Though spas and derm offices have started to open their doors again, the rise of COVID-19 cases in many states is enough to make us rethink taking a spa (or medi-spa) day. But just because some appointments may feel, well, non-essential doesn't mean that we don't miss them — or that we can't do our best to DIY that pro-assisted glow at home.
Many beauty and wellness companies have made products that mimic the effects of low-to-no downtime treatments, but are safe enough to use at home. Ahead, find a failsafe way to tackle dermaplaning, LED light treatments, massage and more. With options like this, our own well-appointed bathrooms may turn out to be among our favorite spas in the world.
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Inspired by: Radiofrequency & Skin Contouring
The suspension of gold beads doesn't just look cool in this newly reformulated take on La Prairie's best-selling serum, it packs some major science, too. Included in the formula are two ingredients made to mimic caviar's nutrient-rich composition: a cocktail of lipids, proteins, peptides, and DNA are combined with an isolate of caviar oils and protein. Together, they work to support our skin's extracellular matrix, geared to lift and contour skin over time.
Inspired By: Oxygen Facial
Nothing feels better than a blast of pure oxygen mid-facial to help calm redness. This aerosol, designed to mimic one of the most-booked treatments at the Kate Somerville Skin Health Experts Clinic in Los Angeles, delivers a cool hit of artificial oxygen carriers and hyaluronic acid to help skin retain moisture.
Inspired By: Medical-Grade Chemical Peels
There are a ton of at-home peel products on the market, but for us, this is one that most closely mimics the experience (and skin-brightening results) of an in-office treatment. After pouring the contents of one of the package's four vials (which include glycolic, salicylic and lactic acids) in a dish and absorbing the liquid with a cotton pad, we dotted the solution along sections of the face. Instantly, we felt the kind of intense warming and tingling that occurs with in-office peels.
After another pass of the cotton pad and ten minutes wait time, we washed our face to reveal the smoothest and brightest skin we've seen in a long time. Just like with professionally-administered peels, our skin felt dry and needed extra moisturization in the few days following our treatment, but a week later, our skin continued to feel glassy smooth.
Inspired By: Cryotherapy
Designed to mimic the freezing temps of cryotherapy (and its skin-firming results) this gel cleanser foams and makes skin feel colder and colder the more it's massaged into skin.
While red algae, sea kelp extract and sea water are included to firm skin over time, we were invigorated by a more immediate effect: an icy sensation felt as soon as we splashed tepid water on our face to rinse the cleanser away. For mornings (in which we can't seem to wake up) and sticky, summer evenings (in which we can't seem to cool off), this cleanser delivers the refreshing jolt of energy we need to recalibrate.
