Cleanser to use with an exfoliator brush on oily skin?
April 7, 2011 2:12 PM   Subscribe

Cleanser to use with an exfoliator brush on oily skin?

Hello there! I just ordered a Sirius Skinsonic brush (a great dupe for the famous Clairsonic Mia brush) but I don't know what cleanser to use with it? I have combination (oily T-zone) skin and wear makeup everyday, so I plan to use this a few times a week to remove all dead cells and makeup and clear out my pores.

Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated! (Yay for first question ever!)
posted by xicana63 to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: I've used several cleansers and the best may be the simplest -- Cetaphil -- the gel variety. But also don't overuse. It is easy to go overboard so alternating days is a good idea.

You really can use any cleanser you like -- just need to work up enough product on your skin before using brush. Also moisturize well after use as the exfoliation does dry out your skin more than normal washing.
posted by countrymod at 2:51 PM on April 7, 2011


I really like Neutrogena's unscented glycerin liquid soap. It's pretty much the only thing I've found that doesn't make me break out.
posted by thinkingwoman at 3:23 PM on April 7, 2011


I use my clarisonic (and you will love that style brush I think - I do!) with Cetaphil.
posted by pointystick at 3:49 PM on April 7, 2011


Not wanting to harsh your mellow, but I wouldn't use a brush on your skin at all. It will collect bacteria, and the abrasiveness probably won't do your complexion much good and could cause you broken veins.

My suggestion would be to instead use an exfoliating wash with 2% salicylic acid. Neutrogena and Garnier both do one, but the Garnier one leaves me without acne whereas the Neutrogena one doesn't. This is idiosyncratic, though, so YMMV. You let it sit for a couple of minutes while you brush your teeth, then you rinse it off with 20 splashes of lukewarm (not hot, not cold) water and pat dry, without dragging or rubbing your face.

If you must use the brush, Cetaphil is really the only worthwhile cleanser in existence. It's all I use and I have gone to great lengths to get it for years (it didn't used to be available in the UK).
posted by tel3path at 4:02 PM on April 7, 2011


I love Biore's Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser. FWIW, I've tried just about every Cetaphil formula in existence and it does absolutely nothing for me. What matters isn't the cleanser as much as it is using enough cleanser. I use an Olay Pro-X cleanser (another Clarisonic dupe) every other night. I've never been very acne-prone, but the only time I've broken out while using this combination was when I left all my face stuff at home while I was on vacation. Make sure you use a really good moisturizer afterwards, to counter the extra exfoliation.

As far as bacteria, I have a small spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide sitting in my shower. As soon as I finish showering, I spray the brush head with hydrogen peroxide, then let it sit until I'm finished and dressed. Before I leave the bathroom, I rinse the hydrogen peroxide out, first with soapy and then with plain water, and run it on a dry handtowel for a few seconds.
posted by kro at 4:52 PM on April 7, 2011


Best answer: Not the answer you're after but related. Whenever I see questions about oily skin, I have to recommend something that worked for me. For other dietary reasons I was going through an elimination diet experiment and when I cut out all sugar and refined grains for several days, my skin was non-oily for the first time in years. Turns out I was sensitive to those things in a few ways and never knew it. When nothing else works, it can't hurt to experiment for a few days. No sugar, any sugar cousins, anything sweet, no snack foods, no bread, no crackers, no cookies, no pasta, no booze, etc. I hadn't been expecting i would get that result and re-tested it a few times and sure enough it works. If you love those ingredients like I do, it's impossible to maintain that diet, but sometimes I'll do it for a bit if I have something important coming up where I don't want to be all shiny.
posted by Askr at 5:05 PM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]


N'thing Cetaphil. I have a dry-ish skin but I find the Daily Skin Cleanser (not the one labelled 'Gentle Skin Cleanser') works best for me.
posted by essexjan at 1:34 AM on April 8, 2011


Response by poster: Thank you everyone! I'll definately take everyone's answers into consideration!
posted by xicana63 at 4:38 AM on April 10, 2011


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