11 Skin-Care Tools Actually Worth Trying, According to Editors (2024)

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By

Jessica Harrington

11 Skin-Care Tools Actually Worth Trying, According to Editors (1)

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We know the skin-care device market can be confusing. Everything lights up, buzzes, vibrates, zaps, you name it. That said, there are also plenty of innovations that can lead to game-changing results. No matter what your beauty concerns and goals are, there's likely a skin-care tool out there to help. Do you want to tone, lift, and sculpt? No problem. Looking to release some tension in your jawline while depuffing? Done. Have some hyperpigmentation you're trying to fade for good? You have options.

To help you sort through the array of offerings, we've organized all of the best skin-care tools into one helpful shopping guide so you can get the right tech for your needs. The right tool can help take your daily skin-care routine to new heights or complement the work of your dermatologist or aesthetician. Why wait to enjoy a lymphatic drainage massage only once a month when you can use a roller at home? If you want to give yourself an at-home facial (and a really, really good one, at that), here's where to start.

From gua sha tools to facial steamers, LED masks, and microcurrent devices, these editor-approved skin-care tools are going to be your new best friend. Keep reading to shop our picks, ahead.

Additional reporting by India Yaffe

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Best Facial Steamer

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Pro Facial Steamer ($159)

One of the best parts of a professional facial is the steam — it helps soften the skin and boost hydration levels while prepping you for the next step in your treatment. It makes sense, then, why renowned dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross would want to incorporate the tool in his eponymous skin-care line, and we can confirm the results are legit. This Pro Facial Steamer will allow you to reap those benefits at home. Not to mention, it's just really relaxing.

Editor's quote: "No $250 eye cream required, just one machine, which lasts as long as you can keep your electrical outlet in tact. And it will leave your skin feeling like a baby's bum. The other pros of the steamer? It makes for great Instagram content. Ten minutes of warm steam against your face and you'll completely forget you're in your 300 square-foot apartment." Read the full review.

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Best Gua Sha Tool

($10, originally $16)

Skin-care tools don't need to break the bank to be effective. Every vanity should contain a gua sha and jade roller to help sculpt, lift, and depuff the face. These beauty tools have been used as a part of Chinese medicine for centuries and are still a top pick for beauty experts everywhere. (Learn more about the ancient practice, and the correct way to do it.)

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Best Dermaplaning Tool

Sephora Collection Metal Facial Razor ($18)

If you want smooth skin, a bright complexion, and the best makeup application of your life, consider dermaplaning. You can get the treatment done by an aesthetician, but the Sephora Collection Metal Facial Razor removes peach fuzz and dead skin cells from your complexion at home.

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Best Face Cleansing Device

Nu Skin's ageLOC LumiSpa iO ($245)

We've tried our share of facial cleansing brushes, but Nu Skin's ageLOC LumiSpa iO stands out because it's actually not a brush. The head uses a silicone attachment — and smart technology that spits out recommendations based on your skin type — that deeply cleanses the face. It's also extremely easy to clean, which is a rarity compared to other cleansing-brush devices on the market. The only time it leaves our bathroom is when we bring it with us on vacation — it's that good.

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Best Travel-Friendly Skin-Care Tool

SolaWave 4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Skincare Wand ($169)

The SolaWave Wand combines the power of microcurrent, red-light therapy, therapeutic warmth, and a facial massage in one easy-to-use tool. Simply run the wand over clean skin to help target fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration, and uneven skin tone. We especially love how compact and travel-friendly it is. For more, read our full SolaWave Wand review.

Editor quote: "This small but mighty light-therapy tool packs a seriously transformative punch, with built-in technologies that work to fade blemishes and breakouts at the source, all while providing a soothing UV-like treatment at home. Considering how notoriously busy my schedule can get, I like that I only need to use Solawave's blue-light wand for a short amount of time each day in order to see results." — Kylee Warren, assistant editor, Commerce

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Best Ice Roller

The Skinny Confidential Hot Mess Ice Roller ($69)

The way you feel after using The Skinny Confidential Hot Mess Ice Roller is almost as good as the way you'll look. Keep this bad boy in your fridge to get it nice and cold before using it in the morning (or whenever, really) to depuff and awaken your skin. The roller is made from aluminum, making it easy to clean, and the jumbo silicone handle fits comfortably in your hand. It's so good, it won a POPSUGAR Beauty Award in 2022. For more, read our full The Skinny Confidential Hot Mess Ice Roller review.

