We Tried Buccal Massage, The Viral LED Lip Mask, & More Out-There Beauty Treatments

People like to say that “beauty is pain,” but it’s more accurate to say “beauty is wacky.” In this industry, you’re more likely to be slathering snail slime onto your skin or rocking an LED light mask like a chic Imperial stormtrooper than you are to feel a pinch from a Botox needle.

Because for beauty editors, nothing is too out there to try in the name of good skin or health. Dunk yourself into 39-degree ice water and soak for six minutes to reduce inflammation? Been there. Microneedle your face with plasma from your own blood? Done that. Apply a serum that contains cow bone peptides? Why the heck not?

Naturally, Bustle’s team of editors is literally required to test the latest products and procedures — and that’s what we’ve been doing for the past several months. Ahead, our unfiltered takes on four buzzy treatments you should know about, from ear seeding to buccal massage.

A Buccal Massage For Your Face

What It Is

I’m midfacial when the esthetician puts on some gloves and starts massaging the inside of my mouth. He pulls the skin surrounding my chin and jaw, kneading my gums and stretching my upper lip — all of which, I’m sure, looks completely ridiculous. But it feels really, really good.

This is called buccal massage, an intra-oral mouth massage that’s meant to help lift your face from within. “It massages the muscles and layers of muscles underneath and on top of your skin, giving an overall youthful, relaxed, lifted appearance,” says Joseph Carrillo, the esthetician and facial sculpting expert who gave me the treatment. So, unlike a traditional facial massage, this one works beyond the top layers of your skin to deliver that sculpted effect.

Since it’s working inside your mouth, buccal massages offer more than just aesthetic benefits. According to Carrillo, they can help with facial tension, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), headaches, clenching, and puffiness. They also promote lymphatic drainage (hence the depuffing) and the boost in blood circulation can help with breakouts.

My Experience

Having someone’s hands deep inside my mouth was a strange sensation, but I got used to it and was able to relax and enjoy the massage. It felt like an alternate-world dentist visit: Yes, someone was rubbing along my teeth and gums, but sans pain or pointy metal tools.

After about 20 minutes, I sat up from the treatment table and peered into the mirror. My face was definitely less puffy than it’d been before we started, and my features did look a bit lifted. According to Carrillo, the results continue to improve with time: “In general, buccal results can last between three and five days, and sometimes up to a month, depending on your practitioner,” he says.

If you’re all-in with buccal massages and want the most chiseled face-lifting effect possible, he recommends doing 10 sessions — one per week — followed by one every six weeks for maintenance. Treatments range in price between about $50 to $250 per session, depending on where you’re located and the practitioner you’re seeing.

The Results

Personally, I’m always looking for some extra facial sculpting. Since I’m in my mid-30s, gravity has started becoming more of an enemy — my cheeks and jawline aren’t as perky as they were a decade ago. While I’ve dabbled with gua sha and microcurrent devices, my experience with a buccal massage far superseded anything I’ve tried previously.

As the week went on, my results got even better, peaking around Day Four post-treatment. My skin looked brighter, and breakouts I’d had on my chin were starting to heal. From my mouth to your ears — I highly recommend hopping on this train. — Rachel Lapidos, Senior Beauty & Lifestyle editor

An LED Mask For Your Pout

What It Is

My pout is losing some of its volume. It’s something that happens as you get older, since your lips’ natural collagen production begins to dwindle. Enter the Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite LipWare Pro LED Device ($148), which promises to reverse that trend, delivering a “your lips but better” boost to repair lost volume.

The tool is equipped with 56 LED red lights, which penetrate delicate skin in wavelengths that have multiple benefits. The technology improves circulation, which makes the area smoother and more voluminous, and the light therapy increases your skin’s collagen production, adding back some lost plump. The results get better over time with consistent use, which is easy to do since the treatment only lasts three minutes.

My Experience

When I received the product, I appreciated how small and discreet it was (a bonus for traveling). I charged it up and put it to the test on my bare lips. The mouthpiece wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable to wear, but I found it sagged a bit to press on the bottom lip, somewhat neglecting the top lip because of it. Instead, I preferred to remove the silicone piece and rest the device directly against my lips.

At around the halfway mark, the mask began to feel slightly warm, but not uncomfortably. After three minutes, it turned itself off with a beep.

