Worth the splurge: The Pure Lift Face is the best facial tool for lifting and toning I’ve tried

I was first introduced to the Pure Lift Face during a facial at FaceGym, and I was captivated by the device’s muscle-triggering power. As a fan of the sculpting capability of microcurrent, which is known to help lift and tone your skin, the sensation felt magnified — I could feel my muscles contract and twitch with each pass of the device — and the results were, too. I left lifted, sculpted and feeling great. It’s no wonder people compare it to a non-invasive face lift.

Since that first experience, I’ve tried a handful of microcurrent devices but have always wanted to go back to the Pure Lift Face. I had the chance to test the device, so I committed to making it a part of my daily skin care routine for two weeks.

Here’s what I discovered when using the tool on myself, including why I think it’s totally worth the high price tag.

What we liked about it

It’s the most powerful facial toning tool I’ve tried

While most microcurrent devices use low-level electrical currents to stimulate the face, the Pure Lift Face’s triple-wave technology combines low, medium and high frequencies so it penetrates beyond the dermis and into the deeper facial muscles. This stimulates the facial muscles with pulsing randomized current, which keeps the muscles active and effectively tones them. The idea is that this helps your face appear more lifted and sculpted overall.

The Pure Lift Face’s microcurrent has a strength of 7,300 microamperes, while the NuFace Trinity, another leading microcurrent device, has a maximum of 335 microamperes. With a range of 10 power settings, you can customize your treatment to what you’re comfortable with. I start each of my sessions at level 5, and after a few minutes, punch it up to an 8.

You can feel it working

Because of the Pure Lift Face’s stronger electrical current, you can actually feel it triggering the facial muscles. This can be a strange sensation the first time you try it — the best way I can describe it is as slightly prickly, and it can even cause your muscles to twitch — but I enjoyed the feeling.

Microcurrent shouldn’t be painful, however, so if it feels uncomfortable, you can always decrease the level of the device. For me, level 5 doesn’t deliver any electrical sensation, but once I get to a 7 or 8, I can really feel it working. I found that I twitch the most around the corners of my mouth and near my eyes, which was usually triggered at a level 8 or higher.

It only takes 10 minutes

The quick yet powerful treatments make it easy to incorporate into your skin care routine. It only takes five minutes for each side of the face, and the device has a little timer indicator on the display as well as a quarterly audio alert. These features helped me gauge how long to spend on specific features of my face, and when to switch sides.

I found that it was best to use the Pure Lift Face in the morning, to help de-puff and sculpt. Alternatively, if I had a specific event that day or night, I would wait until I was getting ready and do the treatment right before doing my makeup so the results would be fresher.

Having a quick treatment time also makes it easier to do every day, since consistency is key in maintaining the results of a microcurrent or EMS tool. While the results weren’t super dramatic on me, I did notice decreased puffiness, a more pronounced contour under my cheekbones and that my face seemed a bit more lifted overall. For someone with less muscle tone or loss of skin elasticity, you can expect this to help with tightening and making the face appear more youthful. Focusing on the jawline and cheeks can decrease the look of jowls or sagging as the tool will stimulate the muscles.

What we didn’t like about it

It’s still expensive

Microcurrent devices are generally on the pricey side of at-home facial treatments. While you can expect to drop a few hundred dollars on one, the Pure Lift Face is on the higher end at over $500. Considering that it doesn’t have additional attachments or features, you’re really all-in on investing in its powerful triple-wave technology.

The serum leaves a residue on the face

As with all microcurrent devices, a water-based conductive serum or gel is necessary to use with the Pure Lift Face. The device comes with a bottle of the Pure Lift Activator Serum, which features hydrating skin care ingredients like glycerin, seaweed extract and collagen-boosting palmitoyl tripeptide-5.

You can apply the serum directly to the skin, spreading an even layer for the Pure Lift Face to glide over, or you can use the dropper to dispense the serum onto the heads of the device before swiping it over the skin. I tried both methods and found that the latter felt better.

During the 10 minutes of treatment, however, the serum will begin to dry, which means you need to reapply it multiple time. I also kept a face mist on hand to rehydrate the serum and help the device glide. When the treatment is done, you can leave the serum on your face since it has skin benefits, but I found that the layers of serum sat on top of the skin and didn’t mix well with my other skin care and makeup. Instead, I rinsed off the serum before continuing my day time skin care as usual.

How it compares

Although it doesn’t have targeted attachments or other modes like the NuFace, the Pure Lift Face’s straightforward function and impressive 10 levels of power ensure a results-driven user experience. This is also due to the fact that it is an EMS device and not a traditional microcurrent tool. The actual method of treatment — using a conductive serum to glide the device over the facial muscles and contours (always working outwards from the center of the face!) — is pretty much identical to any other at-home microcurrent, though. Also, the fact that it is used in professional facial studios gives it real authority in the beauty industry. It’s at Face Gyms and Silver Mirror Facial Bars.

Bottom line

With its powerful electrical muscle stimulation and quick treatment time, the Pure Lift Face is the most efficient and effective facial toning tool I’ve tried. Going beyond standard microcurrent, the device allows for tailored treatment that you can see and feel stimulating the facial muscles. After all, it’s the visible results — sometimes after just one treatment — that make the high price point a bit easier to justify.