55 Editor-Approved Tools and Treatments to Take Your Beauty Routine to the Next Level

This tool takes the phrase “the bigger the better” to a whole new level. Designed specifically for curly hair textures, this hair dryer uses far-infrared heat and the brand’s patented ionizing de-frizzion technology (their jazzy phrase) to penetrate the hair and reduce dry time. It also simultaneously smooths the cuticle to increase shine and eliminate the dryness caused by frizz. The extra-large eight-inch diffuser also covers more hair at once and has deep prongs to evenly distribute airflow. Testers reported that this diffuser was comfortable and fast, and easy to use on a variety of styles from wash-and-go and braid-outs to sew-in extensions.

Named after Chronos, the Greek god of time, this hair straightener was created to give sleek, shiny hair instantly. This tool was designed with GHD’s patented HD motion-responsive technology to deliver a consistent flow of heat. Our reviewer with curly hair reported fast, sleek results that lasted for days, reducing the need for touch-ups and minimizing the opportunity for heat damage. She was shocked by how quickly it worked.

Achieving a sleek, stick-straight blowout when you’re rushing to get ready is no small feat. This tool combines a dryer and a straightening iron into one, with four low-temperature ceramic plates, and a powerful drying chamber that uses up to 45 percent less electricity than a typical hair dryer. Our tester advised using the default setting to wick away moisture and straighten, then switching into the Shine Shot mode to put the finishing touches on a glossy style.

When Shark first came out with this product, everyone wanted to compare it to another tool that rhymes with Shmairwrap. The FlexStyle, however, is a unique tool. It can flip into an L-shape to be used as a lightweight and compact blow-dryer, and attachments—like an oval brush, a paddle brush, and two curlers that automatically wrap hair—make it a versatile multi-styler. This tool also minimizes heat damage by maintaining consistent low heat through the styling process. Two testers were pleasantly surprised by how fast it dried hair without high heat, and found that the attachments were easy to use and gave salon-worthy results.

This device uniquely uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to guide you through at-home hair removal. By connecting to the tool’s accompanying phone app, users receive a personalized intense pulsed light (IPL) plan and real-time expert guidance to achieve smooth skin. The tool includes three interchangeable heads that utilize SensoAdapt technology, which automatically and continuously adjusts the light’s power to suit your skin tone and safely remove hair. Our tester reported that aside from a tingling sensation after the first treatment, this IPL device was virtually painless. After three weeks of consistent use, she noticed less hair growth in the areas she treated. She added that while the setup for the device was lengthy, it was worth it for the results.

Our tester, who has color-treated hair, reported that this hot brush was incredibly easy to use, lightweight, and gave her a blown-out style that lasted even with the car windows down. The toggle Negative Ion Generator also helps with smoothing flyaways and for extra shiny and silky-feeling results.

The original Dyson Airwrap changed the game in at-home styling. This version has an extra-long barrel for Rapunzel-like hair, and a new mode that switches air flow directions to effortlessly curl both sides of hair with ease. Our tester reported that it also left them with less heat damage than a normal hair tool and gave them bouncy curls.

Developed by a hairstylist, this tool helps you get an almost-professional blowout. The dryer-and-round-brush combo works to both dry and style hair. Our tester enjoyed that it gave a polished look without sacrificing volume. If you’re looking for a super-sleek, flat-ironed look, this tool is better for blowouts, as it only comes with one temperature.

Though it might look like a tool you’ve seen before, this isn’t a crimper or a straightener—instead, it’s a volumizing iron that exists in its own category entirely. This iron eliminates the need for unhealthy teasing or volume sprays by using ceramic-coated crimping plates designed to add texture to the hair near the scalp. Our tester reported that her hair appeared thicker and fuller, without the risk of heat damage.

Our tester loved this hair dryer so much that she started using it every day. She liked the flexibility of having five different heat settings with three different speeds, and even started using it on her dogs with great success. For her own hair, she noticed even after first time use, her hair felt super soft and smooth.

This straightener has a unique mix of infrared (to protect hair from damage) and ionic technology (for moisture). With 12 different temperatures and its beveled plates, our tester, who has been straightening her hair all her life, liked that the design enabled her to get super-close to the roots. She also noted that it was extra speedy; she could do her whole head of hair in only 20 minutes.

This dryer uses a special form of water ion technology that draws water from the air and converts it into micro water particles, which work to moisturize hair and prevent frizz. If you’re worried that this means it won’t actually dry your hair, don’t fret. Our tester reported that it was lightweight, easy-to-hold, and dried her hair faster than other hair dryers she’s tried.

