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Well, I will say: I have never used a homemade tool for the skin. I may be a beauty writer, but many of these tools come with a hefty price tag—typically $100 or so—that doesn’t fit my fresh-out-of-college budget. However, SolaWave sought to change my skincare routine by sending news of their Advanced Skincare Wand to my inbox. Even better? It’s currently $20 on Amazon in a beauty pack.
$149.99 on Amazon (Save $20)
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What is SolWave?
SolaWave is a skincare brand that wants to make “beauty and self-care accessible for everyone” with its top-of-the-line skincare wand: the Red Light Therapy Skincare Wand. As the name suggests, the device uses red LED light to “reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, dark circles, blemishes and dark spots.”
The wand looks like a disposable razor with a head that shines light onto the skin. The tools are meant to be used alongside the brand’s Renew Complex Serum, which claims to “activate” the wands. The Skincare Wand with Red Light Therapy is currently on sale for $149 on Amazon with a serum included.
$149.99 on Amazon (Save $20)
How I Tried SolaWave Wand and Renew Complex Serum
Because this is my first foray into the world of at-home skincare devices, I decided to use the Skincare Wand with Red Light Therapy, which the brand sent me, three times a week for five weeks to see if it made any substantial changes. on my skin. Per the brand’s instructions, I used the wand five minutes per session after cleansing, and opted to pick it up in the evening because I felt it was a relaxing way to end the day.
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SolaWave Advanced Skincare Wand with Red Light Therapy
The wand features “therapeutic heat”, “low vibration” and “microcurrent” settings for use in conjunction with the red light. Warm temperature should help increase the absorption of skin care and reduce the appearance of redness. Meanwhile, the vibe claims to “decrease the appearance of puffiness” and promote a radiant complexion. Unlike the other two features, microcurrent claims it goes beyond the surface of the skin by “stimulating[ing] the muscles and the deeper layers of the skin”, which in turn “helps with the signs of aging”.
As directed by the stick’s instructions, I applied SolaWave Renew Complex Serum to my face before placing the stick on the skin – the stick only turns on when it comes into contact with a “moisturized surface”. You don’t have to use the branded serum if you don’t want to, though, as the instructions say to use “any face mist, moisturizer, [or] serum of your choice” will also work. Once my face was covered in a thick layer of the Renew Complex Serum, I moved in upward and outward motions, starting at my chin and gliding towards my under eye area. When it got to my forehead, though, I moved the wand in vertical strokes from the top of my brows down to my hairline.
The descriptions of the wand’s four characteristics (light, heat, vibration, and microcurrent) may sound like they can irritate the skin, but my entire experience was very reassuring. For example, the hot touch of the wand was not scalding and the microcurrent vibrations gently pulsed against my skin. Before trying the Advanced Skincare Wand, I saw some fine lines on the right side of my forehead (thanks, stress!), and after using the stick for five weeks, they were barely noticeable to me, leading me to believe that the light wand’s red can live up to its claims. Also, my eyes have always been a problem area and it seems that the skin under my eyes is not as puffy as it used to be. I’m a firm believer that no single product or treatment can banish my inherited dark circles—although I would like to—but a device that can help reduce my under-eye puffiness is a win-win for me.
Starting at $85 on Amazon
SolaWave Renew Complex Serum
Like salt and pepper or milk and cookies, the SolaWave Advanced Skincare Wand isn’t complete without the Renew Complex Serum—or at least some sort of serum or moisturizer—as that’s what activates the stick. The blue tinted serum is formulated with skin-plumping hyaluronic acid, cucumber water to soothe, and blue tansy oil to prevent breakouts. It also claims to “evenly distribute the wand’s microcurrent energy across your skin.”
The serum left my skin nice and smooth, but I noticed that one to two drops on each section of my face wasn’t working. Instead, I had to use about three drops because my skin started to dry halfway through each of my five-minute sessions. As I had to use quite a bit of product to keep the wand activated, I’ve already used a third of the bottle in a matter of five weeks. The serum may have made my skin soft and supple looking, but it fell short when I realized I’d have to dish out $32 every other month for the serum.
To test the theory that the wand can be activated with other liquids, I prepped my skin with a $20 bottle of Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum before two sessions of SolaWave, and the wand worked just as well as when I used the Serum. Renew Complex.
$64 on Amazon (2-Pack)
Are SolaWave Wand and Renew Complex Serum worth it?
Yes, but seeing results requires patience.
After reading the product claims, I went into this experience with the expectation that the SolaWave Wand would make my crimson colored acne scars disappear. It didn’t, but the results showed up in other ways: the skin under my eyes isn’t as puffy as it used to be, and the lines on the right side of my forehead seem to have disappeared, so I believe the wand delivers on its claims of puffiness reduction and reduction of fine lines.
Despite the difference in expectations versus reality, I think SolaWave is worth its $149 price tag, especially if your budget doesn’t allow for in-office cosmetic treatments like botox and fillers. But as I’ve learned, what you wish for doesn’t always come true, so I’d suggest buying this wand with the mindset that the results you want to see might not come to fruition – a gamble with most skin care items.
My thoughts diverge on the tool helper: as you need a lot of Renew Complex Serum to keep the wand working, I wish it came in a larger bottle, so I’d suggest forgoing it and using a serum, face mist, or moisturizer you already have at home.
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published, but may change over time.