Using your hands to clean your face and body obviously gets the job done. But the best face scrub brush ensures you’re not just getting a job done, you’re getting a job well done.
The best face exfoliator brushes take a lot of the effort out of cleaning your face because, unlike your hands, they were actually designed for the job. While facial cleansing brushes have traditionally been marketed toward women, that doesn’t mean men can’t use them, too.
You may not realize it, but facial brushes come with a slew of benefits, including pore minimization, blackhead removal, intense exfoliation of dead skin, reduced wrinkles, a healthy, clearer complexion due to enhanced blood circulation and an overall, improved appearance. If that wasn’t enough, facial cleansing brushes can also help prep the skin for deep penetration of active ingredients in your serum and/or moisturizer due to their deep cleansing action.
But before we jump into a few great brushes to buy to improve your at-home skincare routine, let’s learn a bit more about what goes into the best face scrub brushes for faces below.
What to look for in the best cleansing brushes for face
Though a decent cleansing brush for faces doesn’t need to check all these boxes, having these features ensures the best possible experience.
- Multiple settings: Brush and oscillation speeds can make all the difference in terms of personal comfort and effectiveness. The best cleansing brushes for faces frequently have more than one speed setting for this reason.
- Multiple brushes: Having multiple brush heads for different degrees of cleansing also goes a long way toward personal comfort. A pumice head can help with callouses, a silicone head is generally better for dry and sensitive skin and the standard nylon bristle head is an all-around great cleanser.
- Good bristles: Generally, bristles are made from nylon for its durability and ability to handle water. Silicone bristles are also great for the same reasons, but they’re less abrasive than nylon, making them great for more sensitive skin or for more frequent use.
- Rechargeable battery: Though there’s something to be said for AA batteries being more easily replaced, rechargeable batteries are generally more convenient for most people.
- Water-friendly design: Practically all cleansing brushes are designed to handle enough water for rinsing, but after that, levels of water resistance vary, so you want to think about your use cases, e.g. cleansing in the shower, and check how water-safe the brush is.
- Ergonomic design: Literally imagine holding the device in your hand and trying to cleanse your face. If you think you’ll have a hard time, check for something else.
That’s all there is to it! After all, cleansing brushes aren’t that complicated. But one last thing to know before we check out some of the best cleansing brushes for faces: Unless you’ve got a brush with silicone bristles, you really shouldn’t use a cleansing brush more than two to three times a week maximum. These brushes are REALLY good at their jobs and if you use rougher bristles too often, you could end up irritating your skin, the exact opposite goal.
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Now, with that caveat out of the way, check out the best cleansing brushes for faces below. If you think you’re doing facial skincare well now, just try incorporating any one of the brushes below into your routine to see just how much better your skin can be.
1. Foreo Luna 3 Facial Cleansing Massage Brush
BEST OVERALL
The Foreo Luna 3 is the crown jewel of facial scrubbers, which is why it was one of our top gifts for her in 2019 and 2020. With three options to choose from (combination, normal and sensitive skin), the Foreo Luna will gently clear away all the gunk that accumulates on your skin. For starters, it features sharp silicone touchpoints and utilizes its own T-Sonic technology to help remove oil, dirt and more while giving your skin the best cleaning it’s ever had. All you need to do is download the app, sync your Luna and follow the simple step-by-step instructions for a smoother, faster and more efficient clean. Best of all, the actual cleaning routine only takes about one minute — making it incredibly efficient, too.
If you’re looking to save a little bit of money, we also highly recommend the Foreo Luna Mini 2, which offers the same benefits in a smaller and more affordable package.
2. Michael Todd Beauty Soniclear Antimicrobial Facial Sonic Skin Cleansing Brush
RUNNER-UP
It’s not as expensive as the top pick, but don’t be fooled: The Michael Todd Beauty Soniclear Antimicrobial Facial Sonic Skin Cleansing Brush is one of the best cleansing brushes for faces.
It’s fully waterproof and submersible and has three speed settings, a beeping timer to keep you moving around your face and a rechargeable battery with a runtime of over two hours. It also includes two brush heads, a typical stiff-bristled one for all skin types and a firming massage treatment/serum infusion head to maximize absorption of concentrated moisturizers, and a hard travel case for convenience.
Just rinse the bristles and pop the cleansing brush into the charging/drying stand when you’re done so you’ll be ready to go next time.
3. True Glow by Conair Sonic Facial Brush
HONORABLE MENTION
The True Glow by Conair Sonic Facial Brush has almost everything you’d want in a cleansing brush and at a reasonable price to boot. Waterproof? Check. Rechargeable battery, charging stand and charging indicator light? Check, check, check. Multiple speed settings? Check. Plus, Conair includes an extra cleansing brush head, which is really convenient for different kinds of products or just to replace the first head when it starts to break down.
