My motto is “Self-care through skin care,” and I use a variety of beauty tools to help me achieve harmony between my mind, body, and skin. It’s been nearly 10 years since that fateful day I encountered K-beauty. While I no longer abide by a 10 Korean skincare regime, my current skincare routine is a multistep process that involves double cleansing, exfoliation and facial messages. This list of 6 beauty tools to add to your skincare routine is based on items that I currently use and hope that you’ll enjoy using them as much as I do!
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6 Beauty Tools to Add To Your Skincare Routine
1. Body Brush
A body brush is used for dry brushing the body in an upward motion to gently remove flaky skin from the surface. Dry brushing also stimulates blood circulation and aids in draining the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system.
I’ve even seen that dry brushing helps in reducing cellulite, but I honestly can’t vouch for that. Not because I’m ~blessed~ and don’t have cellulite (I do!). It’s just that I simply haven’t been dry brushing my butt and thighs long enough to see any dramatic change!
When looking for a body brush, choose one with firm, natural bristles. I got mine a few months ago through my subscription with My Little Box. You can also use a Japanese sponge called a “tawashi.” Now, tawashi are commonly used for washing the dirt off vegetables and scrubbing pots and pans, but Tokyo-based Kamenoko Tawashi is known for its massage and exfoliation sponges. Try their “Sato” brush, a soft natural bristle tawashi named after an employee with a gentle disposition.
Kamenoko Tawashi “Sato” Body Brush // Available on Amazon & Amazon Japan
2. Tenugui
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When I first started thinking about beauty items I wanted to produce for EDO BEAUTY LAB, a tenugui was the first thing that came to my mind. A tenugui is a long and thin cotton towel with unhemmed edges that has been a part of Japanese bathing culture for centuries.
A few years ago, Japanese beauty bloggers “rediscovered” tenugui and realized that a simple tenugui and a bar of soap make for a pretty powerful cleansing duo. This technique is known as tenugui sengan (手拭い洗顔).
Tenugui have a very textured surface that gently exfoliates while removing grime and makeup. To use a tenugui, work your favorite cleanser into a damp tenugui, and use a circular motion on the face and body. Rinse thoroughly and let air dry.
You’ll notice that a tenugui has unhemmed edges. It’s not a production flaw, and it actually helps a tenugui dry faster, thereby reducing the growth of bacteria and fungi
Komatsuna Print Tenugui // Available on edobeautylab.com
3. Ultrasonic Facial Peeler
This space-age gadget might look like a torture device. (Or at the very least, something you’d find in the kitchen). But, an ultrasonic facial peeler is an unlikely addition to my skincare routine that I can’t live without. Tens of thousands of ultrasonic soundwaves pulsate along the metal edge to unclog pores and loosen up dead skin cells.
An ultrasonic facial peeler is surprisingly gentle on the face, as long as you don’t apply pressure when using it. As an exfoliation/extraction device, you won’t get Dr. Pimple levels of grossness, but it sure is satisfying seeing all that gunk build up on the spatula. Just be sure to use it when the skin is wet to let the ultrasonic vibrations to form and build.
This particular peeler has 4 settings but my favorite is ION – mode. It’s best used with sheet masks or a beauty serum as the tiny pulsations massage the essence into the skin.
Anlan Ultrasonic Facial Peeler // Available on Amazon & Amazon Japan
4. Gua Sha
Gua sha are flat, heart-shaped objects with a wide curve that fit right into the palm of your hand. The word. “gua sha,’ is actually the name of a healing technique used in ancient Chinese medicine. You use the unique shape of the gua sha to massage your face, the area around your eyes, neck and decolletage by moving it along your skin in the direction of lymphatic flow.
Regular use of a gua sha simulates circulation, decreases puffiness and inflammation, and brightens the complexion. Gua sha massages are a part of my Sunday skincare routine, and they also play an important role in my morning skincare routine. After applying a brightening serum, I massage my cheeks and around the eyes to make me look alert.
Gua sha are made from precious minerals like rose quartz, jade or onyx. If you’re not sure whether to go with jade or rose quartz, go with jade. It’s far more durable than rose quartz. I accidentally dropped the rose quartz gua sha that came with my Keep Cool Ocean Deep Blue Oil Self Ritual Set, and it immediately broke. My jade gua sha, on the other hand, is still holding up!
Mina Heal Jade Gua Sha // Available on Amazon & Amazon Japan
5. Jade Roller
Like Gua Sha, facial rollers are made from precious minerals and have been used in ancient Chinese medicine for centuries. They can have a single head or have 2 rollers of different sizes to acodado the groves and contours of the face, neck and decolletage. As a lymphatic massage tool, rollers drain fluid from the face, which reduces puffiness and contours the face. For best results, use a roller after washing your face and applying serums. I personally like to use my facial roller when sheet masking, to help the essence work its magic on my face!
If you prefer a cooling sensation for your facial massage, go with rose quartz as it stays cooler to the touch. Jade on the other hand, is a softer mineral that responds and adapts to body heat.
Herbivore Botanicals Jade Roller // Available on Amazon
6. ReFa Roller
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ReF is a Japanese brand that’s been a pioneer of luxury beauty rollers since its inception in 2009. Their core product base is made up of Y-shaped facial massage devices with “double drainage rollers” that lift, refine, firm and tone the skin’s appearance.
ReFa rollers are waterproof and have a platinum (!) coating to minimize irritation and prolong the use of the device over time. That platinum coating gives ReFa beauty rollers a sleek, futuristic look, but that’s more than an aesthetic choice. On the handle is a solar panel that converts light into a powerful yet, soothing microcurrent as you roll your troubles away.
To use your ReFa, let it glide along your forehead, cheeks, jawline, neck, collarbone, and shoulders in an upward motion. ReFa rollers can even be used around the eyes and mouth to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
ReFa Carat Ray Face // Available on Amazon & Amazon Japan
6 Beauty Tools to Add To Your Skincare Routine
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Beauty tools may seem like an unnecessary extra step but they are a wonderful means to nourish your skin while caring for your body.
To recap here are the 6 beauty tools to add to your skincare routine
- Body Brush
- Tenugui
- Ultrasonic Facial Peeler
- Gua Sha
- Jade Roller
- ReFa Roller
Exfoliation tools like body brushes, tenugui and ultrasonic peelers clear pores and remove dead skin to reveal brighter, smoother skin. On the other hand, gua sha, jade rollers, and ReFa rollers aid in the drainage of lymphatic fluid to reduce puffiness, relieve tension, and increase blood circulation
Together these 6 tools will help you achieve total mind, body and skin balance!
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