Facial Tools: Beneficial to Skin, or Another Sales Hype?

With at-home skincare treatments hitting new heights since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s understandable that there’s some confusion surrounding all the latest facial tools on the market.

Will that tool clear your acne? Will this one de-puff while reducing wrinkles? And what about the puffy circles that have appeared under your eyes and seem to be taking up permanent residence?

If you’re considering adding facial tools to your clean skincare routine, read on. We’re sharing our thoughts on some of the most commonly found facial tools on the market (and in your feed), and whether they’re beneficial to skin, or just another sales hype. 

Facial rollers 

Quartz rollers, jade rollers…by now, it seems these pastel-hued facial rollers are everywhere, but do they deserve precious shelf space and rotation in your clean skincare routine? 

Stone rollers are a user-friendly facial tool that can be beneficial in helping ingredients sink into skin. If you use face oils or CBD sheet masks, gently rolling a quartz or jade roller over the oil or mask may help deliver ingredients to skin in a more beneficial way. 

Another perk of facial rollers? You can refrigerate or freeze them and use them to help depuff your face in the morning (or anytime!), particularly around the delicate under-eye area. And if you suffer from tension headaches, this tool can also be incredibly soothing when gently rolled over temples and the jaw, especially when it’s been chilled. 

Gua sha tools

Like facial rollers, gua sha tools have become increasingly popular; gua sha tools are also made of stone and can be used in multiple ways as part of a clean beauty routine. 

Gua sha is a technique used in traditional East Asian medicine and according to Forbes.com, it “uses a series of tools to scrape or rub the skin in order to relieve blood stagnation, or stasis, which refers to when blood does not adequately reach all areas of the body.

This lack of blood flow can cause symptoms, such as stiffness, swelling, tightness or pain. The overall goal of gua sha is to move a person’s qi (chi)—a vital energy that exists in the body, according to Chinese medicine—to release pain or other symptoms.”

When used on the face as part of your clean beauty routine, gua sha not only helps to promote better circulation and lymphatic drainage, but it can also help to de-puff the face, encourage collagen production, help skin appear tighter and lifted, and even decrease inflammation–all of which help skin appear healthier and more vibrant. 

“We have found that using a gua sha tool in conjunction with our CBD skincare–and in particular, with our MASK serums–is highly beneficial to how our skin looks and feels,” says Sarah Mirsini, founder of MASK CBD Skincare.

“In addition, gua sha helps products to further sink in to skin, and it relaxes tension in the face, the jaw, the temples, and in the shoulders and the neck–quite a heavy lift for such a little tool, but once you begin using it regularly, you understand why the gua sha technique has been around for hundreds of years.”

In short, adding gua sha to your routine is worth it. Not only does gua sha help you look better, but taking the time to learn the technique and practice it regularly is a simple but powerful act of self-care. 

LED masks 

At-home LED masks are an investment, and they’re purported to treat everything from fine lines and wrinkles to acne to scarring. And while some people have found them to be effective when used as part of their clean skincare routine, it’s important to note that they aren’t entirely without risk.

According to Forbes.com, “These devices can be effective but we need to keep in mind that there is still some UV light absorbed and so there have been reports of it triggering or worsening pigmentation, such as melasma. You should also choose a device that has adequate eye protection. Neutrogena recalled their home LED masks in 2019 as there were concerns they were potentially causing eye damage.”

While this incident seems to be an exception rather than a rule, ensuring you always have proper eye protection–even if the mask has cut-outs for your eyes–is key. And while LED masks may be helpful in treating acne, in particular, the at-home versions are not as powerful as what your skincare professional has access to, so results may take far longer to achieve. 

The bottom line? If you’re using an LED mask to complement rather than supplement your already well-rounded clean skincare routine, go for it! Your self-care journey should always be about what makes you comfortable, and what helps you feel your best.

You may not see jaw-dropping results, but if using an LED mask helps you relax and comitt to a regular non toxic skincare regimen, then it can only be a welcome addition to your beauty shelf.