Glowing skin doesn’t stop on your face, which is why iconic makeup artist Pat McGrath recommends always using highlighter on your décolletage. “My Skin Fetish highlighter stick works amazingly as a body shimmer,” she says.

Her best advice for putting it on so it looks natural and not contrived? “The trick is to hunch your shoulders forward so your collarbones pop out; that’s where you want it,” she says. After that, McGrath recommends adding a powder on top for even more glow: “It photographs beautifully.”

Use toner before serum or moisturizer.

Using a great moisturizer is a no-brainer for getting glowing, healthy skin, but what you use before it is just as important: toner. Toners get a bad rep for either doing nothing or totally stripping your skin, but the new generation is essential for hydrating and prepping your skin. “Think of it as a glass of water for your skin,” says Nachi Click, owner of Mist Beauty. “Serums and creams can penetrate deeper if your skin is hydrated.” Shop some of our favorites below, and see here for some of the best toners we can’t live without.

Strengthen your skin barrier.

Exfoliating two to three times a week is great for your skin, but any more and you can risk compromising your skin’s barrier function (i.e., its ability to keep moisture in and damaging elements like free radicals out). A weak barrier can lead to flakes, dryness, and irritation. The good news is that there are now treatments formulated specifically to strengthen and repair your skin barrier (look for keywords like soothing, replenishing, and barrier repair on the label). Charlotte Cho, cofounder of Soko Glam, swears by the Thank You Farmer Back to Relax Soothing Gel Mask, while we love Dr. Loretta’s Intense Replenishing Serum.

Add vitamin C to your routine.

Ask any skin expert, and they’ll recommend a vitamin C serum for radiant skin. “Apply five drops of vitamin C serum underneath SPF each morning to target free radical damage, help lighten dark spots, and even out your skin tone,” says Natalie Smyth, an influencer and skin-care expert. See some of our favorites below, or click here for more of the best vitamin C serums.

Switch to a chemical exfoliator.

Swap your classic face scrub for a chemical exfoliator—i.e., a peel or serum that uses AHAs, BHAs, or PHAs—which tend to be less abrasive on your skin. “Physical exfoliants sand your skin’s surface,” says New York dermatologist Dennis Gross, M.D., whereas acids break apart the bonds that hold dead skin in place to gently clear it away. Chemical exfoliators also have a bonus when used regularly: “By increasing cell turnover, you’re going to encourage the creation of new collagen,” says Gross. “So you’ll see a firming effect over time.”

Start by using a gentle acid a few times a week, or a stronger one once a week to knock out dullness, clear away dead skin cells, and unclog pores.

Binge-mask.  

While most of us might save a sheet mask for a special occasion or spa night, when your skin is acting particularly finicky, consider making it a daily thing. “When my face looks blah, I’ll do sheet masks like St. Ives Glowing Apricot Sheet Mask for seven days straight. “It has a compounding effect of hydrating and smoothing that delivers a crazy glow by week’s end.”

A micro needling roller is a great addition to your existing skin care routine. It plumps up the skin and makes your products work better.  But what about an electric dermapen?

We know that they can give you much more dramatic results and work on more significant skin issues, but are they okay for home use?

MICRO NEEDLING DEVICE TYPES QUICK REFERENCE

When talking about skin needling either professionally or at home there are a few different types of micro needling devices. Each of the device types is a little different.

The one you choose depends on your preferences and comfort level with the process.

MANUAL ROLLER

This is the most common type of roller for home treatment although they are also used by cosmetic clinicians.

One of their biggest draws is that they are really easy to use, even for beginners. Prices start around $10 and go up from there, but you don’t need to shell out a lot on an expensive device to get the benefits of treatment, but a good vitamin C serum will go a very long way.

MANUAL STAMP OR PEN

Stamps or pens are less common since they’re slightly harder to use. It’s a bit more difficult to apply even pressure across the whole treatment area as compared to a roller. It’s also more difficult to cover larger treatment areas (like the thighs or stomach) as compared to a roller or an electric device. Still, some people prefer them to rollers.

ELECTRIC STAMP OR PEN

Electric derma pens (also known as micro needling pens) are probably what you think of when you think of a professional micro needling treatment.

They have a small disposable head called a bayonet where the needles are located in a plastic casing. When the device is turned on the bayonet rapidly moves the needles in and out of the casing. The needles penetrate the skin at a very controlled depth because of the plastic casing acting as a guide against the skin.

ELECTRIC DERMA PEN FEATURES

Electric derma pens have a lot of good features including:

Adjustable speed and depth of needles for customizable treatment from 0.25mm to improve product penetration all the way to to 2.0mm to promote collagen formation and fill in acne scars and wrinkles.

Very user friendly and much more control over results since all you have to do is make sure the plastic casing is in contact with the skin in order to get the proper level of penetration.

Replaceable heads so the device can be used by more than one person.

Even though derma pens have these great features a lot of people shy away from them for home treatment because they seem like they would be much more difficult to manage compared to  using a microneedling a roller at home. Apparently that isn’t the case.

MICRO NEEDLING RESULTS

Micro needling results can be really impressive in general but comparison electric pen versus roller results isn’t so easy.

Although diagrams like this one are common in the promotional material of a lot of electric needling pen manufacturers, these claims aren’t confirmed by any of the clinical studies on micro needling.

MICRO NEEDLING ELECTRIC PEN VS ROLLER

The before and after shots and results from electric treatments to seem much more dramatic than those of manual rolling, but the reason may not be the angle of the needles.

It could be that the needles cover and penetrate more evenly, which results in more consistent results. It could also be that the speed of the electric device just makes way more micro-punctures than a roller.

There is no definitive answer as of yet but it does seem that electric devices provide more dramatic results and also offer more versatility in treatment options.

HOW TO  USE A DERMA PEN LIKE DR. PEN

Using an electric derma pen at home isn’t very different from using a manual micro needling roller. The steps are the same:

Disinfect device (if applicable).

Apply numbing cream if using and wait 15-20 minutes. Anaesthetic is generally recommended with an electric device. Make sure to wipe off all residue as otherwise it can clog up the machine.

Thoroughly cleanse face.

Apply pretreatment serum, preferably hyaluronic acid.

Turn device on at the right depth for your desired treatment.

Run the device over skin in all directions (up and down, side to side, and diagonally) about 5 times in each direction. Extra treatment can be done to scars or deep wrinkles.

Following treatment apply vitamin C serum.

After treatment skin feels hot and may sting like a mild to moderate sunburn. If skin feels extra tight following treatment a hyaluronic acid sheet mask can be applied for 15 to 20 minutes (before vitamin C serum) which gives skin a nice moisture boost. Follow with vitamin C serum.