I Built a Home Facial Routine With Devices for Less Than S$300 – Can They Replicate Results I Get From a Salon Facial?

Facials will be out for a while as the pandemic situation in Singapore gets more serious than before.

While I miss my pampering treatments that give me a glow that lasts for days, I know I can’t just be sitting home counting down the days when salons will be reopened for facial services.

Given that home facial devices are pretty easy to access these days, I gave myself a challenge: build my own home facial routine with devices – for under S$300.

Having done some research and looking through some of the new launches we’ve covered recently on Daily Vanity, the new OSIM uGlow Beauty Series Set seems to fit the bill perfectly.

What’s in the OSIM uGlow Beauty Series?

OSIM uGlow Beauty Series consists of four devices:

• uGlow Cleanse, Facial Cleansing Brush (S$129, U.P:  S$169): a 2-in-1 facial cleansing brush that’s equipped with GlowSonic Cleanse Technology and LED light therapy
• uGlow IonCare, Galvanic Facial Device (S$129, U.P: S$169): to draw out deeply lodged impurities and boost skincare product absorption
• uGlow Eye, Beauty Eye Massager (S$99, U.P: S$129): uses Sonic Vibration Technology to diminish eye bags, fine lines, and dark eye circles
• uGlow Mist, Portable Facial Humidifier (S$49, U.P: S$69): a 3-in-1 portable facial humidifier

If you’re good at math, you probably would be wondering if I made a mistake in calculation – how would these items add up to under S$300 based on the prices I shared above, even if they were already discounted individually?

Well, here’s my “hack”: you can get them all in a set for just S$299 instead of their usual price of S$536 if you had bought them individually – what a steal!

Psst, read till the end to watch my vlog review and you’ll also get to find out how you can win the full set of OSIM uGlow Beauty Series products at the end of this article!

I Tried Out the OSIM uGlow Beauty Series

I have to admit, I was first drawn to the OSIM uGlow devices because they look really pretty. The sleek design and rose-petal-meets-rose-gold shades totally caught my eyes – yes, I’m superficial like that.

But while they check the boxes for me in terms of aesthetic appearance and price, I also have high expectations for them because OSIM is a well-established brand that has been focused on wellness technology for the last 42 years.

The only thing left for me now is whether these devices really serve my skincare needs practically and replicate results from a facial session. And there’s only one way to find out – put them to objective tests, like we always do at Daily Vanity.

OSIM uGlow Cleanse Review

First impression: its shape reminds me of a hairbrush and that’s not a bad thing. It means it has a good ergonomic design that makes it easy and comfortable to hold and control, especially when I need to maneuver it around hard-to-reach areas such as the sides of my nose.

Equipped with the GlowSonic Cleanse Technology that delivers 6,000 pulses per minute, it is able to offer a deep cleanse. It comes with three adjustable intensities that you can choose based on your preference.

There are different sized bristles on the brush. I use the thicker ones for my oily T-zone and the finer ones for the rest of my face.

The big question: does it clean well?

To find out, I compared the cleansing results on my skin using my bare hands and using the uGlow Cleanse. I tested it with three most common makeup products I use: liquid lipstick, glitter eyeshadow, and foundation. For it to be a fair test, I ran through my skin with my bare hands, as well as the cleansing device, for approximately one minute each.

You can see that the OSIM uGlow Cleanse has definitely given me a more thorough cleanse compared to if I had used only my bare hands. Glitter eyeshadow was certainly the most challenging to remove but it also did a very commendable job. I believe it’ll remove even more of the glitter if I were to run the facial device on my skin for a slightly longer time.

Besides comparing the cleansing result, I also found out whether the OSIM uGlow Cleanse helped to reduce sebum level at my oily T-zone. Here’s the result from testing my sebum level before and after using the device:

Conclusion: I was very impressed by the cleansing results because this was achieved with a very gentle cleansing experience; I didn’t feel like I was scrubbing my skin very hard in order to get the level of cleanliness that I got. Besides offering a gentle but thorough cleanse, it also helped reduce the sebum level of the oily parts of my skin that I could also feel when I run my hands across my skin later.

The cherry on top is definitely that is a 2-in-1 device that also comes equipped with the LED light feature, which means users are essentially getting two devices for one price!

There are three coloured light modes to choose from for different benefits: red, blue, and yellow.

Considering that this is not a dedicated LED light therapy device and is relatively affordable compared to LED devices in the market, you’d be surprised that the LED wavelength the OSIM device offers is comparable with what you get from market leaders in the technology! Impressive!

LED light therapy is something that my beauty therapist recommend that I do from time to time during facial treatments to help perk up my skin. With this handy tool, I now can enjoy similar benefits from a professional session in the comforts of my own home.

Given that cleansing is such an important step (that’s often neglected!) and that it comes with the added feature of LED light therapy, I’d say that this would be the first device I’d recommend you to go for if you’re starting to build your own home facial routine.

OSIM uGlow IonCare Review

This galvanic facial device has three programmes that you can choose from: Cleanse, Nourish, and Warmth. Each of these helps to enhance your skincare routine so you can get more mileage from the skincare products you’ve invested in.

