The Manual Clarisonic: Botanics Face Brush

Quite a bold claim hey? Before using this I would of thought so as well. I mean how can a little wooden brush costing £6.10 even be compared to a £180 Sonic skin cleansing system! It really does seem ridiculous but just hear me out and you may see what I mean. 

Around three months ago now just before Christmas I was at the Dentist waiting aimlessly for my check-up. So in this time I decided to flick through all the rubbish magazines (I don't know why I never think of taking my own to read) anyway so after flicking through around 3 magazines all aimed at the over 50's, I picked up a magazine all about dentistry (I mean I couldn't read any worse really, it was that or Golfer's World) though I found a slightly interesting looking article all about, yep you guessed it - Oral health. 

 

The whole article was about how people fail to see the point of brushing there teeth properly and only tend to spend 30 seconds on brushing there teeth instead of the recommended 2 minutes.  

The interesting part came from a little interview with a dentist asking which is better a manual toothbrush or an electronic one. He basically said with all the studies done on the lack of time spent on teeth cleaning he would recommend an electronic one to most patients as it's the best thing to get the most results and cleaning done in such a sort amount of time. But he couldn't argue that if someone did a thorough job with a manual toothbrush that they would see the same results as using an electric toothbrush and therefore wouldn't need one! 

So boring teeth aside - That is basically how I look at cleansing! I really do think alot of people over look thoroughly cleansing the face at night and by that I mean really removing all traces of makeup, dirt and pollution so that the skin and pores are totally clean. Of course the Clarisonic is amazing as it totally cleans the face within a minute. But that is all it does - it cleans the face for £180 and I was almost sure I could clean my face just as well with a manual version of it.

Before purchasing the Botanics Face Brush from Boots I really did think I washed my face properly but I made sure never to over do it as most scrubs would leave my face really red.

But now with my nifty little brush I can swoosh it around my face for up to 5 minutes (for a deep cleanse) if I so chose.

Ok, less rambling and more about the product now!

How to use the Botanics Face Brush

Carry on reading to see the results...





Using with Facial Wash

In the morning when of course I'm not wearing any make up I put a blob of SLS-free Good Things face wash onto the already wet brush and then I also wet my face with warm water. I then start with my chin and around the sides of my nose as this is were I have the most excess oil (which means a great area for whiteheads and spots!). I spend about 1-2 minutes moving the brush around in circular movements all around that area all the time keeping the brush slightly on the skin and not really pressed right up against it (you will flatten the bristles and ruin the brush this way). I then go onto my forehead for another minute and then quickly finish off my doing my cheeks. I then just wash my face with warm water and pat it dry with a towel. 

Using with Cleanser

At night I like to really cleanse my face and remove all my makeup so I use a cream cleanser. I currently rotate three different ones - No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser, Botanics Cleansing Balm and Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish. I really do love all three! 

With the No7 Cleanser I apply one blob of product onto the dry brush and brush it over my face for afew minutes, then remove the cleanser with warm water and a small facial sponge. 
For the Botanics Cleansing balm I apply the balm directly to my face as it's a totally different texture and really massage my skin with it (feels so nice) then I use the brush wet to remove all traces of it - which exfoliates the skin at the same time. 
Then if I'm using the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish which isn't as creamy as the No7 one, I apply the cleanser to a DAMP brush just so it applies better then cleanser with it and for a really good thorough cleanse I remove the excess with a warm wet muslin cloth (I do this twice a month) or just with a wet facial sponge again. 

Cleaning the Brush  

So easy to keep clean and hygienic - even more so then a muslin cloth or sponge. After each use I just run it under warm water and rub it against my palm to remove any product. Then I just dry the back of the brush on a towel to keep the wood in good condition. Then I just leave it to air dry on the side. 
 
There are sight downsides to the brush - I found it did shed it's bristles for the first 3 or 4 uses and it does smell when wet, almost of a hay really! Not that nice but something that can be definitely over looked. 
 

 The Results!
 

Well as you can tell I'm very impressed with the brush or else I wouldn't of talked about it in such detail. 

As for how my skin feels - this was something I noticed instantly after the first few uses. Just so smooth, my skin has never been this soft EVER before. 

Also the blackheads around my nose and chin have become tighter and so not as noticeable and also I do have alot less redness to my cheeks which I've always hated. 

As you can see in the first picture above I do still have a bit to go until my skin is totally clear especially around the sides of the chin and also the patch of dryness on the end of my nose. But I'm confident that a few more months of this and my skin will be sorted.

It has helped my skin in many different ways and I'm just so impressed with it! 

Where the Clarisonic takes one minute to cleanse the whole face my little manual brush takes four! But do we really care when it has a saving of £173! 

PS. I know that there is a shortage of reviews on the Botanics Brush on the Internet so please also check out Debbie's review of it here.
 

SHARE: