Review: The Body Shop Facial Brush (with lid!)

The Low Down
Back in early January I picked up The Body Shop (TBS) Facial Brush in the hope it would revamp my skin cleansing routine and push my cleaning products that one bit further.  January, as I know it, usually brings dull skin, redness and plenty of flaking so this year I was ready, willing and armed to battle away all of those skin problems with this tiny baby.  

The brush itself is actually very small;  no longer than your little finger and half the size of my palm (so quite small then).  It’s easy to hold with it’s plastic knob of a handle and the bristles itself are soft yet firm.  This brush is designed and marketed to aid cleansing and exfoliating your skin.  I use it for this reason but there is also something else I quite like using it for…

And what do they claim?

A small nylon brush for the face suitable for use with cleansers, facial washes or exfoliators from The Body Shop®. The ergonomically improved shape allows for maximum control. Supplied with a flush-fitting lid, which allows excess water to be drawn away from the bristles after use for increased hygiene and protection.

                                                    -The Body Shop UK Website

How did it work for Cherry?

Without wanting to sound completely crazy; I’m slightly obsessed.  I love using this brush and I’ve found my skin care routine has been given the boost it needed. Alike many of us, flaky skin can really annoy me and it’s probably one of the top skin peeves I have on my list; imagine that I’d rather have greasy skin than dry, flaky skin.  What this brush has done is transformed my skin to a much smoother texture and it looks very polished.  I’m starting to see my skin improving in terms of its blotchiness as well; there is definitely less red patches.  The added bonus to all of this is that my make-up hasn’t looked this good on my skin for a long time and it’s because there is less flaky dry patches my foundation can cling onto.

Something else I’ve noted that this product is good for is a facial massage.  I will discuss with you how to do that below but I just want to tell you how it has worked.  With the morning facial massages I do with this brush, my skin can look glowing and radiant throughout the day.  The circular motions you apply to your skin allows circulation of the blood and this not only accelerates the renewal of your skin but also allows healing blemishes to disappear quicker. 

How can you use this product?

This baby can be used in several ways so I think it appropriate to clarify how I use the product for its different uses.

For deep cleansing:
I will make sure my face has been steamed in the shower (or however you want to open up your pores) and I will use a deep cleansing product such as the St Ives Apricot face washes and apply over my face and lather.  Once my face has lathered up with the product I will warm up the brush by submerging it in warm/hot water.  I apply to skin gently and in circular motions, manoeuvre the brush around my face making sure I reach around my nose any any other areas that need deep cleansing i.e. the t-zone.  After this I rinse off with warm water, then a splash of cold water and path dry.  This is suitable to do daily but I would suggest that once daily is quite adequate.  This is totally up to you but make sure you do not apply too much pressure if your skin is very sensitive. 

For exfoliating:
Much like the deep cleansing but I will make sure to use an exfoliating product.  Right now I’m loving The Body Shop’s Honey and Oats 3in1 Scrub Mask and its works well with a product like that.  When exfoliating I take care to go over my face 2-3 times to make sure I really polish away the dead skin cells.  Whilst doing this I also like to use Lush’s new Lip scrubs to polish away any dry skin on my lips.  TBS Facial brush helps with this process as well.  After this I rinse it off with warm water, splash a couple of times with cold water and then pat dry.  I recommend you do this 2-3 times a week but this is totally at your discretion and preference.  I go through stages where I like to do it twice or three times in a row if the weather is being particularly mean to my skin or I’m suffering from a dry patchy area on my forehead or near my hair line. 

For facial massaging: 
When facial massaging, you do not necessarily need any products.  I personally prefer to massage extra virgin olive oil, or pure coconut oil to my skin and massage first with my fingers.  I do this in the shower it’s easier to wash off.  Using natural oils will help moisturise the skin and allows the brush to glide over the skin beautifully.  I then use the brush to gently knead into my skin, concentrating on the cheek bones, the contours of my eyes, around my lips and my neck.  You do not have to scrub vigorously, just a gentle, circular kneading motion is enough to give your face a work out. Afterwards it’s easy to wash it off your face with warm water or if you prefer, wash it off with your favourite gentle cleanser.  I like to do this from time to time; there really shouldn’t be a time interval between doing this as it’s really great for the face.  I would suggest as guidance, you may want to try it once or twice a week when you have some quality time for yourself or during your bubble bath!

How much will it cost me?

At The Body Shop, it costs only £3.00 so it’s very cheap and easily affordable.  I would suggest that you change this brush every 3 to 4 months despite it being ‘hygienic’ with a lid.  It' can only be as hygienic as the built up dirt on your face is.  With regular cleaning it will be fine for a few months but once the bristles begin to deteriorate (mine has begun already) and the bristles start to change colour, it’s time to get yourself a new one!

Cherry’s Final Verdict

Like I’ve said, I adore this product.  I think it’s incredibly useful and has definitely pushed my skin routine to the best of its potential.  I would recommend this tool for anyone and especially those who suffer from dry and dull skin.  Those with greasier skin types will find it useful for dead cleansing.  I haven’t found such a useful facial tool in a while; most I’ve come across have seemed a novelty and a waste of time.  The Body Shop facial brush has become my best friend!  This product deserves a 5/5 rating!