GADGETS & GIZMOS: SPLURGE OR SKIP?
One of the most exciting things about the world of skincare is that it is always changing, always evolving, always improving. It’s fascinating to hear about the latest innovations and technologies, and I often joke with my clients about how these things were thought of in the first place. I imagine the masterminds behind these common inventions sounded something like this…
Chemical Peel: “Let’s come up with a bunch of acids that when applied to the face, makes our skin fall off!”
Microneedling: “If only I could actually get this serum to be absorbed as deeply and efficiently as possible… I know! I’ll stab my client’s face with a ton of needles and make holes to put the serum in!”
Microdermabrasion: “Maybe if I rub this little piece of metal sandpaper on the skin hard enough, I can scrape the skin off and make it look awesome.”
Like, come on. This stuff is just weird when you think about it. And so are all the of the gadgets and gizmos that are coming out in the world of skincare. But, as weird as some of them sound, some of them really work, and others… flop. So, what’s what?
Because we don’t have time to dissect every single device invented, I highly encourage you to always do significant research on the product you’re interested in before purchasing it. Notice, I didn’t say to read reviews. Reviews, while most of the time are great sources, aren’t necessarily trustworthy when it comes to skincare tools. The reason is that there are tools that could potentially deliver what they promise right away, but are very unsafe and extremely damaging when used long-term. So, for now, I’m going to share my top 2 skincare gadgets worth splurging on, my top 2 I beg you to skip and go see a pro for instead, and even a couple that I’m leaving up to you to decide on.
SPLURGE-WORTHY GADGETS
NuFACE Microcurrent Facial Toning Device
This. Thing. WORKS. I have seen it with my own eyes. This cute little alien-looking gadget uses microcurrent, a current that mimics the natural current found in your body, to essentially work out your facial muscles. This thing is basically a personal trainer. But instead of getting a tight butt and strong arms, this personal trainer is a wrinkle-smoothing fairy, an instant facelift, and gives you a more defined facial contour without any Kim K. makeup necessary. Oh, yeah, and the attachable eye-piece? Totally legit. Check it out and get yours here!
Foreo Luna 2
Girl, I love myself a Clarisonic. I am no anti-Clarisonic witch. I love that the Clarisonic cleanses the skin so thoroughly. But the Luna 2 does that and so much more. The Luna 2 is silicone, which means that it is nonporous and much more resistant to bacteria build-up. In fact, it reports to be 35x more hygienic than typical nylon cleansing brushes, like the Clarisonic. To clean it, wash with some antibacterial soap or spray with some alcohol and you’re done. You don’t have to worry about spiraling dirt and bacteria around on your skin. Not to mention, it also has a face massage feature to stimulate areas prone to wrinkles. I dunno if you’re germaphobe like me, but if you are, get one.
SKIP IT, BABES
Microneedling Roller
We love microneedling. LOVE IT. The results of a professional microneedling treatment can be truly jaw-dropping. The issue is that the most popular microneedling device designed for home use is super dangerous. No, I don’t mean dangerous in the sense that you could step on it, putting all lego-stepping-parents’ complaints to shame. I mean in the sense that you could create serious damage on your face. In a medspa or dermatology office, you will notice that your technician won’t be using a microneedling roller. Rolling needles on the skin doesn’t allow for a straight in-and-out penetration. Instead, they’re being pulled out of the skin at funky angles due to the rolling motion, potentially ripping and tearing your skin. Not to mention, the risk of toxic buildup of bacteria and yeast on these things is crazy. You probably aren’t correctly sterilizing your roller in between uses. So along with ripped skin, now you have infected ripped skin. Furthermore, anyone who isn’t a professional technician is not trained on how to safely use it, when to not use it, and how to care for the skin afterward. There are so many things that could go wrong, so many situations when your skin is not safe for microneedling, and so many ways you could hurt yourself from improper aftercare. Oh, and lastly, most home rollers don’t have large enough needles to really be doing anything other than exfoliation, anyway. The risk is NOT worth the supposed reward. If you really want to tackle wrinkles, stubborn pigmentation, or acne scars, microneedling is an amazing option. Seriously, we love it so much we have a blog post on it here. But it is absolutely crucial that you leave it to the pros.
Comedone Extractor
Okay, but seriously, it’s super annoying that you can get your hands on these pretty much anywhere. For those of who you aren’t familiar with this term, a comedone extractor is simply a little metal tool used to extract blackheads. The tool in and of itself is not bad. In fact, I love them. I use them in almost every single facial I perform. But I’m a trained, licensed professional. Are you? If so, then this rant is not for you. Carry on your merry way. But if you’re not, HANDS OFF. It is so important to not pick your blemishes or try and extract your own pimples and blackheads. While extracting blackheads themselves at home is safe if you know how to correctly do it, unless you’ve been trained, DO NOT TRY. It is so easy to break the skin, rupture follicle walls, pop capillaries, spread bacteria and promote more breakouts, and/or lead to a nasty scar. It’s great that you want to treat your breakouts. But you absolutely need to leave that to your esthetician and focus on using treatments and masks at home instead, where you won’t make things way worse.
LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT, YOUR CHOICE
The Insta-Famous Jade Roller
The people who swear by the jade roller swear by the jade roller. Like, it can be intense. But as a natural skeptic, I started doing my own research to prove that this thing is a bunch of baloney (spelled correctly there, I Googled it). But the truth is… even dermatologists are split pretty evenly on their beliefs with this one. This roller promises to increase lymphatic drainage and decrease puffiness, help with product absorption, and even help clear skin. What? A rock?! Dr. Lamees Hamdan explains, “Massaging the lymphatic system is key to helping our face move the excess water, which causes the puffiness. When lymph is flowing freely in the face, you’ll have clearer, healthier skin without a buildup of toxins and fluids.” There’s just one big issue with that… to correctly perform lymphatic drainage requires following an exact protocol and method. Otherwise, you’re just rolling a fancy rock on your face. Celebrity Esthetician, Renee Rouleau, puts it this way, “For true lymphatic drainage, it’s a very specific technique that you have to do to ‘drain’ your face. The average jade roller isn’t really going to know how to do that.” So, while it may be possible to achieve this with the jade roller, it’s not as easy as it seems to be. Love it or leave it? This one is up to you. For those of you committed to the idea of the jade roller, I’d encourage you to check out its sister, the rose quartz flat sone. Using a Chinese technique called gua sha, this little guy actually can help you achieve a true lymphatic drainage facial massage. Check out YouTube for tutorials!
Home LED Skin Devices
I’ll keep this one short and sweet. Lots of companies, even Neutrogena, are coming out with face masks or spot-treatment devices with LED (light-emitting diode) therapy. There are multiple colors that are designed for different issues. For example, blue light is used to treat acne while red is used to treat wrinkles, and so on. For some people, it really works! For others… not so much. The issue is that all skin is different, all blemishes are different, and you have to be committed to using LED therapy regularly for quite some time in order to see if it will actually work for you. If you are at your wit’s end and ready to try anything and everything, go for it! If you’re just looking for the best treatment for your skin issues, I wouldn’t start here. Love it or leave it? Your call.