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  1. Photograph: Emily Mohney
    Photograph: Emily Mohney

    Pretika SonicDermabrasion Facial Brush
    Price

    $80 at drugstore.com
    Brush

    The brush head is a little larger than the Mia 2, and the bristles are slightly coarser.
    Power supply

    Has a charging cradle.
    Results

    The vibration is strong but not overpowering; it left my skin feeling soft and invigorated.

  2. Photograph: Emily Mohney
    Photograph: Emily Mohney

    Olay ProXCleansing Brush
    Price

    $24 at amazon.com
    Brush

    It�s about the size of a quarter, but the bristles verge on abrasive.
    Power supply

    It comes with two AA batteries.
    Results

    The smallest version of the bunch�it�s about half the size of the Mia 2�I recommend this one for travel. But it might be best for other body parts if you have sensitive skin.

  3. Photograph: Emily Mohney
    Photograph: Emily Mohney

    ClarisonicMia 2
    Price

    $149 at sephora.com
    Brush

    This new, more-compact version of the original has �bersoft bristles that pulse in a gentle circular motion. The cleansing head is about the size of a soda-can top.
    Power supply

    It has a sweet little magnetic charging system.
    Results

    After using it in my morning shower for a week, my skin felt glowy and flushed�even smoother. A facialist told me�unsolicited�that this is the gold standard among cleansing brushes.

Facial cleansing systems

The Clarisonic has half-dozen competitors on the market. TOC road-tests a few of them.

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I remember being in Sephora right around the time the first Clarisonic—the vibrating face-cleaning brush that produces more than 300 movements per second—came out. The store didn’t even need a salesperson to talk it up: A group of women was gathered around the display, gleefully sharing stories about how amaaaazing it was. How it works: You squirt a bit of your cleanser on the bristles and brush it in circles across your face, removing dirt and oil while amping up circulation. Spas have started incorporating the gadget in facial treatments. And now there are more opportunities to include the brush in your daily regime: There are a half-dozen competitors on the market. I road-tested a few.

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