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In the quest to get snatched, at-home skin care devices have skyrocketed in popularity. What was once a pricey trip to the esthetician for a smoother, more radiant, and lifted face can now be achieved in the comfort of your own home. At least, that’s what the Solawave Radiant Renewal Wand promises. A favorite of makeup artists and celebs alike, the Solawave wand recently underwent a makeover to revamp some key settings and features.
The result is a new and improved Solawave wand (it's normally $169, but it's down to $110 for Amazon Prime Day), featuring “4-in-1” red light therapy, galvanic current, facial massage, and therapeutic warmth. After the popularity of the first model, Solawave listened to customer feedback and incorporated a few changes into the latest device.
The new Solawave has an on-and-off button (instead of touch-activation in the previous model) and 180-degree head rotation to reach every curve and crevice on your face. The LED lights are upgraded from five to seven powerful red lights to promote radiant skin and reduce the look of wrinkles and blemishes. Solawave also swapped out microcurrent for galvanic current, a safe and noninvasive form of energy that can help boost product absorption. Lastly, the new model comes with a travel case, to keep your device protected and hygienic on the go.
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Using the Solawave wand is simple. Start with clean skin, then apply serum. The brand sells its own serum for the device, but any of the best face serums works, as long as it helps the wand glide easily across your face. Gently tilt and drag the device head upwards and outwards across your face for three minutes per area of the skin. You can use the device on any part of your face, including the forehead, brows, cheeks, upper lip, undereyes, and chin.
When it comes to results, Solawave cautions that patience is key. As with most skin care devices, you will have to play the long game and be diligent. According to the brand, most users see results within the first few weeks, including smoother skin, diminished undereye circles, and an overall glowing complexion. After consistent use, most users will see a reduction in wrinkles and fine lines.
So how does the new Solawave Radiant Renewal Wand hold up? Glamour decided to put it to the test. We asked six editors with different skin types, textures, and tones to try the device for three weeks. Ahead, read our honest reviews and see before-and-after photos.
Ariana Yaptangco, senior beauty editor
How often did you use the Solawave wand?
Pretty much every day in the morning. Of course, there were some days I wouldn’t have time or simply forgot, but for the most part, I used it daily.
Was the Solawave wand easy to use?
I have to admit, I don»t really have the patience to read directions, so I pretty much skimmed through the manual and hit the ground running. The device is very user-friendly—I was able to figure out how to turn it on and off, along with maneuvering the rotating head. It has a useful timer that measures out three minutes and an auto turn-off function that signals the end of treatment. I would pick it up while watching Netflix on the couch.
Did you notice an immediate or gradual difference in your skin?
I notice an immediate difference in puffiness and lift after using the Solawave wand. In the morning, it really helps drain my face of any fluid buildup from overnight. I even used it before my sister’s wedding, where the bridal party was shocked at the difference between the two sides of my face. They could see how much slimmer and lifted my cheek looked after using it on one side.
Would you recommend this device to a friend?
Definitely! I’ve already influenced my sister and cousin to buy their own Solawave wands. The price point is very reasonable for a skin care device. Plus, it’s user-friendly, so even if you have zero knowledge of beauty and skin care, you’ll get the hang of it in no time.
Talia Abbas, senior commerce editor
How often did you use the Solawave wand?
Once to twice a week for a month. I was being super conservative with it—the device says you can use it three times a week for 12 minutes total—because my mom recently developed some kind of skin sensitivity and light irritation from a different red-light-therapy device so I was worried my skin might have a similar reaction.
Was the Solawave wand easy to use?
I was intimidated at first so I studied the instructions like it was my SATs; it actually turned out to be pretty intuitive to use. The Solawave looks like a pen with a rotating head, which can turn clock or counterclockwise (and diagonal or horizontally) depending on the area you're trying to target. I mostly focused on my cheeks, undereye, and forehead, slowly moving the device in outward motions for a total of five minutes—and after moisturizing. The red light is super bright so I also tried not looking at it directly when it was powered on. And since I didn’t have the Solawave Activating Serum in my arsenal, I’d cleanse my skin and then apply my regular cream before going in with the Solawave. I also skipped my neck area because of the cautionary disclaimer to avoid the thyroid (which low-key freaked me out because I didn’t trust myself to do it properly).
