The 16 Best Facial Cleansing Brushes For Every Skin Type
If there’s one thing we love, it’s fun tools that elevate our routines. While facial cleansing brushes aren’t an essential product for your skincare routine (your hands work just fine, too!), some of them do offer added benefits, like exfoliation, anti-aging, and blackhead management.
Those who do have facial cleansing brushes often use them two to three per week for a deeper clean to help get rid of grime, impurities, and prevent breakouts. Plus—there is literally one for every skin type. Not to worry if you have sensitive skin or even acne prone skin; there is a facial cleansing brush to suit your needs, routine, and skin goals.
Keep in mind, as with anything that comes in close contact with our faces (hands, makeup brushes, beauty blenders, etc.), you’ll need to properly cleanse and store your facial cleansing brush. “The brushes can harbor bacteria or other organisms, especially if stored in warm, damp environments like the shower or bathroom,” says Caren Campbell, MD, a board certified dermatologist in San Francisco.
To guide you through which to buy for your own skincare routine, we’ve compiled the 16 best facial cleansing brushes on the market. From silicone brushes, soft bristle brushes, and facial massage brushes; there is something for everyone.
About the Expert:
Dr. Caren Campbell is a board-certified dermatologist based in San Francisco.
1. Best Overall Facial Cleansing Brush:
PMD Clean Smart Facial Cleansing Device
You might recognize this trending silicone facial cleansing device from social media. It’s quite literally all over the Internet. This brush is perfect and gentle enough for all skin types. It has four different speeds and is waterproof—you can take it into your shower if you’re not using it at your sink, which is pretty handy.
Silicone is easy to pair with just about any face wash, is antimicrobial, and ultimately easy to clean. Just be sure to thoroughly dry your PMD Clean brush after each use and before you store it away. The device takes AA batteries so there’s no worries about forgetting to charge your brush in-between uses.
The PMD Clean Pro is great for a deep cleanse using your favorite face wash, keeping congested areas (like your nose and chin) clear from blackheads, and it gently sloughs off dead skin cells. It’s a great start to the morning to energize your skin and you can feel confident going to bed after it helps deeply clean your skin.
2. Best Vibrating Facial Cleansing Brush:
SKIN GYM Tilka Cleansing Brush with LED
Skin Gym is known for their fun skincare tools including jade rollers and gua shas. But did you know they also have a handy facial cleansing brush? We haven’t seen another like this design. It’s dual-sided, has three sonic vibration speeds, and LED light therapy to help with inflammation and calm skin irritation.
Skin Gym suggests you remove your eye-makeup by hand first and then go in with the Tilka Brush with a facial cleanser on damp skin. You can also use the LED Light Therapy function on its own with your skincare products (perhaps a facial oil or moisturizer). It can diminish blemishes, inflammation, and calm redness.
3. Best Microcurrent Facial Cleansing Brush:
FOREO Luna 3 Plus Cleansing Brush with Microcurrent
Foreo is quite literally THE facial cleansing brush brand. Aside from Clarisonic of-course (RIP) which discontinued their brand a few years ago. While Foreo has tons of models and sizes of their iconic silicone scrubber brushes, we think this one is the most bang for your buck as it includes micro-current.
It’s a high-tech rechargeable cleansing brush no doubt that has heated sonic pulsations and microcurrent to help tighten, firm, and lift your skin. Overtime, the microcurrent can also reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It’s a splurge but is definitely worth it when deciding on the most bang for your buck — buying this device will save you in the long run from having to buy a cleansing brush and an expensive microcurrent device like a NUFACE.
There is also a normal skin and sensitive skin option, with the silicone bristles on the sensitive skin model being a bit more fine.
4. Best Drugstore Facial Cleansing Brush:
OLAY Regenerist Face Cleansing Brush
If you’re looking for a quick & dirty cleansing brush with no frills, the Olay Regenerist brush can be found at just about any drugstore. Rather than a silicone brush head, it has a brush with bristles that spins. It has two speeds and is under $30. Many reviews rave about this product for its accessibility but also its effectiveness, claiming it can help remove even the toughest waterproof makeup!
5. Best Dual-Headed Facial Cleansing Brush:
NOONI Pore Cleansing Dual Brush
This $17 cleansing brush gives you two heads in one. On one side, you’ll find a silicone scrubber brush perfect for using with your face wash or getting into hard to reach spots to control blackheads. On the other, a microfiber brush that is one of the softest things you’ll ever graze across your skin!
This brush doesn’t have any vibrating or sonic elements — it is simply to aid in manual cleansing. Plan to wash your makeup off before reaching for your cleansing brush. Then, use it while you’re completing your second cleanse. “I always recommend washing your face morning and night. You can remove makeup with micellar water on cotton pads or with cetaphil gentle face wipes and then wash and dry off with a clean towel,” says Dr. Campbell.
6. Best Budget Facial Cleansing Brush:
ECOTOOLS Deep Cleansing Facial Brush
Score this budget friendly brush right on Amazon! It’s shaped to fit in the palm of your hand and is under $14. While budget friendly, the downside to this brush is the head can not be replaced. Over time, the bristles do become dull (much like a toothbrush) and harder to clean. Dr. Campbell suggests using a brush that you can frequently change the heads on to avoid bacteria.
