Tools and Devices
Brushes, LED, rollers, hot tools and gadgets — which earn the counter space and which are theatre.
A cordless period heating pad: why warmth helps with cramps, and how to use one safely
A rechargeable heating pad you wear on the belly or back. Why heat is a common comfort for cramps, and the safety rules that come with it.
LUMOS IPL at home: how light hair removal works, who it works for, and the safety rules
Home IPL uses light to slow hair regrowth. It works on some hair and skin colours and not others, so check that before you buy.
A body gua sha tool: what scraping does for tight muscles, why steel, and the marks it can leave
A steel gua sha for the body is a massage tool. What scraping does for tight spots, how to use it with oil, and when to leave it alone.
Spa Sciences NOVA: what a sonic cleansing brush adds to washing your face, and who should skip one
A sonic face brush cleans more thoroughly than hands, which is also its risk. Who it suits, how often to use it, and when to stop.
Disposable face towels: why the bath towel is the weak spot in a careful routine, and when single-use makes sense
Clean Skin Club's Clean Towels are one of Amazon's top ten beauty sellers this week. The case for drying your face on something clean every time, the cheaper ways to do the same, and the waste trade-o
At-home skincare devices: what a "6 in 1" wand promises, what the listing leaves out, and how to judge one fairly
Beauty devices are one of the fastest-rising searches in skincare tools, medicube's among the most popular. What these wands generally do, what this listing does not tell you, and how to give one a fa
Round-tip tweezers: what the tip shape decides, and how to tweeze without the red, sore aftermath
Slanted, pointed and round tips are made for different jobs. What a round, ring-shaped tip is good at, and the technique that makes tweezing quicker and kinder whichever tool you use.
Dermaplaning at home: what the blade takes off, the myth it does not deserve, and when to leave it alone
A dermaplaning razor removes peach fuzz and a layer of dead skin in one pass. Hair will not grow back thicker. There are still a few faces it should not go near.
An electric facial trimmer: where it fits between a dermaplaning blade and tweezers
Three tools remove fine facial hair, and they are good at different things. What a small electric trimmer does well, what it does not do, and how to use one on brows and fuzz.