ZIIP Vs. NuFace Comparisons and Honest Reviews (updated thoughts at the end)

Microcurrent treatment has been trendy in the beauty industry in the last few years. My first encounter with microcurrent treatment was with the NuFace Trinity device that I bought several years ago. Then ZIIP came into my sight and I was extremely intrigued by that. While I was debating on whether to get the ZIIP device or not, I constantly asked myself, whether I need it given that I have the NuFace Trinity. I did a lot of research on both of them, and eventually I got the ZIIP. I have been using ZIIP for about a month now and have been using NuFace for about three years. I outline the differences between the two, and provide my suggestions on whether I think you need both.

Let’s do some basic comparisons. As you can see from the table below, the initial price for NuFace Trinity is much lower than ZIIP OX, and because there are a lot more retailers carry the product, it is really easy to get the product at the discounted price. The gel primer is much cheaper as well. However, NuFace has two attachments, with each costs $129. If you want to get more specific treatments, such as for the eye area, you need to buy the attachment. For ZIIP OX, there is no attachment and is quite versatile in terms of the function. I will talk about the function comparison between the two soon.

In terms of the functionality, I created another table to provide a summary of what NuFace Trinity and ZIIP OX each does. As you can see, NuFace Trinity is less versatile than ZIIP OX. But how well does each function work. Let me break them down for you.

NuFace:

Pros: It is mainly for toning and sculpting your face, and it works really well. It provides immediate results, and if you consistently use it, you will see a big improvement on the contour of your face. When I got the NuFace Trinity, I used the device religiously for a year (at least three times per week. I started with five times per week and after two months, I reduced to three times per week). I have never seen such a defined jawline ever, and my facial structure looked amazing. Then I stopped using it for around eight months, and then I realized that my facial structure is not as defined as before and I felt that everything was drooping down. I got a little scared because I definitely want to keep that defined facial structure as I age, so I incorporated NuFace in my skincare routine again, and I see a huge improvement again.

Cons: it takes a long time to do it (about 20 minutes for the treatment). They say that you can do with less time, but I find 20 minutes is the right amount of time for me to achieve the desired results. Another big con is that it is less versatile than ZIIP OX.

ZIIP OX:

Pros: What I love about ZIIP OX is the versatility. For example, ZIIP OX can kill bacteria, acne and sensitivity. So whenever my skin has any issues related to acne or sensitivity, I always use my ZIIP device to treat them, and it helps tremendously. I also like to use it for a quick pick-me-up treatment before any big event. It has a lot of short programs to choose from, and I do feel that it creates instant radiance and makes my skin look very nice. It also makes the make-up application process very easy because the skin is hydrated and radiant.

Cons: As far as the con, while it also claims that it has the contouring and lifting function, I feel that it is not as good as NuFace. I feel immediate lift with NuFace, but I do not feel that with ZIIP OX. I think that one possible reason is that for NuFace, the treatment usually takes about 20 minutes, but for ZIIP OX, the longest takes about 12 minutes. The time difference may contribute to the difference I see between ZIIP OX and NuFace. However, you can always do the treatment multiple times or layer the treatment for ZIIP OX. Another thing is that because I have been consistently using facial toning device, my facial structure is pretty defined, so it will be harder for me to notice the immediate results as compared to someone who just started using the facial toning device. A lot of people report that they see immediate results after using ZIIP. Another big con is that the gel is very expensive and it does run out very quickly. However, the ingredients for the gel are amazing, and the gels are beneficial for the skin too.

Other NuFace and ZIIP devices:

Now that we have talked about NuFace Trinity vs. ZIIP OX, let me briefly talk about the other products that NuFace and ZIIP carry, and how do you choose within the company. For NuFace, there is also the NuFace mini. I have also owned the NuFace Mini before, but I sold it. The reason is that NuFace mini has lower power and it does not create the same results as the NuFace Trinity. Of course, NuFace mini is much cheaper and more travel friendly, but if you want a serious lifting result, I will recommend NuFace Trinity.

