
Historically, a solid skin care routine has consisted of products found in tubes and bottles to keep skin healthy and youthful, including creams, serums, oils and masks. But these days, high-tech beauty devices that were previously reserved for an aesthetician’s office have become as ubiquitous as your everyday lotion.
Time and technological innovation have brought us home-safe, user-friendly devices that offer light therapy, percussive therapy, laser hair removal and more — and a number of them are shockingly effective. They’re key to supercharging your skin care regimen, and many people find them to be the perfect complement to traditional anti-aging products. (They’re also a great way to take your self-care routine to the next level).
Below, we’ve rounded up some of the most popular and effective beauty devices on the market. While many are definitely what we consider a splurge, there are quite a few that come in at under $100 and can enhance your skin’s appearance and health.
Promising review: "Nice, relaxing depuffing tool. I enjoy using this Nurse Jamie UpLift tool as I find use of it to be very relaxing. I notice a depuffing and slight lifting effect when I use it consistently, though it is temporary. I also like that you can use it at various angles to get into crevices (e.g., to massage the area around your eyes). Like other reviewers have said, (considering the price) I agree that I wish it came with a bag or something for storage." — SH
Promising review: "I really like this lil thing!!! Works well. It's super soft and feels like I'm getting a face massage. My skin feels great. Love the feeling of the softness but still gets the work done, I got it for traveling, it’s so small and fits in with my toilette bag." — Peach of Cake
Note that that while many reviewers swear by this tool, there are some safety concerns associated with it. BioBeauty provides a spray bottle that you fill with alcohol at home to keep your roller clean, but many say that simply isn't enough. Dermatologists and other skin care specialists have noted that at-home microneedling elevates the risk of bleeding, the spread of bacteria, infections and more. Not only are there hygienic concerns to contend with, but over time, the needles could become blunt and do some serious damage to your skin.
If you're going to take this journey at home, we highly recommend consulting various YouTube tutorials on how to use, clean and care for your dermaroller and proceed with caution. Think of it as a good addition to your repertoire if you live on the cutting-edge of beauty — literally.
Promising review: "Love this product! I was so excited when my Glopro arrived in the mail Thursday. I couldn't wait to use it that night. I followed the directions and used the Glopro all over my face and neck. I loved how it felt! You could feel the micro needles more on the forehead but it wasn't uncomfortable, just more noticeable. After I went over my face a few times I immediately put on my moisturizer. It was almost as if I could feel it being absorbed deeper into my skin. The next day my face felt as though I had gotten a little sun. Again, not uncomfortable just more noticeable. That was Friday morning. Saturday night I went to dinner with a friend and we were having a pretty serious conversation when she said "I'm so sorry to interrupt bu your skin looks so good! It's glowing." I told her that my skin routine is the same except I just used the GoPro for the first time. True story! Customer for life here!!" — Tricia Voelkel
Note: The device doesn't work on all hair color/skin tone combinations, so check the chart provided on the Amazon page to be sure it will work for you.
Promising review: "Life changer.... my under arm and bikini line were my main reason for getting this IPL device. I'd just like to shave less often and have fewer ingrown hairs. I had done a ton of research on other brands and the Braun device was consistently the most liked.... I IPL'd my underarms twice a week for the first 3 weeks then went down to once a week. I started seeing a significant difference probably around 3-4 weeks. I'm going to continue weekly until summer hits I expect. For my legs, it's thinner and growing much slower with less irritated-looking follicles. The place I'm most happy about is the bikini line, it seems to have reduced ingrowns for me as well which was a pleasant surprise. It's coming in slower and thinner and I almost don't need to shave weekly but I do anyway. I'm super happy with my results so far and if I remember to I'll update with another photo at the start of summer.... This isn't painful AT ALL. If you've waxed, lasered, or tweezed then you have known pain. This is nothing compared to that. The only time I felt a little sensitive to it is the back of my thighs, it feels a little warm and at worst like half the pain of a rubber band snap on the wrist... Ready for hairless dolphin hot girl summer!" — Kathleen C.
Promising reviews: "Best skin care product! I actually can’t believe the change of my skin quality! I use the blue light and then the red for 10 min each after my usual skin care products. And my skin has become so soft! And I’ve got such a glow! Any blemish disappears so fast now! I’m really happy with my purchase!!" — Valentine R.
Promising reviews: "I love this little vibrating bar! It’s so great to help depuffing in the morning which helps define the contours of my face by helping drain the water retention! I like using this after my moisturizer since I don’t use oils but still need it to glide across my face. The only downside is that when I use it anywhere near my nose it makes my nose tickle and I sneeze haha! 10/10 would recommend though! Such a fun tool to incorporate into your routine!" — Anon
Promising review: “This absolutely works but it takes some time. I have had this product for about 5 months now and I waited until now to give the review because I wanted to give this time. I followed the directions closely and started out using it daily. It is a little time consuming so I would wait until the evening when I cleaned my face and then would do a 'spa' treatment on my face. This became a routine for me. After a bit of time I reduced from using the product daily to a few times a week. I’ll admit I started to get lazy and forget to do my routine and wasn’t seeing the results I was expecting so I buckled down and started using this more regularly. THEN the results came. I have noticed lifting in my cheeks and around my mouth. This is a big deal for me as I just turned 50 and for the last 3 or 4 years, my mouth started turning into a frown when I wasn’t smiling. The face starts to sag at this age what can I say but there was a huge result around my mouth. So I am loving the results and hope that this continues to work. I can’t say it does the same for my neck. Perhaps the muscles are different here I don’t know but huge difference in my face.” — D. Harris
Promising reviews: "I’ve been consistent with using this for an entire year now. I use it every night before bed. No problems with the charging or strap or anything. I’m in my mid 30’s and my skin has been pretty good to me for the past year. My rosacea has reduced, I’ve had absolutely no acne at all, my wrinkles are barely noticeable, and overall my skin just looks and feels better. I started using a pricy moisturizer too, but I’m sure it’s everything combined. Good purchase!" — Corina Grace
Promising review: "This product is absolutely amazing. When used correctly you will experience a transformation of your skin that is unbelievable. I would have paid thousands for a professional treatment and not gotten the results that I have gotten with this product. This is the best investment I ever made. The results are far more than what I expected. I love this product, I highly recommend." — Robyn F.