High-tech beauty you need now

There’s a lot of science that goes into developing a beauty product. From sonic cleansing to ion-charged facials and the new smart apps, these advances are set to revolutionise your beauty world.

The gadget

Sure, salon facials are great. But if you’re stretched for time (or money) sonic cleansing brushes are your new best friend. The high speed sonic vibrations help shift more makeup and grime than cleansers alone. In fact, they clean skin six times better than rubbing product on with your hands, according to Robb Akridge, immunologist and co-creator of the Clarisonic. “The oscillation pushes water off the brush head bristles, which cleans out pores.” Sounds good to us!

Try it: The latest Clarisonic is the ultra-petite Clarisonic Mia FIT, which fits snugly in your hand. Clinique’s Sonic System Cleansing Brush has three different brush heads to suit your skin—purifying, gentle or anti-blemish. The brush heads vibrate 9000 times a minute for the deepest clean ever. For a budget-friendly buy, try Olay Regenerist Advanced Cleansing System, which gently exfoliates skin four times better than using cleanser alone, and comes with a tube of Olay Regenerist Skin Renewal Cleanser (although you can use any cleanser with any of these cleansing brushes).

The gentle peel

If you’re plagued by dull skin or plugged pores, don’t be afraid of peels. Exfoliating ingredients like hydroxy acids are applied to your face to lift the outer layer of skin cells, the aim being to gently resurface and refine, explains Emma Hobson, education manager at The International Dermal Institute. “You can achieve fantastic results without fear of skin trauma.”

Try it: For photo damage, acne scarring or melasma, one good option is the high strength salicylic acid based Obagi Blue Peel Radiance treatment. It takes about 30 minutes and leaves skin shiny and only slightly reddened. The shedding of skin starts a day or so later. Once the flakiness has subsided, you’ll have fresh-looking skin with tighter, clearer pores. Always check the level of peel you get and ask whether there’s any downtime, adds Hobson.

The smart app

Forget battling the crowds. For 22 per cent of beauty consumers, smartphones are their preferred way to shop and the latest crop of beauty apps dish out unique ways to try, buy or book any beauty service you desire.

Try it: To test the latest makeup looks on your own face, download Makeup Genius by L’Oréal (free for iPhones and Androids). Scan your face, click on products and view them virtually, just like you would in a mirror. Like what you see? You can buy the whole list with a click. More hands on? Search and book a makeup lesson in your area through the MAC Technique App (free for iPhones and Androids) then during class you can enter data into your app while you learn the face step-by-step. Classes cost $120, which is redeemable on makeup—so you can recreate the look at home following your notes. For a last minute salon treatment, try Vaniday (free for iPhones and Androids) to book and pay for beauty and wellness appointments across 800 salons in Sydney. For Melbourne, get Glamazon, which lets you snap up last minute manicures or cancelled blow-dries, with same day appointments usually discounted. Genius!

The treatment 

Right now, it’s all about ions. To get potent skin-loving ingredients even deeper into the dermis, skin potions containing teeny positive or negative charged ions can be encouraged further into the skin using light, microcurrent or ultrasound. Perfect!

Try it: For dry skin, try Dermalogica’s Hyaluronic Acid IonActive treatment. Hyaluronic Acid IonActive is applied, then LED, microcurrent or ultrasound is used to bind moisture deep into your skin. The result? Instantly more plump and radiant skin. Dark spots? Choose the Oligopeptide IonActive. For adult acne, Niacinamide IonActive eases inflammation, breakouts and oil flow for twice-as-good results.

For more beauty advice from Prevention, check out preventionaus.com.au

Image credit: Getty