We’ve been in a combination of social distancing and quarantine for the better part of five months now, with no end in sight. So while my husband and daughter might be the only ones seeing me up close for a while, all those unflattering angles on Zoom calls, combined with a healthy dose of maskne — well let’s just say I could really use a professional facial right about now.

With all of the restrictions in place, plus the prospect of months of home schooling and remote work this fall, I’ve finally accepted that the chance of getting to a facialist anytime soon is slim to none. So I’ve decided to try to recreate some of the results I get in a spa at home. Here are some of the devices I’ve come to rely on with great results.

ZIIP

ZIIP is a handheld electrical skincare device that kind of looks like a toy telephone. When used with the ZIIP Golden Gel, “tiny, energetic currents are pushed into the skin through positively and negatively charged discs.” Translation? Picture a battery where there is a positive and a negative end. The energy runs between the two polarizing ends of what is essentially a battery giving whatever it's in contact with...like; in this case, the skin. When used regularly, the ZIIP promises to help leave skin revived, refreshed and lifted.

Thanks to a handy app that provides treatment videos you follow along with, it is pretty easy to get started. You pick one of several treatment protocols on the app and get to work on your own face while Melanie (the ZIIP founder) takes you through the regimen.

A few weeks in, my skin feels firmer and brighter. The results made me want to try other protocols and perhaps stop whining about not wanting to spend 15 minutes at the end of the night taking care of myself. Where else do I need to be in the middle of a pandemic?

ZIIP is available here.

Dermapore

Dermapore is a 2-in-1 ultrasonic device that helps unclog pores and infuses your favorite skincare. But I was so excited by “Extract” mode that I never even got to the “Infuse” part!

Now admittedly, my skin is generally pretty clear. But I do get the occasional blemish (not to mention blackheads on my nose), and mandatory masking every time I leave my house isn’t helping the clogged pores on my chin.

Enter Dermapore. TL, DR: I love this thing.

How it works? I washed my face with my regular cleanser and then splashed it with a generous amount of water. With my face dripping, I pressed the device once to turn it on (a second press changes the frequency of the device to the second mode meant for helping infuse skin care products into clean skin). Once it was buzzing, it felt like an electric toothbrush in my hand. I gently glided the “blade” (it is rounded off, so doesn’t hurt or scratch) across slightly taut skin. That’s it.

On at least three different occasions (and on different parts of my face) when I did feel a little pimple coming on or saw the beginnings of a white head, a little glide of the Dermapore in the area made a difference by the next day. One time, I used Dermapore on a pimple coming up on my chin (damn you maskne!), and the next morning I could see a small whitehead (TMI sorry) had formed. I gave it a quick swipe with the Dermapore in the morning and the whitehead just gently slipped right out. It was AMAZING. Truly, I love this thing.

I think I might be slightly obsessed with Dermapore. And TBH, I am not even sure if I am using it correctly. But I will tell you, in my opinion, it works.

Dermapore is available here.

Dr Gross DRx SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro

Yes, this is the Friday the 13th inspired mask that you have seen all over your Instagram feed. After making fun of my friends who had one, I bit the bullet and tried it myself. According to the company, this is a wrinkle reducing and acne fighting LED device for your entire face and the lights “work together to smooth wrinkles, diminish discoloration, and clear acne for a beautiful, youthful complexion.”

Of everything I tried, it is the easiest of the devices to use — and takes the least amount of time. You place the mask on a clean and dry face, and push the button; once for acne treatment (red lights), twice for fine lines and wrinkles (blue lights), and a third time for both treatments at the same time. Obviously I pushed it three times even though I don’t really have acne. I figured more is more?

The mask glowed a soft purple and three minutes later, I was done. That’s it.

Dr. Gross’s team says it works by “stimulating your own production of collagen” and recommends daily use — and in as few as four weeks, I should see some minimizing of fine lines and wrinkles, with optimal results in ten weeks. One week in, this has become a moment of peace I look forward to before bed, and my skin feels tighter. For three minutes a day, I am in. (I’ll report back!)

DRx SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro is available here.

Georgia Louise Hollywood EGF Kit

Last but not least, the latest addition to the Georgia Louise family is the Hollywood EGF Kit — a microneedling tool — which was created as a way to replicate the celebrity facialist’s much lauded Hollywood EGF facial results at home.

Admittedly, I was a little nervous about trying this device. My fear of needles is well documented in my household, so why on earth would I subject myself to sticking needles in my face?

All for beauty, duh.

This system uses “soft, single-use micro-needle pins to create tiny channels on the skin's surface” so you can micro-needle safely at home. Used with the second setting (an infusion setting) it is designed to treat fine lines, enlarged pores, pigmentation, dryness, dullness and uneven skin tone.

Georgia recommends treating your skin with a good dose of the EGF Serum (or whatever your favorite non-oil based serum is) on your face before and after the treatment, to be done weekly. (I found the extra slip on my skin helpful when gliding the device across my face, neck and décolleté.)

And truth be told? The microneedling didn’t hurt one bit. And I didn’t have any of the redness or irritation I had prepared for. My skin felt a little sensitive after, but the lightweight serum soothed it straight away.

Georgia Louise Hollywood EGF Kit is available here.

The takeaway: I might have gone a little overboard trying all of these devices at the same time, as a lot of them promise similar results. I think they are all wonderful options for spa facial like results at home, depending on your specific needs, time and budget.

(But I also can’t wait to get back to the ginger hands of my facialist when this is all over...)

In her column for Just Bobbi, author, advisor and attorney Anjali Kumar is willing to try anything in the name of beauty and wellness (at least once).