My Favorite Skincare Tools & How to Use Them

There are so many awesome skincare tools out there that it can be overwhelming to understand what’s worth the investment and what isn’t. Here are some of my favorite skincare tools that I’ve been using for months or even years, why I love them, and how to use them. You’ll notice that I eschew plastic and disposables whenever possible, so the majority of my favorite tools are eco-friendly, zero-waste, and reusable, as well as low impact and sustainable, so you can feel good about incorporating them into your beauty routine. Here are my essential skincare tools.

Beauty Fridge

If you’re going to invest in any beauty tool, let it be a beauty refrigerator. It helps prolong your products’ lives by preventing them from breaking down, plus using chilled products on your skin can enhance their effectiveness and reduce redness, blotchiness, and puffiness. I love that this one has a built-in shelf for sheet masks. The few times I’ve had a sunburn, nothing felt as good as chilled aloe gel on my skin, and nothing calms inflammation of my skin quite like a chilled face mask. I also put my facial rollers, face creams, eye creams, and sunscreen in my beauty fridge.

Hydration

This water pitcher not only filters our tap water by removing lead, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and bacteria, but it makes it taste even better, too, especially when used alongside this toxin-removing charcoal filter. This wooden handled purifier is a more affordable option. I always store my purified water in a glass water bottle like this one or this one, so I’m not using disposable plastics or exposing myself to dangerous phthalates. I know what you’re thinking “how does a water pitcher relate to beauty”? Well, the most important part of any skincare routine is staying well-hydrated! Drinking 8-12 glasses of water every day, depending upon your size and activity level, can really help increase the brightness, clarity, and firmness of your skin and improve your complexion. Drinking pure water helps prevent toxins from bioaccumulating in your body.

Above: Félix Cocktails et Cuisine in Charleston, SC

Exfoliation

I use a clean, soft-bristled toothbrush to very gently exfoliate my skin during the cleansing stage of the regimen. This toothbrush is only used for my skincare routine, and I cleanse it with a UV sterilizer between each use to kill bacteria. I primarily use it on my T-zone (the t-shaped region between my eyebrows and down my nose), chin, and sometimes my nose to remove dead skin cells and help my skin glow. Using a spinning exfoliating brush can cause micro-tears, which are the perfect spots for bacteria to flourish. I use these reusable beauty pads and these organic cotton and bamboo cotton swabs to remove my makeup – they’re buttery soft and make cleaning my face a breeze!

While not necessarily a beauty tool, cool water is the only water temperature I use to wash my face because the skin is so delicate, and using warm or hot water can cause redness, inflammation, or even slight burns. Cool water also helps soothe irritated skin, reduces puffiness, and reduces redness. I never wash my face in the shower, but rather I wait until I’m out of the shower because the water I bathe with is always too hot for my skin, and I don’t want to burn myself or damage my face.

Rollers & Gua Sha

I’m hooked on using stone facial rollers and gua sha, and I consider them essential skincare tools. I keep mine in a clean fabric pouch in my beauty refrigerator and use it during the sheet mask stage or moisturizer stage of my 10 step Korean Skincare routine. I use only upward strokes and clean it thoroughly after each use in my UV sterilizer. Using a cold facial roller helps get rid of any facial puffiness or under-eye bags, plus it helps relax my facial muscles. Another great option is this hot and cold massaging facial wand. The different temperatures help amplify the absorption of your serums and moisturizers to ensure they reach their full potential within your skin. I use this one over my sheets masks, along with a stone roller.

I also use a selenite wand (pictured above) to massage and help relax my temporomandibular joint (the TMJ), which helps keep me from grinding my teeth at night. I don’t believe selenite possesses any special innate powers as some people believe. Still, the cool, firm pressure of this massage wand has helped ease my clenching and riding, and I highly recommend it, making it one of my essential skincare tools.

I do not use washcloths to wash or scrub my face, as I have sensitive skin, and they irritate my face. I use my fingertips, and I always thoroughly wash my hands before touching my face. Again, while not a skincare tool per se, this goes to show that much of you need to achieve glowing skin is already at your fingertips! Sorry, I had to! This wand is a perfect, gentle way to vibrate away dead skin cells, oil, and other impurities.

Haircare

To keep my hair out of my face, I like to use a large, clean headband, and I tie my hair back out of my face. This one is great, and I also love the headbands Anthropologie sells, as they’re colorful and offer lots of beautiful botanical prints. Once I’m done with my skincare routine, I like to gently brush out my hair using this wooden detangling comb, also pictured above. Something about brushing my hair has always helped me relax.

We change our pillowcases every 2 days or so because it’s the only thing our faces spend so much time resting upon, and the oil, sweat, and products on our faces can build up on the pillows, along with bacteria. Replace your bedsheets and pillowcases often to keep your skin healthy. We have more than a dozen pillowcases, so we aren’t constantly doing laundry.

Above: How I Grew Out My Hair

What are some of your essential skincare tools? Let me know in the comments below!

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