- Value: 20/20
- Functionality: 18/20
- Ease of Use: 20/20
- Portability: 19/20
- Results: 19/20
Total: 96/100
I’ve had my trusty NuFACE Mini device for four years now. After trying a few professional microcurrent facials in the past, I decided to spring for the tool to reap the benefits more often and more affordably at home. Though it’s pricey, it still costs several hundred dollars less than just one microcurrent treatment at a spa, so there’s no question in my mind whether it pays for itself after just a few uses.
The palm-sized tool features two metal balls on top, through which the microcurrent is delivered, as well as a power button and light display, which you can click through to choose between three intensity levels (low, medium, high). I’ve always used it on the highest intensity, but you can work your way up.
Before using the NuFACE Mini, I thoroughly cleanse my face. The brand suggests using an oil-free cleanser, as oil can block the currents. Then, I prep my skin with a thick, “mask-like layer” of NuFACE’s Aqua Gel Activator (from $35; $26), a small bottle of which comes with the device; it’s a clear, gooey formula that looks (and works) like ultrasound gel, acting as a conductor for the currents. I make sure that the entirety of my face is covered in the gel. Here’s why: If an area of skin is missed or the gel gets too dry, you’ll get an uncomfortable zap from the microcurrent. But as long as you keep a moist layer of gel between your skin and the device you’ll barely feel a thing. (After the treatment, you can rub the excess gel into your skin or rinse it off.)
To actually use the device, I turn it to my desired intensity level and place the two metal spheres onto my face, making sure that both of them stay in contact with my skin as I glide. I start just below my chin at my jawline, situating the device so that my jaw fits into the space between the two spheres. The idea is to slowly glide the device upwards and outwards (towards your hairline) for a few seconds over each area of your face. Helpfully, the device beeps to indicate when it’s time to move to a new section. I pass the NuFACE over my jawline, my lower cheek and then upper cheek in succession, gliding it three times on one side of my face and three times on the other (that’s 12 passes total). I then move it over my forehead vertically, starting above my eyebrow on one side and working my way to the other, also three times. While I glide, I put slight pressure on the device. (My whole routine takes about five minutes, but you can find longer and more specialized routines on the NuFACE website and app.)
The first time I used the NuFACE Mini, I swore I saw instant results; four years later, I stand by that. Now, I’m not saying that it’s a miracle worker, but I will say that after every treatment, my face feels pleasantly tingly and tight, my cheekbones look more chiseled and my right eyebrow, which a dermatologist once confirmed is droopier than my left, looks more lifted and on par with its neighbor. The best results, of course, come with consistent use, but even when I don’t use it for weeks at a time, the device works wonders to re-snatch my visage after suffering through the rigors of travel—or a particularly boozy night out. Whenever I do use it consistently, I get compliments on my jawline.
I will note here that the brand has since released the newer NuFACE Mini+ ($250; $188), a slightly smaller (and more colorful) version of the device that connects directly to the brand’s app for more personalized treatments and tracking. For the most part, though, the microcurrent power of the original NuFACE Mini and the Mini+ seems to be the same.