This curling iron is the perfect tool for anyone who wants to maintain healthy curls while heat styling. Made with tourmaline ceramic barrels, the three interchangeable irons provide even heat distribution to minimize damage while enhancing your style. Our tester noted that the barrels created lasting curls and helped maintain their natural curl pattern after washing.

This hair growth helmet might look like something out of a sci-fi movie, but its technology checks out. Made with 120 red light bulbs for full-head coverage, this 10 minute treatment helps improve hair thickness and hair growth. Our tester reported that this helmet is comfortable and easy to use, and a clinical trial showed that it improved hair growth rate by 128 percent in 12 weeks.

Heat can be damaging to the scalp—but hair dryers aren’t often made with scalp health in mind. This hair dryer has a scalp protect mode with a sensor that automatically reduces heat when it’s close to skin. It can also sense when it is put down and pauses the heat accordingly. Our tester noted that the Nural felt like a natural next-generation hair dryer for Dyson—it dried hair quickly, never felt too hot, and the “attachment learning” mode that tailors heat and airflow for different attachments streamlined the styling process.

Would you believe us if we said that you can fake the look of a professional blow-out at home with a tool that’s under $100? Before trying this heated comb and blow-dryer brush, we wouldn’t have believed it either. This tool dries hair efficiently and quickly, acting as a two-in-one hair dryer and round brush. If you want to zhuzh up already-dry hair, you can switch it to the dry-hair mode to smooth your hair and add volume in a flash. Plus, it minimizes heat damage.

Hot brushes continue to be a much-loved hair tool. This one stands out because of its snag-free bristles along with its heated barrel plate. Our reviewer has curly, coily hair and used this after her regular blow-dry routine for smooth results with less heat. She loved that the airflow was quiet, making for a less stressful styling session. Her tip is that “for thicker hair types and tighter textures, it’s best to detangle and stretch hair before going in with this tool as a final step to add an extra sleek and shiny finish.”

Why settle for a regular, humdrum baseball cap when you could get a powerful one? There aren’t many LED devices for heads on the market yet, but this one distinguishes itself by looking completely innocuous. Inside this baseball cap is an assortment of red light bulbs, which work to increase scalp circulation and create a healthy environment to promote hair growth. Clinical studies have shown that red light therapy can improve scalp health and improve hair thickness and density. Our tester loved that he was able to walk around with this on while running errands.

Laser treatments are second to none when it comes to brightening, resurfacing, and tightening skin, but they’re often painful and require downtime. The NIRA Pro is a painless at-home version that’s clinically proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. It’s large enough to be used on the face, neck, chest, and back of hands to stimulate collagen production with non-fractional, non-ablative laser technology that gently heats skin. Our tester noted that the NIRA Pro helped reduce fine lines on the forehead and around the eyes with consistent use.

Using this skincare tool is like waving a magic wand. The handheld tool uses a mix of red light therapy, galvanic current, therapeutic warmth, and facial massaging to visibly depuff the skin and fade fine lines and wrinkles. Our tester reported that this tool was easy to use and helped fade blemishes and fine lines.

At home derma-planing just got a bit more sophisticated. This handheld tool uses micro-fine edges that safely glide over the skin to exfoliate and remove peach fuzz. This also helps to boost cell turnover to reveal plump, youthful skin. Our tester reported that the tool was fast, easy to use, and left her skin looking and feeling refreshed.

Using 24-karat gold to achieve great skin sounds like a myth, but this gold bar de-puffs and contours the face for a totally refreshed look. The vibrating gold-plated bar offers 6,000 rotations per minute to boost blood flow and encourage lymphatic drainage to sculpt and contour the face. After using the product over time, our tester noticed that the treated areas of her skin were less puffy.

Made of medical-grade silicone, this beginner red light mask is praised for being easy-to-wear and comes with 10- and 20-minute treatment times. More than 50 bulbs are embedded within the mask, which comes with goggles to protect your eyes and face loops for comfort. The flexibility of this mask made the tester call using it “a relaxing ritual.”

This rare at-home radio frequency device helps boost collagen and tighten skin. In-office radio frequency treatments can be pricey and painful, but this device is neither. It’s timed for five minutes per treatment area, and our tester reported that it was easy to use and left their skin looking lifted and taut.

This FDA-cleared, professional-grade light therapy offers two modes: red, to encourage collagen production and delay fine lines and wrinkles, and blue, to kill acne-inducing bacteria and prevent new breakouts from forming. And it only takes three minutes per session. Our tester reported that they saw an almost immediate improvement in their acne and inflammation.

