The High Tech Gadgets You'll Actually Want to Put Near Your Face
The LED Innovations
Pros have long harnessed the power of LEDs (light-emitting diodes) for stealth skin enhancing with zero downtime. The three-minute at-home innovation we’re most excited about: DRx SpectraLite Faceware Pro (available in August), the brainchild of NYC dermatologist Dennis Gross, MD. The FDA-cleared mask is lined with the most powerful antiacne blue light allowed in DIY devices, plus four spectra of red light (infrared and deep red to boost collagen; light red and amber to keep skin cells healthy and reverse sun damage). The curvature of the mask around the eyes was carefully designed to fit all face shapes while still precisely targeting crow’s-feet.
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“This LED combination made my dream list of clinical results,” Gross says. “It stimulates collagen to firm lines and wrinkles, reduces acne and pore size, lessens redness, and evens skin tone.” Another new LED advancement: Marmur Metamorphosis MMSphere ($500, available in September), an O-shaped sphere from NYC dermatologist Ellen Marmur, MD, that lights up with blue and red LEDs. Upon FDA approval, the device will also emit yellow to improve circulation, purple for a double hit of red and blue light, and green for smoother skin. Download the MMSphere app on your phone, answer a few skin questions, and set your phone in the dock to start your 20-minute custom light session. Redo the skin survey every two weeks to give your routine a reboot.
The Cutting-Edge Facial
FaceGym, the UK company beloved for its “face workouts”—intense massage to target the muscular infrastructure of the face, plus noninvasive high-tech devices to perfect the skin—will open an NYC flagship this September. Its most advanced offering: I Need It All ($550), a 75-minute treatment comprising radio frequency to tighten skin, electrostimulation to sculpt and lift, and laser to boost collagen production. If your skin needs even more, add a Skin IV ($40–$50), featuring medical-grade drip bags (like the Glow Cocktail, the Immune Cocktail, or a custom blend of, say, hydrating hyaluronic acid or skin-smoothing glycolic acid). But instead of using an IV needle, a “trainer” (aka technician) sprays the formula on your face in frozen form as a “shock treatment for your skin,” says founder Inge Theron, who promises a radically revitalized complexion.
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Made-to-Order Skin Care
SkinCeuticals Custom D.o.s.e ($195) is a personalized serum that’s created in real time at select dermatology and plastic surgery offices nationwide. The process begins with your skin pro asking you a series of questions on a tablet. Your answers are analyzed by 2,000 algorithms to whip up the perfect formula for your specific issues, which is then sent via Bluetooth to a Jetson-esque machine, not much larger than a Keurig, to dispense your precise dose of skin-care ingredients (such as kojic acid and licorice-root extract for brightening, and phytic and lactic acid for smoothing). The mixture undergoes industrial-grade blending at 1,200 rotations per minute before a label is printed with your name and placed on the bottle. Your info is saved, making future orders (or reformulations) easy.
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The Blue-Light Fighter
According to Nadine Pernodet, PhD, VP of global research and development at Estée Lauder, skin cells “have the same light receptors eyes do.” And because our faces are exposed to blue light (the kind emitted by your devices) nearly 24/7, those cells are tricked into thinking it’s always daytime, preventing them from going into recovery mode, which occurs at night while you sleep. Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex ($62) contains the line’s existing ChronoluxCB technology, a peptide that sends a p.m. signal to skin cells to initiate their natural repair mechanism, plus a yeast extract to help counteract cellular damage (specifically irritation, a cause of dark circles).
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Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex, $62
The Skin-Analyzing Tool
Embrace the superzoom: Neutrogena’s Skin360 and SkinScanner combo ($50, available in August) turns your iPhone camera into a 30x magnifying lens, with 12 supercharged lights to capture a high-definition image of your pores and fine lines. A sensor lining the lens gauges your complexion’s moisture level (or lack thereof). Start by downloading the Skin360 app to rate your skin concerns, such as dryness, sensitivity, wrinkles, dark spots, and clogged pores. Next, the app prompts you to take a close-up of three areas—forehead, cheek, and chin—with the SkinScanner. The app calculates your pore, moisture, and fine-line scores (from 1 to 100), then lists recommended Neutrogena skin-care and makeup products to target your complexion’s needs. We love that you can resnap pics to check your skin’s progress and track product performance with before-and-afters.
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In-Office Glow Booster
New York plastic surgeon Lara Devgan, MD’s signature Gold Microinfusion Facial is a hyperefficient, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink treatment. (Kim Kardashian called her appointment, which was sans Botox, her “Fashion Week facial.”) First, collagen-boosting microneedling is coupled with an application of stem cell–stimulating platelet-rich plasma (PRP), extracted from a vial of your own blood and spun on the spot. Next up: microinjections of Botox to help minimize pores (because it’s so superficially placed, it doesn’t erase deep lines), followed by microdroplets of hyaluronic acid filler (like Juvéderm or Restylane). “The little bit of filler causes diffuse plumping all over,” Devgan explains. For the finale, she rubs Botox as well as filler into the skin as she would a serum, allowing it to seep into the microneedling holes. And while it sounds like a major endeavor, Devgan swears it’s far from it: The process takes just 45 minutes and has minimal downtime (you’re slightly pink for 48 hours due to the microneedling). The price tag is hefty at $3,000 (or up to $4,500 if she also administers classic Botox injections to smooth wrinkles), but you’ll reap the flawless-skin benefits for approximately six months. “It makes your skin superhydrated—you look amazing,” she says.
This article originally appeared in the July 2018 issue of ELLE.
