The Best at Home Facial Tools

Aside from the standard cleanser and moisturizer, facial skincare tools can help boost your self-care routine. But how do you choose the right ones for your skin? We turned to experts like estheticians and facial plastic surgeons for their recommendations.

From classic face rollers to microcurrent devices, these are the best at home facial tools that will improve your complexion.

1. The FaceGym PureLift

This at-home tool from London-based FaceGym is a results-driven skincare brand that takes facial sculpting to new heights. It uses a combination of centuries-old massage techniques and advanced skin tech to work out the muscles in your face for a sculpted finish.

This device comes with a variety of attachments that help sculpt and tone the face, reduce puffiness, promote lymphatic drainage and more. Its patented Triple-Wave Technology uses low, medium and high frequencies to penetrate deep into the muscle fibres, unlike traditional microcurrent devices that only stimulate the surface of the skin. The pulsing randomized current keeps the muscles from adapting and helps you achieve long-term results.

It’s available in two versions: PureLift Face and PureLift Pro. The latter version is designed for estheticians and professionals and has a larger battery and more treatments per charge. It’s ideal if you want to spend a lot of time caring for your skin or are looking for intensive results. Both deliver visible and noticeable results within 10 minutes a day. The tens of thousands of microscopic muscle fibres in your face gradually weaken over time, but daily use of the PureLift device will help to firm and tone them for a more youthful appearance.

2. The Venus Precision Facial Hair Remover

A high-quality razor can also help remove facial hair and exfoliate the skin for a smooth complexion. The Venus Precision Facial Hair Remover features a set of blade refills that are specifically designed for face hair removal, ensuring that they’re gentle on the complexion while still getting rid of unwanted peach fuzz and thicker hairs like those around your eyebrows.

Another option is an epilator, a device that uses a wire to rip out hairs from the roots in a similar way as waxing, but can be much quicker and more precise. It can be a bit more painful than waxing, but it’s also less invasive than laser hair removal treatments, Dr. Fromowitz says.

If you’re looking for an even more permanent solution, though, the best facial hair remover is probably electrolysis, which can be done at a salon or at home. It can be a little pricey, but it’s the only method that permanently best at home facial tools stops facial hair growth once and for all.

3. The Zamac Contour Face Machine

You’d think that facial tools that feel like magic would be a total placebo, but the evidence is in: these gadgets really work (even if the only noticeable result is a little more self-confidence). The best at-home face massagers range from electric microcurrent devices to rollers and gua sha, and can be used for everything from lymphatic drainage, reducing puffiness, contouring, increasing circulation and oxygenation to skin cells, smoothing fine lines and wrinkles, and more.

Designed to be used on cleansed skin, this tool has rollers for the jaw area and a double duty steel ice roller for the eyes (to reduce the appearance of fine lines and de-puff). You can also customize the device with different attachments including an LED light therapy device or a dermaplaning head.

It takes a little practice to master this one, but once you’ve got the hang of it, this pulsating facial cleanser will help firm and tighten skin while removing dead skin cells. It comes in three versions with varying bristle thicknesses for different skin types and connects to an app that has loads of tutorial videos to guide you.

4. The Jillian Dempsey T-Bar

Unlike other facial massage tools, this luxe 24K gold-plated bar vibrates to instantly lift and contour skin, sculpting cheekbones, jawlines, and even the so-called tech neck. Taking inspiration from traditional Chinese medicine gua sha face massage, the tool helps promote lymphatic drainage and relaxes tense facial muscles. “There is some limited data to support that vibration may help smooth the complexion and improve product penetration of your retinol serums and ceramide-rich creams,” dermatologist Joshua Zeichner tells Bustle.

Another benefit is depuffing tired eyes. The tool, which comes with a mini jade roller, works to melt away puffiness and soothe peepers. For a more affordable option, Herbivore’s Jade Facial Roller ($30) is the one I’ve been using for years and provides similar benefits without the added vibrations.

Start by thoroughly removing makeup before cleansing and applying a pea-sized amount of your normal facial moisturizer to skin. Then, gently use The Gold Bar to massage skin, pushing upward to sculpt the face for five minutes, then flipping and repeating the action on the other side of your face. You can also use the tool to target tech lines—horizontal lines on the neck caused by looking down at ordinary hair care phones or other technology gadgets—by tilting your head and quickly gliding the face massager vertically up and down over those areas.

5. The LED Light Therapy Device

The latest version of this tool, which combines LED therapy with a face-sculpting microcurrent ring and pore-clogging cleansing ring, is a beauty editor favorite. The FDA-cleared mask is easy to use via an app and can be customized to treat five different facial areas for wrinkles, dark spots, acne and sun damage. It also comes with a setting with red and blue light, which is ideal for combatting acne, according to esthetician Shamara Bondaroff.

While the results vary depending on your specific skin concerns, Bodemer says that in general you can expect to see a difference after three to four weeks of regular treatment. You may see more serious results after a month of consistent use, she adds.

For a less expensive option, check out this small disc-like device from Omnilux, which can tackle blemishes with a combo of red and blue LED light. This handheld device is compact enough to fit in the palm of your hand and doesn’t require any creams or serums. Plus, it’s portable, so you can treat your face anywhere you have an electrical outlet.