Photo: Solawave Save Story Save this story Save Story Save this story In recent years, red-light therapy has evolved from a niche treatment to a regular part of many at-home skin-care routines. I, for one, had zero devices just a few years ago. Now, if I stopped to count them all, I’d miss this deadline. Solawave, best known for its viral 4-in-1 Skincare Facial Wand, has been a major driver of that evolution.
When Solawave entered the market in 2020—just as at-home everything, including sourdough bread-making, picked up steam—there were two kinds of at-home devices available to consumers, according to Andrew Silberstein, CEO and founder of Solawave.
On the one hand, there were prohibitively expensive devices that felt intimidating for anyone without professional training. More affordable gadgets were also available, but they typically offered a single type of technology and required a significant time commitment.
With Solawave, Silberstein set out to bridge that gap, one red light and galvanic current at a time. “We wanted to create something effective, easy to use, and portable that fit naturally into everyday life,” he says. "Our goal was to democratize advanced skin-care technology and make it accessible to a much broader audience.” Six years later, look at where it is now.
Today, Silberstein says, consumer and medical awareness is dramatically higher, and there is much greater understanding of light-based skincare. “The conversation has shifted from ‘what is red light therapy?’ to ‘Which device is right for my goals?’” Silberstein says.
As it turns out, I’ve been asking myself the same question. While Solawave launched with a single product—said facial wand—the brand’s current lineup includes LED masks and treatment devices that target everything from puffiness to fine lines, redness, and discoloration in the neck and chest area.
At 46, I’m open to any devices that will keep my skin glowing and taut (or as close to it as possible) from my favorite place of all: home. After testing some of the brand’s most popular devices and tapping a dermatologist for insight, these are the Solawave products I’ll be adding to my regimen.
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When Solawave launched this device in 2020, it became many consumers’ introduction to at-home red-light therapy. The wand later went viral on TikTok and has since earned a loyal following—including in the Vogue offices, where beauty shopping editor Kiana Murden regularly sings its praises. Rather than relying on a single modality, the rose-colored wand combines four technologies: red light therapy, galvanic current, therapeutic warmth, and facial massage.
The wand is still the brand’s hero device, and for good reason. Its rotating treatment head makes it easy to navigate facial contours, while a built-in timer guides users through three-minute treatment zones: the forehead, cheeks, under-eye area, and the neck and jawline. “The Solawave skin-care wand is convenient for travel or smaller areas of the face,” says Rayva Khanna, MD, a dermatologist based in New York City and Connecticut. “It’s ideal for patients who want to target individual areas or are not quite ready to invest in a full face LED mask.”
“The first thing I noticed was how lightweight the wand is—it’s hardly heavier or thicker than a pen, which makes it super easy to grip. It feels comfortable to hold and glides easily over the skin. I tested it with the brand’s Activating Serum, though it moves w…