“They [cleansing brushes] can help exfoliate. When skin cell turnover slows I would recommend using but with frequent brush cleaning and changing of the heads,” says Dr. Campbell.
7. Best Manual Facial Cleansing Brush:
NATUROPATHICA Facial Cleansing & Exfoliating Brush
This is another amazing manual cleansing brush. This Naturopathica brush is kind of like a kabuki but rather than using it for makeup, you can use it to foam up your cleansers for a deep clean.
We wouldn’t recommend using this brush with a physical exfoliating cleanser that has any grit to it, the pieces may get stuck deep within the brush with no way to escape since the bristles are glued into the base. Instead, we recommend using this with a foam, gel, or cream cleanser. It has ultra-soft nylon bristles and is perfect if you have sensitive skin that can’t take a lot of stimulation or frequently gets irritated after cleansing.
8. Best Gentle Exfoliating Facial Cleansing Brush:
ANISA BEAUTY Facial Cleansing Brush
Anisa Beauty knows how to make quality brushes. From makeup brushes, to brush cleaners, and facial cleansing brushes — they have it all! This facial cleansing brush is another manual option. It has a long handle for ease and the ability to change out the brush heads when they become dull. We haven’t seen a manual brush with this option before, we recommend changing your brush every three months (depending on how often you use it) or whenever it looks or feels noticeably dull.
The head features soft nylon bristles on the outside and silicone bristles on the inside for gentle exfoliation that’s suitable for all skin types.
9. Best for Blackheads:
CONAIR True Glow Silicone Facial Brush
Blackheads find the most annoying places to live! Most often on our chin and noses, where they can be hard to reach. Aside from keeping up with a BHA solution to regularly keep pores open and free of debris, cleansing is a vital part of kicking congested skin and clogged pores to the curb.
This tool from Conair is $20 and features three different patterns of silicone bristles that can wiggle their way into the toughest folds in our skin...like the sides of the nose! It has two sonic speeds as well, it is waterproof, and takes batteries so you don’t have to worry about charging the device.
10. Best Simple Facial Cleansing Brush:
SHISEIDO Cleansing Massage Brush
Shiseido calls this an ‘essential skincare brush’. It’s a good staple for sure (and it’s only $25) but there aren’t any added elements to it. It has super soft bristles and comes with a little mount but it is a manual brush and does not have any setting speeds.
If you have normal or sensitive skin and would like to use a basic cleansing brush that is gentle, we feel it is a good option.
11. Best for Dry Skin:
BUTTAH Vibe Facial Cleansing Brush
Do you have dry skin? This facial cleansing gadget is definitely for you. It has two speeds and you can really feel the sonic vibrations deep into your skin. It’s perfect for dry skin as it helps nourish skin even at the cleansing stage, increasing circulation and working the product deeply into skin. This would be an ideal brush to use with a cleansing oil or balm before using your water-based cleanser. Some find it hard to hold because of its size but it is waterproof and can be taken into and stored in your shower.
12. Best Large Facial Cleansing Brush:
LUCE BEAUTY LUCE180° Facial Cleansing and Anti-Aging Device
The LUCE BEAUTY cleansing brush is huge! It’s able to cover a lot of surface area while effectively cleansing your skin. It features a large silicone head and sonic pulsations that have to rid your skin of dirt, sweat, spf, and makeup.
This is a great daily facial brush as its gentle yet effective for a deep clean. Using daily prevents product buildup, keeps skin toned, and has anti-aging benefits due to the facial stimulation.
13. Best for Acne-Prone Skin:
PROACTIV Charcoal Pore Cleansing Brush
Charcoal is a common product within skincare for acne-prone skin due to its antibacterial properties. If you have active breakouts or acne-prone skin, gentle skincare with actives is definitely better than harsh exfoliating. Not only is this PROACTIV Cleaning Brush have a brush head infused with charcoal but it is gentle on skin and doesn’t harshly exfoliate.
14. Best for Travel:
FOREO Luna Play Plus 2
Another amazing brush from Foreo! This brush is the perfect size if you often travel and have limited space within your bag. It features sonic vibrations and is both water-proof and rechargeable. We find it’s perfect for all skin types and can be used with all different types of face washes, including physical exfoliants.
15. Best for Oily Skin:
VIVALUI Wireless Ultrasonic Silicone Electric Facial Cleansing Brush Purple
If you have oily skin, you know it's best to not over strip or over exfoliate your skin. Instead, you need to focus your skincare efforts on balancing sebum production which is often done by introducing hydration into your routine.
The Vivalui brush has five different vibration modes and it is also heated! Its silicone bristles are not very long and sit against a mostly flat head, so exfoliating is very gentle. Use this brush with a hydrating cleanser to gently stimulate and cleanse skin.
16. Best Interchangeable Facial Cleansing Brush:
VANITY PLANET Raedia Facial Cleansing Brush
Vanity Planet features an entire cleansing system! The kit comes complete with four interchangeable heads, both for a different cleansing use. It’s battery powered, comes with a travel case, and water-resistant, Three of the heads feature soft bristles while the fourth is a silicone head for gentle scrubbing.
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