5 Skincare Tools Worth Trying

There’s a moment when every habit starts to take hold when you question if this is really a good idea or not. Your finances, your health, your sanity, all have to be considered. Right now, that’s skincare tools for me. It started simply enough, but now I can feel myself taking one step at a time across the line into the “fuck it” camp and becoming someone with a full-on laboratory for a bathroom.

Pray for me.

But in all seriousness, skincare tools can be a game changer if you use them properly. That does not, however, mean they have to be really expensive. Or even a little expensive.

I still believe anything with needles should stay in the hands of professionals who can monitor your skin and make sure you aren’t doing more harm than good. As much as I think I know MY skin, I’m not a doctor or esthetician. No amount of reading or watching YouTube will change that. Instead, I’ve found at-home tools for facial massage and microcurrent to be both effective and safe and the current situation has given me plenty of time to work them into my routine.

As I’ve mentioned, spending more time on my skincare routine has been nothing short of therapeutic right now. Adding an extra step with skincare tools makes me feel like I’m getting a facial every day instead of hitting the reset button on this very Groundhog Day existence we’re all living in. And that can’t be a bad thing.

Here are the devices I reach for again and again:

Ginger Chi Anti-Aging Jade Roller — The one that started it all. I bought my first jade roller almost three years ago and for probably the first year I had it, I used it religiously every night to help press my serums and creams into my skin. Always a good student, I followed the included diagram to the letter and reaped the benefits of less bloat. When I woke in the morning, I it didn’t matter what I ate or drank the night before and my neck also looked more taut.

Skin Inc. Optimizer Voyage Tri-Light++ — This beauty was my first skincare tool splurge. I still considered it a splurge even with a stash of Sephora gift cards, because it is! But I love this thing. Whenever I have a breakout, I apply a layer of their Pure Deepsea Hydrating Overnight Mask and use the purple light to fight bacteria and inflammation. Using it daily helps bring down blemishes and soothe the skin. The microcurrent also helps the hydrating ingredients in the mask penetrate the skin. My skin just glows after I use it. I only wish I had the rechargeable version.

ESARORA Ice Roller — Whenever I look in the mirror and find my cheeks have doubled in size from my love of salty foods, I reach for this roller, which lives in my freezer. It just feels so so so good. Rolling it all over my face and neck for three to five minutes takes down the puffiness and wakes me up. If you have a migraine or a hangover, this is your new best friend.

DANGSHAN Beauty Bar — Forever thankful to The Strategist for this dupe for the $200 social media sensation that is the Jillian Dempsey’s Gold Sculpting Bar. I’ve been using this bar in the morning to help my cocktail of UBUNA serums absorb more quickly. No mincing words here — it’s a vibrator for your face. But the vibration gets the blood flow going and helps with any further puffiness. Just be careful how you store it. I decided to forgo the included pouch at first and some of the finish scraped off the bottom of the on-off knob.

NuFACE Mini Facial Toning Device — I picked up this little guy for my last birthday and since lockdown began, I’ve been using it four to five times a week. It’s recommended you stick to this routine for 60 days and then go down to twice a week. I went with the mini so it was more portable. While the lifting effect on my cheeks and chin was noticeable right away, I was skeptical any of the benefits would last. But now that the fine horizontal lines on my forehead are starting to soften, I’m becoming a believer. Just make sure to apply a generous layer of primer (I prefer pure aloe vera gel over their formula) anywhere you want to use it or you may get a little zap. If you do get zapped though, do not fret. It just made my skin red for a moment.