Beauty trends may come and go but you can be sure of one thing: the future of beauty tech is blindingly bright. The global skincare device market may have been worth a cool 39.5 million in 2019, but recent consumer research suggests that figure is set to rise to a staggering £28.2 million by 2030 as we seek out more powerful, painless, non-invasive ways to get our glow on from the comfort of our homes. 

While some of this growth can be attributed to the closure of salons, spas, and clinics during lockdown – beauty device experts CurrentBody saw a 56% increase in IPL hair removal device sales in 2020 alone – the fact remains that cutting-edge developments in beauty technology have never made it easier, or more cost-effective, to get firmer, plumper, smoother, clearer, healthier-looking skin without the salon price tag.

Even so, buying one of the best LED face masks, the best IPL hair removal devices, or the best facial cleansing brushes will still set you back a pretty penny. That’s why we’ve spent months testing out the latest and greatest beauty gadgets and gizmos on the market, so you can be sure that the beauty tool or device you buy suits your needs, delivers the results you want, and gives you a great return on your investment. Welcome to our round-up of the best skincare devices of 2024.

THE BEST SKINCARE GADGETS YOU CAN BUY RIGHT NOW

Until recently, leading fitness and wellness brand Therabody were better known for their sleep-inducing SmartGoggles, stress-reducing RecoveryAir JetBoots, and industry-leading massage tools, including the Theragun Pro. But that’s all changed since they moved into the beauty sphere with the award-winning Therabody TheraFace Pro. 

This multi-tasking facial treatment tool combines all the therapies you need for a fully customisable experience you won’t find in any other device on the market right now. It provides six different science-backed magnetic attachments all adapted to the face in one compact device, including percussive therapy to relieve tension and stress, skin-toning microcurrents to tighten skin, a cleansing ring to remove dirt and oil from your pores, plus LED light therapy to reduce wrinkles, acne, and breakouts. It also comes with a cute travel bag to neatly store the device and attachments inside, making it the perfect skin- and space-saving travel accessory. 

HigherDose is famed for bringing wellness tech to the masses with their innovative Infrared Sauna Blankets and Infrared PEMF Mats that reduce stress, boost mood and increase energy. Now, the New York-born brand has expanded into the LED face mask market to help customers biohack their beauty – and the results are ridiculously good. 

The HigherDose Red Light Face Mask uses red and near-infrared wavelengths to stimulate collagen and elastin production and is specifically designed to be worn on the move, with a three-part head strap that comfortably keep the mask in place whether you’re doing chores or Downward Dog. That means it fits easily into your lifestyle, which is key when you’re investing your hard-earned cash on a pricey beauty tool to use at home. 

Best of all, it really works. In our HigherDose Red Light Face Mask review, our tester saw immediate results after one treatment, and experienced fuller, plumper, smoother skin with less redness after using the mask four times a week for a month. Easy to use and infinitely wearable. What more could you ask?

Microneedling might seem like an unnecessary step in your skincare regime, but this multi-purpose dermatologist- and celebrity-approved technique really does tackle it all, from pigmentation and fine lines to scarring, large pores and acne. To try it at home, you’ll need a microneedling tool or dermaroller – think a mini paint roller with lots of uber-fine needles at one end – which you gently roll across the skin to create imperceptible micro-channels in the epidermis. This then encourages your skin to send signals for extra collagen to help repair the ‘damage’.

If you want to give it a go, we recommend trying the award-winning BeautyBio GloPro. It combines red light technology and pulsing stimulation with 0.3mm microneedles to help your skincare absorb up to 200 times more effectively and reveal fuller, smoother, clear skin in just 60 seconds a day. Other attachments of various sizes and needle lengths are also available to purchase separately for the body, eye area, and lip area.

Until recently, the best way to access the clinically proven skin tightening effects of RF (radio frequency) was in a professional skin clinic. But that’s all changed since the launch of the CurrentBody Skin RF, which works by sending RF waves through the skin from one electrode to another. When the skin resists these waves, it heats up, stimulating the production of new collagen fibres to improve skin elasticity, reduce wrinkles and fine lines, and enhance skin tone and texture while effectively targeting and tightening crow’s feet, brow 11’s, smile lines, jowls and sagging skin.

You only need to use the CurrentBody Skin RF once a week for eight weeks to see lasting results, although many users see an improvement within one session (CurrentBody claims it is 33% more effective than other RF devices on the market and delivers results in 50% less time that devices). It’s worth saying that a full facial treatment will take you 35 minutes to complete, so it’s not as simple as wearing an LED face mask and you will need to put in some effort. But the results are worth it. 

Even moving into dental care with the Issa 3 toothbrush, the company is committed to filling our bathrooms with colourful devices. And the jewel in its clean crown is the Foreo Luna 3 facial cleanser. Both a cleanser and massager in one, this app-connected brush remembers your last chosen setting of the 16 available and is happy to just get on with cleansing even if you don’t have your phone to hand. 

The soft silicone bristles mean that it’s even gentle on more sensitive skin and can be used daily as part of your routine. It leaves your skin feeling clean and bright without any aggressive scraping and it also comes in a variety of colours to match your bathroom. It’s worth noting too that the rechargeable battery is almost too good to be true with a massive 650 uses before you have to plug it in with the supplied USB. 

The JOVS Venus Pro II Hair Removal Device is an innovative 2-in-1 beauty tool that combines hair removal with skin rejuvenation in a stylish, lightweight package. It has plenty of standout features, including a versatile 330° rotating head that lets you access every nook and cranny with ease, along with built-in ICE technology to cool the skin and make treatments practically painless.

In all, there are six intensity levels to choose from depending on the thickness of your body hair, plus six treatment modes: five are designed to tackle specific areas of hair growth (the face, arms, underarm, bikini line, and legs) while the sixth puts you into SR (Skin Rejuvenation) mode to help you fight the signs of ageing (think wrinkles and pigmentation) with the power of LED. A breeze to use, you can expect to see a significant reduction in hair growth within six weeks, along with a more youthful complexion with continued use.

Out of all the LED face masks we’ve reviewed at T3.com so far, the Omnilux Clear is the least comfortable to wear. But if you suffer from adult acne, you’ll be more than willing to put up with 10 minutes of pressure around the eye/nose area a few times a week for the amazing results. Because the fact is it really works. 

Non-invasive and 100% natural, the Omnilux Clear blends a combination of blue light therapy to kill breakout-feeding ‘P.acnes’ bacteria with red light therapy to trigger the body’s own natural healing response and increase the production of new collagen. Altogether, you get clearer skin, increased healing, and reduced oil production, inflammation, and redness, without any of the side effects from medication. Indeed, studies on the Omnilux Clear have shown it can clear 72% of acne in just four weeks – something our own tester confirmed during testing.

There’s no denying it, we really do love an LED face mask here at T3. But if we had one tiny complaint, it would be that some of them fail to shine a light on the thin skin above our upper lip (which naturally contains less collagen than the rest of the face). And that means those pesky feather lines that cause your lipstick to bleed – sometimes referred to as ‘vertical lip lines’ or ‘smoker’s lines’ – don’t get the TLC they deserve, even though they probably need it the most!

Thank heavens then for the new CurrentBody Skin LED Lip Perfector: a revolutionary anti-ageing LED device that promises plumper, more youthful-looking and evenly toned lips in eight weeks when you wear it for just 3 minutes a day. Quick and easy to use, the device’s 56 LED bulbs emit four wavelengths – amber (605nm), red (633nm), deep red (660nm) and near-infrared (830nm) – to boost collagen production and cell renewal. We also like that it provides a painless alternative to lip fillers.