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SUPERIOR CLEANSING: UTILYZE™ 2-in-1 Advanced Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush

December 7, 2018 · 4 Comments

Are you washing your face wrong? Improper cleansing prevents serums, lotions, and topicals from absorbing well. It can also introduce bacteria and irritate skin. Many people invest in a facial brush device. There are many facial brush devices available at different price points. How do you pick the right one? Learn how to determine the best facial brush for you, and why we use the UTILYZE™ 2-in-1 Advanced Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush.

UTILYZE™ Brush head close up

CONSIDERATIONS WHEN SELECTING A FACIAL BRUSH DEVICE

Why can’t I just use a washcloth or exfoliating scrub?
Does scientific research back sonic brush efficacy?
What’s the difference between a spinning head brush and a sonic brush?
What cleansing method works best for problem skin?
Which brush has the best features for my skin care needs?

These important questions are addressed below. But first, some features we like about the UTILYZE™ Sonic Facial Cleansing brush:

UTILYZE™ 2-in-1 ADVANCED SONIC FACIAL CLEANSING BRUSH OVERVIEW

This brush has a powerful patented Sonic oscillation of 300 movements per second. It removes impurities without pulling or stretching skin. Ideal for sensitive problematic skin, oscillating bristles exfoliate without redness or irritation. It primes the skin for best absorption of serums and creams.

UTILYZE™ 2-in-1 Advanced Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush with massaging and cleansing head options on USB charging dock station

UTILYZE™ DESIGN FEATURES

The Utilyze 2-in-1 Advanced Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush has more features than competing brushes.

ERGONOMIC DESIGN
ANGLED HEAD: The unique 10-degree angle fits facial curves.
The 10-degree angled head fits into the curves of the face
QUICK CHARGING BY USB
CUSTOMIZED SKINCARE SETTING PROVIDES MORE OPTIONS THAN ANY OTHER SONIC BRUSH:
- THREE SPEEDS for the gentlest to robust cleansing power.
- TWO TIMED CLEANSING PROGRAMS provided customized cleansing.
TWO INCLUDED HEADS
- CLEANSING HEAD soft, gentle bristles provide effective cleansing to all skin types
- MASSAGE HEAD: relaxes face muscles and increase blood flow.
DOCKING STATION: Holds brush upright and allows the brush to dry between uses
MAGNETIC STAND holds the massage head next to the docking station to keep it at the ready.
WATER RESISTANT: Use it in the shower
BRUSH CAP with air holes to help to dry the head after use
WARRANTY: an unprecedented offer in the industry, a very generous 3-year warranty.

Well-packed contents of the Utilyze Brush set

BUT WHY DO I NEED A SONIC SKINCARE BRUSH?

Washcloths and exfoliating scrubs can cause micro-tears in the skin. This is especially so with skin over thirty. This can lead to infection and scaring. Manual exfoliation can also stretch the skin, damaging the collagen.

THE SCIENCE OF SONIC

Does science back sonic cleansing brushes? How does a sonic brush help acne? The Journal of Dermatology explains why sonic cleansing is a superior clean:

“A sonic skin care brush was developed to enhance and provide consistent skin cleansing while preventing the skin from becoming compromised. Utilizing a technology previously used to cleanse the oral cavity, the sonic skin care brush is optimized to work with the skin’s own elasticity providing rapid oscillatory flexing of the infundibular opening. By oscillating at sonic speed the net result is the inelastic comedones become loosened and detached from the infundibular wall and are then cleared from the acroinfundibulum.” [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17173597/ (2006 Jun;5(2):181-3.)]

What does that mean? Sonic brushes use the skin’s elasticity to loosen comedones. Comedones include blackheads, whiteheads, and non-inflamed blemishes. Comedones generally don’t respond well to topical medications alone. A sonic brush loosens comedones without damaging surrounding skin.

Closeup of the UTILYZE™ Sonic Brush head. Sonic cleansing provides and gentler, more effective clean

ROTATING/SPINNING BRUSH HEADS VERSUS SONIC BRUSH HEADS

There’s spinning head face brushes under $40, some from respected brand names. Won’t those work as well as a sonic brush?

Well, no. The mechanism and results are different.

