Dear Justin Bieber, I'm Concerned For Your Pores

Hey Justin Bieber, can I talk to you about something? It's no big deal, but I don't know, I feel like I just need you to know? It's about your skin-care routine. Perhaps it's a misguided maternal instinct, but whenever I see people using an oversized electric toothbrush for their face I have the instinct to slap it out of their hand immediately. I'm being a bit extra about it, but I've been hurt by those seemingly innocuous brushes before — perhaps you have as well! My greatest bodyguard moment may have been when a few weeks ago, our digital editorial director Phill Picardi asked me if he should use a new facial brush device he had been given and I just about slapped it out of his hand, in fact. Phill, it would be like trying to restore that Ecce Homo painting and subsequently going overboard and making it look like a gingerbread man-face (metaphorically-speaking). Your face is a masterpiece, you don't need it.

Anyway. Backlog of this whole story starts with social media, naturally. The other day Justin Bieber put on his wizard robe, as he is a wizard of modern pop, and proceeded to regale his no-doubt countless Snapchat followers with a brief skin-care routine story. Tl;dr, it mostly consisted of pumping some sort of gel cleanser into a Clarisonic Brush and then going "shablam all over the dome,” (according to InStyle's coverage of this momentous event because I have been aged out of Snapchat).

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Those motorized facial brushes had a big heyday a few years ago for their As Seen on TV-like before/afters of instant gratification. And yes, the immediate after is real silky smooth, like a freshly buffed car hood. The only problem is that then people tend to get addicted to that feeling — thinking that a freshly scrubbed-to-hell complexion is the goal — and overdo it with the brushes, which can lead to wrecking your skin and opening it up to infection via micro-tears, which can cause breakouts and other gnarly blemishes (especially if you don't clean or replace the brush head regularly). Like I said, I've been hurt before.

Look, I'm probably being presumptuous about how often JB's dome gets the Clarisonic treatment — I mean, it seems to be implied that it's fairly regular use but you never know with social media what is real and what is lies! But based on his nonchalant shablam-ing, I think it's fair to assume it could be regular.

Justin, bb, go easy on the Clarisonic. I'm a beauty editor just looking out for your pores. I even asked a pro for you! My dermatology dude, Dr. Joshua Zeichner (J-Zeich, if you will) his thoughts on facial brushes. Says my dude: "Not all electric brushes are created equally so it is important to choose one that has been proven to be both effective and safe over long periods of time. Generally speaking, with proper use, sonic vibrating brushes are gentle on the skin and enhance cleansing rather than providing any significant exfoliation."

Fair point, J-Zeich.

However! Says also my dude: "Electric devices that exfoliate or scrub the skin may lead to low grade inflammation and skin irritation. This means red, dry skin. No matter what brush you use, make sure not to apply too much pressure and use as directed."

There you have it. Do with that information to your precious dome what you will, JB. But don't say J-Zeich and I didn't warn ye!

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Easy, now:

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