*Disclaimer alert!!!* This is a totally biased review! (and with good reason)
Many moons ago, I trained to be a Beauty Therapist at the prestigious London College of Beauty Therapy (part of The London Institute, including The London College of Fashion) and went on to have a very successful career in beauty, continuously adding to my beauty set with new and advanced treatment techniques. A few years back I started to really specialise in skincare, particularly chemical peels. It was during this time that I became extra conscious of my clients lifestyle out of the salon; after an intense peel, your skin is vulnerable for a period and needs to regenerate- meaning you need to be in good health prior to treatment (I often refused to treat heavy smokers until they’d cut down the habit- it has a huge detrimental effect on results) and your skincare routine needs to be at its most hygienic, due to the new exposed skin cells being susceptible to infection. My particular concern about hygiene was the use of sonic-cleansing brushes with nylon bristles. These brushes can very, very easily harbour bacteria- the nylon is porous and the tightly knit bristles make it very difficult for the brush to fully dry after use (especially in a humid bathroom) creating perfect breeding ground for bacteria. I would tell my clients in no uncertain terms that they were to stop using such devices until the skin had fully recovered.
Then, along came the silicone sonic-cleansing ‘brush’! Non-porous silicone was the perfect hygiene solution and the softer bristles were gentler on the skin…. Or so we thought. It turns out that silicone brushes can harbour bacteria too -there was a 2-fold problem; 1. customers used these types of brushes too aggressively (which causes damage to the brush and irritation to the skin) 2. silicone damages silicone, so with the addition of silicones in some makeup, primers and skincare products over time, these 2 issues create little damaged cavities in the ‘brush’ which allow bacteria to breed.
Knowing how passionate I am on the subject, I was presented with a BeGlow device- a sonic-cleansing and anti-ageing device with a detachable, replaceable silicone head! Needless to say, I love it!
The sonic frequency in cleansing mode is lower than other brands, to enable daily (even, twice daily) deep cleansing without causing any irritation – this has now become a necessity for the consumer due to the skincare products and ingredients we have available to us are so much stronger/active/concentrated than they were when silicone brushes first launched here 5 years ago. The cleansing function also offers SkinSense technology, which adapts the sonic frequency to your skin needs- perfect for combination, sensitive and changeable skin. One head for all and ever-changing (due to hormones, weather, stress etc) skin types! You continue to use your regular cleanser and BeGlow turbo charges it! All excess build up of dead skin and oil in the pores are washed away and skin becomes clearer, smoother and softer.
The anti-age mode comes in the form of a dimpled titanium head that can be placed in the freezer for a few minutes before use for the ultimate anti-inflammatory, soothing and de-puffing treatment! The sonic frequency is higher than other brands in this mode, because who doesn’t want maximum protection when it comes to anti-ageing?! The sonic pulsations boost the blood and micro-circulation, flooding the skin with oxygen and nutrients via the blood and draining away spot-causing, skin-dulling toxins via the lymph. This mode can be used immediately after cleansing or (my preference) after applying skincare products to really push them into the deeper layers of the skin. I’ve also discovered recently that it is amazing to use over face masks! I apply my mask and wait for 10 minutes or so, then whatever hasn’t absorbed I give an extra push with the BeGlow! Because the head is dimpled, it doesn’t scrape the mask away so there is no product wastage, just (be)glowing skin!
The last function is like a HIIT workout for your facial muscles! Pressing the 2 buttons down at the same time, both ends of the device are activated at their different frequencies. You turn the device over and place the ergonomic shape against your jawline, chin (bye bye mobile phone neck!), cheekbones (hello natural contour!) and jowls, to exercise and tone the muscles in each area. Working our facial muscles is such an important (and often forgotten) part of any skincare regime because, it’s all very well having great skin, but it is the muscles that hold the fibres that hold the skin in place! Toned muscles create the gentle definition so many of us crave, and now can so easily be achieved!
I will only ever recommend/endorse/work with brands or products that I wholeheartedly believe in, and BeGlow absolutely fits the bill, and then some! My complexion has never looked better!
BeGlow Tia £199, BeGlow Pura (without titanium head) £109, BeGlow replaceable/duplicate heads £14 (change once yearly or have multiple heads for different household members)
Available at www.lookfantastic.com