On a spinning brush, the bristles are stationary while the head rotates. It spins over and over the skin surface, like a car buffer or polisher. Buffing makes skin feel softer. The spinning can pull off looser dead skin flakes. It can “sweep” into a blackhead surface to begin to dislodge it. But buffing is best for hard surfaces, not live skin. Buffing irritates live skin because it keeps dragging and pulling the skin. Spinning brushes can’t access pores to cleanse them.

On a sonic brush, the bristles oscillate at a precise ‘sonic’ speed. The speed of oscillation instead of rotation makes a difference in the cleansing. Sonic speed is fast enough to make a sound and vibration, like the bass on quality sound speakers. The speed creates tiny, rapid movements. These movements vibrate the bristles. The bristles prod skin pores to shake out and dislodge impurities. They also pull dislodged debris away. It’s like shaking debris off a silk blouse instead of rubbing it out.

“Sonic” speed allows for very gentle contact with the skin but still exfoliates. There is no scrubbing with a sonic brush. There is no pulling, dragging or stretching the skin and delicate collagen fibers.

The faster the sonic speed, the gentler it is to the skin. The fastest sonic brushes, like UTILYZE™, don’t cause redness or irritation because they clean with minimal skin contact.

The slimline, ergonomic, multi-feature UTILYZE™ Sonic Brush

SONIC BRUSHES AND PROBLEM SKIN

Most of us have some form of problem skin or at least aging skin. Problem skin requires extra care in cleansing.
Problem skin includes issues such as:

acne
rosacea
KP (Chicken Bumps)
pseudofolliculitis barbae (chronic razor burn or bumps)
seborrheic dermatitis
delicate, thin or aged skin
photo-damaged skin
other skin conditions requiring special cleaning

Cleansing problem skin is where a sonic brush shines. Sonic brush bristles can cleanse uneven and irregular skin surfaces. These include:

congested pores
acne
scales, and patches
bumps
facial scars

A BRUSH FOR PROBLEM SKIN

UTILYZE™ is an excellent choice for those with skin problems.

Those with problematic skin conditions often wear mineral makeup and heavy-duty concealers. These need scrubbing to remove, further irritating problematic and sensitive skin. Utilyze not only removes heavy duty makeup with any cleanser but does so gently enough to not cause a flare up.

The UTILYZE™ brush even removes seborrheic dermatitis scales on eyebrows with no irritation. That’s impressive!

UTILYZE™ Easy to use menu settings offer 3 speeds and two timed programs

UTILYZE™ BRUSH HEAD OPTIONS

There are brush head types to address specific skin problems. These include:

Acne prone brush head: A gentler brush to remove dead skin flakes, oil, and bacteria without irritating existing blemishes.
Sensitive Brush Head: A thinner and softer head that provides a gentle cleansing experience without irritation
Deep Pore Cleansing Head: A special combination of thin and thick bristles to remove blackheads and deep clean the pores.
Skin Exfoliation Brush Head: A unique brush head with multiple bristle layers to remove crusty, dull and dead skin.

Utilyze brush heads designed for customized skin care needs

UTILYZE™ has multiple brush heads designed for customized skin care needs

MY SONIC BRUSH EXPERIENCE

I’ve tried pretty much all the brand names that come to mind when you hear the words “sonic facial brush”.

I love how soft my skin feels after using a sonic brush. But some do irritate my skin or leave it a bit dry, dehydrated and tight feeling. The bristles are a bit rough on a few brands. I also dislike how long they take to charge. And the sonic brushes, even the minis, are pretty pricey.

I’ve also dropped and broken a few sonic brushes. The fatter model brush handles don’t fit in my hand very well, especially in the shower.

The Utilyze Brush sits in docking station with magnetic holder for the massage head

My UTILYZE™ Brush sits in the docking station with magnetic holder for the massage head

MY UTILYZE™ EXPERIENCE

My skin’s smooth and glowing after use, without redness, scratchy patches or irritation. My serums apply and absorb quickly after use.

The 10-degree angled head gets hard to reach areas like the blackheads on the sides of my nose, my chin and my throat. I love how even stubborn blackheads purge without damaging my sensitive skin. UTILYZE™ is helpful for my whiteheads that won’t budge. My skin seems far less congested and my pores appear smaller.

I find the massage head useful for helping my topical creams and serums absorb into the skin.

