Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush Review

Cleansing brushes have become one of the hottest things on the skincare market over the past couple of years, but I have to admit I’ve been a little bit like Goldilocks with them so far. Some have been too big, others too harsh and some just not quite right. Until I met the new Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush* that is.

Since it launched a couple of months ago, the Sonic System Cleansing Brush has proved to be seriously popular, so I was intrigued to put it to the test myself. My skin is a little sensitive, and can easily suffer from redness, so in the past I’ve had to be quite careful with cleansing brushes as they can sometimes be a little harsh for me.

Cleansing brushes are designed to be used on damp skin, with either a cream or foam-based cleanser. They typically offer a deeper cleanse than just fingertips and a flannel and are also good at gently exfoliating away dead skin cells.

The Clinique version is based on sonic technology (similar to some high end electric toothbrushes) and has a soft bristled head (which is replaceable) that's split into two different parts. The larger, slightly softer, white bristled area is designed to be used on the cheeks and forehead, whereas the smaller, firmer green part is for the t-zone which tends to get a bit oilier.

It comes with it’s own little charging station, so can be recharged to your heart’s content and is a decent size and weight – it won’t make your arm ache while you use it!

There are no fancy buttons with this brush, just an on and off switch, so it’s very simple to use. Clinique recommend using the brush for around 30 seconds – 15 on the t-zone and 15 on the cheeks and the brush is automatically set to switch off after the 30 second period. This is plenty for my sensitive skin, however if you’re a bit more resilient or like a super deep clean, then you can always use it for another 30 seconds afterwards.

My routine with the brush is: dampen face and apply a small amount of creamy cleanser (I like to use Dermalogica’s UltraCalming Cleanser), dampen brush, use on the cheeks first with the white bristles, before moving on to around my nose and chin with the green bristles for a deeper clean. Once my 30 seconds are up, I remove any excess cleanser with a damp flannel and then continue with my regular skincare routine.

Since using the brush I've definitely noticed that my skin has looked a little brighter and I've also not needed to exfoliate as often as the brush seems to be doing a pretty good job already. I tend to only use it at night and around 2-3 times a week because of my skin type, but this can definitely be increased if you're less sensitive.

At £79 for the brush and £20 for replacement brush heads (you'll need to change it around every 3-4 months depending on use), this is one of the more reasonable cleansing brushes on the market and one I'd definitely recommend trying out.

You can find the Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush online from Clinique and on Clinique counters across the UK.

Are you a fan of cleansing brushes? Does this one appeal to you?

*PR sample