After an overnight flight from New York to Milan, a train to Florence and a 2 hour trip by car I finally reached Val D'Orcia for my wedding shoot with the talented Anna Ambrosi. I had just 1 hour to get ready and remove any jet lag sign from my face, but I wasn't worried given that I had a little beauty secret in my bag, the Darphin L'Institut Facial Sonic Cleansing and Massaging Expert.

Pierre Darphin, the brand’s founder, was a kinesiotherapist that opened his Paris institute in 1958 along with offering his line of skin care products for treatments that used intensive facial devices. This brush was inspired by the history of the brand while being designed to give us the opportunity have facials in the comfort of our homes.

Darphin Facial Sonic Cleansing

For my bridal preparation, I started with the cleansing head  which cleans, detoxes and purifies the skin with its 42,000 supple bristles that ensure the brush is gentle but effective in removing all residual makeup and skin impurities. Within the bristles, there are six green nubs whose vibrations are designed to replicate the circulation-boosting massage of the ‘magic fingers’ at L’Institut Darphin. For this part you can use whatever cleanser gel or cream to be put all over your face, avoiding the eyes. The brush can't be used for the eye contour.

The Steps:

1. Apply Cleansing Gel or cream. I'm using a water-based cleanser from Darphin with Water Lily


2. Wet the Darphin Sonic Cleanser brush and turn it on


3. Move it slowly around your face, focusing first on one half. The brush will stop vibration after 30 seconds telling you that you need to change position.


4. When finished remove all the residuals with a washcloth or by washing your face.


5. Don't push the brush into your skin thinking it will get you a deeper cleanse. The brush works just right by moving it around your face with gentle pressure.


6. After each use rinse the bristles with warm water, followed by cold to ensure it doesn’t breed bacteria.


7. Change the head of your brush every 3 – 6 months, depending on how often you use it.

Darphin Facial Sonic Massaging

This is the feature that got me excited about because it isn't available in other brushes in the market. After the cleansing the massage part comes by changing the head to a smooth steel head designed in a star pattern that works with the natural facial muscle structure. Its aim is to refresh and smooth the skin while relaxing the facial muscles and stimulating microcirculation.  It can be used with whatever skin treatment you are having, helping to better absorb the creams in use.

The steps:

1. Apply the cream or gel of choice either to the head directly or to the skin. Right now I'm using Darphin Smoothing and Retexturizing Radiance Cream 


2. Apply a minimum quantity to the head


3. Let the device do the work, just move it around in a gentle way.


4. Use it twice a day with your morning moisturizing routine and the night treatment.


5. This brush doesn't need to be replaced in time, the steel will resist forever.

 

The Darphin sonic cleanser and massager contributes on the long term in reducing pore size, boosting microcirculation and giving an optimized absorption of moisturizers. I needed a smoother, radiant and hydrated skin for my wedding shoot in Tuscany and I had the best help I could have asked for given the 18 hour trip across the world to reach my shooting location.

*This post is in collaboration with Darphin