Compared to other LED masks, this mask boasts better light distribution, so that users get more even red light coverage. It also contains over 100 bulbs, so that it can help boost collagen and even out skin tone. A tester used this every other day before bedtime and reported that she got continual compliments on her glowing skin.

The original Nuface Mini went viral on TikTok for its incredible before/after results. Using small amounts of electric current, this microcurrent device works to lift and tone skin. Our tester noticed that the Trinity stands out from other microcurrent tools because it has three different levels of power and seemed to be more intense than the Mini; they reported glowing skin with just a few minutes of use per day. If you’ve already used the Mini, the Trinity is more of an intermediate-level tool.

There are plenty of LED devices on the market, but this is the first face tool that uses cold laser technology or low-level laser therapy to boost collagen and reduce inflammation and the appearance of wrinkles. According to the brand, it is more powerful than LED. Our user noted that using this was less convenient than an all-over LED mask, but that with consistent use, her jawline and face looked tighter and more bouncy.

Bring the spa to you. This deskside steamer infuses water and the brand’s Phytonutrient Infusion drops (a blend of plant-derived actives, including botanicals, minerals, and antioxidants) into pores. Our tester reported that the steaming treatment left her skin feeling soft and refreshed. She noted that it also seemed to enhance the performance and feel of her skin care products, and made her skin feel hydrated throughout the day.

This device has both microcurrent (small amounts of electric current, which purportedly work at a muscular level) and nanocurrent (even smaller amount of microcurrent, which allegedly work at a cellular level). In addition to being able to lift and tone skin, our reviewers found that it helped with rosacea and redness. The device also pairs easily with an app, taking all the guesswork out of exactly how to maneuver the tool for best results.

These acne stickers seem like they’re from the future. Each reusable “sticker” gives a three-minute zap to zits, with a mix of red and blue LED and hydrocolloid sealing. This combo helps to banish bacteria and smooth bumps. Our tester reported that these were very easy to apply and they saw their spots reduced after just two days of use.

It looks like a Phantom of the Opera mask but is actually one of the most powerful LED masks on the market. Compared to other LED masks, it offers multiple wavelengths of light (red, blue, and even green), which can be used in combo with each other. Our tester found that this mask was a bit of a splurge, but that gave her quicker results. It was particularly helpful in reducing redness and in treating budding acne spots.

Our tester was most excited to try the “Booster Mode” of this device, which went viral on TikTok after users reported that it seemed to help skin care “sink in” better. She found that her skin felt extremely moisturized and hydrated, looking incredibly dewy and glass-like.

Few brands offer masks specifically for the neck and chest—which get sun, too—but this one from Solawave provides red light and near-infrared light therapy to help target lines and rejuvenate skin. Our tester liked that this mask was very straightforward to use, lightweight, and was a suitable size to fit across the chest and neck with ease.

There’s really no better way to ground yourself than lounging on the floor, but lying on this mat makes the experience a bit more luxurious. The highlight of this mat is its use of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field therapy, emitting electromagnetic waves to relax your muscles and reduce pain and inflammation. As the PEMF waves mimic frequencies found in nature, the mat encourages the body to work through its natural recovery process, which in turn helps to reduce stress, improve sleep and circulation, and increase energy. Plus, infrared heat provides a calming sensation as your body recovers. Our tester noted that the mat offered almost immediate relaxation and muscle relief, easing joint pain and reducing anxiety and stress after a few treatments.

Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston swear by infrared saunas. These saunas tout plenty of benefits, like increased circulation, muscle soreness relief, stress alleviation, and more. This blanket allows you to enjoy all of the benefits of an infrared sauna from the comfort of your home (you could even travel with it, though it’s a bit bulky). Our tester noted that using this blanket helped them feel more relaxed, and it sped up recovery time after intense workouts.

Humidifiers aren’t just good for your breathing—they also benefit your skin by adding moisture to the air, which can improve hydration and strengthen the skin’s barrier. This portable humidifier makes it possible to reap the benefits anywhere you go, since it’s compact, wireless, and rechargeable. It also uses a special and first-of-its-kind hybrid humidification technology, combining misting with an evaporative fan (read: your face won’t look like you just rode a water ride at a theme park). Our tester reported that she used this on her child who was suffering from congestion, and it worked wonders. “Its size and lack of electrical cords make it ideal for small spaces. The added essential oil puck is great if you want to add a bit of aromatherapy to your personal space.”

If you filter your water for drinking, why wouldn’t you want to give your hair and body the same luxe treatment? Much of the U.S. population live in areas with hard water, and this shower head uses 12 different filtration systems to give you shinier hair and softer skin. Our tester specifically noted that this shower head provided much better water pressure compared to others, with consistent results.