If you were considering buying a facial microcurrent device, if one of these is on your shopping list, then this article is definitely going to be for you.
We have been testing out a couple of microcurrent facial devices for quite some time now. We’re going to be going through the similarities and differences and which one we feel is not only best value for money, but also easier to use.
We have been testing out the NuFACE, which is an oldie but goodie and so many people either have this already or have tried it out. And the brand new Foreo Bear microcurrent machine.
So what is microcurrent and what can it do for your skin. What are the benefits?
Microcurrent machines use very small amounts of electrical current to stimulate the facial muscles. Basically giving the facial muscles a bit of a gym workout.
Just like you would tone up your legs and your bottom doing squats, this is a bit of a gym workout for the face, to tone the facial muscles, to really sculpt the facial muscles and give them that sculpted, lifted, more youthful appearance.
It can also really ease facial tension, it can boost circulation, eliminate toxins and it can also stimulate collagen and elastin production, giving a smoother appearance to the skin, giving a firmer appearance to the skin, you’ve got less lines, less wrinkles with continued use. Some microcurrent devices can also enhance the penetration of your skin care products.
Is microcurrent a safe procedure for absolutely everybody?
Well, not really.
If you are epileptic, if you’re diabetic, if you have any heart issues, especially if you’ve got a pacemaker fitted, if you’re pregnant or you have chronic acne, I would recommend that you go and seek medical advice before you undergo any microcurrent treatment.
You can have professional microcurrent treatments in a clinic. These tend to use higher electrical currents, with a variety of wavelengths to cater for your specific needs. So they can be personalized.
Because of these higher electrical currents and these differing wavelengths, you will get results in a slightly quicker time frame but these treatments are very expensive and you need a course of treatments and you need to go on a very regular basis and be consistent to get those results.
You will get similar results with the at-home devices, but again, you do have to be consistent with the treatment. You must keep on top of this, because if you stop using them, the results will start to reverse themselves a little bit and you won’t get the benefits.
With all microcurrent treatments, whether that is in-house, in a clinic or with your at-home devices, you need to make sure that your skin is 100% clean and you’ve cleansed your skin with a water-based cleanser. You cannot cleanse your skin with an oil-based cleanser just before you do this treatment because the oil will act as a barrier for the electrical current and you won’t get the results that you want.
You may experience some short term side effects after you have had any microcurrent treatment and I have had some of these side effects. You can get some tingling on the face, a little bit of tightness of the skin, you can get lifting of the skin, which I guess is not a side effect, it’s something that you want, but you can definitely get some swelling, and that’s the side effect that I actually experience.
Let’s go into the similarities and differences between NuFACE and Foreo Bear.
Foreo Bear vs NuFACE
I actually asked my mum to test both of these out, because she is the expert when it comes to NuFACE. A few years ago I bought my mom the large NuFACE Trinity device to use at home.
She used it on a regular basis and because of that, I thought it would be really interesting to get my mom’s thoughts and feelings about Foreo Bear because she has so much experience with NuFACE.
She knows how it should feel, she knows what to expect.
Let’s go into price first.
The NuFACE mini is $180, the NuFACE Trinity large version is $299. The Foreo Bear is $299.
Click Here to Buy Foreo Bear! Or Click Here to Buy NuFACE!
Let’s talk about the similarities and differences and the customer experience, what it’s like to use both of these.
I’m going to start with the NuFACE because she is more used to that one, having used it for a couple of years now.
It’s very comfortable to hold, it’s comfortable to use and it comes with very clear instructions, which for her is really important because if she can’t figure out how to use something fairly quickly, she get a little bit impatient.
It has three intensity settings so you can choose which one you use. She tends to go for the highest one.
There are a number of YouTube videos that you can watch to figure out what kind of routine you want to use. She found them very helpful.
She tends to make up her own routines now, because she has got some experience with it and she has got time to do that.
She feels it makes a difference, but unless she use it every day, she starts to notice that the benefits are reduced.
It’s quite quick and simple. Not an issue to use for her. She does her routine in the morning and she likes to spend about 10 to 15 minutes doing it.
The Foreo is also comfortable to use and it’s got a stronger current, which she actually likes because it feels like it’s working quicker. And because it’s got a stronger current, it only takes three minutes to do the whole routine.
It’s got five intensity settings, unlike the NuFACE, which only has three.
It’s easy to wipe clean because it’s silicon. It s also has something called t-sonic vibrations, which apparently enhance the absorption of the serum that you put on first to help it glide over your face.
Both the NuFACE and the Foreo come with their own gels or serums.
The Foreo comes with Serum Serum Serum. It’s beautiful product and the NuFACE comes with its own gel primer.
But when you need to replace them, they’re quite expensive, so she tends to go on the internet and buy the ultrasound gel that you can get and it works just as well. But you do have to wash it off afterwards, because the other ones you just pat into your face and it’s really quite nice, but you have to wash the gel off. And then put the rest of your skincare on afterwards.
It’s not a big deal but if you are thinking about buying a microcurrent device to use at home, it’s definitely a much more affordable way of doing it, without having to go back to Foreo or NuFACE and order their specific in-house product.
Each of the devices has a button in the middle and that’s how you switch them on and also you increase the intensity of the devices as well.
The major difference between the NuFACE and the Foreo Bear apart from the increased strength of the Foreo is that you need an app for the Foreo to work in the first place. Unless you download the app and register your device, you can’t use it at all.
Some people might find the app really helpful because once it’s connected, you can follow the routine on the app and that routine will increase and decrease the strength of the Foreo without you having to press any buttons.
The instructions for the Foreo are minimal and what came in the packaging is very small. So in order to work the device, you have to rely on the app.
On the other hand, the NuFACE instructions are very clear and they are easy to follow. So she preferred the NuFACE.
In conclusion, although the Foreo has a stronger current and takes less time to use, there were huge challenges for her with the app.
Both of these are very similar in the way that they would move on the face to achieve the same results, but we found the experiences completely different in the way of how user-friendly both of these devices are.
Click Here to Buy Foreo Bear! Or Click Here to Buy NuFACE!
Rebecca is a licensed aesthetician and certified laser technician with almost 15 years experience in the dermatology. Her life-long passion is making people look good and happy.