I also prefer the slim design of UTILYZE™. It’s lightweight, thinner and longer than other sonic brushes. It fits into my hand and is easy to hold onto, even in the shower.

UTILYZE™ 2-in-1 Advanced Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush comes with many features

WHERE TO BUY IT

Find the UTILYZE™ 2-in-1 Advanced Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush at https://www.amazon.com/UTILYZE-Advanced-Cleansing-Massage-Settings/dp/B07DDH61BN. Style Chicks readers get an extra 20% off with code 20STYLECHICK.

UTILYZE™ 2-in-1 Advanced Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush makes a great gift

Like you, the team here at Style Chicks needs time to evaluate and form an opinion of any of the products we talk about. In the case of UTILYZE™ 2-in-1 Advanced Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush, we received compensation for our time and effort to test, research and form the opinion above. Our review and pictures are because we think the product is great and want to share it with you!

Skincare: PleasingCare Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush

October 29, 2016 · Leave a Comment

ABOUT FACIAL CLEANSING BRUSHES
The facial cleansing brushes are popular because they make skin so smooth to the touch. But the benefits of a facial cleansing brush are not just softer skin: a facial cleansing brush provides a deeper clean to reduce bacteria and oil on the skin, as well as exfoliating dead skin cells, all of which result in less acne. Freshly exfoliated skin appears younger and radiant and exfoliation allows better absorption of products such as moisturizers, retinol, and Vitamin C serums. It is important, however, to exfoliate skin gently and hygienically so that any topical skin serum or product application does not cause undue irritation. This requirement makes a brush with anti-bacterial brush heads, such as the PleasingCare Facial Cleansing Brush, a real asset in skincare.

PleasingCare Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush

ABOUT THE PLEASINGCARE FACIAL CLEANSING BRUSH
The brush comes in a silvery muted glitter patterned hard box that is very suitable for gift giving. Inside the lid is packaged the sturdy zippered carrying case for the brush for storage and to take your brush while you travel. The rest of the items are placed within a compartmentalized secure base suitable for long-term storage. The box contains:

1) The PleasingCare facial brush, mine is pink
2) The brush charger
3) Three brush heads (with caps)
4) An all-cotton stretchy colorful headband to keep hair out of the way to better reach the forehead, temple and cheekbone area
5) Instruction Guide & One Year Warranty
6) A card to redeem for one year of free brush replacement heads

PleasingCare Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush

ABOUT THE BRUSHHEADS:
The brush set comes with three interchangeable heads, for use depending on your current skin care need. The bristles of the three brush heads are made of a bacteria resistant, soft material. These bristles are thinner in diameter than a human hair. None of the brush head bristles feel scratchy on the skin, but the white head (with the black ring) is the softest of the three. The ring in each brush rapidly oscillates at 300 vibrations per second. The inner circle of each brush head provides the deepest cleaning, the outer bristles vibrate but do not move, so they are the more gentle cleansing part of the tool.

1) White head: normal and sensitive skin brush
2) Green head: Acne removal brush
3) Blue head: deep cleansing pore brush, also useful for removing oily or mineral makeup debris.

PleasingCare Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush

I also use my brush on my throat, collarbone, decolletage and at times my shoulders. When used on the hands before a manicure, it quickly cleans up dry and flaking cuticles. The deep cleansing brush is particularly useful on the back of upper arms for tackling keratosis pilaris, those little white bumps that look similar to acne but do not respond to acne treatments. This brush provides bacteria-free exfoliation that it very useful just before the application of AHA and Salicylic Acid products to reduce or eliminate the bumps.

Both the white brush head and the blue brush head make for easy removal of oily, cream or powder makeup residue, even heavy makeup. The brush is not for use around the delicate undereye area.

PleasingCare Luxe Cashmere Brush Heads
There is also a separate 2-pack available of Luxe Cashmere brush heads which are compatible with all PleasingCare Cleansing Systems. These are as plush and luxurious as it sounds, with bristles twice as long as the other brush heads, and they softly bend for an extremely gentle cleansing, softer and more hygienic than washing by hand. I like the Luxe Cashmere brush head for skin that is very delicate due to sunburn, peeling, eczema, rosacea, or chemical peels. Ideal for ever-so-gently exfoliating wrinkles and enlarged pores, the Cashmere brush heads increase blood circulation in the skin. The Cashmere head also creates a nice fluffy foam and feels wonderful when used. Suitable for twice a day use even on very sensitive skin.

