We live in a digital age where we all walk around with a palm-sized computer in our pockets without even batting an eyelid. Technological innovations have impacted nearly every facet of our lives – from our morning commute to our daily exercise routine – so it’s not all that surprising that they have extended into our beauty regimens as well.

Here, we take a look at the best new skin care gadgets that promise to transform your skin in more ways than one.

Dermal rollers

If you consider yourself in the know when it comes to the latest and greatest skin care innovations, then there’s a good chance you’ve already come across dermal rollers. For those who are new to the wonders of this skin care tool, Mukti, Founder and Artisan Alchemist from Mukti Organics breaks it down for you: “A dermal roller is a hand-held device that is studded with small microneedles that can be as small as 0.1mm and up to 3mm in diameter,” she explains.

While the device’s small needles look as though they might damage the skin rather than help it, the benefits are multi-faceted. “It works by pricking the skin to create small punctures or channels in the upper epidermal layer of the skin with minimal visible damage. The magic happens at the deeper dermal layer where microscopic ‘injury’ and minor bleeding occurs. This inflammatory response then triggers wound healing and repair,” says Mukti.  

If this still all sounds a little doom and gloom, it’s important to note “the cascade effect (of the wound healing and repair) creates a proliferation of cells in the dermal layer of the skin, resulting in an increase in collagen and elastin fibres and new skin formation,” Mukti explains.

To get the most out of your dermal roller, Mukti stresses it’s important to ensure your skin has been “pre-treated with appropriate skin care products that aim to boost skin regeneration and rejuvenation.” For instance, we recommend thoroughly cleansing your skin and applying a serum, treatment and/or moisturiser that contains high concentrations of peptides, vitamins A and C, antioxidants and plant-based polyphenols before using a dermal roller.

While your dermal roller will help (rather than hinder) your skin, it is essential that you “avoid using unnecessary pressure when rolling and avoid using needles that are too fine,” Mukti advises. To get the best results, Mukti’s tip is to “Keep the pressure even and use in a Union Jack pattern (vertically, horizontally and diagonally) so that all areas of the face are covered. Gently roll up and down across each section of your face three to four times, using less pressure on sensitive areas like under the eyes.”

Try: Mukti Organics Microneedle Dermal Roller; Medik8 Skinrolla Kit for Home Use; Skinstitut Skin-Inject Derma Roller

Facial massagers

You may already be familiar with facial massagers in the form of rollers, but 2018 is about to get a whole more high-tech. Besides the fact that facial massagers will help improve blood flow, which can help improve skin tone, added technology can help take your skin to a whole new level. According to Tera Peterson, Co-Founder of NuFACE, the device "works to improve contour, tone and reduce wrinkles using micro-current technology. Micro-current is low-level, electrical current that sends gentle waves through the skin, down to the facial muscles." So what exactly does that mean? An improvement in collagen and elastin levels, which can leave your skin looking plumper and more youthful. And while you could notice results straight away from using a facial massager like the NuFACE, Peterson has the following advice: "Like exercise, benefits are visible and long-lasting with continued use. I think of it like this, the more you work out, the better you will look and feel. If you stop working out, over time, your body will eventually go back to the way it once was."

And it's not just facial massagers you're going to see more of. The eye massager market is looking to be just as big.

Under-eye bags and dark circles are notoriously stubborn to treat. In order to more effectively get rid of them and improve the skin surrounding the eye area, a wave of innovative eye massagers have been developed, many of which are taking the skin care world by storm.

According to the General Manager for FOREO Oceania, Hannah Holmes, this is because eye massagers can assist in combating bags or fluid retention under the eyes that have been caused by “hormones, dehydration, sleeplessness and/or too much salt in the diet”. They do so “by smoothing out the eye area and promoting lymphatic drainage to reduce puffiness,” Holmes explains.  

Vibrating eye massagers such as FOREO’s Iris have been proven to reveal more dramatic results than basic massaging using your fingers, “as it incorporates both a finger-tapping mode to reduce swelling and a pulsation mode to stimulate the skin, promote blood flow and lessen the appearance of fine lines,” says Holmes.

Similar to a dermal roller, eye massagers will deliver the best results when used after applying an “eye cream that contains caffeine, aloe or green tea extract as they will help to further deflate the area due to their anti-inflammatory properties and will assist in tightening the skin,” shares Holmes.  

Try: FOREO Iris Eye Massager; NuFace Trinity Device; ZIIP Device

Light therapy

It might be the wackiest skin innovation of the lot, but light therapy has been proven to assist the skin in ways many that skin care products are unable to do so.

According to Dr. Dennis Gross, Founder of Dr. Dennis Gross Skin Care, light therapy treatments “can help rejuvenate the skin, stimulate collagen production and address common concerns such as crow’s feet and fine lines and wrinkles”. The real benefit of light therapy compared to topical skin care products comes down to its ability to reach deeper into the layers of the skin to stimulate skin cells into action.

When choosing the right light therapy treatment for your skin’s needs, the colour of the light you use will depend on the desired outcome. For instance, Gross explains, “red light therapy activates collagen production to improve the visible signs of ageing to restore glowing, health-looking skin. It can also be used to reduce age spots, sun damage and overall redness, flushing any dilated capillaries with results often appearing immediately.”

“On the other end of the spectrum, blue light therapy works to kill acne-causing bacteria without harming the skin to improve skin clarity and reduce future breakouts,” Gross adds.

Perhaps the best thing about light therapy treatment is that there are no downsides: they can be used safely at home, every day, without experiencing any pain or downtime.

Try: Dr Dennis Gross SpectraLite EyeCare Pro; Baby Quasar Plus; Neutrogena Visibly Clear™ Light Therapy Acne Mask

Want to know more about the best new innovative beauty gadgets on the market? Then check out these three ways that high-tech tools can transform your workout. 

Which of these skin care gadgets would you most like to try? Let us known in the comments below.

Image credit: @lilyaldridge