Best (and Worst) Beauty Tools for Women Over 50

4. Face rollers

What started as a very cool but low-tech way to soothe fatigued skin, deflate puffiness and stimulate a healthy glow has spawned an entire category of sometimes uncomfortable — and possibly dangerous — devices.

The worst: Ice rollers and microneedle rollers

Sorry, but while ice rollers — a handheld skincare tool made from stainless steel that can be filled with water or gel and chilled in the freezer — can reduce puffiness (cold is an excellent vasoconstrictor) and microneedle rollers sound safe, both can damage dry, sensitive, aging skin, and encourage redness and irritation. Trust me: Cold applied too long and tiny needles are not a great idea for those with rosacea, psoriasis or ongoing facial skin cancer treatment.  

The best: Gemstone face rollers and gua shas

While it may seem too good to be true, traditional gemstone rollers (which can improve circulation and lymphatic drainage) and gua sha stones (used to apply pressure and scrape the skin) are still tops in affordability, practicality and results. Both feel comfortably cool on the skin (which can be bumped up from room temperature by storing in the fridge), and, aside from skincare benefits, are a quick way to reduce stress and relax facial muscles and lines. Tools like the Eco Tools Jade Roller + Gua Sha Stone Facial Duo ($15, sephora.com) and Plum Beauty Rose Quartz Facial Roller ($12, cvs.com) never fail. Just be sure to use them over a skin serum base and/or moisturizer for “slip.”

Which tool is better for you? Both gua shas and rollers are very effective, but some women prefer the roller for easier manipulation thanks to the handle. Ones with a large and small roller at either end are designed for use in large, broad areas like the cheeks and jawline, and smaller areas like under the eyes. Handheld flat gua shas — rooted in Chinese medicine — have the same benefits but offer the ability to apply a little more pressure and control to the massage. (While at-home treatments are common, if you are seeking heavy-duty stroking and scraping, leave it the pros.) Chanel now has a similar gua-sha-like tool for a whopping $70. Different strokes for different folks. 

5. Hi-tech face wands, masks and devices

At-home facial tools that mimic dermatologist office treatments and use LED or microcurrent technology are having a moment. They promise to tighten, firm, lift and stimulate collagen. Some LED devices even claim to stimulate hair growth at the scalp. Microcurrents are said to stimulate face muscles to lift and firm — like a facelift — while LED red light therapy is said to improve skin texture and discoloration. 

These intriguing devices look straight out of a sci-fi movie, especially the freaky masks. Some women rave about the results, while others say, “Waste of money!” This suggests an emperor’s-new-clothes attitude toward the whole category. The desire to believe your skin looks better with reduced dark spots and wrinkles is a potent incentive to splurge.

The worst: High-priced LED masks

Hi-tech tools are confusing, and it’s easy to buy the wrong one or get carried away and buy an expensive device that you may or may not like. Some LED masks are super costly, with prices ranging from $500 to $1,000, and for most women that’s simply not a reasonable “try-out” splurge. 

Many women give up since results are cumulative and require patience and consistent use to see a difference. Not protecting your eyes adequately is also a problem, as is incorrect usage or overdoing the specified frequency or length of time for each session.

The best: red light minis and handheld LED devices

LED red light technology is the light therapy you want. It smooths lines and wrinkles and minimizes discolorations (as opposed to blue light, which targets acne). For those interested in but still wary of DIY microcurrent or red light, choose mini versions like the microcurrent NuFace FIX MicroWand ($195, sephora.com), which targets lips, the eye area and forehead creases; and the LED Solawave 2-in-1 Skincare Mini ($89, nordstrom.com), a portable device that fits in the palm of your hand and uses red and near-infrared light for treatment of the jawline, hands and under-eyes. 

Handheld devices like the FDA-cleared LightStim for Wrinkles LED Light Therapy Device ($249, nordstrom.com) make treating specific spots like the under-eye area, jawline, crow’s feet or nasolabial fold crease easier than using a full-face mask. Buy blackout goggles online if your red light device doesn’t come with a pair. 

