Cancel that appointment with your facial therapist.

You can now zap and polish your way to youth and beauty without leaving home - if the latest DIY beauty gizmos live up to their promises.

Light-emitting devices that boost your skin's production of collagen and pimple zappers are just some of the convenient battery-operated gadgets that claim to tackle your skin woes.

Beauty junkies and experts alike are taking notice.

At the recent Her World Beauty Awards, Neutrogena's Wave Power Cleanser ($24.90), a vibrating facial cleanser, took home the Editors' Choice Award in the Purifying/Oil-control Cleanser category.

'Last year could be considered a year of true innovation for the beauty industry,' says Her World editor Elisabeth Gwee.

The best-selling women's magazine here has been handing out awards to the best beauty products every year since 2001.

Pearlyn Tham, Her World's fashion and beauty editor, says the vibrating Wave 'picks up more dirt and oil than your hands would so your skin may feel cleaner'.

'It is less messy to use and easier to rinse off,' she adds.

Personal care chain Watsons, which launched an in-house line of gizmos in 2004, says interest in take-home gadgets grew over the last three years as customers began using them to complement their beauty regimens.

Some of the quirkier gadgets it offers include a facial sauna ($19.95) and a battery-operated eyelash curler ($6.95).

Customers can also buy such gizmos at electronic goods purveyor Best Denki and beauty haven Sephora.

When the Neutrogena Wave was launched in March last year, it became the top-selling product in the mass market facial care category, according to AC Nielsen results, with 8,000 units sold within the first month.

About 3,000 pieces of Talika Light 590, a $590 light-emitting device that is said to stimulate collagen growth, have also been snapped up here since its launch in December 2008.

Many aesthetic clinics offer similar light therapy treatments which deliver a much higher intensity of light but prices start from $100 per session.

What customers like about these devices is the DIY convenience.

Dr Calvin Chan of Calvin Chan Aesthetic & Laser Clinic says: 'Besides being cheaper to use in the long run, many people also like being able to self-administer treatments at home.'

These new devices are safe for home use as the dosage of heat and light is lower compared to what one would find in a doctor's clinic, he notes.

'But do bear in mind that it would take a longer time to see results.'

He also advises patients to consult their doctors on the efficacy of these gadgets before buying them.

'The Internet is also a good resource with which to do your research,' he adds.

'But look for reliable sources such as reviews on popular beauty sites with a broad readership or read beauty and aesthetic magazines such as Allure which often review newly launched products.'