Anti-aging cosmetic products are pretty controversial, and so far, no 100% effective solutions seem to exist. One hyped product comes after another, leaving a huge number of people dissatisfied.

Could facial toning devices with their microcurrent therapy be the answer for those who are constantly chasing healthy, young-looking skin? Or is it another overhyped solution that will soon be forgotten?

Well, so far, microcurrent facial therapy seems to be pretty effective, and a facial toning device may be worth at least a try. With that said, there are many options on the market, and it can be very difficult to find even a dozen facial toner devices that are worth it.

Well, to save you time, we’ve done the research and have identified what we think are the 5 best facial toning devices out there. Below, we’ll have an in-depth overview of them, as well as will talk about the effectiveness of microcurrent therapy.

5 Best Facial Toning Devices

1. NuFACE Mini Shimmer All Night Collection

Up first on our roundup is the NuFACE Mini Shimmer All Night Collection.

At the heart of this kit is the NuFACE Mini facial toning device, which is the more basic and compact toning device among the options offered by NuFACE. As such, it’s not compatible with the various NuFACE skincare attachments, which limits the functionality of Mini to face lifting and contouring via microcurrent.

Aside from the Mini toning device, you are getting a few other goodies. First and foremost, NuFACE includes the Hydrating Gel Primer whose purpose is to improve the conductivity of your skin and help the Mini toning device do its job.

Secondly, NuFACE includes the FIX face serum that is intended to give you smooth, tight, and bright skin. Besides, locking moisture in the skin, the serum is claimed to “awaken tired eyes, revive dull skin”, as well as “restore radiance”.

As a bonus, you are getting a storage purse along with the Limited-Edition Shimmer compact mirror.

Considering what you are getting with this kit, this thing is priced pretty pocket-friendly. It’s by no means cheap, but you are getting plenty of value for the money.

Pros:

  • Not too expensive.
  • Compact and light toning device.
  • Comes with a hydrating gel primer, a face serum, and a few other goodies.

2. NuFACE Advanced Shimmer All Night Collection

The Advanced Shimmer All Night Collection is identical to the Mini Shimmer All Night Collection except for one thing – the included toning device.

This kit comes with the more advanced NuFACE Trinity facial toning device. While having the same power as the Mini toner, Trinity is vastly more functional since it allows you to remove the default attachment and replace it with NuFACE’s attachments for wrinkle reduction and eye area treatment.

Of course, you are paying noticeably more for this kit, but the flexibility of Trinity may come in handy for some people. But keep in mind that the mentioned attachments are fairly pricey as well, so this kit definitely isn’t for those on a very tight budget.

Trinity also allows you to adjust its microcurrent output, which might increase its effectiveness.

Other than the toning device, the contents of the Advanced Shimmer All Night kit are the same as in the Mini kit – you are getting a gel primer, a facial serum, a mirror, and a carry bag.

Pros:

  • Compatible with various skincare attachments.
  • Adjustable power level.
  • Comes with a hydrating gel primer, a face serum, and a few other goodies.

Cons:

  • Pretty expensive.

3. NuFACE Mini Facial Toning Device

The NuFACE Mini facial toning device is nothing new to us – it’s the exact same toning machine that comes in the Mini Shimmer All Night Collection. It’s compact, light, great for travel if you don’t have much free room in your bag, and it’s not compatible with NuFACE attachments.

But, of course, not being a kit, this pack doesn’t offer as many additional items as the Shimmer All Night Collection. More precisely, you’re getting just one extra thing – the gel primer. The gel primer is a necessary thing for the Mini to work properly, so it’s sure nice that NuFACE includes it in the pack.

One thing to know about this particular product is that many people seem to have received defective units. We’re not sure what this is about – what we do know is that the Mini Shimmer All Night Collection didn’t seem to have such issues. If you’d like to be on the safer side, then go for the large kit instead.

Pros:

  • Not too expensive.
  • Compact and light.
  • Comes with a gel primer.

Cons:

  • A lot of people seem to have received defective units.

4. NuFACE Trinity Facial Toning Kit

This one, as you might have already guessed, is the NuFACE Trinity facial toning device, the one that was included in the Advanced Shimmer All Night Collection. Again, this is the exact same facial toning device that has adjustable power output and is compatible with NuFACE skincare attachments.

Notably, this particular kit comes with one of the supported attachments – the Wrinkle Reducer attachment. As its name suggests, its purpose is to help you reduce wrinkles on your face. And judging by buyer reviews, this attachment does indeed work, though perhaps not for everybody.

Aside from the Wrinkle Reducer, you’re also getting the familiar gel primer.

All this beauty is very expensive though, mainly due to the steep price of the Wrinkle Reducer attachment. But who knows, maybe this kit turns out to be worth it for you.

Pros:

  • Compatible with NuFACE facial care attachments.
  • Adjustable power output.
  • Comes with the Wrinkle Reducer attachment and gel primer.

Cons:

  • Very expensive.

