Unpacking the Social Media-Fueled Skin-Care Gadget Boom

What it means to take care of your skin seems to have drastically changed over the last few years. While applying tretinoin, using sunscreen and regularly exfoliating has never gone out of style, slathering on moisturizer, preventing signs of aging and evening your skin tone has become increasingly technological.

In 2023, the global home-use beauty devices market generated a revenue of $17.1 billion, with the market predicted to reach a staggering $91.8 billion by 2030. This isn't at all that surprising when you consider how ubiquitous beauty tech — whether that's LED masks, microcurrent devices, massage wands or EMS stimulation — has become. On TikTok, influencers are flaunting their NuFace-sculpted cheeks; creators on YouTube are demonstrating how red-light therapy has "erased" their fine lines; and on Instagram, it's impossible to ignore the barrage of ads for various LED masks. However, as the market becomes saturated with solutions, it's becoming more difficult to ascertain which devices really work.

In 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, a growing thirst for DIY solutions led many to delve into skin care for the first time, especially as in-office treatments became an impossibility. This vested interest in at-home fixes has continued, reignited by the rising cost of living, which has made splurging on regular facials, injectables like Botox and filler, as well as lasers and other treatments a luxury, rather than a necessity. The convergence of tech and beauty is an inevitable result of technological advancements, but this growing desire for at-home solutions has accelerated it, creating a perfect storm of opportunity.

"People are looking for cheaper ways to make themselves feel better and look better," Dr. Prem Tripathi, a facial plastic surgeon in the San Francisco Bay area, tells Fashionista. "As a result, companies realize that there's consumer interest in wanting to make you feel like you're doing something at home besides skin care."

Dr. Tripathi has garnered a reputation on TikTok for his no-nonsense reviews of beauty hacks, devices and routines, bolstering his takes with an understanding of facial anatomy. For many, he's become a source of truth when exploring the new terrains of beauty tech. "There are companies that truly have integrity and others that really just prey on the consumer desire to do something at home, whether or not it delivers results."

Navigating bold and frivolous claims in the beauty industry is a reality most of us are accustomed to. So it may come as no surprise that the very same issues exist with beauty tech — although, the buy-in and stakes can be much more serious.

"I think there's a lot of snake oil out there but there isn't a golden magical cure either," Australian beauty enthusiast Sagan-Indiana relents. She never had any interest in skin care or beauty tech until she developed rosacea in 2019. After trying tretinoin and a slew of moisturizers, which didn't work, she underwent blue-light LED treatments, which seemed to do the trick. "That's when I bought my Dr. Dennis Gross LED Mask," she says. "I did my research and looked into the science of it and have been using it ever since." She's gone on to experiment with blue-light and red-light therapy all from the comfort of her home, tailoring her treatment to suit her skin. And while Sagan managed to buy her mask second-hand at a cheaper price than retail, for others the $455 price tag requires a moment of pause.

For most people considering investing in beauty tech, there's a period of research, which leads to delving into the infinite pools of online reviews. Whether you're looking at an LED mask, microcurrent devices, EMS masks like the one from Medi Lift, or even skin-care penetration devices like the Medicube or Foreo's UFO3, there are hundreds if not thousands of videos of people showing off their unbelievable before and after photos. Some of those people are affiliated with the company in some way, which isn't always clear, while others insist that they're unbiased reviewers sharing their thoughts for the betterment of humanity. (Even some of these people may be receiving kickbacks via affiliate marketing, though.) It's overwhelming, confusing and often, very convincing.

Trina Albus, a marketer, digital content creator and beauty expert, who calls herself the "beauty device queen," has reviewed and tested beauty devices for over nine years. It all started with a microcurrent device from Ziip. This has since blown up into an Instagram account of over 37,000 followers and a dedicated Facebook group with more than 30,000 members. "My beauty device routine is very elaborate," she confesses. "On a regular basis, I use microcurrent, radio frequency, LED therapy and lasers. While I do sometimes test other modalities, these are the four that have remained in top rotation throughout the years."

Having tested almost every device under the sun, Albus takes her role and influence quite seriously. "Authenticity is extremely important to me and my community, I never agree to make a favorable review until I have tested the device to make sure it works for me," she says. "Even if I do make a review, I strive to include my real opinions while covering important brand talking points. I have built trust within my community and they know I work hard to isolate results as much as possible while testing a new device for extended periods of time and creating unedited before and after photos and videos."

Of course, not everyone online can be trusted. There are numerous creators who don't disclose their affiliations, TikTok and Instagram posts that use content without permission to promote different products and companies creating counterfeit items that don't even have FDA clearance to mimic those with rigorous clinical testing.

