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Cleansing is second nature to us by now. But if you’re starting to see your face wash isn’t cutting through SPF, grease and make-up quite like it used to, bring in the big guns.

Cleansing brushes may have had a bad rep in the past, but when used correctly they can buff away even stubborn, full-coverage foundations, to leave you with softer and smoother skin.

Want the low-down before adding to your basket? Here’s everything you need to know about these cleansing tools...

The brushes’ rapid, circular motion buffs away dead skin cells, to leave you with a fresh, glowing complexion. They can also kick excess oil and grime to the curb, helping reduce breakouts.

The vibrations also improve circulation – including lymphatic drainage – helping to reduce fluid and swelling. Hello, cheekbones!

However, if you have sensitive, irritated skin, it’s best to ere on the side of caution; stiff bristles can sometimes make matters worse, especially if paired with a cleanser with exfoliating qualities. Opt for a gentler milk or gel cleanser instead.

It's also key to wash your cleansing brush (just like you do your make-up brushes) to avoid spreading bad bacteria that causes spots to appear. No, thank you.

Remember, don’t be too aggressive with your motions; let the brush do all the work.

Put down the pore strips. Step away from extractor tool. There’s a healthier, and less painful, way to keep blackheads at bay.

The action of a cleansing brush will obviously exfoliate the skin, but it also sloughs away leftover make-up and dirt to stop them from sinking into your lovely pores. The bristles will penetrate further than your muslin cloth or make-up remover pad can, to really remove muck.

If you think bristles might be too rough, there’s always the silicone route for a cleanse. Did we mention silicone is super hygienic and easy to clean too?

Our panel of 195 testers put a variety of cleansing tools and brushes through their paces for a month.

They made a note of their performance, ease of use and overall effect they had on skin. While in the Cosmo lab, we assessed their make-up removal skills on an artificial skin replica.

This trusted No7 number managed to trump all the other cleansing tools in our test.

It won our panel over for the deep clean it provided, with all seeing skin feeling softer and looking more glowy. Our lab test showed it was ace at removing even the thickest of foundation, while the vibrations weren’t too overwhelming.

Key specs Number of vibration intensities: 2 Battery: Battery (2 x AAA) Additional accessories: None

Want cleaner, firmer, hair-free skin all in one go? Then this is for you. Super gentle for all, it left 85% with softer, smoother and more toned skin.

Despite the many multipurpose attachments – including an epilating option – it was easy-peasy to use and change heads.

Key specs Number of vibration intensities: 2 Battery: Rechargeable Additional accessories: Facial epilator, skin cleansing brush, toning head, charger

This cleansing brush from the future connects to your phone via the brand’s app, to give you a choice of 16 (yes, that’s right) settings to fully customise your routine.

The silicone bristles are softer than your typical brush and more sanitary for all the germaphobes out there, but still left 87% with squeaky-clean skin. The shape was also perfect for getting into every nook and cranny. Useful.

Key specs Number of vibration intensities: 16 Battery: Rechargeable Additional accessories: Charger

This silicone option doubles up as a face massager to help relax tense jaws; one tester found the heated function helped their serum sink in better too.

The long-lasting battery made it a winner in our books, avoiding a charge for weeks. The end result? All were left with puppy-soft skin.

Key specs Number of vibration intensities: 4 Battery: Rechargeable Additional accessories: Charger

The OG cleansing brush topped our test for banishing all signs of make-up. Testers loved the soft bristles that didn’t compromise on efficiency, providing a deep clean for 90%.

If we had to fault it, the charge-up time could have been quicker, but overall, 80% were left with a smoother canvas and all saw some highlighter-worthy glow.

Key specs Number of vibration intensities: 3 Battery: Rechargeable Additional accessories: Charger

Not your average looking beauty tool, this brush features a side for cleansing, one for massaging and can also be used upside down to contour your jawline and cheekbones. Handy.

It also has a seriously long battery life, removing all specks of foundation and even reducing broken veins and fine lines for one pleased tester.

Top tip: the massage side features cooling titanium which after a few mins in the freezer is a godsend for those puffy mornings.

Key specs Number of vibration intensities: 3 Battery: Rechargeable Additional accessories: Charger

A favourite amongst testers for clearing skin of all sweat, gunk and other nasties, all our testers were blown away with the deep clean this provided.

So much so, one saw fewer blocked pores after just four weeks. The toning head left 62% with firmer skin, but was a great all-rounder too, with 85% seeing softer, smoother, clearer and brighter skin.

Key specs Number of vibration intensities: 3 Battery: Rechargeable Additional accessories: Wireless USB travel charger, bathroom caddy, daily cleansing brush head (antibacterial), Tone It Up! silicone brush head

If you don’t fancy all the high-tech bells and whistles, this budget-friendly manual brush should do the trick. Still effective at removing make-up in our lab, this dual-ended tool was quick and easy to use and avoided any irritation.

It didn’t smooth and brighten as much as others, but testers found it better than just using hands, with one noticing their congested t-zone massively improved.

Key specs Number of vibration intensities: 0 Battery: None Additional accessories: None

Electric, without breaking the bank, this won testers over with its gentle vibration speeds that didn’t feel like you were jack hammering skin.

It helped leave a clearer, cleaner complexion behind for 69%, while 63% noticed a more honed and toned look to their cheeks. The massage function was a hit too, described as “relaxing” by one tester.

Key specs Number of vibration intensities: 4 Battery: Rechargeable Additional accessories: Charger, storage bag

Promising an oxygen facial from the comfort of your own bathroom, this can be used as a standard cleansing tool to remove grease, as well as an Oxygenation treatment – just pop in one of the included capsules and go.

It impressed all with its make-up dissolving capabilities, leaving 75% with softer, more radiant skin. The capsule element proved a bit tricky, but in the end, testers were pleased with the salon-worthy experience it provided.

Key specs Number of vibration intensities: 1 Battery: Rechargeable Additional accessories: Charging stand and cable, 4x Geneo personal capsules, 4x Geneo personal gels