Working from home, virtual meetings, wearing face masks and minimal socialising has seen a move away from make up to more focus on skincare as we embrace the natural look.
Not knowing when beauty salons will be open, our only option is to try to create that glowing complexion at home. Here are a few of our top picks on home skincare tools to help you on your beauty pathway– just don’t use them all together!
Facial cleansing brushes
These deep cleanse the skin. Use once or twice a week, as daily use could cause the skin to become tender and sensitive. Choose from the simple manual brushes and the multi function sonic/electric type.
An example of the manual version is Brushworks Facial Cleansing brush at £7.49 via Look Fantastic.
Dual sided – one side the brush features soft bristles to gently clean pores and on the other side, silicone bristles to exfoliate and massage.
Cruelty free and vegan friendly.
How to use: Just pour cleanser on the moist brush, then very gently and lightly massage the face. Too much pressure will lead to redness and dryness.
A sonic example is Magnitone Barefaced 2 Vibra-Sonic Facial Cleansing and Toning Brush at £50 via Boots.
Barefaced 2 deep cleanses and tones with the anti bacterial bristles adapting to the contour of the skin and gently pulsating impurities out of pores.
There are 3 modes – Sensitive, Deep Cleanse and PulseLift Toning – a workout for your skin to boost micro-circulation..
The brush is active for 1 minute with a 20-second timer to move on to your next facial zone (T-zone, cheeks/chin and neck) and then auto turns itself off.
After the cleansing, swap the brush head to the ‘Tone It Up’ brush head, which enhances skin stimulation and increases the absorption of serums/moisturisers.
Exfoliation Tool
There are many exfoliating creams and mitts but for a more professional micro dermabrasion facial there is the Rio Skin Renew Microdermabrasion System £79.99 from LookFantastic.
With a range of interchangeable heads it gently polishes the skin surface removing dead skin cells to reveal a fresh, glowing and more even toned complexion.
Check the instructions for how often to use due to your own skin condition. After that a monthly maintenance may be all that is needed.
Age-Defying tools
Opatra Dermisonic via Dermoi.com is expensive at £895 but Dermoi have a few for £268.50.
This aims to stimulate the skin for a tighter, smoother and more youthful appearance using four different ways:
- Galvanic technology, a medium current to stimulate skin cell production and push skin care products deep into the skin
- Ultrasound stimulation to promote collagen and loosen debris from follicles, gently lifting dead surface skin cells and exfoliating
- Vibrating massage to improve blood circulation and tighten the skin
- LED therapy with 3 different light settings: Red for anti-ageing; Blue for anti blemish and Green for even skin tone
A manual and cheaper alternative is the skincare roller. These have become very popular and the must have skincare beauty tool. Rose Quartz is the most on-trend and used to help calm the skin, but there is also the Jade Roller which is used to help lift and stimulate the skin, such as Revolution Skincare Jade Roller at BEAUTY BAY £15.
After cleansing, apply a few drops of facial oil, serum or moisturiser to your face, then gently move the roller across your face. Move the roller outwards from your nose and for the neck use an upwards motion towards the chin. The small roller can be used for under eyes – work from the inner eye to the temple.
Use daily.
Target Treatments
The Eyes
NuFACE FIX Break the Ice provides gentle micro-currents to target the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes, lips and forehead. Use with the Nuface Fix serum to activate the micro-current treatment. Can be used three minutes a day per treatment area up to two times a day.
Available via Look Fantastic for £120.
A cheaper manual alternative is the Revolution Skincare Cooling Eye Roller Ball to help de-puff under eyes. Combine with eye cream and roll over puffy under-eyes to relieve swollen and tired skin to boost circulation. Available via Beauty Bay, price £8. Use daily.
The Neck
PRAI AGELESS Throat Ionic Device & Serum features Ionic technology, which delivers firming, lifting and smoothing effects. It reduces the look of wrinkles, lines and sagging. Use with their Ageless throat iconic serum.
Available from Look Fantastic at £99.
The Lips
PMD Kiss Lip Plumping System not only plumps up lips but also aims to combat signs of ageing by reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as restoring the lip’s natural colour which can fade with age. You need to use this together with Kiss Smart Lip Plumping Serum.
Available from Look Fantastic, £125.
Dark Spots
Talika Pigment Control Anti Dark Spots Cosmetic Instrument is available from Look Fantastic for £93. Brighten and even the skin’s appearance – an anti-ageing light therapy device to target dark spots on the face, hands and decollage. Green light targets and regulates melanocyte activity whilst ionic micro-currents stimulate the skin to enhance the penetration of traditional brightening creams.
Face masks
Face masks have always been a part of beauty home treatment but now it has been taken to the next level with Foreo UFO.
FOREO UFO 2 Device is an advanced face mask that works in 90 seconds. Available from Look Fantastic for £249 or go for the cheaper mini size at £159 – FOREO UFO mini 2 Device
Foreo combine Korean inspired sheet masks with a UFO device that uses hyper-infusion technology to encourage the absorption of nutrients and active ingredients into the complexion.
It uses the same UV free red (anti-ageing), green (brightening) and blue (anti-acne) LED light wavelengths found in spa photo facial treatments; Thermotherapy for gentle heat to relax and T-Sonic pulsations to absorb the active mask ingredients into the deeper layers of the skin.
Karen Grace studied Personal Styling at the London College of Fashion and is Eclipse Magazine’s Fashion & Beauty Editor.
You can read more of Karen’s fashion advice at: www.frumpytofunky.com
For personal shopping and styling services you can reach her via frumpy to funky on contact@frumpytofunky
