Glow, sculpt, repeat: the best 42 skin, hair and body gadgets worth your money this Christmas
From LED masks to a toothbrush with a camera, here’s the beauty and wellness tech that will steal the show on Christmas morning.
Nobody has ever squealed with joy over a sensible pair of slippers. Hand them a mask that glows like a sci-fi villain, though, and the whole room goes quiet. This year’s beauty and wellness tech has gone wonderfully bonkers. There are toothbrushes with cameras, goggles that read your heart rate and a bath speaker that floats. We’ve rounded up 42 gadgets and glow-givers for skin, hair and body, from an £18 stocking filler to a £2,799 sound bed. Every pick has earned its place, whether it zaps, sculpts, dries, curls or just lets someone lie down and do nothing. Grab a mince pie, open your basket and let’s get glowing.
- Let there be (red) light
- The face gym, minus the membership
- Good hair days, on demand
- Smile, you’re on camera
- Recovery mode: on
- Health, hacked
- Stocking fillers with serious skin cred
Let there be (red) light
FOREO UFO Advanced LED Lighthouse Panel
Most LED panels want you pressed against them like a child at a sweet shop window, but this one works from two metres away. FOREO borrowed the Fresnel lens trick from real lighthouses, so the beam stays focused while you answer emails. Five wavelengths cover the full menu: blue for breakouts, amber for redness, then red, near-infrared and deep near-infrared at 1064nm for the ageing stuff. Output reaches up to 200 mW/cm², which is serious punch for something that sits on a desk. Sunrise mode fades from deep red to soft white to coax you awake, and sunset mode winds you down at night. At that distance you don’t need goggles, which spares you the welder look on Zoom. It’s the gift for the person who swears they have no time for skincare.
£269, LOOKFANTASTIC
Vital Red Light Vital Pro 2.0
Not everyone has a spare wall for a full-body red light panel, and Vital Red Light knows it. The Vital Pro 2.0 is aimed squarely at the skincare obsessive who also loves trying the latest beauty gadgets. It brings red light therapy home without turning the spare room into a tanning salon. The brand keeps its detailed specs fairly low-key, so check the product page for wavelengths before you buy. What we like is the idea: a proper light therapy device without the huge footprint. Add a good serum and a podcast and ten minutes becomes a ritual. It’s priced in dollars, so factor in shipping and import fees if you’re ordering from the UK.
US$599, Vital Red Light
Flowlife Flowlight Panel Go 60 Two Waves
Small enough to pack and powerful enough to take seriously, this is red light therapy for people who refuse to stay home. Sixty dual-chip LEDs give out 660nm red light for skin renewal and 850nm near-infrared for deeper recovery. You can run each wavelength on its own, which helps when your face wants one thing and your knees want another. The timer goes from one to 60 minutes, so a quick morning boost and a long post-gym session both fit. It’s completely silent with passive cooling, so there’s no whirring fan to ruin your meditation app. The anodised aluminium body and carry case make it feel like premium travel kit rather than medical equipment. At £199, it’s one of the easiest ways into proper light therapy we’ve seen.
£199, Flowlife
Flowlife Flowlight Laser Mask Ultra Three Waves
If LED masks are the starter, this is the tasting menu. Instead of LEDs, it uses three laser wavelengths, 660nm, 850nm and 1060nm, to reach different depths of skin. Flowlife designed it around the face’s dense network of nerves, so it’s pitched at calm and recovery as well as collagen. Sessions come in five, ten or 15-minute lengths, at low, medium or high intensity. A wireless controller does the button-pressing, so you can lie back without fumbling. The battery lasts up to an hour, which covers several sessions between charges. We couldn’t confirm UK pricing when we wrote this, so check the latest figure before you buy.
Omnilux Contour Face
Plenty of brands jumped on the LED bandwagon recently, but Omnilux has been building it for more than 20 years. The Contour Face is a flexible silicone mask that bends to your features instead of perching on your nose. It pairs 633nm red with 830nm near-infrared, the two wavelengths behind the brand’s clinical work. The routine is three sessions a week, and in Omnilux’s own trials 98% of users said their skin felt firmer after four weeks. It’s FDA-cleared and comfortable enough to wear while you scroll through Christmas recipes. The box is gift-ready too, so the unboxing does half the work. It only asks for patience, because collagen doesn’t rush for anyone.
