The home skin devices that make the difference

As the number of skincare products and ingredients available to us constantly increases, so too does the amount of at-home gadgets and devices aimed at helping us turn back the years on our faces.

I have, as you might imagine, tried quite a few.

From ‘face bras’ to Dermawands and dermarollers, microneedles, laser, radiofrequency and ultrasound, I’ve been there.

Some I found to be pretty gimmicky, but when these anti-aging devices involve putting heat or energy into your skin it is likely to do something – I’m just not sure that it’s always exactly what we want it to do which is to increase the volume and health of our skin.

I’ve seen shorter term benefits from using these kind of devices in the past, but over the last year or so I have moved away from what I would call more aggressive treatments to just using gentle stimulation for my skin to avoid stressing it out.

For that I don’t use very strong skincare actives and I don’t use very powerful devices.

Gentle but effective devices

One of the more gentle choices which I credit with making a visible difference to my skin is red light.

Through looking at the research and talking to experts I realized you can gain benefits with just a few minutes of frequent use so I started using a red light mask most nights for just five or six minutes.

Recently I’ve switched from my EvenSkyn mask (which has served me well) to trying out a red light panel which one of my contributors, Bev May Sanderson from Maysama, sent me for the purposes of review.

Her Pulse40 LED Panel can be used in both a pulsing red and near infrared light mode, or a continual light mode depending on preference.

Bev, who is a science graduate with a skincare company, believes the research shows pulsed LED light outperforms continuous wave for better penetration in our skin, increased production of cellular energy [ATP], and faster proliferation of fibroblasts which secrete collagen proteins.

Studies also suggest that pulsed light buffers the over-production of free radicals, reducing any potential risk of oxidative stress from constant exposure.

That doesn’t mean we have to throw out our red light masks.

I have personally seen huge benefits to my skin from using one most days – but I only use constant red light for a few minutes at a time precisely because I want to prevent the downsides of overuse.

And each morning I still continue to use a red light eye mask for 3 minutes to give the skin around my eyes an added boost.

Micro is the way

Recently, I shared a separate post about microcurrent, so I won’t go into too much detail here, but essentially I find it helpful as a preventative tool which can support muscle tone and keep jowls in check.

I use the ZIIP micro and nanocurrent device three to four times a week and have shied away from higher intensity microcurrent because I feel that, for me, stronger currents don’t support the natural volume of my skin.

I’ve also been building in an element of microneedling recently.

I’d used the Qure micro-fusion facial system over a period of a few months and found it was a really good way to get into microneedling because you basically got a set of individual microneedle stamps and serums that are attached so that as you stamp your skin you are infusing the serums into the upper layers.

I’ve run out of the little stamps now and it’s on my skincare to do list to either buy a replacement kit or buy a microneedling pen and try to do that once or twice a month because I do think microneedling is another effective tool in helping to address wrinkles by stimulating collagen production.

It can also be really useful for treating acne scars and smoothing skin, but it’s a bit of a commitment and with so little free time at the moment that has kind of fallen by the wayside.

For me though, it’s microcurrent and red light that have stood the test of time in my routine and which I now call on frequently but just for a few minutes to give my skin cells a boost, without disturbing their natural harmony.

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