Do I Need a Facial Cleansing Brush?

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images

This column first ran in Valerie Monroe’s newsletter, How Not to F*ck Up Your Face, which you can subscribe to on Substack.

Q: Recently, I read a post in the New York Times about a facial scrubber and wondered what you know about using manual tools like these? I’m 61-years-old and I used the old school Buf-Puf in my youth, then a mechanical tool. I try not to use the walnut-shell-scrub creams (just for elbows). For a long while, I’ve used a clean washcloth but recently bought one of those silicone scrubbers and it feels nice. Thoughts?

A: First of all, I find the New York Times’ beauty coverage these days, let’s just say, spotty (necessary advertiser ass-kissing often in full view).

So I retrieved the story you saw about that inexpensive facial scrubber. Turns out, it was written by a guy in his 60s whose grooming habits might leave something to be desired. Headline: “After Half a Century of My Skipping Skin Care, This $9 Scrubber Finally Got Me Washing My Face.”

Cute idea (though things may be changing for boys in the skin-care arena). But not exactly a sales pitch for our admirably cleansed community here at HNTFUYF, where skipping a nightly face wash might raise a few well-groomed eyebrows. The guy does use a Dove Bar and (now) a nightly retinol cream, so he seems to be on the right track. Except for that scrubber he loves.

“While silicone face-scrubbing tools are less abrasive than loofahs and gritty scrubs, I counsel patients against them,” said dermatologist Whitney Bowe. “They’re not necessary. Though I love a good silicone scalp-massage tool, I prefer hands only when it comes to washing my face.”

If your goal is something other than motivating yourself to the sink — to stimulate blood flow to the face, for example — a massage with your hands is the way to go instead of using these kinds of tools, said Bowe. Unless you work in a coal mine, you should be able to remove any dirt, pollution, or other detritus from your face using only your hands and a cloth; you don’t need tools.

I’ve tried them all: the soft, manual face brush; the little loofahs (ouch!); the silicone brush; and, of course, the Clarisonic-type rotating brush. Now, I use a washcloth. I know some readers still like using a facial brush: More (battery) power to you. Just don’t overdo it, which can lead to irritation (without getting your skin any cleaner than it would be using your hands). 
Want to make your cleansing ritual feel custom-made? Treat yourself to a few of these monogrammed Egyptian cotton facecloths.

Originally published on October 15.