Editor Quote: "The Skinny Confidential Hot Mess Ice Roller is by far my favorite on the market. It stays refreshingly cold for a longer time than most other tools I've used — I can roll my face and neck continuously for about 25 to 30 minutes before the refreshing cold feeling starts to disappear." — Anvita Reddy, assistant editor, Commerce

The Skinny Confidential Hot Mess Ice RollerFrom$69
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Best LED Face Mask

Therabody TheraFace Mask ($599)

The Therabody TheraFace Mask takes your skin-care regimen to the next level. Aside from the fact it'll make you look like a sci-fi movie character, the mask contains three different LED light therapy options — red, red and infrared, and blue — and features 648 multicolor, medical-grade LED lights. It'll feel like you're getting a professional facial treatment every time you use it. For more, read our full Therabody TheraFace Mask review.

Editor Quote: "I like to use the mask first thing in the morning when I wake up, running through the entire nine-minute cycle. Occasionally, I use it at night either on the red-light mode with vibration or just vibration on its own because it helps calm me down before sleeping. When I use just vibration, the treatment time is 15 minutes." — Renee Rodriquez, staff writer and social producer, Beauty

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Best Microcurrent Device

NuFace Trinity+ Starter Kit ($395)

The NuFace Trinity+ Starter Kit is an FDA-approved portable microcurrent facial-toning tool that provides facial stimulation. It gently works to stimulate the larger surface areas of the face to provide a five-minute facial lift. With continued use, you'll start to notice your face looks more sculpted and fine lines are less noticeable. For more, read our full NuFace Facial Toning Device review.

Editor Quote: "I was completely blown away the first time I used it. My face looked lifted and sculpted, and each time I've used it since then, I've seen similar results." — Ariel Baker, former assistant editor, Beauty

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Best Sculpting Wand

Jillian Dempsey Gold Sculpting Bar ($195)

The Jillian Dempsey Gold Sculpting Bar is beloved by editors and celebrities alike. The 24-karat gold bar helps tone, lift, and contour through vibration, mimicking the effects of facial massage. The thin head makes it easy to target those hard-to-reach spots on your face, like above the eyebrows and directly under the cheekbones.

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Best Facial-Massage Wand

Shani Darden Facial-Sculpting Wand ($399)

For those of us not based in LA and unable to visit celebrity aesthetician Shani Darden in real life, she just launched the Shani Darden Facial-Sculpting Wand. It helps you experience the local-vibration portion of her signature facials at home by targeting wrinkles and boosting circulation in the skin. Not to mention, it just feels really, really good — especially if you hold tension in your jaw or have TMJ. For more, read our full Shani Dardan Sculpting Wand review.

Editor Quote: "I've been trying the Facial Sculpting Wand for about four months now, and I have to be honest — I'm hooked. I'm so impressed by how it makes my face look that it's become a part of my weekly skin-care regimen. The glow the tool gives your skin is the first thing you notice." — Sophia Panych, former content director, UK

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Best High-Frequency Wand

The Things We Do High Frequency Wand ($98)

High frequency, a popular treatment in dermatologist offices and medical-grade spas, is used for a variety of beauty benefits, from zapping acne to stimulating hair growth. The Things We Do High Frequency Wand allows you to do it all from your home. It features four wands: the point wand for targeting breakouts, the spoon wand for treating inflammation, the mushroom wand for rejuvenation, and the comb wand for improving blood circulation in the scalp.

Jessica Harrington is the senior beauty editor at PS, where she writes about hair, makeup, skin care, piercings, tattoos, and more. As a New York City-based writer and editor with a degree in journalism and over eight years of industry experience, she loves to interview industry experts, keep up with the latest trends, and test new products.

The Things We Do High Frequency WandFrom$98
11 Skin-Care Tools Actually Worth Trying, According to Editors (2024)
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