At-Home Facials Revisited: A Professional's Perspective on Modern Tools and Techniques

 

Photo: Kim Lang

The landscape of at-home skincare has transformed dramatically over the past decade. What was once limited to basic cleansing and masking has evolved into a sophisticated array of profes
sional grade devices and treatments. As someone with 25 years of experience in the beauty industry, I've witnessed this evolution first-hand and tested numerous innovations along the way.

While these advancements have made professional-level treatments more accessible, they've also created a maze of options that can be overwhelming - and potentially risky if not used correctly. This updated guide reflects both my professional expertise and personal experience with various tools and techniques, focusing on what actually works and, more importantly, how to use these tools safely and effectively.

Before we dive into specific treatments, remember that the goal of any facial treatment is to enhance your skin's natural functions, not to damage or overwhelm it. Success lies not in how many devices you use, but in understanding how to use them properly and creating a consistent, mindful routine.

 

After 25 years in the industry and testing countless devices, I've narrowed down the most effective at-home treatments to three key approaches that consistently deliver results.

 

FACIAL MASSAGE

• Most accessible and cost-effective
• Immediate visible results 
• Zero recovery time 
• Can be done daily 
• Supports natural processes  
  

 

How it works:

Facial massage immediately improves skin tone and condition by supporting your body's natural systems. Blood circulation delivers nutrients to skin cells, while the lymphatic system removes waste products.

Best Practice:
I prefer using a small Melt ball (designed for fascia therapy) to target lymph nodes around the jaw, neck, and temples, with special attention to the eye area where sinus congestion and fluid retention often occur. The key is gentle movement, always working downward toward lymph nodes and extending from face to neck toward the armpits for proper drainage. Also try Jade roller and Gua Sha massage set

RED LIGHT THERAPY

• Gentle yet effective 
• Science-backed results 
• Consistent long-term benefits 
• Can be combined with other treatments 

 

How It Works:

Operating at specific wavelengths (typically 630-670nm for red light and 830-850nm for near-infrared), these devices penetrate different depths of skin tissue to stimulate cellular repair and collagen production.

Benefits:

•  Improved skin tone and texture
•  Enhanced healing and repair
•  Reduced inflammation
•  Subtle but progressive collagen stimulation

Best Practice:

 Consistency is key - aim for 10-20 minute sessions with proper eye protection. Choose a comfortable, flexible mask over rigid options - if it's uncomfortable, you won't use it regularly. The most expensive option isn't necessarily the best; focus on appropriate wavelengths for your needs.

A Critical Note on Mask Design:

From personal experience, rigid LED masks can present significant comfort issues. The standard one-size-fits-all approach often fails, particularly around the nose and lip area where space can be restrictively small. This discomfort isn't just annoying - it can make 10-20 minute treatments feel unbearable and ultimately leads to the device being abandoned. When choosing a mask, look for:
• Flexible material that adapts to your facial contours
• Adequate space around nose and mouth for comfortable breathing
• Lightweight design for extended wear
• Adjustable straps or hands-free wear options
• Sufficient space between the mask and your features

Remember: The most effective device is the one you'll actually use consistently. An expensive rigid mask that sits in your drawer due to discomfort is ultimately a waste of money

Recommended: Lovsheme LED mask comes with eye protection and has a flexible design
 

 

MICRONEEDLING

• Significant results when done properly 
• Best for periodic intensive treatment 
• Requires strict hygiene protocols 
• Most intensive of the three 

 

How It Works:

This treatment creates controlled micro-injuries in the upper epidermis, enhancing product penetration and triggering natural repair responses. The dual effect helps active ingredients penetrate more effectively while stimulating skin renewal.

Important Considerations:

• Thorough cleaning and disinfection are non-negotiable
• Choose alcohol-free serums with proven actives like copper peptides and niacinamide
• Skip this treatment if strict hygiene feels overwhelming  
• Avoid hyaluronic acid serums containing alcohol or astringents

Use a good sanitiser Isopropyl Alcohol Medical Grade

Recommended products  LaRoche Posay Toleriane Hydrating Serum The Ordinary Buffet Derma roller 

 

 

EMS/RF Devices

 

Radiofrequency (RF) and Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) devices have become increasingly popular for at-home use, but they require careful consideration. These devices work by delivering either thermal energy (RF) or electrical impulses (EMS) to the skin and underlying tissues.

Important Consideration: While RF devices can effectively tighten and tone the skin, they can also reduce facial fat over time. This might be desirable for some, but if you're already concerned about facial volume loss or have a naturally slim face, you should be cautious with RF treatments, particularly around the mid-face area.

