Our qualms aside, this wand might be exactly what some people are looking for. “If someone has concerns about a specific area of the face, a targeted mask or wand may be more appropriate, and less expensive, than a full face mask,” Camp said.
Or, if you want multiple therapies at once, including heat, galvanic current, and facial massage, this is certainly a worthwhile tool, and using it is much more affordable and convenient than trying to get all of those therapies from separate devices.
If you want to try it but are still skeptical, the good news is that Solawave offers free returns within 60 days of receipt for a full refund, including used and opened products, but only if you buy yours from the Solawave website. So you can try the wand for a longer period of time before deciding if it’s right for your routine.
But when it comes to the experience and effort it takes to use the wand, all of our testers agreed that they would not purchase the wand themselves. Many panelists said they would rather invest in a mask for the hands-free experience and the more significant benefits that they hoped would come from increasing the exposure time of the red light to their skin.
Moreover, the Solawave wand—and many skin-care devices, for that matter—bears a long list of contraindications that make it less appropriate for many people. According to the website, the Solawave 4-In-1 Skincare Wand should not be used by people who are under 18, pregnant, have an electronic implant device such as a pacemaker, or anyone prone to light-induced headaches or seizures. Those aren’t all of the contraindications listed, so I recommend reading through them before purchasing, should you decide to do so.
Finally, as I would remind my teenage self, who got spendy at Sephora on something she didn’t need, beauty devices can’t solve every problem you have with your skin.
In my interview with Turegano, she shared a sentiment that I sincerely stand by: She said that while she loves red-light therapy (and I do, too), it can’t lift all of the weight on its own—these masks and wands are meant to be accessories to a skin-care routine, not the whole thing. “It’s only one piece of the pie when it comes to taking care of your skin overall.”
This article was edited by Hannah Rimm and Maxine Builder.