4. Olay Regenerist Facial Cleansing Brush
BEST BUDGET BUY
Olay’s Regenerist Facial Cleansing Brush is a two-speed, exfoliating facial brush that will boost the power of your cleanser for a more thorough, deeper clean. Choose between daily deep clean or gentle exfoliation speeds depending on your needs — simply dampen your face, apply your favorite cleanser and gently cleanse your face for 60 seconds to remove oil, dirt and makeup. Rinse and your face will be prepped and primed to maximize the hydrating effect of your moisturizer and better absorb all the anti-aging ingredients.
5. Vanity Planet Ultimate Skin Spa
BEST FOR ACNE
Give your skin the spa treatment it’s begging for every single day. Buff away what feels like years and years of dirt and grime sitting on your face because this treatment cleans spots you didn’t even know were there. In the end, all you’ll have is the clean, rejuvenated, spotless skin you’ve been dreaming about. The brush comes with three heads, so you can pick your poison depending on your skin type or treatment level that you’re going for, and the entire contraption is both vegan and cruelty-free. The best part of all is that this set that typically goes for $90 is currently on sale for just $36 (when you use the buy button below). Ready to kiss any breakout you’ll ever get goodbye? Then look no further than Vanity Planet.
6. PMD Clean Pro
BEST SILICONE
Though some cleansing brushes ship with silicone brush heads, we think you’re better off going with the PMD Clean Pro, which was designed from the bottom up with a silicone brush head.
And with 7,000 vibrations per minute, this facial cleansing brush will gently make short work of dirt, oil and everything in between while toning and firming your skin. The other side of the cleansing brush has a warm facial massager you can use on top of a mask to improve the absorption of rejuvenating ingredients.
And that’s only the surface-level stuff. This cleansing brush also features two speed settings for each side of the brush, a waterproof and ergonomic design, a rechargeable battery and a travel-friendly travel lock. Never again will your bag get stuck at the airport because something started vibrating.
Read More: Best Face Washes for Men
7. Foreo Luna 3 Facial Cleansing Brush for Sensitive Skin
BEST FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
For sensitive skin, you’d be well off to check out another Foreo brush, the Foreo Luna 3 Facial Cleansing Brush for Sensitive Skin. It’s the exact same device as the top pick except this model uses thinner, softer silicone touchpoints to make an already gentle cleanse even more gentle and non-irritating.
Read More: Best Natural Face Washes
8. Uimoky Facial Cleansing Brush
ON AMAZON
When we say “On Amazon,” we mean a facial cleansing brush of questionable brand origin sold on Amazon that nonetheless rules. The Uimoky Facial Cleansing Brush is one such great cleansing brush. It’s fully waterproof and rechargeable, features multiple speed settings and soft silicone bristles to gently and effectively cleanse your face.
9. Proactiv Charcoal Facial Cleansing Brush
BEST CHARCOAL BRUSH
We know you know Proactiv. It was the first facial cleansing product line you dabbled in and for whatever reason stopped using when you were in middle school. Though Proactiv might not have the best line of cleansers for adults, we do have to say the Proactiv Charcoal Facial Cleansing Brush is pretty spectacular. It’s designed for easy holding and easily helps rid of dirt and other pore-cloggers from your face in a jiffy. Each bristle is charcoal-infused and will leave your skin looking and feeling a lot healthier after using.
10. The Art of Shaving Facial Cleansing Brush
BEST PRE-/POST-SHAVE BRUSH
Made to decrease the growth of pesky ingrown hairs by up to 85%, The Art of Shaving Power Brush is designed to both exfoliate your face and prep your face for shaving, depending on what is you have in store for this bad boy. For cleansing, simply use a cleanser and water to massage and rid dirt from your entire face. For shave preparation, use some pre-shave gel with the brush over the areas you’re about to shave. When finished, leave the gel on, add some shaving cream, and you’re ready to get shaving. Cleanse again after and then moisturize for best results. Just make sure you rinse all that pre-shave gel off before rubbing the brush all over your face again.
11. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Rejuvenator
BEST ANTI-AGING DEVICE
The Neutrogena Healthy Skin Rejuvenator is a complete, at-home, anti-aging power treatment system that features single-use puffs and a microdermabrasion applicator. Each puff is pre-dosed with ultra-fine crystals and mild purifiers for the perfect degree of gentle exfoliation on your face to reveal luminous, healthy skin. In addition, with continued use, the massaging micro-vibrations from the device boost cell turnover for firmer, younger-looking skin and you can do it all in the privacy of your own home. Just three uses per week are all you need in place of your regular cleansing scrub.
12. Sephora Cleansing Brush
NEVER-ENDING BATTERY
OK, this Sephora Cleansing Brush won’t run out of battery because it’s a manual brush, but that’s one serious benefit of not going the electric cleansing brush route. With a combination of stiff bristles and soft silicone bristles, this cleansing brush gets the job done, travels easily and won’t be missed if you lose it thanks to its friendly price point.