PleasingCare Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush Luxe Brush Heads

ABOUT THE BRUSH

Some special features about this facial brush include:

GENTLE BUT EFFECTIVE EXFOLIATION:
The PleasingCare Cleansing System oscillating brush does not rotate, so it is not over-zealously “buffing” the skin like some brushes.

PleasingCare Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush

WATERPROOF:
The brush design is with sonic air compressor technology that makes it waterproof. It can be used in the shower, which I love because it is so convenient to use this way, and I also use it on my throat, chest, shoulders and the back of my arms. While waterproof, do not extendedly submerge the brush in water.

FAST RECHARGE:
The charger is a small inductive base about the size of a half dollar. It magnetically adheres to the front handle of the brush; there is no open hardware on the brush itself. The brush recharges quickly, the first charge takes 15 hours. A feature I like is the gentle, soothing light on the charge indicator instead of annoyingly bright light. Since I frequently recharge my devices overnight, it is nice to have a light that does not produce excess glare.

PleasingCare Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush

EASY USE:
There are two-speed settings and one on/off switch. Once charged, the brush is cordless and portable. The buttons are big and easy to operate even with wet soapy hands.

T-ZONE MODE:
There is a built-in one-minute pulsing T-Zone timer for rapid, deep cleansing the forehead, chin, and nose. I like this feature so that I can both deep clean this oily area up to six times cleaner while still gently cleansing more delicate skin with the same brush head. This is superior to other facial brush cleansers that would require a changeout of the brush head to accomplish both a deep cleansing of the T-zone and cleansing normal skin areas.

EASY BRUSHHEAD REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT
To remove a brush head, place the plastic cap over the bristles and grasp the top and bottom of the brush in your index finger and thumb respectively. Press and twist the head counter-clockwise until the brush releases, like a medicine bottle cap. To apply a brush head, press it onto the base positioning it over the threads, turning clockwise and gently pop it into place until you hear a snap.

HOW TO USE THE BRUSH:
1. Select the brush head of your choice and put it on the brush device
2. Use the headband if desired
3. Dab a facial cleanser onto your damp skin
4. Wet the brush
5. Turn on the brush to the low or high setting (up or down). There is a built-in one-minute pulsing T-Zone timer for deeper cleansing the oiliest parts of your face.
6. GLIDE the brush head over your skin, keeping the head moving in slow, sweeping circular motions outwards. There is no need to press it into the skin firmly or to scrub your skin with the brush as if using a washcloth. Use light pressure only.
7. Do the forehead for 20 seconds, then ten seconds for each cheek, the nose, and the chin. You will feel a single pulsing surge when it is time to move to the next area.
8. Turn off the device
9. Rinse and dry
10. After each use, remove the brush head, wash the brush head with water and place in a well-ventilated area until dry.

TIP: The brush is safe for once a day use with the white, blue and green heads and the Luxe Cashmere heads can a particularly excellent value twice a day.

RESULTS
The PleasingCare Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush reduces and removes blackheads very quickly, especially on the nose and chin. There is also a reduction in the appearance of enlarged pores and fine wrinkles. The acne brush removes dry, flaky skin without irritating existing pimples. I especially love the Luxe Cashmere heads, they feel so soft and gentle that I was surprised to see how well they could exfoliate, but I have been very pleased with how smooth and flake free my skin is, and how soft and dewy my skin looks. My skin is gently exfoliated each day in one minute, leaving a fresh, clean surface to apply moisturizers and serums. The anti-bacterial brush heads are gentle on my skin but effective. The presentation style box makes it suitable as a gift. The PleasingCare offer of one additional year of free brush heads makes this set a particularly excellent value.

Find the PleasingCare Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush at PleasingCare.com and at Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/PleasingCare-Cleansing-Included-Rechargeable-Cleaning/dp/B00OJFAPSY/. You can purchase the PleasingCare LUXE Compatible Cashmere Cleanse Replacement Facial Brush Heads at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0151CK1ZA, and both are available on Prime Shipping!

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.