CurrentBody Skin LED Mask: Series 3
CurrentBody’s Series 3 is what happens when an LED mask goes to the gym. It packs 750 LEDs and six wavelengths, adding blue, green and yellow light to the red, near-infrared and deep near-infrared of the Series 2. That wider spread means one mask can tackle blemishes, uneven tone and redness as well as fine lines. The new MyDose technology lets you tailor each treatment to what your skin needs that day. It’s the closest thing to a personalised facial you can wear on the sofa. The price has gone up, but so has what it can do. For the skincare nerd who already owns everything, this is an upgrade they’ll actually notice.
£499.99, CurrentBody
The face gym, minus the membership
TriPollar Aura
TriPollar built its name on radiofrequency, the warming technology facialists use for firmer-looking skin. The Aura brings that expertise home in a device made for regular sessions. RF gently heats the deeper layers of skin, so it feels like a warm stone massage rather than a zap. At £849 it’s a true splurge, best for someone already committed to a routine. We’d file it under “big present from someone who loves you very much”. RF only works if you keep at it, so think of this as a gym membership for the jawline. The full technical specs are on SKINVITY’s product page if you want the details.
£849, SKINVITY
Pure Tone Aesthetics Radiance Pod
Seven technologies in one palm-sized pod, used for three minutes a day: that’s the pitch, and it’s a good one. The Radiance Pod combines radiofrequency, EMS, ultrasound, electroporation, galvanic ions, LED and 3D vibration. It’s based on the professional kit Pure Tone supplies to skincare clinics. Users tend to notice their serums sink in faster, so the products they already own work harder. This Christmas there’s a bonus: Kimberley Walsh has launched her first skincare collection with the brand. Her three-step range uses plant-derived PDRN and starts at £29.99, so it makes a lovely add-on gift. It’s beauty tech that doesn’t need a manual the size of a phone book.
£199.99, Pure Tone Aesthetics
FOREO FAQ 102 High-Frequency Red Light Therapy LED Wand
Think of this as FOREO’s Swiss Army knife for the face. The FAQ 102 puts radiofrequency, EMS muscle stimulation and full-spectrum LED into one sleek wand. It weighs just 130g, so your arm won’t give up halfway through the routine. An Anti-Shock System keeps things comfortable, which matters when electrical currents are involved. FOREO recommends pairing it with its Manuka Honey Primer so the wand glides properly. It’s fully waterproof, so cleaning is a quick rinse under the tap. This is an investment piece, the kind of gift that says “I listened when you talked about collagen”.
£559, Currys
NIRA Pro 3 Laser
Lasers sound scary, but the NIRA Pro 3 is about as dramatic as an electric toothbrush. It’s FDA-cleared and uses non-fractional laser energy to target collagen loss at the source. The Pro 3 treats the full face, neck, chest and backs of the hands in about two minutes a day. Nine comfort levels let you start gently and build up, and a new Silent Mode uses haptic feedback instead of beeps. The battery is 75% bigger than before and gives up to 25 minutes per charge. There’s no pain, redness or downtime, so you can use it right before dinner. Results take a few months, but the daily routine couldn’t be simpler.
£549 RRP, Healf
NuFACE Trinity+ Starter Kit
Microcurrent is the facialist’s secret weapon, and NuFACE made it a household name. The Trinity+ sends gentle currents through the muscles of the face, jawline and neck to tone and lift. Swappable attachments target different areas, and the Wrinkle Reducer and Lip & Eye heads come in larger bundles. The NuFACE Smart App guides you through routines and tracks your progress, so you’re never guessing. A session takes minutes, which is less time than choosing a film on Netflix. Men should shave before using it, and that’s the only admin involved. The starter kit has everything needed to start sculpting by Boxing Day.
£385, Harrods
ZIIP HALO
There’s a reason this is the A-listers’ favourite. The HALO pairs microcurrent with nanocurrent, and it’s the only home device we know of that does both. Microcurrent gives the instant lift, while nanocurrent works on longer-term skin health. A four-minute facial called The Lift comes pre-programmed, so it’s ready to go straight out of the box. The app unlocks more treatments, from sculpting to calming. Its pebble shape sits nicely in the hand and looks lovely on a dressing table. Budget for conductive gel, because that’s the ongoing cost.