• Cleanse: This emits positive ions to help draw out skin-deep impurities (that are negatively charged), and together with the pulsing micro-vibration feature, is able to give you a deeper cleansing experience. Use this with your cleansing products such as micellar water or toner.
• Nourish: This emits negative ions and micro-vibrations in order to push skincare ingredients deeper into skin layers. Use this together with your serums and essences.
• Warmth: It helps to soothe tense facial pores and promote absorption and hydration

These high-tech features have the same effectiveness as going for a facial extraction – but without the pain! This makes the OSIM uGlow IonCare a great device to invest in if you’re looking for a home alternative for your regular facial treatments.

To find out if the uGlow IonCare really helps my skincare products work better, I measured my skin’s hydration level after applying my favourite serum with my hands versus using the device.

Conclusion: The device does what it promises, which is to enhance the skincare benefits of the products I use. I also really enjoy the Nourish programme; the comfortable level of warmth coupled with the micro-vibrations offer a pampering facial massage that relaxes me instantly.

The programmes essentially mimic the experience that we typically can only get at a facial salon – such as getting a deep-cleanse using an extraction equipment and having serums infused more deeply into skin with the help of high-tech infusion devices.

Considering how I can now achieve the same benefits at home, it certainly makes this my favourite device in the series.

OSIM uGlow Eye Review

This eye massager is designed to target first signs of ageing such as puffiness, fine lines, and dark eye circles. It does so by harnessing Sonic Vibration Technology, delivering more than 8,000 pulses per minute to the eye area in three adjustable intensities. This mimics micro-tapping motions that your facial therapist does for you (but better!) so that eye cream can absorb more efficiently.

The device is equipped with LED light therapy. Blue light to help reduce puffiness and fatigue; Yellow light to promote cell regeneration so dark eye circles can be visibly eliminated; and Red light to stimulate collagen production, which in turn helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

The warmth levels are adjustable according to your personal comfort level and the benefits you’d like to achieve, whether it’s to soothe your eye or for a relaxing temple massage to alleviate tension headaches.

Conclusion: I really love how this doubles up as a massage for my temple area. It’s something that I really miss having during facial treatments and now I can do it myself anytime at home!

While I don’t have any obvious signs of ageing around the eyes, I see this step as a preventive one that I need to start taking as I approach my 40s, especially considering how I tend to neglect my eye area during my skincare routine.

Having a device that feels so relaxing encourages me to take better care of the area as I find myself reaching out for it regularly simply because I enjoy the warm and comfortable massage that I can receive using it.

OSIM uGlow Mist Review

You may have gone through facial treatments that use cool mist at the end of the session to help hydrate skin and minimise pores. The OSIM uGlow Mist is the home facial device that replicates that.

Equipped with Ultrasonic Mist Technology, it delivers cool, super-fine mist to help your skin absorb moisture easier, while adding humidity to your environment – a great feature for those of us who work in drying air-conditioned spaces.

Whip this out whenever your skin’s feeling a little dry from the cold air to give it a hydration boost.

This is how much it manages to bump up my skin’s hydration after just two minutes of misting.

Other than its main function as a portable humidifier and misting device, the compact also comes with a handy mirror you can use for touch-ups.

And guess what – besides giving you a hydration boost, it can give your mobile devices a battery boost too. What I mean is that it also serves as an emergency portable charger – I know, how  surprising and impressive!

Conclusion: This is a high-tech and cool (no pun intended) device to help you get your skin hydrated while on the go. Compared to using a facial mist, it is more compact, delivers finer mist, and is super therapeutic to use on the skin.

To me, hydration is super important to keep my skin looking radiant, supple, and wrinkle-free. Think about the difference between a grape and a raisin; both are the same fruit but having more water content (in the case of the grape) makes the skin surface look line-free, smooth, and bouncy!

A celebrity beauty secret that I’ve heard from the grapevine is to invest in a humidifier at home to keep your skin’s hydration at an optimal level so you can achieve youthful-looking skin. The OSIM uGlow Mist is certainly a convenient way you can do that without breaking the bank.

Overall Thoughts About the OSIM uGlow Beauty Series

While I was just superficially attracted by its affordable prices (especially when you get all four in a set) and pretty appearance, I’m glad these devices are a worthwhile investment to add to my home facial routine.

It covers many aspects of a professional facial that I miss I was looking for – from deep cleansing, product penetration enhancement and LED light therapy functions, to eye massaging features and even a misting system.

Most importantly, from the tests that I conducted, the devices indeed deliver what they promise. I could also feel that my skin improved using the devices – it’s softer, smoother, bouncier, and brighter after I use them in a 30-minute home facial routine. Of course, if you have a different skin type or concerns from me, you’re likely to experience different benefits from them!

All in all, I really enjoyed the devices and will keep using them as a way to regularly maintain a good skincare routine, even if I were to go back to facial treatments when I’m allowed to. Their compact sizes also make them easy to store away, which is another huge plus point for those who have only a small space for their beauty necessities.

Watch This Vlog for My Experience With the Osim uGlow Devices:

 uGlow Beauty Series Set is available for S$299 (UP S$536) at OSIM. You can also find the products at all OSIM outlets, Shopee, Lazada, and Qoo10.

Get a complimentary beauty sponge worth S$19 when you sign up for a free OSIM uGlow Beauty series demonstration too!

This article is brought to you by OSIM.