6. Facial and body hair removal tools

This category includes tweezers, brow scissors, dermaplaning facial razors, hair-removing IPL devices and epilators. All are tricky, and not all are essential. Let’s start with why. While brow management is serious business for women after 50, most go the makeup route to fill in and improve skimpy or misshapen brows. 

Brow hairs often grow longer and become wiry with age, requiring snips. For some women, facial hair also increases after a hormone shift at menopause, producing a peach-fuzz coating or an increase in chin or mustache hairs. And let’s not forget body hair. Many women who don’t like shaving their legs and bikini line want new options, too.

The worst: DIY dermaplaning and epilators

DIY hair removal is not a glam experience. Some women turn to dermaplaning, which uses scalpel-like facial razors to reduce peach fuzz on cheeks (it’s a form of shaving!). Available at drugstores, these supersharp tools can easily create cuts, nicks and irritation, and who needs that? Just don’t. Next on the “avoid this” list: sharp beauty scissors for trimming long, wiry brow hairs, and needle-nose tweezers for snaring random brow and chin hairs. Remember that mature skin is thin, dry, sensitive, and has a textured surface. 

Why not try waxing, threading, depilation or bleaching? How about a pro-managed classic like electrolysis? And let’s address epilators. While these devices have been around for decades, they have since been updated. They now feature rotating discs that pull hair out at the roots. And, like waxing, the results last longer than shaving. But it does hurt and can cause skin irritation.

The best: Slant-tipped tweezers, snub-tip scissors and a gentle IPL

Honestly — some common sense here — why would you use sharp items near your eyes or cheeks? Instead, opt for slant-tipped tweezers like the Revlon Expert Tweezer Slant Tip ($14, walgreens.com) and rounded-top scissors like the Tweezerman Facial Hair Scissor ($15, cvs.com). 

While a disposable shaver is simple and quick, some women are turning to at-home intense pulsed light, or IPL, devices like the Braun Silk-expert Pro 3 IPL Hair Removal System ($250, target.com), which uses a spectrum of light wavelengths to destroy hair follicles with consistent weekly use. This one is gentle enough for arms, face and underarms, in addition to legs and the bikini area. The goal is less hair, or no hair, to bother with.

7. Makeup mirrors

Mirrors are beauty essentials, but what was once limited to a bathroom cabinet mirror and a compact in your bag has been taken to a whole new level. Encouraged by social media and video images of influencers applying makeup, women over 50 are turning to newer designs.

The worst: Super-magnifying mirrors

Magnifying mirrors that offer an 8x or 10x magnification make gazing at your after-50 face kind of dangerous. What was once a practical aid for putting in contacts or applying eyeliner and mascara, or a helpful partner in blending foundation and whisking on blush, has become a truth-telling frenemy and, for some, an almost obsessive habit. Constantly getting a super-close-up view of your lines and wrinkles, pores and discolorations is not setting you up for a happy day or night out. It makes you focus on small issues instead of getting a more confident big picture.

The best: Lighted makeup mirrors with 1x to 5x magnification max

A lighted makeup mirror that shows your entire face and mimics natural daylight is what you need. The best light for makeup is always the natural light we find near a window. However, that’s practically impossible for most women whose daily makeup site is a countertop or windowless bathroom, or when doing their makeup at night or on a dark, rainy day. 

For a real-life look with no amplification, choose at-home mirrors that offer 1x magnification, like the Zadro Medium Vertical Hollywood Makeup Mirror with Lights ($100, nordstrom.com). It mimics how others see you while still providing the visual benefits of looking at your makeup in different lighting situations. For those who love playing around with makeup or people who have vision issues, here are two cordless, rechargeable versions that makeup artists use and are worth the splurge. First is the SimpleHuman 8’’ LED light sensor Makeup Mirror 5 X Magnification ($200, target.com), which simulates natural sunlight and a candlelight low-light setting for the evening. The other is the Ilios Lighting Beauty Ring ($259, bloomingdales.com) with 1x and 5x reversible mirrors and a very bright ring light framing the mirror that’s ideal for aging eyes. 

For travel or the office, a portable lighted mirror like the Mocado LED Foldable Travel Makeup Mirror ($28, sears.com) folds to a flat 5x7 inches but sits upright on a tabletop or desk and charges via USB port, just like your phone.

