ZIIP has harnessed the power of nanocurrents in its incredibly stylish handheld device. Using a special iPhone app, you programme the ZIIP either to combat acne bacteria, refresh tired skin or tackle dark circles – and yes, there are options for sensitive skin. Need a hydration hit? Try Radara. They’ve managed to do something pretty unique here, in that they’ve got the technology ready to use at home at breakneck speed: lots of clinics are only just beginning to get to grips with the practice themselves. Essentially, microchannelling works by creating countless tiny holes – smaller than a pinprick – in the skin, totally painlessly. The Radara patches create these channels, then flood the skin – and in turn, deeper layers of the epidermis – with a surge of hydrating hyaluronic acid. The result? The potency of the HA serum is almost doubled, and skin is left plumper, softer and with greater elasticity. The under-eyes patches have an instant effect, making them perfect for countering the effects of one late night too many, but results will also improve with cumulative use. Just want smoother skin, fast? Neo Elegance, who supply professional equipment to top facialists all over the country, is launching a High Tech Exfoliator that allows you to perform at-home microdermabrasion with tiny microcrystalline particles.

Then, Samsung (who you might normally associate with TVs and smartphones) has two very advanced offerings coming into the mix this year. Presented at The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas back in January, details of the exact functionality of both are still slightly under wraps, but here’s what we know so far. The Lumini is a handheld device that will scan your skin for problems before they arise – simply give your face a once-over with the device, and it will analyse your skin using an algorithm. It sends this info to a corresponding app, which will translate it into data you can understand, helping you spot fine lines and pimples before they come to the surface. It’ll even give you skincare advice and hook you up remotely with a dermatologist, should you wish. The S-Skin, on the other hand, is another microchannel patch (like Radara) but with the added benefit of a separate device that scans the skin to assess hydration, inflammation and melanin levels. Once the device has 'read' your complexion, it can deliver a more bespoke skincare treatment using LED.

It’s worth noting that these devices will need to impress consumers – and not just clinical trials – in a big way if they want to achieve longevity and sidestep the ‘Clarisonic effect’ (as it’s dubbed in the industry). The motorised cleansing brushes were immensely popular and the brand was snapped up by L’Oréal – yet in 2016, just five years after they hit the media and went mainstream, a wave of redundancies broke. According to the company website, they’ve sold over 15 million brushes since 2004 but failed to meet their sales expectations in the first half of last year. It may have something to do with the fact that once you own a Clarisonic, it’s hard for the brand to squeeze much more money out of you. With an initial buy-in of around £125-£199 for the brush, even if you replace the brush head every three months as per the company’s advice, Clarisonic really only makes another £84 a year from you. Spent £200-odd on a cleansing brush? Yeah, it’s gonna take a lot for you to want to upgrade, even after a few years – I’ve had one since 2010 and it’s still going strong.

Of course, new beauty trends are always emerging (I’d be out of a job if they didn’t) and so a new hot young thing on the market is inevitable. However, by making tried-and-tested, dermatologist-approved treatments like LED and nanocurrents available to the masses, these brands might be onto something. By cutting out the clinician middleman, and scaling back the financial and logistical exertion required, consumers might be more likely to invest – especially in a device that does something Mother Nature can’t.

SOURCE: https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/at-home-beauty-versus-spa