of your list.
Though all of the manual cleansing brushes on this list are amazing, this is the one we can see ourself going back to again and again. Its bristles are so soft and plush — almost like animal fur — except they're vegan and made of nylon.
Speaking of the bristles, Alder New York found a way to fit a whopping 1.25 million of these gentle bristles onto the brush head, so your skin will get that deep exfoliating feel without being irritated. Plus, the handle makes this brush so easy to use: It won't leave your hands cramping.
Can we also talk about how stylish this brush is? This cleansing brush will definitely be staying in my bathroom, right beside my equally chic Alder New York Plant Fiber Soap Dish, to show off in all its glory.
Bonus: People will think you bought this cleansing brush at a boutique spa, when in reality, it costs less than $30!
Intensities and vibrations: 0 | Bristles: Vegan brush hairs
FOREO LUNA 3 for Normal Skin
Pros
- Doubles as a face massager
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Waterproof
Cons
- App has a learning curve
If you're equally beauty- and tech-obsessed, then this is definitely the facial cleansing brush for you. This fan-favorite, award-winning silicone cleansing brush from Foreo has made waves across the beauty world for its high-tech approach to skincare.
This cleansing brush actually links via Bluetooth to the Foreo app in order to create a fully customized experience for your skincare routine. And with 10 speed settings, customizable timers, and the ability to both cleanse and massage your face afterward, the skincare possibilities are endless.
However, we found the app a bit confusing at first, and this was actually the only brush on the list that frustrated me a bit, solely because of how tech-dependent it is. Yes, you can use the brush offline, but it doesn't allow you to play with different settings without the app, so you'll only get the best bang for your buck by using it.
The app does take some time to get used to, so we recommend exploring it a bit more before you use the brush. To be honest, this brush would’ve earned the top spot on the list if its app weren’t so confusing.
With that being said, we do love the app’s massage “treatment” settings to give your complexion a post-washing facial that targets any of your skin-maturing concerns: think wrinkles, fine lines, undereyes, and contours.
Intensities: 16 | Vibrations: 8,000 per minute | Bristles: Silicone
Pros
- 320 uses per charge
- Made of ethically sourced materials
Cons
- Sells out quickly
- Cost
Like many of the electric facial cleansing brushes out there, this new kid on the block uses sonic pulses and silicone bristles to give your skin a deeper cleanse without any irritation.
Honestly, we quite liked this cleansing massager for two main reasons: It’s so easy to use, and it’s great for just about any skin type. It already came charged — which is a plus for me because I'm lazy and impatient — and all you need to do is press a single button to start it. Once it’s on, you can play around with the vibration settings to make them as gentle or as intense as you please. Plus, one charge lasts a full 12 months, so you won’t have to worry about it dying on you while you use it.
Another reason why I'm obsessed with this specific cleansing facial brush: It's made from BPA-free and ethically sourced recycled plastic, making it great for both your skin and the planet. Plus, it's less than $100!
Intensities: 5 | Sonic vibrations: Up to 8,000 per minute | Bristles: Silicone
Pros
- Cost
- American made
Cons
- Manual brush
When it comes to giving you the perfect exfoliating treatment each and every time, this manual brush from Naturopathica is the one to use. These tightly packed bristles form a unique divot pattern that gives you an exfoliating treatment you can feel immediately.
Using this brush is simple: Just apply your favorite cleanser as usual, dip this brush in warm water, and use short strokes in an upward direction. This will give your skin a massage and exfoliating treatment all in one movement: Et voilá!
While we do love this brush, we wouldn't say it's for daily use or for people with sensitive skin. However, we would say to use this brush about two to three times a week for deep exfoliation — any more could easily cause irritation.
This brush is also great for massaging your neck and décolletage, and it's even handy for rinsing off thicker cleansers or face masks.
Intensities and vibrations: 0 | Bristles: Ultra soft nylon
Pros
- Cost
- Black-owned
- Unisex color
Cons
- Only two settings
OK, I'm very well aware that there are cheaper brushes on this list, but we truly believe this one is the best bang for your buck.
First off, it's the only sonic-powered silicone brush on this list that's less than $50 ... yet, it blows nearly all of them out of the water. It has two speed settings (low and high), and we genuinely think that's all you need for any skin type to enjoy this cleansing brush. The vibrating micro-nodules are also firmer and slightly larger than the rest. But this brush is still gentle on skin, so sensitive skin types can easily use this cleansing brush without fear of irritation.
One thing to note about this brush is that it's battery-powered. While that would annoy the tech lovers, we actually quite like that we don't have yet another cord that I'm constantly plugging in to use this brush. All it needs are two AA batteries (which are included with the brush), and you're all set for weeks on end.
Intensities: 2 | Vibrations per minute: 10,000 | Bristles: Silicone
Pros
- PETA-certified product
- Cost
- Female-founded Latina business
Cons
- No sonic vibrations
If you have ultra sensitive skin but still want to use a facial cleansing brush, then grab this one ASAP.
This brush has by far been the gentlest thing I've ever put on my face, and it feels almost hypnotic to use. It uses a combination of soft, cruelty-free, vegan fibers and silicone bristles to gently exfoliate without causing irritation — and it truly lives up to this claim. The textured silicone ring in the center of the brush head is also designed to hold any cleanser of your choosing, so you won't have to worry about your brush eating up the product.
Another fun aspect of this brush is how easy it is to clean: Simply pop off the brush head, rise with soap and water, and let it sit to air dry. When properly taken care of, this under-$40 brush can last for up to 2 years.
Intensities and Vibrations: 0 | Bristles: Vegan and silicone
Nicole Saunders is the beauty editor at Best Products with over seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing lifestyle content. She specializes in breaking down complicated topics, like high-frequency wands and microcurrent devices, into easy-to-understand guides. She takes great pride in heavily researching and testing featured beauty products, — such as hairdryers and foundations — on our site, and spotlights her all-time seasonal favorites in her quarterly column Best New Beauty. And she tests quite literally thousands of launches for our Beauty Awards package.
Jennifer is the former beauty editor for BestProducts.com, where she’s testing out everything from the latest lip gloss to the craziest skincare trend sweeping the online beauty-verse. Her work has been featured in Allure, Byrdie, HelloGiggles, and more. When she’s not swatching eyeshadow all over her arms, you can find the NYC-based editor scouring for hours on end for vintage finds, eating pad thai, and hanging out with her cat, Chunks.
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