The Results

After my first use, I noticed a slight difference. There seemed to be a bit more blood flow and circulation to my lips, which flattened and filled out some fine lines. My pout looked a touch plumper.

If you’re like me and prefer non-invasive procedures, this one’s worth the investment. — Olivia Rose Rushing, Beauty Writer

An Infrared PEMF Mat For Well-Being

What It Is

I am the first to try a pill, powder, or gadget that promises to make me an all-around more calm, well-rested person. Thus, when Higher Dose’s Infrared PEMF Mat ($1,295) beckoned me with the vague promise of “raising my vibration and recharging my body,” I signed up immediately. After a few weeks of testing my travel-sized mat, I can firmly say that my vibrations are raised and my body is recharged.

PEMF stands for pulsed electromagnetic field technology, and supposedly, the mat is able to send energy waves throughout your body to promote healing. It also offers a soothing, adjustable level of far infrared heat (to relieve pain and rid the body of toxins), negative ion therapy (to cleanse the air), and crystal therapy (for good vibes).

Other than infrared heat, which has numerous science-backed studies supporting its healing modalities, the other technologies lean more into the woo-woo side of the healing spectrum — but that doesn’t mean they don’t work. In fact, the Infrared PEMF Mat has now become a daily part of my wellness routine because of how it makes me feel.

My Experience

There are four levels of PEMF energy you can select from, ranging from 1 (for deep sleep) to 4 (for sustained energy). I dial the mat up to Level 4 first thing in the a.m. and sit on it as I check my emails with my cup of coffee. I swear, even on my most sluggish mornings, I’ll feel instantly more awake. I even had my boyfriend use the mat and he agreed. (His review: “I feel like I just took a shot of espresso.”)

The sleep function can be hit or miss, but regardless, I love cranking up the infrared heat and sitting on my mat as I wind down after a long day in front of a Real Housewives of New York City episode.

The Results

Whether the PEMF is really working or it’s just a placebo, I feel noticeably different each time I use my mat, and it’s become a staple in my self-care routine. If you’re someone who has trouble carving out 30 minutes a day to lie down, I recommend the travel-size mat ($699) so you can prop it onto your chair while you work. — Faith Xue, Beauty Director, BDG

Ear Seeding

What It Is

A wellness practice that packs full-body benefits while mimicking the look of a cool, constellation-style ear-scape? I was interested immediately.

“Ear seeding is a non-invasive technique of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that provides gentle, constant stimulation of acupressure points on the ears,” WTHN’s head of product and services, Dr. Nicole Glathe, tells Bustle. She notes that the practice is often used to prolong the benefits of an acupuncture appointment but can also be taken advantage of by those without access to an acupuncturist.

I’ve had ear seeds placed by a professional after an acupuncture facial before, but I’d never taken the DIY approach. WTHN’s Ear Seed Kit ($45), which comes with 20 Swarovski seeds as well as 20 24-karat-gold-plated seeds on a stainless steel base, includes tweezers, latex-free adhesive, and a guide that helps you apply said seeds on the proper spot on your ear. Some of the benefits offered? Improved focus, pain reduction, immunity support, better digestion, and more.

“The whole body is reflected in the ear,” Glathe says. “This is called a ‘microsystem’ in TCM and is much like the concept behind foot reflexology, where a small part of the body is used to address larger areas. This allows infinite possibilities for addressing various symptoms by using an easily accessible area.”

When placed on an acupressure point, the beads are supposed to stimulate a nerve pathway to your brain that unlocks healing through the body’s natural processes.

My Experience

If you opt to use WTHN’s set, the brand recommends placing between two to five seeds on each ear (targeting the same points on both is recommended for optimal results) and leaving them on for a maximum of five days.

After I ensured that both of my ears were clean and dry, it was pretty easy to apply the seeds — and I was impressed that they stayed put for a full five days before I removed them without difficulty. I targeted the pressure points designated to help with focus, immunity, and pain. As the instructions note, I occasionally applied pressure to boost the benefits.

The Results

I noticed that I had a bit more focus, and I thankfully stayed illness-free for the full five days, but the pain in my upper back (the result of typing on a keyboard all day) persisted. I would give them a couple more times before attributing the pros to the ear seeds, but overall, I’d definitely use these again for more on-the-go acupuncture benefits. — Erin Stovall, Senior Beauty Editor

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