£379, CurrentBody
Therabody TheraFace Depuffing Wand
For the friend who always wakes up looking like they’ve taken three red-eyes in a row, this is a mercy. The Depuffing Wand switches between cold and heat, and it doesn’t need the freezer. Cold calms puffiness around the eyes, then heat boosts circulation for a glow. It weighs 275g and comes with a travel cap, so it slips into hand luggage. The battery runs for around 100 minutes, which is weeks of morning rescues. Therabody says clinical testing showed visible results after a single use. It’s a feel-good gift that will have earned its spot on the bathroom shelf by Wednesday.
£129, John Lewis
Good hair days, on demand
Dyson Supersonic Nural Straight+Wavy (Plum/Copper)
The Supersonic Nural is the hairdryer that thinks before it blows. Scalp Protect mode lowers the heat as it gets closer to your head, so your roots stay comfortable. Attachment learning remembers your usual settings for each nozzle. Put it down mid-dry and a motion sensor pauses the airflow, which feels like magic the first time. This Straight+Wavy edition comes in a rich plum and copper finish made for the dressing table. Five styling attachments cover everything from sleek blowouts to soft waves. If they’ve been eyeing one for years, Christmas is when you make it happen.
£399.99 RRP, Dyson
Dyson Supersonic r Straight+Wavy (Jasper Plum)
If the Nural is the classic, the Supersonic r is its cool younger sibling with a very different silhouette. Its ring-shaped design changes how the dryer sits in your hand. Dyson describes it as its newest, most advanced dryer technology, here in a shimmering soft purple. This Straight+Wavy version comes in an exclusive Jasper Plum shade that looks properly festive. It’s currently £50 off its usual £449.99 on Dyson’s own site. It’s the dryer for the person who likes their tools to look as good as their hair. Dyson.co.uk is also adding complimentary hair clips while the offer lasts.
£399.99, Dyson
ghd Duet Blowdry
This is the dryer brush for anyone who can’t do a round-brush blowout without a third arm. The Duet Blowdry takes hair from wet to finished in one tool, with no separate dryer needed. Sensors check the temperature 400 times per second to keep the heat consistently low. ghd says it gives up to three times the volume without heat damage. It also uses up to 40% less energy, which your electricity bill will appreciate in January. A heat-resistant bag means you can pack it away straight after use. Look out for limited-edition gift sets, which often add extra brushes for the same money.
£379, Harrods
Laifen Swift Premium
Laifen has quietly become the high-speed dryer everyone’s sister recommends. The Swift Premium uses a 110,000 RPM motor to push air at up to 22 metres per second. It releases 200 million negative ions to tame frizz and add shine. At around 400g, it’s light enough to use without your arm aching. LED indicators show the temperature at a glance, and the gold-trimmed finish looks far pricier than it is. A diffuser and a smoothing nozzle come in the box. It’s the smart pick for anyone who wants Dyson-style speed on a sensible budget.
$179.99, Ulta
SENSSE YOUCANCURL Auto Curler
For anyone whose curling iron skills end with a burnt finger, this is salvation. The YOUCANCURL from SENSSE is an automatic curler that does the twisting for you. Feed in a section of hair, let the tool do its thing and release a ready-made curl. It only launched this season, so it will feel brand new under the tree. At £80, it sits right in the mid-price gifting sweet spot. It’s ideal for beginners and anyone who wants bouncy hair in a hurry. SENSSE lists the full specs on its site, so check barrel size and heat settings there.
£80, SENSSE
Curlsmith Bonding Oil
It isn’t a gadget, but it’s the finishing touch every new hair tool deserves. Curlsmith’s Bonding Oil is made from 99% natural ingredients, including a plant-based blend called PlantSilk. It’s designed to seal the cuticle and add shine without the weight of raw oils. One pump per section of dry hair is all you need. Work it through a crunchy gel cast and you’ll get soft, bouncy curls. It’s vegan and free from sulphates and silicones. Pop it in the box with a dryer and you’ve built a whole hair kit.
£25, LOOKFANTASTIC
medicube Rosemary PDRN Silk Hair Oil
medicube helped make PDRN a skincare buzzword, and now it’s moving on to hair. The Rosemary PDRN Silk Hair Oil blends PDRN with rosemary for softer, glossier lengths. It belongs to the brand’s wider rosemary PDRN hair range, which also includes a cooling shampoo and a scalp serum. The same launch includes the PDRN Silky Sun Stick, an SPF stick at $21.80 that’s perfect for ski trips. Both are small enough to fit in a stocking. K-beauty fans will recognise the brand straight away. These are US prices, so check UK stockists before you order.
