Innovation in the beauty tech space moves at breakneck speed – and the best at-home skincare tools now rival those found in professional clinics. Whatever your concern, whether it's nailing the art of a good cleanse, boosting circulation and glow, stimulating your collagen reserves, or reducing hyperpigmentation, the range of great skincare tools means there is something for everyone to supercharge their routine.
If you know your skin goals but aren’t sure where to start, we’re here to help. Below is a comprehensive curation of the best skincare tools for every skin type and to tackle the most common skincare concerns. Just remember, consistency is key. To maximise their results, you need to use them regularly.
Our beauty editors are experts when it comes to sussing out the latest beauty tech developments, which means every pick you find in our edits comes thoroughly tried, tested and -approved. As well as putting skincare tools through their initial paces, we also tested them long-term to see if the results really do deliver healthier, firmer, clearer skin over time. As well as relying on our own expertise, we also consulted with some of the skincare industry’s most knowledgeable experts to find something for everyone, whether that’s celebrity facialist favourites or beginner-friendly finds. Read on to discover some of our favourite skincare tools to try. You can find out more about our ‘how we test’ process here.
Best for LED skincare tools
Struggling with fine lines and dull skin? Long hailed for their powerful results, the best LED face masks treat a range of skincare issues at the cellular level. Blue light decreases acne flare-ups, red stimulates the skin’s collagen production and helps reduce hyperpigmentation, while yellow decreases inflammation and can even soothe sore muscles. While there are many that the team rates, special mention should go to CurrentBody’s popular LED mask, which is hands-free and uses red light (among others) to rejuvenate and re-plump the skin.
CryoGlow Clinic Face + Body
- Why it’s -approved: The Shark CryoGlow Clinic is more powerful than the original CryoGlow. The face mask alone has 510 LED bulbs (versus the previous 480), and these are tactically placed around the crow’s feet and nasolabial folds, which are common areas of concern. In the same well-fitting hardshell design, the brand has layered the LEDs so that there is seamless coverage across the face (which is not always possible with a silicone mask). The brand says there is higher radiance too, which delivers faster results. Importantly, the wavelengths remain the same, as they are clinically proven.
- Where this device stands out when compared to its predecessor is greater power and thus faster results, the addition of heat to the cooling eye pads for contrast therapy and, most excitingly of all, the brand’s first foray into a neck LED mask. But this is no ordinary LED neck mask. This is a multitasking LED mini panel that doubles up as an LED hand mask, and after over a decade of gel manicures, I am thrilled to add this to my red light therapy routine. Yes, I have a red light therapy routine.
- Shark has teamed up with an army of dermatologists and skin scientists to create a gadget that is designed to minimise visible signs of ageing, firm the skin, stimulate collagen production, boost elasticity and combat sagging. Clinical testing from the brand has reported an improvement in the appearance of fine lines on the forehead, lips, neck, chest and hands, as well as crow’s feet and frown lines – and all this through just one device.
- There are three programs: Wrinkle Repair, Balance & Clear and Skin Sustain, which are offered on both masks. Wrinkle Repair is a six-minute treatment that harnesses red and infrared light and is designed to be used daily for eight weeks. Balance & Clear is the spot-fighting option with blue light as the star and, according to the brand, can help clear blemishes in just a month of usage. Skin Sustain is to keep up the results of the previous treatments. These can be paired with either Under-Eye Revive, which, much like the original CryoGlow, uses soothing InstaChill Technology to depuff or the Dual-Temp Restore contrast technology mentioned above. You can mix and match any of the above treatments; for example, I use Balance and Clear on my face but Wrinkle Repair on the neck at the same time. Helpfully, everything is controlled via the remote, so there is no need for any storage-filling companion apps.
