Garnier Pure Active Exfo-Brusher Wash | Review

I reached for this for the billionth or so time yesterday and realised that I have to post about it.

The concept of it is a little strange. It is a cleanser with a brush attached to it. It's a similar concept to something like YSL's Touche  Éclat, where you pump the product into a brush and then apply it. It's not like Touche  Éclat at all though, of course. The cleanser and brush combination means that it is an exfoliator, as it gets deeper into your pores than a cleanser would.

Some people might find the brush concept a little unhygienic, but I haven't found any problems with it reacting badly on my skin. I imagine that as it's being covered with cleanser a couple of times of week, that it wouldn't become contaminated with bacteria? If you really hate the idea of the brush though, you can use it as a foaming cleanser with your hands.

I bought it at the end of last year so it's been in my life for about six months now, and I've barely used up any of the product inside. I don't understand. I've been using it at least two to three times a week for half a year, and it's still three quarters full. So for that alone, it's great value for money.

Other than its miraculous qualities of never being used up, I've also found it to be beneficial to my skin..which is probably a more important aspect of a skincare product.

After using this, my skin feels so soft and smooth that I cannot stop touching it. This in itself is not a good thing. Continually touching your face with your hands is considered a big no no. So maybe this product is actually harming my skin by making it feel so soft that I cannot stop "stroking" it? But it feels so good!

Now this next comment might seem a bit 'out there' but I'm just going to go with it for a bit.. In comparison to using the clarisonic, my skin feels a lot smoother after using this. I'm not saying this product is the equivalent of the clarisonic, or does the same job, but this definitely leaves my skin feeling distinctly smoother and fresher. (side note: I don't actually own the clarisonic anymore and was only using it for about four weeks when I did)

The packaging says that it 'helps reduce shine' which initially put me off buying it because, to me, that sounded like something oily skin would benefit from. My skin on the other hand, tries to pretend it's the Sahara desert, so I need all the moisture I can get. Fear not though fellow dry skin wearers, this does not dry my skin out. I cannot say that it won't for you either, but I wasn't completely joking with the Sahara comment, my skin is seriously one of the driest places on earth, so it shouldn't dry yours out either. As for you oily people, I'm afraid I cannot comment on how this would work for you.

This product did not break me out, which is great, so I can only say positive things about it. My skin wasn't in a bad state before I started using it, so I'm not going to claim that it has worked miracles on but it always feels smoother, cleaner and fresher after I use this. I've also noticed that any blackheads are minimised after I use it, but I don't think this is a long-term solution for the little blighters.

The official instructions for use

A lot of reviews I've seen for this complain about how difficult this is to use. Luckily I saw these reviews before I used mine so I worked out a good way of using it:

-First I wet the brush, this helps it lather up more when the product is on it
-Twist the lid so that the product is able to be released
-Then I tip the bottle, but not so that it's upside down, and squeeze gently, this releases some of the product onto the brush head
-I then put it to my face and worked it in circular motions
-I don't press too hard as I think the will squish the little rubber bristles and mean that it won't work properly
-I do this until it's all lathered up on my face and rinse

The top twists 90 degrees and locks back again in place,
so you don't accidentally waste any product

A good angle for squeezing..

If you haven't tried this product and are looking for some new skincare then I'd really recommend this. The application seems a bit gimmicky but it's a product I'd definitely repurchase- although I'm not sure I'll have to as I don't think it's ever going to run out.


Available from Boots, Superdrug etc. for £7.99

(I have written so many long-winded posts recently and am making a conscious effort to minimise this in future.. if you read all of this then congratulations)