Which Skincare Device is Top in K-Beauty? How Technology is Changing Routines

Skincare devices are becoming a core part of skincare routines, finally elevating the abilities of your daily skincare products to a new level entirely. There’s a lot of really cool gadgets on the market and with the insane success of the original Medicube AGE-R Booster Pro, it should be no surprise that many other companies are follow in step. Each company is employing a variety of technologies to market their device, but what do they really do?

Skincare tools have become far more advanced than the massaging ‘face rollers' and Gua Sha tools made of precious stones. Instead, devices employ a variety of scientific methods to help tighten muscles, clear swelling and help drain skin, whilst also stimulating healing and collagen production.

Although each individual device contains unique technology advanced skincare tools help:
 

• Improve skin texture and appearance
• Help lymphatic drainage to reduce swelling
• Stimulate collagen and boost elasticity to reduce wrinkles and fine lines
• Trigger healing of cells to reduce spots and scarring
• Enhance your skincare ingredients to maximise the benefits from your routine

Sound too good to be true? Let's dive into the real life science of these devices a little, so you can decide whether it's right for you or whether you're likely to see benefits.

This stands for ‘electrical muscle stimulation’ and has been known for a long time to be a way to tighten facial muscles and reduce facial wrinkles. Electric stimulation has been used for wound healing, as it helps boost cell movement which improves their innate healing process. Use of an EMS device for 8 weeks has been shown to improve jawline angle, cheek volume and nasolabial fold depth (this is your natural smile lines).

So, how does it work? It is little electrical impulses that target your deep facial muscles and cause them to tense over-and-over (similar to a tiny work-out regime). As we age, our muscles naturally decline and hold their shape less well, but EMS can help re-lift and prime our facial muscles, whilst also having the side benefits of improved skin circulation and innate healing. This makes it a popular addition to a variety of skincare devices.

This uses electrical currents (similar to EMS), but on a lower frequency that produces a gentler and spread stimulation to your skin cells themselves. It boosts your cells natural energy (via ATP), helps suppress inflammation (reducing redness and skin irritation) and helps repolarize your cells to encourage skin healing.

This newer skincare therapy involves stimulation of the deeper fatty layers of tissue, helping to heat the layers and stimulating tightening and improved elasticity. It specifically passes over your skin surface, to resonate with deeper cells, preventing surface irritation. This allows a targeted treatment of your deeper dermis, triggering collagen production and helping to lift sagging skin. 

There’s a whole spectrum of LED light therapy, that provides different benefits based on your skin type. They can improve natural cellular energy, stop dark spots forming or trigger collagen and deep tissue repair.  

A newer inclusion is the use of IR (Infrared Light therapy), which acts as a boosted form of red light therapy to stimulate collagen production, smooth skin roughness and boost cellular energy and circulation. 

This therapy, in my opinion, is one of the best to initiate in a skincare routine. It essentially boosts the activity and deepens the benefits of products that you already use. Electroporation uses tiny electrical impulses to open channels in your pores to boost skincare absorption into deeper cells, activating more benefits and better skin outcomes. 

It's getting rarer that a skincare device will focus on just one of these therapeutic modes (and competition is fierce). They typically combine a variety, allowing you to mix and match based on your skin type, needs and skin concerns.

However will you pick the right one for you? Don't worry, we've done the research so you can pick exactly what is right for you - the first time.

It's dorky (there's really no getting around it), but it provides deep results and targeted therapy. If you struggle with getting proper results, it's a simple and easy to use product that is hard to use wrong. Beaund specialises in targeted, wearable devices (such as their Eye Rejuv Device - designed for targeted fine line care of the eyes).

This device is ideal if you like to ‘set it and forget it’, whilst also being interested in a combination of infra-red therapy and EMS stimulation to improve your jawline by up to 105% and jowl/lower face sagging by 100%. This set is most ideal for a targeted jawline therapy that is easy to use, non-confusing and has a low irritation index.

Beaund is ideal for specific, targeted skin concerns and ease of use, with this device only beneficial for jawline care.

This compact skincare device uses ultrasound technology (to be combined with your skincare products) for powerful dermal benefits that don't irritate the skin. It comes with three modes (and three frequencies) that target different layers of skin without breaking a sweat.

First layer: Soothing Care Mode (3MHz) targets skin irritation, improving permeability and suppressing inflammation to soothe acne, redness and boost cell healing.
Second layer: Tone-Up Care Mode (10MHz) targets the deeper dermis, which helps prevent collagen breakdown and produces ‘heat shock proteins’ to protect skin cells and tightens the dermis.
Third Layer; Pore Care Mode (17MHz) this high frequency mode offers ‘sonophoresis’ for deep permeability and absorption of skincare products to help produce glassy, firm skin.

Ultrasound is becoming a major player in skincare, due to its gentle touch and great results. This device provides gentle care for acne, as well as sensitive skin, making it a popular choice compared to more aggressive devices.