$21.80 each, medicube
Smile, you’re on camera
Dyson CameraJet
Dyson has put a camera in a toothbrush, and honestly, why not. A 100,000-pixel macro camera spots the gaps between your teeth as you brush. Dyson’s Gap Optical Targeting then fires a precise jet of mouth rinse into them in under 100 milliseconds. Six years of work and 661 engineers went into it, which is more effort than most of us will ever put into flossing. In the MyDyson app the camera doubles as a mini endoscope, and images aren’t saved or shared. Heads are tracked by RFID, so the app tells you when to swap them, roughly every three months. It’s outrageous, brilliant and guaranteed to be the most talked-about gift on Christmas Day.
£419.99, John Lewis
Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9900 Prestige
If the Dyson feels like a leap, the 9900 Prestige is the polished flagship that never puts a foot wrong. Its SenseIQ technology tracks pressure, motion and coverage 100 times per second. The brush uses that data to steer you towards gentler, more even brushing. The app coaches your technique and flags the spots you keep missing. A USB travel case charges the brush on the go. It’s one of the slimmest, lightest handles in the DiamondClean range. Keep an eye out for deals, because it’s often discounted well below RRP.
£599.99, Philips
Recovery mode: on
PressTech Trousers
Compression boots are so last year, because these are trousers. PressTech brings professional-grade pressotherapy home with eight independent compression chambers. That means targeted squeezing from ankle to hip, to help legs feel lighter after long days or hard sessions. They suit runners, frequent flyers and anyone who spends all day on their feet. Yes, £1,034 is a lot for a pair of trousers. A course of pressotherapy at a clinic would cost a pretty penny too. Put the kettle on, zip in and let your legs have their own spa day.
£1,034, SKINVITY
Theragun Relief
Therabody’s cheapest ever massage gun is also its friendliest. The Relief is built for everyday aches rather than elite athletes, with a light body and one-touch controls. It’s whisper-quiet, so you can use it in front of the telly without turning the volume up. Three attachments come in the box: a standard ball, a dampener and a thumb. The battery lasts around 120 minutes. Guided routines in the Therabody app take the guesswork out of where to point it. At £129, it’s a lovely gift for desk-bound shoulders everywhere.
£129, Therabody
Therabody SmartGoggles (2nd Generation)
They look like something from a space mission and feel like a holiday. SmartGoggles combine heat, vibration and compression around the eyes, forehead and temples. A built-in sensor reads your heart rate and adjusts the massage in real time. The second generation blocks out 100% of light and is lighter than before, at around 390g. A 180-minute battery means even a long-haul flight is covered. They fold away into a travel pouch. For anyone who stares at screens all day, this is 15 minutes of pure peace.
£199, Argos
Philips Lumea IPL 9900 SkinAI
Smooth skin without the salon appointments is a gift that keeps on giving. The Lumea 9900 is the smartest IPL in Philips’ range, using SenseIQ technology to adapt to your skin. Three smart attachments cover the face, the body and smaller areas. The Lumea IPL app adds SkinAI features for a personalised full-body plan. It’s a long-term investment that replaces years of razors and wax strips. As with any IPL, check it suits the person’s skin tone and hair colour before you buy. Prices move around a lot, so shop around for the best deal.
Approx. £399, Argos
Lush Bath Bot
Lush invented the bath bomb, so of course it made a gadget to go with it. Bath Bot floats in the tub, playing 180-degree sound with matching coloured lights. Pair it with the Lush app and it matches light shows and soundtracks to selected bath bombs. When you’re not soaking, it works as a Bluetooth speaker around the house. Lush’s in-house tech team designed it, and it’s made in the UK. Fair warning: you’ll now spend twice as long in the bath. It’s the most joyful £150 in this guide, and we’re not even sorry.
£150, Lush
Health, hacked
Solius
If a winter escape isn’t on the cards, Solius brings the sunshine to you. It’s an FDA-cleared home UVB device designed to help your body make its own vitamin D. It measures your skin and sets a personal dose, rather than blasting everyone with the same amount. Solius says it delivers 12 times the UVB benefit of the sun with 99% less UV risk. In its published study, participants’ vitamin D levels rose by an average of 10.2 ng/mL. It’s for adults aged 22 and over, and it’s a serious piece of medical kit. It’s priced for the US market, so UK availability may vary.
