The Facial Cupping Expert sells much more than a set of silicone cups. The brand is built around facial cupping and acupressure, written in the first person by a founder who presents herself as a practicing acupuncturist, and the shop now covers cups, kits, an organic facial oil, a clay mask, tools and sleep products. This guide goes through eleven of them with USD prices from the US storefront (the UK storefront shows pounds) and tells you which kit is the best value. We reviewed the Starter Kit on its own in an earlier review.
Cups, kits, oil and tools from the same shop
The Starter Kit bundles the cups, oil and an online tutorial for less than buying the cups and oil separately.
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Eleven products at a glance
Prices are shown in USD on the shop's US storefront at the time of writing and may change. Where the shop shows a higher "regular price" we show it as "listed at" and treat it as a list price rather than proof of a discount.
The cups: what you actually get
The core product is the Eco-Friendly Facial Cups set at $41: five silicone cups in three sizes, free of BPA, latex, lead and phthalates according to the brand. The two large cups are for the cheeks, neck and forehead, the medium cup for lips and the jawline, and the two small ones for the eye area. The brand's stated aim is to brighten and firm the look of skin and soften fine lines and puffiness, but independent clinical evidence for facial cupping is limited, so see these as the brand's claims rather than guaranteed results. It also advises pairing the cups with oil so they glide, which is where the prickly pear oil comes in.
Which kit is the best value?
If you want to start properly, a kit is cheaper than buying piece by piece. The cups ($41) and the 30ml oil ($56) cost $97 together. The Starter Kit is $92 and adds the online tutorial, so it saves $5 and gives you the guidance. The Gift Box at $102 adds a mini body cup, a cleaning brush and a tutorial card, and the PRO set at $99 is sold with the brand's course for professionals. If you only want to try cupping, the $41 cups set with its instruction card is the low-cost way in.
Oil and clay mask
The Prickly Pear Seed Oil (30ml, $56) is USDA and Ecocert certified organic and cold-pressed, and the brand says it is rich in vitamin E and fatty acids. It is the pricey part of the Starter Kit, and any suitable facial oil would work with cups, so decide whether you want the branded one. The Clay Mask Starter Kit ($52, listed at $74) is a separate path: 95g of an eight-ingredient clay mask made from Sardinian and Brittany clays with rose, sandalwood and green tea, plus a wooden bowl, spoon and brush. Patch-test any new mask, especially one with botanical powders.
Tools: acupressure pen, dry brushes and plum blossom hammer
These are the more traditional-medicine items. The Acupressure Pen ($38) is for pressing acupressure points, and the Facial Dry Brushes ($87) are a hand-made pair for gentle brushing. The 7-Star Plum Blossom Hammer ($31) is a needle-tapping tool, with seven blunt-ended needles. The brand frames all of these around circulation, "Qi" and glow. We can't verify those traditional claims, so use them as relaxing self-care rather than treatment. Tapping and pressing tools need a light touch, and you should avoid broken, inflamed or irritated skin and talk to a professional if you have a skin condition.
Before you buy
- Technique matters. The brand's tutorials are part of the value, so plan to watch them. Suction that is too strong can leave marks, so start gently.
- These are wellness tools. The shop's claims are the brand's own, and cupping, needle tapping and acupressure are not a substitute for medical or dermatological care.
- We saw no customer ratings on the shop pages we checked, so our rating reflects the range, the kit pricing and the tutorials rather than a measured score.
- Check the currency and shipping for your country, since the UK storefront prices in pounds.
Bottom line: for most people the Starter Kit ($92) is the sensible way in, the cups set ($41) is the cheapest, and the clay mask kit is the best extra. The tools are optional and mostly for people who already enjoy the ritual.
