I Tried the At-Home Hydrafacial Celebs Swear By—and It Changed My Skin
Facials are usually one of the first splurges to go when I tighten my purse strings. But even with fewer trips to the esthetician, my skin has stayed clear, healthy, and hydrated thanks in large part to BeautyBio's GLOfacial tool.
The at-home device combines pore suction with hydration to provide a deep, nourishing clean—in my opinion, it's the next best thing to a professional Hydrafacial. In-office treatments can run $200 to $300 per session, so this $199 device essentially paid for itself after just two uses.
After months of testing—and conversations with skin care experts—I can confidently say it's one of the few TikTok-viral products that actually lives up to the hype. Keep reading for my full review, plus insights from dermatologist Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, and licensed esthetician Daphne Chantell del Rosario on the device's key benefits and how to safely use it.
BeautyBio's GLOfacial hydration facial tool uses a similar vortex suction mechanism to the trademarked Hydrafacial machines found in dermatologists' and aestheticians' offices. When pressed against the skin, the treatment tip delivers a gentle cleansing solution to loosen pore-clogging debris, then lightly suctions it away. Think of it as a two-in-one vacuum mop for your pores.
As an added bonus, the GLOfacial also offers blue light therapy, which has been shown to target breakout-causing bacteria and prevent future flare-ups. This suction-less setting can double as an acne spot treatment, giving you even more bang for your buck.
Begin by removing your makeup and cleansing the skin, just as your facialist would. Then, prep your device by filling the treatment chamber with water and the included GLOfacial concentrate. The chamber is marked with handy fill lines to help you get the right ratio.
Before applying the device to your face, test it on your palm to get the solution flowing. Skip this step, and you risk the suction leaving behind tiny hickey-like marks.
'It's important to be cautious with pore cleansing devices, especially at home. If not used properly, they can cause injury to the skin,' advises Dr. Garshick. Slight redness after treatments is normal and should fade within a few minutes to hours.
The GLOFacial offers three intensities. Start with the lowest setting and increase as needed. Hold the device upright in one hand and your skin taut with the other, using short, upward strokes to maintain constant suction. Keep your touch light and avoid long strokes that pull the skin downward.
Note that the device will beep and pause if it's tipped over too far. I've found I need to tilt my head to get the right angle for harder-to-reach spots.
The device comes with two treatment tip sizes. I like to start with the larger tip along my cheeks and forehead, then switch to the smaller head to tackle my nose, chin, and other targeted areas. Don't be afraid to refill the chamber mid-treatment—you may need to do it more than once during a full-face session.
Once you've finished admiring all the gunk in the waste chamber, empty it and clean the device thoroughly. Let everything dry completely before reassembling.
The BeautyBio GLOfacial isn't a device you'll reach for daily. Like professional Hydrafacials, experts recommend using at-home hydration tools every four to six weeks. That said, more frequent spot treatments can help reduce congestion, particularly in stubborn areas like the chin and nasolabial folds.
Del Rosario also recommends incorporating the BeautyBio GLOfacial between professional treatments to prolong that post-facial glow. 'My clients are seeing fewer breakouts, more even tone, and that healthy, hydrated glow—it's quickly become a must-have in their skin care routine,' she tells ELLE.
BeautyBio's GLOfacial device can safely be used without the $45 GLOfacial Concentrate, but water alone won't deliver the same deep clean. As one BeautyBio employee once told me, it's kind of like using a carpet cleaner without any solution: technically possible, but you're not really getting the gunk out.
According to Dr. Garshick, the concentrate 'infuses the skin with salicylic acid, which further unclogs pores and helps prevent future blemishes.' It also contains hyaluronic acid to help hydrate and plump.
In the name of research, I tried swapping in other acne face washes and salicylic acid-based products. So far, I haven't found anything that works quite as well.
With all the so-called 'professional-grade' skin care tools on the market, I was admittedly skeptical that this gadget would be worth the $199 splurge. But now, it's one I regularly recommend to anyone looking to treat dry spots and breakouts simultaneously. It's easy to use and delivers immediate results—no need to be a skin care whiz to wield one.
The brand also suggests changing the treatment tips every few months to maintain proper suction, so you might as well toss a replacement set in your cart while you're at it. It's worth spending a little extra to get the best results.
Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in Manhattan, New York and Englewood, New Jersey. She is also a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Cornell-New York Presbyterian Medical Center.
Daphne Chantell del Rosario is a licensed esthetician and makeup artist based in Los Angeles.
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