- Key specs:
- Red (633nm), near infra red (830nm), deep near infra red (1072nm), blue (415nm)
- Device type: Face mask
- Target area: Face, hands and neck
- Best for: Being consistent with a programme
- Full coverage LEDs
- Face, neck and hands in one device
- Easy to be consistent with the programmes
- Needs regular charging
LED Red Light Therapy Face Mask: Series 3
Why it’s -approved: CurrentBody has unveiled its Series 3 face mask and has made some major changes from the previous iteration. Most notably, it adds inflammation-calming yellow, pigmentation-minimising green, and blemish-busting blue light alongside the previous collagen-boosting red, NIR, and deep NIR. It also comes with an accompanying app. While I’m not a fan of companion apps, this one is well worth the download. On the platform, channelling Windows’ Paint, you can colour in where you want certain lights to be. For example, if you have a hormonal breakout on the chin, you can ensure that there is blue light there, but not necessarily on the other parts of the face; the same goes for areas of hyperpigmentation. It’s entirely customisable. You could even do every single light all over the face at the same time, and the algorithm will automatically adapt the quantity of light so that you are not overloading the complexion but are maximising efficacy. The brand calls this My Dose technology, and it was created because the skin can only absorb so much light. You can create presets and even share these with friends. If you’re not sure where to start, there are existing clinician-approved presets. The mask has the same silicone design as the Series 2, complete with a chin strap. Where CurrentBody stands out on the market is through its quantity of independent studies. These showed that in eight weeks of usage, there was a reduction in hyperpigmentation, redness and wrinkle volume, as well as an increase in hydration, elasticity and skin brightness.
- Key specs:
- Red (633nm), near infra red (830nm), deep near infra red (1072nm), blue (415nm)
- Device type: Face mask
- Target area: Face
- Best for: Mixing and matching different wavelengths for a personalised treatment
- Range of programmes
Best facelift tools
Who doesn’t want a firmer, more lifted appearance? Luckily, there are a plethora of great devices out there that will deliver just such results. Mimic the hands of Hollywood’s most in-demand facialists with these toning devices that contour cheekbones, lift jawlines, and drain fluid to help you de-bloat. NuFace’s pronged microcurrent massager stimulates facial muscles in 5- to 20-minute sessions, leaving complexions firmer and more toned. Slather on a conducting gel pre-use, so the rollers glide easily over skin. Meanwhile, the medical-grade ZIIP Halo device is a favourite among stars such as Margot Robbie and the team. Highly rated for ease-of-use and results, it uses tiny nano current waves to stimulate tissues at the cellular level and doesn’t just sculpt enviable jawlines – it also kickstarts collagen production for a complexion that’s tighter and brighter overall.
- Why it’s -approved: NuFace’s pronged microcurrent massager – beloved by editors and stars like ’s Madeline Petsch – stimulates facial muscles in 5 to 20-minute sessions, leaving complexions firmer and more toned. Slather on a conducting gel pre-use, so the rollers glide easily over skin. Otherwise, glide the ReFa Carat Ray Face across your face and décolletage to boost circulation and firm skin. According to the director of ReFa USA, Rie Iimura, the -verified multiangular device converts light energy into microcurrent and delivers a “gripping motion that mimics an aesthetician’s finger motion” through two double-drainage roller prongs.
- Best for: lifting sagging skin
- Target treatment: Full face
- Treatment time: 5 to 20 minutes
- Really ease to use
- Immediate lifting results
- May not be suitable for deep wrinkles
ZIIP Halo Microcurrent Facial Device
- Why it's Vogue-approved: ZIIP Halo is a microcurrent and nanocurrent device that A-listers, including Jennifer Aniston, Margot Robbie and Kim Kardashian, swear by. A great pre-red-carpet fix, it promises to instantly lift and improve the overall texture and appearance of the skin with consistent use over time. It is paired with a companion app where founder and facialist to the stars Melanie Simon walks you through the treatments.
- The ZIIP Halo uses “dual waveform” technology, which combines microcurrent and nanocurrent technology. In fact, it uses 26 different waveforms which work on multiple layers of the skin to offer results from the first session. It’s the only tool on the market that offers these two types of current together. Microcurrent is a higher frequency, low-level electrical current which stimulates the facial muscles to contract and relax, which tones them. Results last up to 72 hours. A much lower electrical current, nanocurrent, mimics the electrical impulses that the brain sends to skin cells to support their work. This helps with collagen production, cellular regeneration and more, leading to overall rejuvenation of the skin. You’ll see the best results after six weeks of consistent use.
- Best for: boosting collagen production
- : different intensities of Microcurrent and Nanocurrent
- Follow along with app makes it so easy
- Great for jowls
- Connecting to app can be temperamental