What to know before using these devices:

• Start with the lowest setting and gradually increase
• Avoid using over the bony areas of the face or where the skin is thin
• Keep the device moving constantly to prevent overheating  
• Pay attention on how the skin responds
• Consider your facial structure and volume before committing to regular RF treatments
• Make sure you use a hyaluronic gel such as The Ordinary Hyaluronic Serum 

 Results can include 

• Temporary skin tightening
• Improved product absorption
• Enhanced circulation
• Subtle contouring effects (which, again, may include some fat reduction)

 Recommended:

  Foreo Bear Mini Targeted Microcurrent Face Lift Device

 

Why These Three?
These treatments consistently deliver results while being relatively safe when done properly. While many other devices exist (oxygen treatments, etc.), these three offer the best balance of results, safety, and practicality for home use.

While the beauty industry continues to launch new innovations, these three tried-and-tested treatments remain my go-to recommendations for effective at-home facial care. Remember, consistency with gentle treatments often yields better results than aggressive, sporadic approaches. Start with one method that appeals to you most, perfect your technique, and gradually incorporate others as desired. The key to success lies not in accumulating devices, but in understanding and regularly practicing treatments that work for your skin's needs.

 

 

Worst Makeup Trends I’m Done With: Highlighter on the Nose

image: Andrew Kimber

 

 

I’ve spent 25 years in makeup, working with pros at Chanel and L’Oreal, and five years out hasn’t dulled my disdain for stupid trends. TikTok and Instagram girls, what’s with the highlighter on the nose tip? This nonsense should’ve died years ago, but it’s still here, and it looks bloody awful. Let me break it down.

 

Contour and highlight aren’t random. Contour is an implied shadow—matte, cool-toned, greyish-brown, not bronzer. Stand by a window, check your mirror: that’s the shadow we recreate. It pulls back areas—cheekbones, chin, forehead, nose. I’ve faked a six-pack for shoots, but that’s another story. 

 

Cheek contour doesn’t stop mid-cheek—that’s blush territory, don’t mess it up. Done right, it slims and defines. I’d use something pro-grade like Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Stick Foundation matte, blends like a dream.

 

Highlight brings things forward. Top of cheekbones, bridge of the nose—just the bony bit, not the ball—cupid’s bow, brow bone. That’s it. Noses are already forward; they don’t need more attention. Slapping highlighter on the tip doesn’t look cute—it looks like you’ve been sweating buckets. I worked with professional models; they’d never pull this crap. Backstage, we kept glow subtle, enhancing features, not turning them into a disco ball. A pro pick like Dior Forever Couture Luminizer Intense Highlighting Powder give a soft radiance, not a greasy shine.

This trend needs to die, never to be seen again. Makeup should enhance, not make you look ridiculous.

 

 

What’s the worst makeup look you’ve tried—drop it in the comments.

Eyebrow Looks I’ve Outlasted: From Thin to Bushy and Back

 

Georgina at Hermes backstage, makeup and photo by me

 

 

 

 

Seeing that I have walked away from my makeup career almost five years ago, I can now reflect on some trends over the twenty-five years in the industry.

 

Eyebrows “frame the face” and set the tone of the whole look. Coming from the overplucked 90s eyebrows that instantly aged every wearer – to crazy caterpillar type of brows of the late 2010s and squared off tattooed brows, you can say I’ve seen and dealt with all of the types.

What all of these trends had in common were that none of them were natural and “timeless”.

 

I’ll start with overplucked eyebrows. I’ve heard many stories that they never grow back after too much plucking – I call bullshit. If you overpluck them for 20 years then yes, you may have weakened the hair follicle root, but seeing how much money we spend on waxing and epilation, the stuff grows. From places you thought no hair should grow. Your natural eyebrow shape might not have been the best, but there are tricks to deal with those, I’ll get to some products suggestions later. But I do find that people get “stuck” on the shape they think it works best and they’re unwilling to budge.

 

Fat eyebrows – you know the look. Cara Delavigne kind of started the trend and eventually it got out of control. I definitely prefer more natural eyebrows, but they should be still groomed. But never pluck them from the top, the eyebrows should be shaped so they lift your eye – eyebrows can do that, you don’t have to do the “eyebrow lift” so you look like everyone on Instagram.

 

Tattooed eyebrows –I almost considered this at one point, I am so glad I never did them.

Now I’ll tell you why I don’t recommend them.

Tattooed eyebrows are considered semi-permanent makeup with results highly dependent on the skill of the artist and the ability of the said artist to correctly mix the right pigments for your skin tone and give you the shape that suits your face. As the pigment deposits are not as deep as the traditional tattoo, such pigment will fade and would need topping up. And when those pigments fade, they eyebrows will be reddish or greenish (I have seen plenty on clients).

Another point is the shape – literally nobody has a squared off natural eyebrow – that shape is achieved when you pluck the monobrow and fill it in with makeup it then looks squared off, but I repeat, nobody has natural eyebrows like that so I am unsure why the trend for tattoos for that shape.

