In this post I explain why you need a conductive gel for microcurrent treatments. And which ones do I personally recommend? Especially if you have sensitive skin like me.
I'm a big fan of microcurrent treatments (as you'll know if you've been following my blog). Tone, lift and firm your face. And it increases collagen and elastin production over time. About what you can read inthis post. But it is important to use a facial gel with good conductivity to obtain these excellent results.
All the different microcurrent devices have their own conductivity gel. Also, you can find various claims online about alternative conductive gels for microcurrents that claim to be efficient.
This post will cover the conductive gels that come with the various microcurrent devices. And if I recommend them or not. It will also cover conductive gel substitutes and my favorites.
I will cover:
- Why use a conductive facial gel when you're doing microcurrents?
- The most common conductive gels for microcurrents and which ones do I prefer?
- Microcurrent conductive gel substitute, and the one I prefer
- resume
Why use a conductive facial gel when you're doing microcurrents?
Microcurrent is an electrical current (even if it is very weak). And it needs a conductive substance to penetrate the skin and underlying muscles.
The gel or liquid must contain ions that can move from one of the probes to the other. carry electricity. Mineral salts such as gold, zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium, sodium, chloride, etc. they are excellent for conductivity.
The conductive gel should also give you a good glide with the device. Perform the treatment gently and without pulling the skin.
Another aspect of the conductive gel is that it should preferably have very good ingredients because microcurrent increases the permeability of skin cells. This means that whatever you apply to the skin is better absorbed and pushed deeper into your skin.
Unfortunately, many of the gels out there contain some ingredients that I don't want to get on my skin. As I am very sensitive and easily irritated. But also because I go out (withcystic acne) with the wrong ingredients. More on that in the next section.
*Please note that this post contains affiliate links and you may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. It costs you nothing extra and I only recommend products that I really love and use myself. You can read my full disclosureHere.
The most common conductive gels for microcurrents and which ones do I prefer?
In this section I will review the conductive facial gels that come with the most common devices. What I like the most and why. And that's why I avoid others.
ZIIP Gold Conductive Gel Treatment
This is the conductive gel that I like the most! It has fantastic ingredients. And it makes your skin super soft and slim. It is also good for my very sensitive skin.
Contains a variety of powerful anti-aging ingredients such as 24 karat gold, growth factors, hematite, snail venom peptide, organic placenta, niacinamide, zinc, and copper.
But it is still gentle enough for my sensitive skin. And gold, for example, has a very strong anti-inflammatory effect.
It glides on beautifully (the best glide of any gel) and is completely free of silicones and parabens.
Here is the full list of ingredients:
Glycerin, Water (Aqua), Propanediol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, μconotoxin Cn CIII., Lecithin, Acetylglutamine, ShOligopeptide1, ShOligopeptide2, ShPolypeptide1, ShPolypeptide9, ShPolypeptide11 Bacillus Ferment/Soya/Folic Acid Chondrus Crispus Extract, Hydrolyzed Chondrus Crispus Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate Sodium, Glycine (soy) Soybean Extract Niacinamide, Caffeine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hematite Extract, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Jasmine Officinalis Extract, Menthoxypropanediol, Gold, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol.
The only drawback is that it is quite expensive. But still I found it worth it because of the quality of the ingredients.
Also, by using it, I make it more affordable.thermal water sprinklerson top during treatment. So when the gel starts to dry, I lubricate it again by spraying the spring water. So I don't have to reapply the gel.
I usuallyZiip Gold Gelfor all my treatments with my Ziip device. And also with my Nuface treatments.
Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, this gel does not work well with the Myolift mini. There does not seem to be a constant conductivity for this device. And vice versa is the same. One time when I tried a gel for Myolift with my ZIIP, there was no conductivity at all.
Bribe:If you haven't tried the Ziip device yet, I now have a code (ziipwithann) that gets you 20 percent off (almost $100 off).This linkwill record it directly.
TO UPDATE:Now I have tried your new gel called Crystal Gel and I have written a review post which you can findhere. In short, crystal gel is cheaper and gives the skin even more shine and softness during the treatment! I love it and now I use it even more than the gold gel!
base gel nuface
If you have read my other microcurrent blog posts, you know how much I love Nuface. But unfortunately I am not so happy with their conductive gel (Nuface Gel Primer). Contains hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, which I avoid (this blog postexplains why in more detail).
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is an ingredient used in countless products and is well tolerated by most people. But not for everyone. And not always. Since hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid can unfortunately triggerinflammation. And that can trigger mecystic acne.
After getting cystic acne twice, I stopped using the gel completely. And for my nuface gel alternative, i just used minegold gel zipinstead of this.
Nuface also has a 24k gold gel. But this also contains hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid and although a lot of people seem to like it, I'm going to play it safe and avoid it.
Other than that,Nuface Gel PrimerIt is free of parabens and silicones and is also fragrance free.
base gel nufacealso contains snow mushrooms. A promising ingredient as it is an effective moisturizer and a powerful anti-inflammatory. And perhaps its action can counteract some of the inflammatory effects that hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid can cause.
The full list of ingredients can be found here:
Water/Water/Water, Propanediol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Betaine, Glycerin, Magnesium Sulfate, Carbomer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide
7E Wellness Conductive Treatment Gels
Myolift has its own two conductivity gels. And I have tried both. They were very heavy and I personally did not like the chunky texture. Also, they seemed to bother my skin so I stopped using them.
Also, they have some good ingredients like green tea and zinc.
