I love me a gadget. Maybe the word “accessible” is overused, but it’s true that skincare gadgets aren’t just massive clunky things that cost thousands and require a constant cabled charge.
You can go for at-home micro current devices, red light masks, Foreos, consumer-level lasers (if you want to see a buffet of face and skin tools, Current Body for sure has the most expensive range), and I recently got a travel-size humidifier which would puff away next to my bed in my hotel room and glow comfortingly to make sure my face (and more specifically, lips!) didn’t dry out overnight.
I was listening to a recent Gloss Angeles podcast when they mentioned Droplette, a new-to-the-market “needle-free, pain-free skincare delivery device” funded by NASA.
I needed to know more.
So Droplette is - and there’s a lot more complicated technology and science behind this - a souped-up face mister. The idea is that traditional skincare isn’t absorbed into our skin (because our skin is made to keep stuff out, and for good reason!).
The pump device sends the capsulated water-based (and vegan) skincare out in it’s micro-micro mist, you apply this mist close to your skin and enjoy the results of skincare being delivered exactly where it needs to go.
Founders Madhavi Gavini and Rathi Srinivas, “started to build a new transdermal delivery tool by ordering electronic parts, building a prototype, scoring funding (from NASA!), and continuing work with Walter Reed. Droplette is the first application of their plans to get actives under your skin.” The clinical trials are pretty impressive, and show exactly how many cell layers deep Droplette-delivered skincare will get VS traditional topical application methods.
As far as what you can “supermist”, Droplette offers 0.15% retinol capsules, 10.0% collagen capsules, 8.0% glycolic capsules and cleaning capsules to keep the device squeaky, and no doubt the team will expand the range.
Now getting to the real talk - while Droplette doesn’t yet ship internationally, you’re looking at $299 USD plus a monthly subscription to get your skincare capsules. I would say you’d start at a minimum cost of $340 USD or so - that's a pretty decent chunk of change, but Droplette emphasises the simplicity of the tool and other industry reviewers talk about how seamless it is to add it into your skincare routine.
Now, if you have your skincare routine dialed, this may not be the product for you. If you're using an active like tretinoin, there's good reason for the topical application - heck, you're not even meant to apply to damp in case it absorbs too much and causes irritation. I've never liked glycolic acid much, and the collagen is really the only product I could see myself using - but again, as the brand expands there may be some really interesting soothing ingredients that you can use with Droplette.
I can imagine this product being great for someone who wants reassurance of results without adding extra steps to their routine, you could cleanse, Droplette and add sunscreen for day. As someone new to skincare though, I think it's worthwhile acclimatising your skin to topical application of actives like retinol or glycolic acid BEFORE you launch it into your skin at hyperspeed.
Do I think it looks awesome? Yes. Would I consider buying it with a wider capsule range and decent international shipping or a local distributor? For sure. But make no mistake, you can get fantastic results from the right skincare just with the "old-school" method of application of surface application - Droplette is the ultimate luxury gadget for skincare devotees.