Did you notice an immediate or gradual difference in your skin?
I was being more conservative than the brand recommended and I was testing the Solawave while my skin was hormonal and acting up, so I’d like to think, maybe? But I probably need more time and consistent use to see any actual difference.
Would you recommend this device to a friend?
I would! I feel like it’s accessibly priced for the technology and easy enough to use for a total newbie like myself.
Monique Wilson, editorial assistant
How often did you use the Solawave wand?
I’ve used it three times.
Was the Solawave wand easy to use?
Yes, very easy. I leave it on my nightstand to use either day or night. It’s easy to charge and use because the directions are very simple. I also like that you can rotate the head to reach different parts of your face.
Did you notice an immediate or gradual difference in your skin?
I noticed a slight difference when I used it on one side versus the other. The side I used felt a little bit tighter, but for the most part, I didn’t see or feel a big difference.
Would you recommend this device to a friend?
I would recommend it to friends who have prominent fine lines or heavy dark circles. It’s easy to use so it wouldn’t hurt to try it out.
Shanna Shipin, contributor
How often did you use the Solawave wand?
I used the Solawave every single day for three weeks. There was a one-week period of neglect, but I got back on the wagon and used it daily for another two weeks and continue to use it now.
Was the Solawave wand easy to use?
The Solawave was very easy to use. There’s a slight learning curve in terms of the amount of pressure—especially if you’re used to a gua sha or something like the Jillian Dempsey tool. You may want to get in there and sculpt, but you’re really just supposed to glide it over your face.
Something that’s intended to help with the slip is the Solawave Renew Complex serum, but I used my own products instead. I’m pretty strict about my current skin care routine and I didn’t want to introduce a new formula while testing this out. Instead, I washed my face, sprayed the Avéne face mist, and followed up with either Dr. Jart’s toner or Osea’s hyaluronic acid serum. After using the Solawave, I’d respritz with my mist, then top everything off with Dieux’s Instant Angel and a Tatcha sunscreen.
I’d use slow, sweeping motions as displayed in the instructions. I had to keep the little booklet on hand for the first week before I got the routine and the no-nos down. (There are a lot of no-nos.) I’d start at the corner of my lips, and move the wand outwards toward my hairline, moving sequentially up my cheeks to the undereye area. I’d move on to my forehead and focus a bit more on the elevens (those furrowed brow lines). I was in the midst of testing my thyroid levels with my doctor, so I avoided my neck area entirely. I’d use it for five minutes each day.
After using, I’d wipe it with a tissue. This is likely just a me thing, but I found it so. difficult. to properly get the wand into its case. I ended up just setting it on my counter or in my drawer after use (not an ideal way to treat something that’s over $150).
Did you notice an immediate or gradual difference in your skin?
The Solawave combines four treatments into one—it couldn’t possibly excel at each one, right? In my opinion, right. Every day that I used it, there was an immediate sculpted look to my face. But from what I can tell, it’s a temporary result of some lymphatic drainage and a bit of microcurrent-like tightening. I get a similar result when using a gua sha or cooled Nurse Jamie roller, but I can’t deny that the Solawave may be more instantly firming than anything else I’ve tried. After about a week of use, my partner mentioned that my face “looked more chiseled”— his words! And unprovoked, might I add!
In terms of improvements caused by LED, that was gradual and minimal at best. The biggest draw to using red light is the antiaging benefit, but I didn’t notice any reduction in wrinkles and fine lines, or signs of collagen being rebuilt. I did happen to have a reduction in acne. (Not that I expected to; I’m used to a more powerful panel when it comes to red-light therapy.)
I always break out around my period, and this trial ran through two moon cycles. Not a single cystic acne bump was found, nor did I have as many whiteheads around my chin and hairline. Maybe my hormones were being nice to me, or maybe it was the magic of the wand; either way, avoiding post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation means everything to me.
Would you recommend this device to a friend?
It depends on why you want it. The Solawave is billed for its LED benefits, but if that’s your goal, I’d steer you toward a larger and more powerful panel. If you have the coins for a mask from Dr. Dennis Gross, for instance, or even better: a visit to a dermatology clinic for some serious LED therapy results.
