The SolaWave, also called the SolaWave Wand, is a device used to improve skin quality. The device combines four different technologies. The brand claims that their product can reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, acne and dark circles.
But can a topical device actually reduce visible signs of skin aging? Is there medical research backing the technologies used? And how do real users respond to SolaWave treatment?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions by reviewing SolaWave technologies one-by-one in light of medical research: microcurrent, red light therapy, facial massage, and therapeutic warmth. At the end of each section, we'll give our take on whether the technology is likely to have an anti-aging effect. We'll also share a real user's review of SolaWave including before-and-after images.
SolaWave Tech #1 - Microcurrent
Microcurrent is a term for a technology which applies electrical currents to the skin, and is used in other cosmetic devices like the NuFace. We have not come across any convincing medical evidence that microcurrent technology improves skin quality or has an anti-aging effect.
SolaWave cites one clinical trial as proof that this technology is effective. It appears to be a very low-quality study in a very low-quality journal. Even the title of the article is written in broken English: "Consider of Micro-Current's effect to variation of Facial Wrinkle trend."
Here is the first sentence of the trial: "Beauty is one of the important today’s people concerns; the facial wrinkles are including problems of beauty."
We have never come across a clinical trial that's written so poorly as to be almost illegible, and for this reason we disregard the results of this study.
Our take: we do not consider this technology likely to be effective.
SolaWave Tech #2 - Red Light Therapy
There is legitimate medical research backing the efficacy of red light therapy for skin aging, and SolaWave links to it. A 2014 medical trial in the Photomedicine and Laser Surgery journal found that red light therapy improved skin complexion, skin roughness and collagen density in trial participants when compared with a control group.
The wavelength of the red light used in SolaWave, 660 nanometers (nm) is similar to the range of wavelengths used in the trial (611 - 650 nm).
Another medical trial which used the exact same wavelength of red light as that in SolaWave found that the treatment significantly improved wrinkles around the eyes.
A 2021 medical review of red light therapy analyzed the results from many clinical trials and concluded that the treatment is a “safe and effective method of skin rejuvenation,” as well as treatment of acne. The study authors stressed that more research is needed to determine the optimal power and wavelength of light used.
Our take: we consider this technology likely to be effective.
SolaWave Tech #3 - Facial Massage
SolaWave claims that facial massage can make the face appear slimmer, and “drain toxicity from the face’s lymphatic system.” Their device apparently has a massage function.
The brand links to a medical study to back up their massage claims. The study found that a facial massage from a hardware device may provide an anti-wrinkle and anti-aging effect due to increased expression of certain proteins in the skin.
L’Oréal, a major skincare brand, funded the study, and every study author is an employee of L’Oréal. This leads to a significant bias in our opinion, and we suggest that consumers disregard these results.
The above-linked medical study found the optimal frequency of a facial massage device to be 75 hertz (Hz), while we cannot identify the frequency used in the SolaWave.
Our take: we do not consider this technology likely to be effective.
SolaWave Tech #4 - Therapeutic Warmth
SolaWave’s final health claim is that applying heat directly to the skin, via their device, induces “therapeutic warmth” which can reduce the appearance of dark circles under the eye.
They do not cite a medical study for this claim, and instead link to an article in Vogue India.
We can’t identify any medical studies proving that warm temperatures from a medical device reduce the appearance of dark circles under the eye, and since SolaWave provides no medical evidence we will consider this claim inaccurate.
Just like there is no documented medical or cosmetic benefit to holding your face near a closed oven, we don’t believe there will be any benefit to the “therapeutic warmth” provided by SolaWave.
Our take: we do not consider this technology likely to be effective.
SolaWave Before-And-After
A YouTube creator named "Eve Dawes" published a review of SolaWave including a product demonstration and before-and-after images:
SolaWave Vs. NuFace
NuFace is another popular cosmetic device that uses microcurrent technology. Consumers are often curious about which device is more likely to be effective, given that these are arguably the two market leaders.
In our opinion, SolaWave is more likely to be effective than NuFace given that SolaWave incorporates red light therapy, which has significant clinical backing. NuFace only includes microcurrent technology, which we do not consider likely to be effective.
Red light therapy has other benefits outside of cosmetics, including a medically documented anti-inflammatory effect. For this reason, we also consider SolaWave to be healthier and have more potential secondary benefits than NuFace.
SolaWave Real Customer Reviews
SolaWave is sold on Amazon which is a more objective resource for real customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion. The product has a 3.9 out of 5 star rating at the time of updating this article, which is relatively unimpressive.
It scores an "A" grade on Fakespot, which is a software tool that detects potentially fraudulent Amazon reviews. This is a good sign that all of the reviews are legitimate.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named "Miranda Forni" who claims that the product is easy-to-use and effective:
"Started using my SolaWave wand! It is so relaxing and the warmth from the device made my skin feel so good. I love how sleek it is and how simple it is to use. Will use it for a few weeks and give a follow up review on results. So excited to get this little me time every night."
The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named "Jknzlee" who claims that the device quickly malfunctioned:
"Bought this with high hopes based on on all the so called great reviews. Didn’t get a chance to use it right away until 2 weeks later. Worked great for a week then started malfunctioning. Would turn on by itself when unplugged from charger & then stop working after a few minutes. Then totally died. Couldn’t return it cos I was out of the country until past the return date."
Our Skincare Recommendations
There are skincare products that contain ingredients proven in clinical trials to be effective for reducing wrinkles and improving skin quality generally.
Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum is our top skin cream pick because of its effective and clean formulation. It contains hyaluronic acid which was described as a "skin-rejuvenating biomedicine" in a medical review due to its ability to reduce wrinkles and signs of facial aging. We consider this to be the most powerful topical skincare ingredient. Most importantly, this serum is entirely free of questionable additives like preservatives or fragrance.
Interested consumers can check out Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum at this link.
HydraGlow is our top moisturizer pick. It features bakuchiol as an active ingredient which was described in a 2014 clinical trial as "clinically proven to have anti-aging effects." In the linked trial, topical bakuchiol reduced wrinkles, improved skin elasticity and firmness, and reduced photodamage (damage from UV rays). There are no questionable additive ingredients in this product.
Interested consumers can check out HydraGlow at this link.
The only oral supplement we recommend for skin quality improvement is Bulletproof Collagen Powder. Oral collagen supplementation was shown in a medical review published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology to improve visible signs of skin aging as well as improve skin elasticity and skin hydration. The only ingredient in Bulletproof collagen is collagen peptides sourced from grass-fed animals. We recommend a dose of 10 grams per day.
Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof Collagen Powder at this link.