Most of the time it’s too dark, makes women too severe looking, especially once you hit 40s.

 

What I do recommend is grooming eyebrows into the right shape. For that I like a toothbrush type eyebrow brush – Bamboo toothbrush with boar bristles  is the type I like to use. You brush the eyebrows upwards at the eyebrow bone – it lifts the eye corners and then you fill in the bits and bobs and form the shape.

I love Kevyn Aucoin eyebrow pencils – they’re bit on the pricy side but the colours are the best and they’re great at filing in the gaps in natural eyebrows. For more budget options Maybelline Express Brow Ultra Slim Defining Natural Fuller Looking Brows Eyebrow Pencil is decent. Eyebrow pencils are mix of wax and pigments, so mass market brands generally use less expensive and more limited pigment selections, so bear that in mind.

If you need to visually “fatten” the eyebrows, then using a highly pigmented eyeshadow with a smaller boar brush would be your best option. Revolution does a decent eyeshadow palette with colours that can be used for eyebrows.

 

To deposit colour on eyebrows use a natural boar hair angled brush such as Bobbi Brown 

 

I dislike synthetic brushes for eyebrows, the bristle must be firm enough in order to pick up more pigment and synthetics just don’t behave the same.

 

And as a last thing, you can set the eyebrows in shape if you spray some L’Oreal Elnett on the boar brush and brush the eyebrows into shape. Elnett doesn’t flake and has a firm hold so your eyebrows will be fixed until you wash your face.

 

What’s the worst eyebrow look you’ve tried? 

 

 

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DIY Home Facials

The beauty industry constantly comes up with new ways to help us spend money. Yes, they pry on our insecurities and yes we women fall for it. On the other hand, I’m all for prevention if we can actually do it with products that work. I’m not talking about products which ‘give the impression of improving the appearance of the skin’ like the mainstream TV ads would lead you to believe.

I want to know about the products that actually really make a difference, whether we are talking about the skin tone, pore size, fine lines. And I’m talking about the results that are there a few days after using the product, not when you actually have the cream on.

Some of the treatments available are salon-based procedures such as massage, skin needling that inject vitamins, exfoliation and micro-current muscle and tone stimulation. A lot of those treatments work. The problems are not just the cost, but also time we are required to actually set aside to actually visit the clinics. I have no idea how the average woman manages all these maintenance appointments, we have hair, nails, waxing, eyebrow shaping, facials, tanning etc. Seriously. That’s just of the top of my head. It’s difficult and time-consuming to be a woman. Full stop.

So what are the salon alternatives for an average woman to use at home at her own convenience and that actually make a difference? I’ve tried quite a few, some I liked more than the others, but as always it’s also about the needs of my skin and my preferences.

The most affordable product I’ve tried was Sarah Chapman Facialift massager. Sarah Chapman is a famous facialist who has developed her signature skinesis radiance facial massage. The home version massager has eight heads and massaging nodules that, when used, replicate the massage that Sarah has created. Of course, it’s not the same, but if you’re not a dab hand at massage, it’s a nifty thing to use at home.

The Facialift relies heavily at lymphatic drainage and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. If you’re not familiar with massage or what lymph system does in our bodies, I’ll explain.

Lymphatic system is a secondary circulatory network system in the body that carries a clear fluid called lymph. Lymphatic massage helps body get rid of the waste and toxins, relieves tension and speeds up the metabolism. Lymph vessels and nodes are present in our bodies, as well as on our faces, mainly on the side and jaw line. The lymph vessels solely rely on our muscles to make them work, so they can always use a little nudge to make them work better.

If you want to feel the effect of lymphatic massage, then try and press the area just between cheekbones and jaw and on the temples. You should feel an immediate release of tension.

The Facialift massager makes this process really easy to use. The design of the massager targets the jaw line, stimulates toxin elimination and tones the muscles.  It’s made out of plastic so it’s easy to clean.

You should not use it on dry and unmoisturised skin – you don’t want to stretch and damage the dry skin. Instead, try and use mild massage oil suitable for face and give it a go. With regular use your skin tone should improve and you should also get rid of any spots that are appearing on the jaw line. Massage is beneficial for all skin types and feels good. Yes the massager is not the same as the salon treatment but it’s a fraction of the price and so convenient to use when you’re at home watching TV.

Genuine Dermaroller is another product that has filtered down from the successful salon treatments and found its use in our DIY home treatments.

The roller contains micro needles that puncture the skin and stimulate the regeneration process and collagen production and also allow some nutrients to penetrate further into epidermis. Sounds scary? Only a little bit..