I do like it as a depuffing tool and face massager, however, and that’s coming from a full-on morning marshmallow. (My Nurse Jamie roller doesn’t gently warm up or vibrate, that’s for sure.) If it were cheaper and the marketing focused more on the sculpting benefits than the LED light therapy, I’d sooner recommend it.
Talley Sue Hohlfeld, copy director
How often did you use the Solawave wand?
I used it every day. Some days I did it in the morning instead of the evening. And I’ll be honest; after about two weeks, I skipped a day here and there, but not often.
Was the Solawave wand easy to use?
I found the directions a little hard to understand, and frustrating. The speed with which the light moves across the skin will make a difference, and I didn’t think the documentation was very helpful. It gave directions for the pattern to use on four areas of very different sizes; cheeks were together in one, forehead was another, then the neck and the undereyes. Then in a later paragraph said to spend 3 minutes per area. But the undereye is so much smaller than both cheeks; it wasn’t comfortable to have the light on that skin for that long.
The only videos on their site were TikToks, so I wasn’t sure how reliable they were. I ended up just slowly moving the device in the pattern they suggested.
I wasn’t in love with the serum in combination with the device. I applied a couple of dots to one area at a time, but before I was halfway through using the wand, the serum had begun to dry and was sticky; the device head would drag instead of glide. To get the serum to reconstitute, I’d pat my skin with damp fingers. After I was done, I tended to use a damp cloth to wipe my skin because the serum was kind of unpleasant. I experimented with using the device with other skin products, like a moisturizing cream, and those stayed moist and I could continue to glide.
The device buzzes to let you know three minutes have passed, but that was never in play. I had to stop to reconstitute the serum, and I couldn’t do my face in one session, so I just turned it off whenever I needed to pause.
Did you notice an immediate or gradual difference in your skin?
Gradual is the word here. I did feel that after about two weeks, I felt a small difference. Many of my wrinkles are “real” wrinkles, created by the movement of muscles under the skin; they weren’t going anywhere. But the surface wrinkles did seem to be smaller. My cleaning lady told me I was looking younger! But I’ve also had good results with simply using a moisturizer and exfoliator.
Would you recommend this device to a friend?
I’m not sure I would. You really need to keep it up, and spending 12 minutes a day with this was frankly boring. And the difference wasn’t quite huge enough for me. The one place I did like it, oddly enough, is on my neck. I’m not sure the photos show it, and maybe I’m making it up, but my neck seemed a tad firmer. Since my neck is the first place to show off my recent weight loss, I’m kind of vain about it.
Danielle Sinay, associate beauty editor
How often did you use the Solawave?
I used the Solawave every night after cleansing for two weeks, then gradually tapered down to three times a week.
Was the Solawave easy to use?
The Solawave is super user-friendly. To use it, I start with clean skin, so I use it just after double cleansing. Then I apply Solawave Renew Complex Activating Serum (the conductive formula) all over my face, and glide the Solawave across my face and neck going upward and outward (toward the forehead and ears). While gliding, I primarily focused on my cheeks and T-zone, which are my problem areas, plus anywhere I was experiencing redness or breakouts.
Did you notice an immediate or gradual difference in your skin?
My skin is…complicated and very high-maintenance. If I make the slightest shift in my routine, it turns red and blotchy, and breaks out—often in one or two very noticeable cystic pimples. But when I started using the Solawave, I noticed an immediate difference. There was an instant depuffing effect, plus gradual improvements in terms of hyperpigmentation, skin tone, and skin clarity. It even helped one of my cystic pimples clear up much faster than usual. (If you’re familiar with cystic acne, you know it’s pretty much impossible to clear up or speed up the process with OTC drying solutions.) The Solawave actually made a huge difference in how my cystic acne has behaved since I started using it, though! Even after my having traveled pretty much nonstop for the past month and a half, every time I use it, it relieves my facial inflammation, evens out my skin tone, and soothes my inflamed complexion, helping my once-incurable cysts to actually shrink and fade away quicker—all without scarring. I will never travel without it again.
Would you recommend this device to a friend?
I’ve recommended the Solawave to tons of my friends and plan to suggest it to more because I love it so much. It’s so easy, and makes a huge difference. I definitely want to get one for my mom too.
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