Skincare devices, model against model
Glow & Current compares LED masks, microcurrent, IPL and radiofrequency devices on published wavelengths, manufacturer output figures and FDA clearance numbers looked up in the public database. We do not test devices. We tell you which numbers exist, which do not, and what that means for the one you are about to buy.
The winners
One pick per category, each linked to the comparison where it won and the reasoning behind it. Prices are checked live rather than quoted from memory.
Best overall
Best for most upgraders. The three-wavelength silicone mask that made CurrentBody the default recommendation, and the one device in this comparison whose exact 510(k) we can cite.
Won our the best led face masks, ranked on what you can actually verify
Best overall
Best for most people, most faces. The reference microcurrent device: swappable attachments, an app, a published microamp ceiling and the deepest clearance history in the category.
Won our the best microcurrent devices, ranked by what they will tell you
Best overall
Best for most people, and the safest implementation. The sensor-led handset: it reads skin tone 80 times a second and sets the intensity for you, which is a different design philosophy to maximizing energy.
Won our the best at-home ipl devices, and the safety spec to read first
Best overall
Best for anyone who wants a published target temperature. Multi-frequency radiofrequency with muscle activation and a thermal sensor, from the clinical-device manufacturer Pollogen.
Won our the best at-home rf devices, judged on the temperature they publish
Best steamer
Best for a full session without refilling. The default home facial steamer: a 30-minute tank, nano-ionic output and a built-in towel warmer.
Won our the best facial steamers, and what steam actually does
Browse by device
LED Masks
Six brands dominate this category and four of them publish almost nothing you can check. Here is what each one actually emits, which clearance numbers exist, and which specification is missing from every single spec sheet.
Top pick: CurrentBody Skin LED Light Therapy Mask Series 2
Microcurrent
One brand in this category publishes its actual microamp output. The rest ask you to take the word mode seriously. Here is what each device is cleared for, what it puts out, and where the gaps are.
Top pick: NuFACE TRINITY+
IPL
Energy density varies by a factor of four across these devices, and the single most important safety variable is the one the advertising never leads with. Start with skin tone, then compare energy.
Top pick: Braun Silk-expert Pro 5
RF & Tightening
Radiofrequency is the only modality here where the governing variable is a temperature, and where one device holds a stronger regulatory authorization than a 510(k).
Top pick: TriPollar STOP VX2
Steamers & Tools
None of these is a regulated medical device, and that is the most useful thing to know about them. Here is what each one does, what it does not, and the order to use them in.
Top pick: NanoSteamer 3-in-1 Facial Steamer
Read these first
LED Masks
Omnilux Contour Face vs CurrentBody Series 2The category's defining head-to-head: published irradiance against a locatable 510(k), and which one should decide your purchase.
Microcurrent
NuFACE TRINITY+ vs MINI+Attachments and 340 microamps against a device small enough to survive a real routine. Both hold located clearances.
IPL
Ulike vs Braun: the two design philosophies in home IPLBrand-level comparison of the two dominant approaches: energy plus cooling against sensor-enforced low energy.
RF & Tightening
TriPollar STOP VX vs STOP VX2What thermal mapping adds to the STOP line, and whether the older generation is the better buy when discounted.
Why this site is different
We searched the FDA's public 510(k) database device by device and found records for 20 of the 44 devices on this site. Every one is cited with its number, date and product code. Where we found nothing, we say so and show you what we searched.
We do not own a lab, an integrating sphere or a test cohort. Every page says so. What we do instead is read spec sheets, clearance records and published literature accurately, and show our working.
An irradiance number from a manufacturer is a manufacturer's number. We write it that way every time, and we tell you which brands publish nothing at all - which, in the LED category, is most of them.
Prices render only from a live data layer with a date stamp and a 48-hour expiry. If the feed stops, the numbers disappear and the buttons say “Check price”. The failure mode is silence, never a stale claim.
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How this is funded
Glow & Current earns a commission when you buy through a link on this site, at no extra cost to you. We are an Amazon Associate, and Amazon is currently the only retailer we earn from. No brand pays for placement here, no brand reviews our copy before it publishes, and no brand has ever sent us a device - which is why we never claim to have used one.
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