As the Dermaroller works by puncturing the skin, special care has to be taken with the hygiene, so you need to disinfect your roller before and after each use. The needles are superfine, and the way to use the roller, is to press gently on the skin using horizontal, vertical and diagonal movements. The gentle rolling should stimulate the skin enough and allow the penetration of products.

Yes, what you use with the Dermaroller is equally important as the microneedling. I personally like to use vitamic C serum that I make myself.  It will sting in the beginning, but your skin should get used to it very quickly. Other products to try would be the face masks rich in hyalruonic acid, a well known plumping and mositurising agent. In any case, Genuine Dermaroller will improve the penetration and make the most out of your skincare products. 

Although the results are cumulative, Alison Telfer, a dermaroller practicioner, advises using the roller a day or two before a big night out where you want your skin to look more radiant.

It would be a good idea to perhaps try the treatment in a salon that offers it, then you can be sure if that’s something you would actually use at home. The salon treatment uses longer needles so the effects should be more dramatic, but I’ve been happy with the results of my home use Genuine dermaroller. It really works. Once you get it, use it regularly, two-three times per week, and never share the roller with anyone. The roller is mainly targeted to use with wrinkles and scars so it’s not good for use with acne and rosacea and other skin irritations.

I’ve always preached that good cleansing is very underrated as it’s helps the skin ‘breathe’, it gets rid of the daily pollution and the dead skin cells. Cleansing and exfoliation helps the skin absorb the mositurisers. One product that is designed for this purpose is Magnitone Pulsar. Its especially good if you’re ageing and also plagued with spots and blackheads as well as fine lines.

It’s a cleansing brush attached to a battery-operated device that can massage, exfoliate and cleanse the skin. It will be weird to use at first, it reminds me of the first time I used an electric toothbrush, such a strange sensation that feels so normal to me now.

Magnitone is quite fabulous. Once you charge it, the battery should last for ages and just use it morning and night after taking make up off or in conjunction with the face wash if you use one. You will, of course, need to start slowly and get used to it. In the beginning the skin will feel dry and tight, you may also break out in spots, but after a few days it will settle and reveal a plump and soft skin. Your pores will shrink to nothing! Your make up will look amazing and you will end up using less of it. I have a combination skin and am quite lucky to be relatively smooth and wrinkle free at the age of 43, but I still get the odd spot and Magnitone has been brilliant. It also tones, has an exfoliation and a massage setting. Brushes can be easily replaced when worn and you can use it on your body too. I have to say I’m a total convert. Once you get over the initial tightness, the skin looks soft, clear and fabulous. The major plus point of use is that you can actually keep it in the shower – such a convenience. You can do your face and skin on the body – it’s amazing for preventing ingrown hairs after waxing.

The last home treatment I’ll cover is the CACI Microlift. I cannot stress enough that ageing is not all about wrinkles, it’s mainly about skin tone and sagging. You can be totally wrinkle free and have a sagging jaw line. Gravity sucks, I know. But you can have very toned and plump skin and have a few expression lines and still look amazing and young.

CACI Microlift is the treatment that will help to keep skin in the toned and plump shape. It’s not very cheap, but it is much cheaper than having an ongoing salon treatment. CACI salon treatment has been established for a long time as it works in keeping the skin lifted and plump. Plus it’s a good maintenance tool. So how does it work? The system emits tiny micro impulses at low frequencies that stimulate collagen and promote healing. The impulses work on the facial muscles that are either over stretched or slack, so it’s a bit like Pilates for your face. Gentle and redefining.

Word of warning - space out the treatments. Don’t go crazy and use everything at once. If you want to try microneedling, use it twice per week in the evening and definitely don’t use it straight after Magnitone or exfoliation. Your goal is to stimulate the skin, and not irritate it.

Your brand new skin is sensitive, so use a sun block. Your skin cell production is not unlimited. There is something called “a hayflick limit” and it basically tells us that the cell regeneration process is limited to a specific amount of times our skin cells can renew. In a nutshell, our skin cells are not immortal so can’t regenerate indefinitely. What it means, is that you can’t abuse the skin daily and expect your face not to suffer. Be sensible.

 

If you want to shop for any of the products above, here are the links:

Sarah Chapman Facialift http://www.sarahchapman.net/index.php?sec=prod&prod=16&product=facialift&id=11

Genuine Dermaroller http://www.facethefuture.co.uk/shop/genuine-dermaroller/dermaroller-cleaner/prod_318.html

Magnitone Pulsar http://www.boots.com/en/Magnitone-Pulsar-Facial-Body-Brush-for-Daily-Skin-Cleansing-and-Toning_1400377/

CACI Microlift http://www.johnlewis.com/caci-microlift-facial-toning-system/p231810447?kpid=231810447&s_kenid=02cf9bc5-18ac-bea8-2b87-00002e5dc1dd&s_kwcid=128x40931&tmad=c&tmcampid=73