$2,995, Solius
BodyBio Cell Essentials
Wellness starts at the level of your cells, and BodyBio has built its whole brand around that idea. Cell Essentials is its core supplement bundle focused on cell health. It’s aimed at the biohacker who already owns the red light panel and the cold plunge. It isn’t a gadget, but it pairs naturally with the recovery kit in this guide. As with any supplement, check with a GP first, especially if they take medication. At £156.96, it’s a premium wellness gift. BodyBio’s site has the full breakdown of what’s inside.
£156.96, BodyBio
AncestryDNA Kit
The most surprising gift under the tree might be a family secret. AncestryDNA is a simple saliva test that maps your heritage and can connect you with relatives. You spit, post it off and wait a few weeks for the results. It’s a brilliant Boxing Day conversation starter, assuming Uncle Pete really is Irish. At £39, it’s one of the best-value gifts in this guide. Go through the privacy settings together before anyone shares their results. Buy a few and turn the whole family into detectives.
£39, Ancestry
Stocking fillers with serious skin cred
Medik8 C-Tetra
If someone you love has never tried vitamin C, start here. C-Tetra uses 7% tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, a gentle, oil-soluble form of the vitamin. It’s paired with vitamin E for extra antioxidant backup. The light texture and natural citrus scent make it easy to use every day. It brings back radiance and keeps winter dullness at bay. Use it in the morning under SPF for the best results. At £39 for 30ml, it’s a modern classic.
£39, Cult Beauty
ANUA PDRN Hyaluronic Acid 100 Moisturising Cream and Rice 70 Intensive Moisturising Milk
ANUA’s glass-skin formulas have a cult following, and these two make a dreamy pair. The PDRN cream combines PDRN with ten types of hyaluronic acid and hydrolysed collagen. It sinks in fast and leaves skin plump and dewy. The Rice 70 Milk is made with 70% rice water, plus niacinamide, ceramides and squalane. It’s a lighter, milky lotion, ideal for anyone who hates heavy creams. Both work beautifully after a session with any of the LED masks above. Together they make a K-beauty gift for under £50.
£24 (cream, 60ml) and £24 (milk, 150ml), Cult Beauty
Neal’s Yard Remedies Frankincense Intense Lift Cream and Tiny Treasures duos
Neal’s Yard Remedies proves that organic skincare can still be serious about results. The Frankincense Intense Lift Cream uses certified organic Boswellia sacra frankincense from Oman. It’s designed to visibly lift and redefine the cheeks and jawline. The brand trialled it on more than 100 women over six weeks. For smaller budgets, the Tiny Treasures duos make perfect stocking fillers. The Hydrating Heroes Duo is £20, and the Delightfully Dreamy Duo is £17 with calming frankincense and myrrh. It’s a lovely way to give a luxury brand without blowing the budget.
£80 (Lift Cream, 50g), £20 and £17 (duos), Neal’s Yard Remedies
BareFaced Beauty Mineral Foundation
Sensitive skin deserves great gifts too. BareFaced Beauty’s founder started the brand after reacting to mainstream cosmetics, so every product is made for sensitive skin. The hero Mineral Foundation costs just £18. Ingredients are ethically sourced. It’s a thoughtful pick for anyone who has had a bad reaction to make-up. Add a soft brush and you’ve got a complete gift. It’s a small brand with a big heart and a tiny price.
£18, BareFaced Beauty
medicube PDRN Peptide Glossy Lip Balm
This one has the shine of a gloss and the comfort of a balm. medicube brings its PDRN know-how to your lips in a glossy hybrid with added peptides. It’s the easy, everyday product that never leaves your coat pocket. K-beauty fans will spot the brand instantly. It pairs nicely with the medicube hair oil above for a themed bundle. At $20, it’s an affordable little luxury. It’s priced in dollars, so check UK stock before you order.
$20, Amazon
That’s 42 ways to make someone glow this Christmas, and not a single pair of slippers in sight. Some of these will be used every morning, and others will be saved for Sunday-night self-care. The best gift is the one that fits the person, not the one with the biggest price tag. A £10 lip balm can land just as well as a £2,799 sound bed, if you know your audience. Prices move fast in the run-up to Christmas, so check the links before you check out. Whatever you choose, wrap it well and enjoy watching their face. We’ll be in the bath with the Bath Bot if you need us.
