- type: Body brush
- Good use: Exfoliate to remove dead skin cells for glowing, smooth skin.
- specification: Brushes made from pure natural sisal
- Best for: Exfoliating, Circulating
- How to use: Apply to dry skin before bath or shower. Start at the feet and brush upward toward the heart. Brush using small strokes or circular motions for 3-5 minutes.
Optimal Skin Care Absorption: Droplets
Why we love it
Droplette’s Microinfusion Device is an essential beauty tool in Brooke Shields’ beauty routine. This egg-shaped wonder aims to infuse ingredients right where they’re needed at a molecular level, essentially making them more effective than topical applications. The process works through an aerosol mist that sprays tiny droplets that get past the skin barrier. Shields opted for the brand’s collagen supplement, but they also have a range of capsules to treat a variety of other ailments, including glycolic acid, growth factors, and retinol.
- Editor’s experience: “Have you ever thought about how much product you waste by simply applying ingredients to the surface of your skin? I never did until I tried Droplette and saw my skin truly improve over time (more hydrated, less redness, plumper and firmer). Skin care is expensive, after all! I’m too scared to try lip fillers, so before big events I use hyaluronic acid based lip plumping capsules for extra results.” —By Iman Balagam, Contributor
- type: Skin Care Devices
- Good use: The needle-free technology delivers ingredients such as collagen and retinol 20 times deeper into the skin.
- specification: Microinfusion technology, charging adapter
- Best for: Skincare absorption, plumping, moisturizing
- How to use: Place the serum capsule into the chamber until you hear a click. Then tilt your head back and hold the white side about 1.5 cm away from your skin. Turn the device on and move the mist in slow, circular motions around your face. The brand recommends applying it from your right cheek to your chin, then your left cheek to your chin, and finally on your forehead.
What is the difference between the various beauty techniques?
- Led Light therapy: According to Elizabeth Hand, an aesthetician in New York City, LED light therapy is a non-invasive skin care treatment that uses specific wavelengths of light to address a variety of skin concerns. “It’s important to look for a device that has both red and blue light, as they penetrate different depths of the skin and have different effects,” she advises. Red light stimulates collagen production and promotes healing and repair, while blue light destroys acne-causing bacteria.
- Microcurrent: “Microcurrent technology uses low levels of electrical current to tone and shape facial muscles,” explains Hand. These currents mimic the body’s natural electrical impulses to improve muscle tone and firmness.
- Cryotherapy: “Cryotherapy is a treatment in which the body is exposed to freezing or near-freezing temperatures for a short period of time in order to achieve a therapeutic effect,” Hand says. “The cooling reduces inflammation and swelling, resulting in a more refreshed appearance.”
- Facial Massage: Facial massage is a technique that uses hands or specialized tools to gently massage the skin and muscles of the face. It stimulates blood flow, delivering oxygen and nutrients to skin cells, resulting in healthy, glowing skin. It also removes toxins and excess fluid through the lymphatic system, reducing puffiness and swelling. “I tell my clients it’s the easiest skin care treatment you can do at home,” says Hand.
- laser: Lasers, specifically the Lyma laser, are the first FDA-cleared laser for home use. They’ve been clinically proven to reduce signs of aging, wrinkles, redness, age spots, scars, hyperpigmentation, and more. “The laser reaches deep into the basal layer of the dermis, where the light energy activates gene switches in skin cells, telling them to recharge, regenerate, and repair rather than die,” Hand explains. “Externally, the light energy from the Lyma laser tells existing cells to produce more proteins to fight free radicals, increasing collagen and elastin,” she continues.
- Microneedling: Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that uses ultra-fine needles to create tiny holes in the skin. “These micro-injuries stimulate the body’s natural wound healing process, encouraging collagen and elastin production,” Hand explains.
- Dermaplaning: “Dermaplaning uses a scalpel to remove the top layer of hair and dead skin cells, leaving the skin smooth and allowing products to penetrate better,” Hand explains. How often you should dermaplan depends on your hair growth, but Hand advises that once every two to four weeks is usually recommended.
How do you choose the right beauty tool for you?
Hand says it all depends on your goals, concerns, and timing factors. Are you preparing for a wedding? Heading off on vacation? It’s important to consider all of these factors before incorporating the right beauty tool into your routine. She recommends consulting with your esthetician and finding out which tools experts highly recommend for at-home use. “I always recommend LED masks as the No. 1 at-home tool that anyone can benefit from.”
Is it worth investing in at-home beauty tools?
Hand is a big supporter of at-home beauty tools, but stresses that “as with any supplemental skin care, no tool is a substitute for a good skin care routine.” If you’re using them at home, he recommends avoiding dermaplaning or microneedling, as the downsides (bacteria, damaged blood vessels) outweigh the benefits. “Leave those to the pros!”
