Understanding At-Home Beauty Devices [101 Guide For Brand Owners]
At-home beauty devices are a more convenient, consistent, and cost effective (albeit less intense) alternative to professional in-clinic treatments. These at-home beauty tools have surged in popularity in recent years in light of the current cost of living crisis and thanks to heavy promotion by skinfluencers on Tiktok.
As a beauty brand owner, it’s important to familiarize yourself with these at-home beauty tools (even if you don’t plan to stock them in your store) and understand which of your brand’s skin care products are compatible (or not) with each device.
Our guide below outlines three of the most popular at-home beauty devices on the market right now - including the scientific research to back up their effectiveness and tips for how to safely use each tool.
LED Masks For Healing, Anti-Aging, and Anti-Acne Benefits
LED light therapy is a common post-facial treatment at cosmetic clinics to heal the skin with additional anti-acne or anti-aging benefits.
LED masks, one of the most popular at-home devices on the market, promise to achieve some of those same light therapy effects more cost-effectively and conveniently from the comfort of your own home. Popular brands include Current Body, OmniLux, and LightStim.
According to Allied Market Research, the global LED mask market size is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8% from 2023 to 2032. This growth is largely influenced by social media hype, but it’s noteworthy that LED therapy has the most peer-reviewed scientific backing of all the at-home beauty devices.
Scientists have known about the potential impact of LEDs on the skin for decades, with research on its collagen-stimulating benefits tracing back to 1987. This evidence has only compounded since - including a 2013 literature review citing multiple published clinical trials affirming the effectiveness of LED therapy on the appearance of the skin.
LED masks in specific light colors at particular wavelengths are proven to provide pain-free non-thermal, non-ablative skin-enhancing benefits including wound healing, improved laxity, treating acne and hypertrophic scars, and diminished wrinkles.
One study on the impact of just 8 professional LED treatments by Weiss et al revealed that 90% of patients improved by at least one Fitzpatrick photoaging category, while 65% achieved an improvement in pigmentation levels, facial texture, fine lines, and background erythema.
As explained by dermatologist Dr. Kavita Mariwall speaking with Vogue Magazine, LED masks can potentially damage the eyes if used continuously without safety goggles. LED light therapy will also make the skin more sensitive to the sun therefore SPF is essential following treatment.
Before you stock LED masks or advise your customers on the best one for their skin, it’s important to understand the difference between the various LED light colors and the optimal wavelengths for maximum effectiveness.
Red light LED masks are particularly effective at anti-aging when in the wavelength range of 600 to 650 nanometers (nm). This range penetrates 1-2 millimeters past the epidermis to stimulate collagen production.
Blue light is targeted towards acne treatment, and according to the same literature review cited above, red to near-infrared in the 630-1000 nm range with nonthermal power (less than 200 mW) combined with blue light enhances the acne treatment benefits.
Microcurrent Devices For Sculpting And Lifting The Face
While LED masks are effective at improving the overall smoothness of the skin, at-home microcurrent devices are designed to lift and sculpt the structure of the face that naturally sags downward with age.
Popular at-home microcurrent device brands include NuFace, ZIIP, and FOREO. How do microcurrent tools work? Esthetician Nerys Rodriguez tells Elle that microcurrent devices are designed to stimulate the muscle under the skin while simultaneously performing lymphatic drainage. This results in both a lifted and a less puffy appearance.
Although the research on microcurrent devices is much more limited compared to LED masks, there are some studies to back up the efficacy of this treatment.
A team of Indian scientists studied the effectiveness of microcurrent on the skin - specifically a microcurrent treatment for 30 minutes a day over a 10-day period. Although the treatment had no impact on fine lines, a professional assessment of the skin before and after the full sessions revealed the microcurrent caused a measured increase in skin firmness.
If your customers are interested in at-home microcurrent treatments, be sure to explain that these devices almost always require a special microcurrent conductor gel or serum for a pain-free and effective sculpting session.
It’s also important to note that the skin should be clean before treatment. As explained in Harper’s Bazaar, oil-based products can hinder the efficacy of microcurrent devices.
As outlined by dermatologist MD Karan Lal to Cosmopolitan, using microcurrent devices can lead to a tingling sensation or even twitching in the eye area as it can cause the orbicularis oculi muscle to contract. Although harmless, twitching can be a good indicator to try the device on a lower setting.
Sonic Cleanser Devices To Improve Skin Cleansing
At-home beauty devices aren’t just for smoothing and lifting, there are also tools on the market to help skinthusiasts enhance their everyday skin care routine - sonic cleanser devices.
Electronic sonic devices were developed to aid in the skin cleansing process, efficiently removing dirt and makeup and prepping the skin for fresh products.
Certain sonic cleansing beauty tools have garnered controversy over the years. Clarisonic, once the most well-known sonic cleanser brand, closed its doors in 2020.
What can beauty brands learn from Clarisonic’s downfall? Beauty Independent notes that the bristles on the Clarisonic brush were frequently critiqued as overly harsh, while rival CEO Sam Alexander of PMD tells the same outlet that Clarisonic failed to market effectively to the younger Millennial and Gen Z audience.
Despite Clarisonic’s rise and fall, according to Straits research, the market for sonic cleansing devices is still growing well - with a projected compound annual growth rate of 8.1% between 2023 and 2031.
A review of the sonic cleansing literature reveals that using a sonic cleanser for four weeks led to an improvement of 15.6% in comedones and 51.4% in inflammatory lesions, while a split‐face study demonstrated significant improvements in fine lines and wrinkles on the sonic brush side when combined with topical anti-aging products.
Additionally, a team of Brazilian scientists compared the impact of manually cleansing the face with sonic cleansing on hydration levels. Manual cleansing resulted in a significant reduction in hydration values (17.19%) relative to the baseline. In contrast, the hydration values remained similar to baseline levels in the area of the skin where the sonic device was utilized.
In sum, three of the most popular at-home beauty devices and their skin care benefits include:
LED Masks: wound healing, better skin laxity, along with diminished acne, wrinkles, and hypertrophic scars.
Microcurrent Devices: lifting and sculpting the face by stimulating the muscle under the skin
Sonic Cleansers: aids in the skin cleansing process for cleaner skin
Want to learn about which formulations work best with each? Email us!
Ready to start your brand’s product journey? At Genie Supply, we have over 60 skin care and color cosmetics bulk or private label products to choose from. Plus, we also offer custom product creation, custom formulating, and contract manufacturing services. Get in touch via email: customerservice@geniesupply.com or call: (812)3291105 for more information.
