The conversation around skincare is ever-changing, but the end goals are almost always the same: a clearer, smoother, glowier complexion. Everyone has a different idea of the best way to get there, be it one saviour treatment or product, or a combination of many things.
We can all agree that drinking a lot of water does a huge service to our smiling faces, but products like face oils and techniques like gua sha certainly help as well. And seeing a revival as of late is the use of microcurrents: essentially, tiny electrical currents applied to the face to help repair tissue and increase collagen production.
“I would say it’s probably having a bit of a resurgence, but it’s not new,” says Kathryn Sawers, owner of Collective Skin Care in Vancouver. Sawers has recently introduced microcurrent facials into her offering; the treatment includes many of the usual facial components, such as a cleanse, skin analysis, and products catered to each individuals’ needs and goals. But weaved in is the pronged machine that dispenses microcurrents, which Sawers holds and pulls over different parts of the face to tighten and tone.
“It basically increases the ATP in your skin; that is the molecule that activates a lot of biological processes, so there has been research to show that the microcurrent can increase the elastin and collagen in your skin as well as the amount of blood vessels in your dermis,” she explains while beginning this writer’s treatment. “That is what nourishes your skin and the muscle tissues. And there’s a muscle reeducation component to the treatment as well. So I find ultimately that it translates to improved skin tone, and you can see some improvements with the firmness and the contouring of the face.”
The microcurrent part itself can feel a little bit prickly, but overall it’s quite pleasant and calming—especially when paired with Sawers’s expert facialist handiwork. She suggests getting a treatment about once a week for five or six weeks, and then coming back every couple of months after that for upkeep. Jennifer Aniston reportedly swears by microcurrent, telling InStyle that it’s “like a little workout for your face.” And who wouldn’t want Rachel Green’s skin?