5. TOUCHBeauty TB-1666 Facial Toner Device

The TOUCHBeauty TB-1666 facial toner device is much cheaper than any of the NuFACE facial toners. It will probably be not as potent as well, but it nonetheless has a few interesting things to boast.

The TB-1666 facial toner employs ion technology to help you cleanse and nurture your skin. To this end, TB-1666 has two modes – positive ion mode with sonic vibration that opens up skin pores and helps you cleanse your skin, as well as the negative ion mode with sonic vibration that improves the absorption of skincare products.

This facial toner device also has a 2-minute shutoff that ensures more precise treatment. And of course, this feature makes the toner a little bit safer.

With all of the above in mind, the TB-1666 is more of a cleaning and nourishing toner device rather than one that makes you look younger. But for some people, the capabilities of TB-1666 may be more desirable.

Pros:

  • Very inexpensive.
  • Ion technology helps cleanse the skin and promotes skincare product absorption.
  • 2-minute auto-shutoff for optimal results.

Cons:

  • No AAA batteries included.

What Is A Facial Toning Device?

A facial toning device employs microcurrent – about one-millionth of an ampere – to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. In theory, microcurrent treatment allows the skin to get smoother, more elastic, and, most importantly, look younger.

Originally, microcurrent has been used for very different purposes. More specifically, it was used for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (impaired vision), diabetic neuropathy, wound & tendon healing, and a few other areas. Nowadays, microcurrent is becoming increasingly popular as an anti-aging and cosmetic treatment.

Of course, when dealing with beauty and anti-aging treatments, you should always be a little bit skeptical. But microcurrent treatment does indeed appear to do what it’s claimed to do.

Health information website Healthline cites a study that has discovered the wrinkle-reducing effects of microcurrent therapy. The best results have been observed in the forehead area, while the least impacted areas were the nose and mouth areas.

While facial toning appears not to work with everybody, it seems to be a pretty effective method that you should at least try out.

Unfortunately, microcurrent treatment sessions can cost several hundred dollars, and facial toning devices aren’t much cheaper. What makes matters worse is that you need to undergo treatment for a long time to achieve and maintain visible results.

But considering that you have to undergo quite a few microcurrent sessions to see results, buying your own facial toner may be a more financially sensible option.

Are There Any Contraindications For Microcurrent Treatment?

Although microcurrent is pretty safe, not everybody should undergo microcurrent treatment. Among the groups that should stay away from microcurrent facial are:

  • People who have pacemakers or metal implants.
  • People who have open sores (e.g. severe acne).
  • Pregnant or nursing women.

Choosing The Best Facial Toning Machine

It’s not easy to choose the right facial toning machine. The available facial toner devices are so different from each other that’s it difficult to give specific recommendations.

In spite of that, below, we’ll try to give you a list of a few things that you should be paying attention to when shopping for a facial toner device.

User feedback

First and foremost, check user reviews.

It doesn’t matter what the manufacturer of the facial toning device claims. If the facial toner hasn’t been working for a lot of people, it doesn’t matter if the toner has been “clinically tested and proven to work” or if it uses “the most advanced microcurrent tech”.

No one will give you a better picture than past buyers. And while you can never know whether a facial toner device will work for you or not, a highly-rated toner is more likely to do a good job.

Usage area

Know that toning devices can be designed for different areas of the body. Some are intended for the face, others for the body, while a few are designed to be used specifically under the eyes or nose.

While you could probably use a body toner for face treatment as well, it likely wouldn’t be very convenient. For best results, buy a toner that’s specifically designed for the areas you want to treat.

Attachments & replacement parts

It would also probably be a good idea if attachments and replacement parts were easily available for your facial toning device. While this isn’t mandatory – the NuFACE Mini, for example, seems to do well without any attachment support – it would make the device more flexible and perhaps allow you to achieve better results.

Battery life

Facial toning devices are mostly battery-powered. Although any facial toner will hold charge for at least one session, longer battery life is preferable. However, don’t overpay for a facial toner whose only advantage over other options is long battery life – the other toners might have more interesting and useful features.

Price

Facial toning devices can be pretty expensive, so price definitely is a big factor when shopping for one.

Unfortunately, we can’t say that a pricey toning device is guaranteed to work with your skin type – this is very subjective, and even a $1,000 machine may not bring any results. However, a more expensive machine will be more sophisticated and will thus be more likely to work for you.

With that said, do remember about buyer feedback – if a lot of people have been dissatisfied with the facial toner, it might be a riskier purchase.

Money-back guarantee

There’s no better way to safeguard yourself than to buy a facial toning device covered by a money-back guarantee. If the desired facial toner is covered by such a guarantee, then you should be safe even if the toning device doesn’t work for you at all.

Final Words

Beauty has always been pretty controversial – it’s perhaps the most scam-filled industry in the world. But as mentioned above, microcurrent therapy could be the answer to your questions.

Well, there’s only one way to find out – you should give a facial toner device a try. To stay on the safer side, do find a device that’s covered by a money-back guarantee.

But also remember that you won’t see results after just a few uses – to achieve and maintain beautiful skin, you need to consistently take care of it. Stick to the routine and see how it works out for you.