8. Eyelash and eyebrow groomers

Here’s another brief but important tool edit. Women over 50 are very familiar with metallic curlers and the concept of brushing up their brows. The first opens the eyes so mascara lashes swoop up and frame the eyes; the second also uses a brush (though some use an old clean toothbrush) to give eyes a more awake and sparkly look. These two moves are a habit for many women, since lash hairs and brows thin with age.

The worst: Heated eyelash curlers, crimpy curlers and spiky mascara separators

Heated eyelash curlers claim to avoid crimps, but honestly, this is not the way to go. Like the trendy-for-a-minute idea of heating your lash curler, applying a heated rod to your vulnerable eyes is unwise. Many low-cost curlers seem like a great buy, but the design lacks the engineered finesse of certain more expensive styles. They look the same but give lashes a bent, creased shape and often pinch — especially on older eyes that are creased, crepey, hooded, deep or saggy. 

Know that lashes, like brow hairs, can grow at different angles with age: some going straight, others bending to the side. Another cautionary tale: Never attempt to de-clump lashes with a straight pin, a safety pin or a metal eyelash separator comb.

The best: Wide curlers with a gentle closure; lash spoolies and nonmetal combs

Curlers have lasting power, especially when you make the effort to keep them clean and replace the cushioned pads, which can get harder with age and use. Look for an iconic tool like the Shiseido Eyelash Curler ($27, ulta.com), which gets close to the roots of lashes without pinching, is wide enough to get all your lashes regardless of eye shape and size, and has a soft pad and available replacement pads. 

Another goodie is the Tarte Picture Perfect Duo ($22, sephora.com), which has ergonomically shaped contoured handles rather than loops for a gentle closure … and is sold with mascara. And, of course, always curl lashes before applying mascara to prevent lashes from sticking to the device and snapping off! To give mascara’d lashes that have gone thick or clumpy on application some separation, use a spoolie like the e.l.f. Professional Eyelash and Brow Wand ($2, walgreens.com) or a soft, nonmetal brow comb like the Revlon Lash & Brow Styling Tool ($10, cvs.com).

9. Makeup brushes and sponges

There are tons of makeup brushes and sponges designed to sweep, dab, blot and blend your makeup, and they all look appealing. They’re often sold in prepackaged “kits” and individually by luxury and drugstore-level brands, and women collect them the way they used to buy lipsticks. Between the how-to frenzy of YouTube videos and makeup-mad social media, it’s easy to feel like you need them all. You don’t.

The worst: Powder brushes for cream and liquid makeup

You can buy the most expensive eye shadow, a designer-level blush or a glowy new foundation, but unless you have the right brushes, all might as well go right down the drain. Kits with a range of brush sizes may seem like a good buy, but the truth is you only need a few of them, and only those that are compatible with your makeup application. Also, pay attention to the makeup formulas you use. 

Most makeup brushes are fluffy and designed specifically to work with powders. This makes using them on cream and liquid products like foundation, sticks, cream blush, concealer and cream shadows a problem. And that is the big issue to solve now that many women over 50 are forgoing face powder and powder blush, bronzer and shadows in favor of creamier ones.

The best: Brushes and sponges designed for creams and liquids

This is a whole separate niche. They’re soft but have very densely packed bristles that make silky wet products apply and blend easily. Makeup sponges are also cream- and liquid-friendly and a good entry tool for those breaking away from powder makeup. Both gently push makeup onto and into the skin for a seamless, airbrushed effect. This is a very different approach from powder brushes and puffs, which lightly deposit makeup on top of the skin. 

The trick with sponges is to use them damp, not wet or dry. Some of the best cream and liquid choices are the Real Techniques Makeup Saver Blending Sponge + Makeup Brush Trio ($19, ulta.com), the dual-ended Trish McEvoy Wet/Dry Even Skin Brush ($61, nordstrom.com) and the Morphe M133 Domed Concealer Brush ($10, ulta.com) for precision concealer work. The basic teardrop sponge like the e.l.f. Precision Sponge Trio ($12, cvs.com) is always great for its ability to work in large and small areas, but also check out the Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Precision Makeup Sponge 100 ($16, sephora.com), with contoured sides and tip, for another option.