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Have you ever wanted to prolong the results of your monthly or quarterly facial? When you leave the Treatment room pores empty, skin glowing, don’t you wish your skin always looked so fresh? Maybe your like me, my pores (especially on my nose) fill up with noticeable debris within days of a thorough extraction. It’s the bane of my existence!
As an esthetician, the last thing I’ll ever recommend to a client is to attempt extractions at home. It’s the easiest way for anyone to royally muck up their face. Applying pressure in the wrong place when attempting to extract a blackhead or pop a pimple can lead to the rupturing of the pore wall, furthering the spread of bacteria to the surrounding pores, resulting in increased inflammation and an unsightly mess. I’m sure you’ve done it. We all have. You press your fingers around the pore that seems ready to pop, and while pop it might, you’re left with a red angry inflamed mound surrounding the pore. It’s literally THE WORST! For both you and your skin.
Or maybe your plagued by a less dramatic but equally annoying problem with your pores. Never ending blackheads. I could probably extract my nose daily if I wanted. No matter how thorough the extractions, those bad boys fill up with dirt and debris at an alarming rate.
What If I told you I had a solution for these problems, a way to extend the results of your monthly facial so you could have glowing skin longer?
This week we’ll be talking about another one of my favorite multitasking devices, the ultrasonic skin scrubber or ultrasonic spatula - a device that exfoliates, helps products penetrate and can give you a mini lift.
Less than $40, it’s cost effective enough that everyone should have a sonic spatula in their skincare arsenal. It’s incredibly easy to use and offers fantastic results. Again, 4-in-1 people! Who can resist a good multitasker?
It’s three settings are called: Peel, Ion & Pad. Let’s talk through what they do and how to use them in your home routine.
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Peel
This setting can be used for both exfoliation and extractions. The devices ultrasonic vibrations gently penetrate the tissue of the skin causing an enlargement in the space between skin's cells. This helps to loosen dead skin, dirt and debris from the surface cleansing the skin while it exfoliates. You are always going to use the Peel Mode on wet skin. This added moisture will help the device to glide easily on the skin preventing irritation. It is normal for the device to warm slightly during use. If it gets too hot, take a break and let it cool down.
I recommend using the spatula on Peel Mode once a week at most. Too much exfoliation can weaken the barrier functions of your skin causing sensitivity, dryness and topical irritation.
- Turn on your device, press the bottom with the squiggly line on the left and press the (+) button.
- Flip your device over so that the pronged tabs and buttons are facing down toward your skin.
- Gently glide the device over your skin with solid contact and light to medium pressure. Too much pressure and you will indent your skin. Don’t do it! Work from the center of your face toward the outer edge in slightly upward strokes. When you reach your forehead, work from brow to hairline moving straight up.
- Wipe off the tip as needed between passes. You'll be amazed at how much gunk with collect there!
Pro Tip - Use the device on the Peel setting to remove cleansers or a mask.
I love applying an exfoliating mask in the shower, letting the steam soften and open pores, then use the sonic spatula to recomove the mask. This will intensify the exfoliation and leaves your skin baby soft. However, be careful! This double duty exfoliation isn’t made for all skin types.
If you have more sensitive skin, opt for a milk cleanser instead of a peel. Apply it in the same way as a mask, leaving it on the skin in the shower, then remove it with the spatula. Finish by pressing a cool compress onto your face to tighten pores and remove any remaining product.
To extract:
- Again make sure skin is damp. Gently glide the device over the curves of your nose, manipulating your nose with the opposite hand to create easier access.
- Use one prong of the device to glide up the edge of the nostril, getting those hard to reach pores. The key is to move S-L-O-W-L-Y. Feel free to do a few passes per area. Don’t ignore your skin when it’s trying to tell you to STOP. If it hurts, if you get overly flushed or you see any indentation in your skin, please stop!
- Again, remove any excess product with a cool compress.
- Follow with your normal skincare routine.
Try not to extract yourself more than once a week. I know, it's addicting! But be gentle to your skin, it's the only one you've got.
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Ion Mode
This stands for iontophorisis, which is a technique of introducing ionic medicinal compounds into the body through the skin by applying a local electric current. It’s a fancy way to say increased product penetration. The vibrations of the device can actually push product 3-5 millimeters into the skin, drastically increasing absorption.
- Apply your toner, serum, facial oil, eye cream and/or moisturizer.
- Turn on your device, press the bottom with the squiggly line on the left and press the (-) button.
- Hold the device so that the pronged tabs and buttons face away from your skin.
- Hold the spatula flush to your skin, gliding it from the center of your face toward the perimeter in an upward motion. Repeat glides up to five times per section.
You can use your spatula on ION Mode daily, if desired.
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Pad Mode
This is the lifting mode. The device sends pulsations into the muscle actively lifting the face. I like to think of it as a poor man’s microcurrent. It’s effects are immediate and last about 24 hours. I still prefer microcurrent for lifting since it additionally stimulates ATP and improve muscle tone permanently, but if you can’t afford microcurrent, this is your best bet.
- Turn on device and hit PAD Mode
- Repeat the exact same movements as above during ION Mode.
- Be mindful to use upward lifting stokes and make sure have proper lubrication from your skincare products so you don’t pull the skin.
You can use your spatula on PAD Mode daily if desired.
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Works through ultrasonic high frequency (28000Hz) vibration and mild heating Quickly and thoroughly clean up the dirt and corneous aging substance in the deep skin Promote blood circulation and metabolism of your skin Works better together with skin care products such as deep cleansing oil, cleaning foam, toner, massage cream, essential oil, essence cream, etc. Eliminate your wrinkles and lift your face |
There are tons of different Ultra Sonic Spatulas on the market at a very wide range of price points. I like the Kinga because it's only $39.95 - which seems inexpensive but not cheap enough that I expect it to break quickly, and it uses 28,000 HZ - which is an effective vibrational frequency for exfoliation (some devices use a lower frequency).
In treatment, I've used the BT Micro spatula, which can cost over $400, and I honestly couldn't tell you the difference between it and the Kinga version. I had the same results with both products.
Note that other sonic spatulas may have different buttons and features, not all offer the lifting PAD Mode that Kinga does.
Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. I bought this device, loved it and wanted to share it with you. This post does contain some affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