I would mostly recommend this device for those looking for ‘surface care’, improving textures, irritation and healing spots. It's especially good for irritated and acne-prone skin, offering a gentle and effective therapy.

Centellian24 released their Madeca Prime Max skincare device to deliver a designed combination of LED therapies with electrocurrent therapies (in a rapid 180 second session). Similar to the Quadthera, it has distilled it's program into 3 modes that each are designed for different benefits:

Crystal Brightening Mode: designed for dry skin with red-light therapy and irreversible electroporation (IRE) that boosts skin hydration.
Dynamic Absorption Mode: soothing blue LED therapy to soothe skin redness and deep electroporation for absorption.
Hyper Firming Mode: designed to firm skin, it utilizes purple-LED to stimulate collagen and soothe along with massaging microcurrents to boost skin healing and reducing swelling.

The primary mode of this device is electroporation, making it a great accompanying device to boost your natural skincare routine, whilst being designed for sensitive and gentle skincare. Used appropriately, you are unlikely to get irritation with this device, but it's most suited to fine line care without aggressive techniques.

Thome is the other ultrasound expert, that have created devices for skincare (along with their own personal range of products that are designed to work well with the device). Again, ultrasound is ideal for surface care and creating a flawless look to your skin, whilst providing a gentle massaging feeling.

It is similar in style to the Quadthera device, but differs on a few critical points, one being that Thome is far kinder on price point (but you don't get that 17MHz mode for glassy pore finish). The Thome device is also lighter to use with 3 modes:

Yellow Mode: 10MHz for 6 min, then dual for 6 minutes (for radiance)
Blue Mode: Dual 3MHz and 10MHz for deeper hydration and moisture (12 min)
Red Mode: 3MHz for 6 min, then dual for 6 minutes (for cooling skin and smoothing the surface).

If you are looking for an easier price point, you can also check out the Twenty Up device; which contains two easy modes: 
Calming Mode (for evening, end of the day care) and Daily Mode (to create a glowy canvas for make-up).

This device is the perfect tester to trial out the ultrasound format and is also gentle enough for young users and sensitive skin types. I would recommend the ultrasound format most to those looking to clear skin, blemishes and reduce irritation.

If you are not in need of dramatic face remodelling or deep fine line care, ultrasound is the better skincare device for you.

If you are in need of total, customizable skincare modes that are designed to deliver deep, penetrating results, Medicube is still at the peak of the game for electroporation, EMS therapy and MC therapy. You can't really get a more powerful device anywhere and you can physically feel the effect it has on your skin as you use it.

You can check out our deep dive into the 7 modes available here as well as our before-and-after review of using it; but there won't be a more powerful device you can buy. The downside is ‘irritation’ and younger users (who don't have fine lines or structural things to fix) are not likely to see the same benefits.

The x2 device is designed to work with sheet masks, has custom LED therapy of all colours of the rainbow and creates visible effects that you can see fast. No device has beat it yet (in my opinion), for glassy skin and boosting your facial structure and glow. The hardest part, however, is using it correctly, as the more customisable a device is - the higher the learning curve to get it just right.

However, if you have sensitive skin and are not a fan of the zappy EMS, you will likely be more drawn to a Thome or Quadthera (especially in cases of inflammation or acne).

Personal skincare devices are only likely to become more central to skincare routines as the tech develops and gets stronger and easier to use. If you are looking for the perfect device for your skin type (and concerns), there's a device out there just for you.

If you have further questions about any of the Arktastic range, don't forget to check in with our skincare assistant, Pogi🐱 who can give you the perfect advice (just for you!) Otherwise, check out our range of skincare devices now, on Arktastic (to unlock the next level of glow).

Check out the amazing deals we have on a variety of skincare devices (the latest tech from South Korea), designed to help you upgrade your routine. 

Or, check out our guide to the best products to use with your new device or check out our latest review of the Numbuzin No.9 Lifting Essence (for a deep glow).

Which K-beauty skincare device is best overall? 

The Medicube AGE-R Booster Pro is considered a top all-in-one device because it combines multiple advanced functions—including microcurrent, EMS, electroporation, and LED therapy—to target aging, product absorption, and contouring in a single device.

How do technologies like EMS, microcurrent, and ultrasound differ? 

EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) targets deeper muscles to firm and contour areas like the jawline. Microcurrent works at a lighter level to stimulate collagen and reduce fine lines. Ultrasound uses sound wave frequencies to drive skincare ingredients deeper into the skin and improve texture.

Can you use skincare devices on sensitive or acne-prone skin? 

Yes, provided you choose a device with gentle or low-irritation modes. Devices like the Quadthera Minitune offer soothing modes specifically formulated for sensitive skin and active breakouts.

How often should you use a K-beauty skincare device in your routine? 

Usage depends on the device and mode; gentle hydration or absorption modes can often be used daily, whereas stronger muscle-stimulating or exfoliating modes should be limited to 2–3 times a week. Always follow the specific instructions for your device.