"Not all devices are created equal," Albus continues. "I always look for clinical studies of the actual device being sold, not just the technology." She notes that many companies will cite clinical studies for LED light therapy in general rather than the specific product they're selling, which can easily confuse consumers.

Omnilux, which was born at the UK Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in 2001 as a novel approach to treating non-melanoma skin cancers, is one of the most trusted LED masks on the market. It comes highly recommended by Dr. Tripathi. Meanwhile, Albus points to Omnilux's clinical studies on its own devices as the gold standard of what consumers should look for.

"We have over 40 peer-reviewed clinical papers validating our blue, red and near-infrared LED technology. Included in those is our more recent Contour Face and Omnilux Men studies," Omnilux CMO Layne Ergas tells Fashionista.

Dr. Jared Jagdeo, one of Omnilux's scientific advisory board members, who is also a dermatologist out of SUNY Downstate NY, explains that for LED masks, "it's best to avoid brands that do not provide the actual wavelength of the device (ie, 633 nm, 830 nm) and only say the 'color' (i.e., red light)."

Masks from Qure Skincare and CurrentBody also get the tick of approval from Dr. Tripathi (who is a brand representative for Qure, but isn't affiliated with Omnilux or CurrentBody).

While he's keen to share his expert advice, whether that's on a call or through social media with his followers, he has noticed online that there is resistance against expert advice, especially when influencers or people on social media are raving about their results. "I think it's interesting that people cherry pick the evidence," Dr. Tripathi quips. "For example, NuFace to me, just physiologically doesn't make any sense." He's made several TikToks poking holes in the efficacy of microcurrent, citing a lack of clinical studies and his own professional understanding of anatomy, but many commenters oppose his views, citing their own results or others'.

"The placebo effect is very real and there's really nothing wrong with that," he responds. "But in clinical trials, we control for the placebo because people really do feel that there's a difference even if there realistically isn't one."

Hazel*, who preferred to remain anonymous, explained that even though she loves using her NuFace microcurrent device, it wasn't the experience she expected. She was first swayed to buy the product after watching a few videos, but later noticed some adverse results. "I felt a pain in my jaw and teeth that led me to visiting the dentist. They told me I must be clenching my jaw from anxiety but I became suspicious about a possible link to my NuFace. I took a break from using it for a while and the pain subsided. I was able to resume normal use later."

Conversely, New York State Licensed Esthetician Rachel Lozina loves using her NuFace microcurrent device. "There is very little to no negative reactions that clients have from these machines," she explains. "You can get a little red when using NuFace and if you have truly sensitive, reactive skin, you can see some redness and some irritation from using the electrical current."

Beauty tech can also be an expensive investment, but there are a slew of devices on the market that don't carry a hefty price tag. Microfiller patches, such as the ones available from Medi Lift, can help penetrate the skin to deliver skin care to the deeper layers of the epidermis for just $30. "I think these probably work more than any of the other devices that we've talked about," Dr. Tripathi notes.

While some people may assume that pain, heat or a "zapping" sensation are signs that a device is working, experts caution against this. In fact, these can be indications that you're damaging the skin. "A lot of people are getting masks that are not cleared for safety," Dr. Tripathi explains. "If it's getting hot, then you can put yourself at risk for hyperpigmentation." Heat can also trigger rosacea and other forms of inflammation.

He offers an acute warning with a client horror story: "I actually had a patient whose husband had a UV box for his psoriasis. She mistakenly thought that it was an LED box, much like a mask. After using it, she ended up with secondary degree burns and had to go to the hospital. It just goes to show you that an expert could have saved her thousands of dollars and obviously her skin, if she had just done it that way."

The quest for beauty is an easy rabbit hole to get lost down. The final destination may be clear skin, zero fine lines or clearing a flare-up; but realistically, once one thing is solved, we're sold the idea of glomming onto another and meandering on a never-ending quest for a nebulous goal that we never quite achieve. The promise of beauty devices are so grand, but very few are scientifically proven to give results. If you do, however, feel the urge to buy a device or two, make sure it's cleared for safe use by the FDA.

"If you're concerned about a particular condition, then that should drive whatever it is that you buy and whatever you consume," Dr. Tripathi urges. "And then you have to be realistic about what your goals are. If you've got pitted acne scars, you're not going to get any improvement with anything at home regardless of what you do. If you have really severe hyperpigmentation, odds are skin care will take it to a certain point, and then after that you're gonna need something professional. And if you're looking for the shiniest, most radiant skin? You're not gonna get that with LED."

And for those suffering from long-term skin conditions, the best advice is to seek counsel from a medical professional.

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