Here are the ingredient lists for these gels:
Restore Conductive TX Gel for mature skin:
Filtered Water (Water), Vegetable Glycerin, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Hyaluronic Acid, Citrus Urantium (Neroli) Oil, Copper, Ascophyllum Nodsum (Seaweed) Extract, Collagen Peptide Complex, Zinc, Camelli Sinesis Leaf Extract (green tea), sodium hydroxide.
Renu Conductive TX Gel for stressed skin:
Filtered Water (Water), Vegetable Glycerin, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Hyaluronic Acid, Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile) Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Oil, Zinc, Sodium Hydroxide, Color food yellow #6/ Blue #1.
What do I use instead when I do my Myolift treatments? I'll get back to that soon. But first, let's cover the final device serum.
Foreo late afternoon serum
Finally we have the newcomerFOREO Transport, and its driver serum called Serum Serum Serum.
I have never tried this serum for two reasons. First of all, it contains cyclopentasiloxane as one of the main ingredients.
As mentioned in my posts.retinolycystic acne, this ingredient can be problematic for some skin types. And it causes me cystic acne and intense redness.
Second, whey contains whey that contains wheyhydrolyzed hyaluronic acid. Which, as mentioned above, can lead to inflammation in the skin.
Here is the ingredient list of Serum Serum Serum:
Water/Water/Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Diglycerin, Xylitol, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Glycereth-26, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Squalane, Acid Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Betaine, Octyldodeceth-16, Glyceryl Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Senegal Gum Arabic, Gelatin, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Trehalose, Urea , ethylhexylglycerin, adenosine, 1,2-hexanediol, sodium PCA, serine, glucose, algin, disodium phosphate, glyceryl polyacrylate, pullulan, hydrolyzed glycosaminoglycans, potassium phosphate, red 4 (CI 14700), benzyl glycol, raspberry ketone.
Remember that you can use any water-based skin care serum under any conductive gel.
Just make sure it is oil free as it will affect the conductivity. Small amounts of oil might work. But to be sure, try it with the ZIIP or the Myolift, as these devices will show you as long as you have conductivity. If you only have Nuface or Foreo Bear, it would be best to avoid the oils altogether, just to be safe.
Also, make sure that the serum does not contain AHAs, retinoids, or other overly powerful or active ingredients that can irritate your skin. As the microcurrent pushes these ingredients deep into your skin.
Another cheaper tip is to use your gel with aspring water spray. I mentioned it earlier, and it's a great way to never have to reapply your expensive gel. Instead, just spray the spring water every time the gel starts to dry.
I will return to these sprays in the next section.
Microcurrent conductive gel substitute, and the one I prefer
Now let's talk about microcurrent conductive gel substitutes that you can read and hear. And my personal opinion about it.
Some common options that many people recommend are to use pure aloe vera gel or silver gels (usually a mixture of silver, aloe vera, and other ingredients). I tried both but did not get good conductivity with aloe vera. And he turned red and irritated from the silver gel. So none of these options worked for me.
Ultrasound gel is another common alternative. But I think that this is not the best to stick to the skin since the main ingredient is usually propylene glycol. And as already mentioned, microcurrent increases the penetration of what is put on the skin before treatment.
Propylene glycol is not the worst type of ingredient for the skin and is considered safe and non-irritating for most people when used in skin care. But for me, since I microcurrent very often, I prefer to choose better ingredients.
My Favorite Conductive Gel Substitute
My personal favorite when it comes to conductive gel substitutes is to use them1) a hydrating serum + 2) spring water spray.
The serum should be water-based and contain no (or very little) oils. It should only contain ingredients that you know will not cause any irritation to your skin. And that's because the ingredients are pushed to the bottom.
my personal favorite isHydranzfiercely lateof Avene. thereBeauty Infusion Probioticby the authority of the skin. I use one of these.
Spring water acts as an effective conductor because it is rich in mineral salts, which in turn "carry" the current. These minerals are also very beneficial for the skin and inthis blog post,You will learn everything about them.
My favorite spray is a giant bottle ofbaches. I also like La Roche Posay and this brand also has a spray calledSerozink, which is aimed at oily skin.
Whichever spring water spray you choose, spray it frequently to achieve a good glide. You don't want to pull the skin.
Summary – The best conductive gel for microcurrent
– You need an effective conductive gel to get good results from your facial microcurrent at home. Otherwise, the current will not penetrate as deeply and efficiently.
– There are various conductive gels and all the different microcurrent devices have their own facial conductive gel that they promote for best results.
– I personally found themgold gel ziphave the best ingredients. The others are not well tolerated by my sensitive skin.
– To make each gel more economical, you can use a spring water spray when the gel begins to dry. And you don't have to reapply.
– My favorite microcurrent conductive gel replacement is to simply use a hydrating serum with a spritz of spring water on top. My favorite serum for this isintense hydrangeafrom Avene yBeauty Infusion Probioticby the authority of the skin. And the sprays I use are bothbachesothe rock posayspring water jets.
– Spring water has a high content of mineral salts, which are not only conductive. But also very beneficial for your skin with many anti-aging properties. And they are also very affordable.
– Never use acid or retinol before treatment. And beware of other anti-aging ingredients that may be too intense to get into your skin with a microcurrent facial.
I hope this post has been helpful in exploring the field of microcurrent conduction gels for the face.
I would like to hear your own experiences. And if you have any questions, let me know in the comments below.
Microcurrent itself is a real game changer for your skin. And if you missed my post about all the advantages of this technology and the devices that I use myself. then seethis post.
I also have a newcomer review post.Oso Foreo(compared to the Nuface). and a comparison ofZIIP against Nuface.
Until next time, love your skin!