For ZIIP, there is also ZIIP GX, which is the classic model that has been out on the market for a few years. I believe that ZIIP OX has the same machine as ZIIP GX, but the color of the device is different (OX has silver band but GX has gold band). The biggest difference is the conductive gel. OX has the crystal gel, which is all organic while GX has the golden gel, which is aimed at anti-aging. Once the gel runs out, you can use any of the three gels you want. OX has also incorporated with technological improvement but the recently produced GX models have also incorporated those improvements. I can testify for this improvement. When I bought my first ZIIP, I bought the ZIIP GX from Beautylish. Beautylish was the only retailer that I could find that was not out of the stock (my guess is that given that ZIIP was doing technological improvement and producing new units with those improvements, the newer models haven’t reached to the retailers yet). I got the ZIIP GX, but it was a defective unit. I realized that because one of the special things for ZIIP is that there is a skin-detect function and only when you touch the skin, it will conduct microcurrent and vibrate. However, for the unit that was defective, it was vibrating all the time, even when it did not touch the skin. I returned the device and bought ZIIP OX from the ZIIP website. The new ZIIP feels heavier and seems to have a better quality than before.

Overall thoughts:

Now the big question is that, if you have NuFace Trinity, do you need ZIIP, and vice versa? After careful consideration and analysis, my conclusion is that if you own ZIIP, I do not think you need a NuFace Trinity. ZIIP is a lot more versatile than NuFace Trinity, and I do feel that it makes more economical sense to own ZIIP, despite the initial investment is higher. If you have NuFace Trinity, I will say that if your main goal is to tone and lift, then you do not need a ZIIP. NuFace Trinity does it very well. If you have goals besides to tone and lift, then I think having a ZIIP is nice.

Then you may ask me, now that I have my ZIIP, will I keep using my NuFace? My answer is yes. I do feel that the results for toning and sculpting is better for NuFace, so if I feel that I want to have a more defined facial structure, I will use my NuFace. Also I have to commute between two locations for my job, so most likely, I will put ZIIP at one home, and NuFace in another home. With that said, I believe that the key to see the results for any of those beauty devices is to be consistent. You will see results, no matter which one you get, if you are consistent with it. If you cannot keep consistently using it, then I recommend saving the money and do bigger projects at the medical spa, because the results will be minimal at best if you don’t consistently use them.

Update: in 2020, I did not have to travel between my two homes after the lockdown, so I actually had both ZIIP and Nuface with me simultaneously for quite a few months. Given that I now have both products simultaneously with me for a long time, I thought I would give you an update on my thoughts. I have to admit that I used Nuface way more often than ZIIP, for two reasons. First, I find that having to sync my phone with ZIIP is a bit tedious and I do not enjoy that process. I think that is the biggest reason that prevented me to reach for ZIIP. Second, as I mentioned, I do not have much acne or other skin issues (Note: if you are interested in my skincare routine and how I fixed my skin issues, I highly recommend you to read my other post about Biologique Recherche), so I did not feel that I needed more functions than pure toning and lifting my face. However, during the time when I had acne and a bit of skin sensitivity, I thought that ZIIP helped tremendously. I LOVED using “sensitive energize” treatment when my skin felt sensitive. I also loved the “Instant Gratification” for a quick pick-me-up. Also, the good thing about ZIIP is that you can feel different current with different treatments, so you know that it is not just one current that is labeled as different treatments. A quick note: if you have sensitive skin, I recommend that you stick to “sensitive energize” first because sometimes I feel that the “energize” or even “instant gratification” could be quite strong and may not be great for sensitive skin. Please always assess your skin condition and then choose the corresponding treatment for ZIIP. As another side note, I just found out that Nuface has a pro version that is sold only at medical spas, and this pro version is supposed to be even more powerful than the Nuface trinity. Whereas the NuFACE Trinity is designed to deliver 335 microamps at maximum intensity, the Trinity PRO delivers 400 microamps at maximum intensity. The original price is the same, I believe, as the NuFace trinity, so I would suggest looking into the pro version if you are interested in getting a NuFace. I am highly interested in the PRO version too. Overall, my thoughts have not been changed in the sense that if you are looking for versatility and multiple functions, go with ZIIP. However, if you are looking for convenience and toning your face, then I would recommend NuFace.

Thank you for reading such a long post. I try to be as thorough as possible. It is a big financial and time investment into those beauty gadgets, and I hope that this post helps you make better decisions on which one to choose. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. Or if you own one or the other, or both, please share your thoughts and results below.