Boots Botanics Facial Brush and Love Your Skin's Cleanse & Smooth Exfoliating Wash

I'm a tad obsessed with exfoliating my face - I don't overdo it, but I suffer from combination skin which means I get horrible dry patches around my nose amongst all my oiliness, which I need to try and scrub away gently.

I'd love a Clarisonic but I can't justify the cost at the moment. I've tried those facial washes with the funny brushes too - both the Garnier Pure Active Exfo-Brusher with the soft bristles on the top of the bottle, and the Loreal Perfect Clean Refreshing Face Wash with the 'Scrublet'. Both were useless at exfoliating and had that horrible drying, medicated feel to them. They were a bit of a faff to use, too.

I noticed this in Boots the other day, sitting with all their washcloths and make-up bags, and thought I'd give it a go. It costs £6.00 and is an accessory from part of their Botanics range. 

It was much softer than I was expecting - I wasn't hoping for an abrasive dish brush that would rub my skin red raw but I thought it might be a little stiffer. I don't know how soft the bristles of a Clarisonic feel so I can't compare.

It felt very odd but kind of nice when used with a face wash however. I teamed it with Love Your Skin's Rosemary & Willow Bark Cleanse and Smooth Exfoliating Wash, which I received in July's Editor's Picks themed Latest In Beauty Box. Although the face wash itself is meant to be exfoliating, on it's own the beads were too soft to make a difference. It's the first LYS product I've tried and so far I'm not sure about it. It smells gorgeous but leaves my skin feeling a little dry and tight afterwards. 

Paired with the brush it enabled a gentle but impressive lather all over the face, making me look and feel like a fine gent applying his shaving foam! It was okay at getting into the sides of my nose, but not quite as effective as my fingers. I'm going to try it with other face washes and see if it makes a difference. My usual 'Holy Grail' exfoliators are Lush's Ocean Salt and No7's Total Renewal Micro Dermabrasion Exfoliator.

 It wasn't life changing, but it will make a nice introduction into my skincare routine to make my face feel a little bit cleaner. It's not a tough treatment but I'm sure it will benefit my circulation and make me feel all refreshed and glowy... the brushing action is actually quite theraputic! The brush itself took forever to dry, but the bristles remained soft. With prolonged use they might feel coarser, but I've only been using it for a few days and I've not seen a difference yet. I'll continue to use it as it's definitely gentle enough for everyday use for me, but of course others may have a different experience.

Sticky Kisses!