
Open any professional magazine or consumer-oriented messaging on a myriad of websites and social media posts, and you will see headlines focused on the newest, greatest, most miracle, magical ingredients, treatments or devices. Yet, the following year there is another flood of the newest offerings—all designed to encourage skin care professionals to move on from what they have been doing and buy new devices, equipment and another skin care line that is based on the latest ingredient.
Log in to view the full article
Open any professional magazine or consumer-oriented messaging on a myriad of websites and social media posts, and you will see headlines focused on the newest, greatest, most miracle, magical ingredients, treatments or devices. Yet, the following year there is another flood of the newest offerings—all designed to encourage skin care professionals to move on from what they have been doing and buy new devices, equipment and another skin care line that is based on the latest ingredient.
This is not to say there are not truly legitimate advances in skin science and treatments. What is missing from this conversation is that there are materially efficacious ingredients and treatment modalities that remain extraordinarily effective and have passed the test of time.
For example, vitamin A remains a foundation of essential skin care, as do a plethora of other ingredients. As yet another example, iontophoresis (or galvanic) is a modality with its origins in the 1800s that remains one of the most effective ways to enhance professional skin care. Yes, the delivery methods of this technology have evolved over time, but the scientific basis remains sound, proven and measurable.
History Of Iontophoresis
Iontophoresis is an electrical treatment used to help move substances across the skin or other body surfaces. Its first use in medicine began in the 1890s.1-3 Early experiments lacked our current humanitarian approach and sadly were conducted on rabbits. The tests conducted in 1908 by Le Duc proved that ionized poisons were the tragic reason for the ill-fated rabbits’ deaths, and not the current itself.4
Medicine has shown great promise in localized delivery of lidocaine hydrochloride and epinephrine combined in an iontophoretic patch. This is a great methodology to deliver high molecular weight molecules, and is one of the most promising methods for enhanced skin penetration. The use of this technology to deliver molecules that otherwise would have low diffusion probability, is an exciting development in this field and is extending into the delivery of larger peptides like insulin.5
Galvanic current, or iontophoresis, has subsequently been used for more than a century in skin care practices. It is a proven way of increasing the delivery of ingredients to the skin. This non-invasive technique is designed to allow chemicals—particularly topical cosmetic, water-soluble vitamins—to become more effective.
Dr. Des Fernandes was one of the first modern researchers to reexamine the use of iontophoresis and how it actually works on the skin. He understood that while topical application of specialist formulations and combinations of efficacious ingredients made the skin healthier looking and feeling, it also created a conundrum—the healthier the skin appeared, the more of a barrier it became. The sheer efficacy of the skin to do its job poses a tremendous obstacle for the cosmetic scientist.6-7
Barrier Disruption
Some of the basic ways in which the well-functioning barrier can be bypassed include: manipulating formulations chemically, peeling, microdermabrasion, iontophoresis, sonophoresis and cosmetic microneedling.
Specialized delivery systems, encapsulation of ingredients or chemically encouraging formulations to be infused are methods. But, reliance on sound science is imperative to ensure that this methodology is not simply an unfounded stab at science and more realistically, simple marketing.
Disruption of the stratum corneum produced by mechanical or chemical exfoliation may temporarily allow for the ease of absorption, but this is to the detriment of the barrier function for that period. So, special post-care needs to be taken into consideration.
Iontophoresis, sonophoresis and cosmetic needling have been independently shown to enhance ingredient delivery with minimal disruption to the barrier function.
Ion Basics
The basic principle of iontophoresis works on ion—water soluble substances, that have either a positive or negative charge. If you ever played with magnets as a child, you easily understand that like charges repel and opposite charges attract. Therefore, to be effective, the substance you want to move to the skin must have opposite polarity. In summary, to be efficacious, products used must be:
- Water soluble
- Charged properly
- The proper pH
- The corresponding electrical charge
Improving Efficacy
If you can pulse the charge, you enhance the action akin to a gentle hammering into the stratum corneum. This pulsation of the current is not only more comfortable when compared to a continuous current, but also more effective. When the current switches off and then rapidly back on, the molecule is re-ionized, and it disassociates with the chemicals that it’s
reacted with after the initial pulse.8-9 You can even make iontophoresis dramatically more effective if combined with sonophoresis (sound waves), but that’s for another article.
Cazares-Delgadillo, et.al. published a seminal research article on the investigation of different iontophoresis currents for short term applications in cosmetics. They proved that tailoring specific electrical current modes, and considering the ionization of ingredients would allow the design of short and personalized cosmetic treatments that significantly improve the efficacy of topical products.10
This is of particular significance because we now know that certain wave shapes are better for the specific outcome of increased delivery.11 The main waveform used in iontophoresis is a quadratic waveform. Another application for an electrical current in skin care is microcurrent. Thomas W. Wing introduced a microcurrent instrument in 1980 that helped the muscles effected by Bells Palsy and stroke, alleviating paralysis of the face and earning notoriety and approval by the FDA. This electrical current is selected according to the desired outcome, but because of the specific waveform, does not allow for effective product delivery, but more targeted tissue stimulation.12
A recent study proved that even handheld iontophoresis cosmetic devices can enhance the safe, transdermal vitamin C delivery in a split face clinical trial.13
Caution and Contraindications
Galvanic and iontophoresis technologies are sold everywhere from $50 to $6,500, but not everything sold lives up to its hype. Look for guarantees, education, customer support, documentation and accompanying treatment products with properly formatted ingredients. There are so many check marks needing to be satisfied to ensure the scientific principles are met, and the iontophoresis is efficacious. Trusting the source, science and manufacturer of a technology is empirical.
A draw-back of an iontophoresis-only technology is one important scientific fact about the modality—iontophoresis takes time to change the resistance of the skin. The intermittent current acts faster, but it generally still takes approximately 10 minutes for the ions to start to move and be ionized.14-16
There is also the consideration of contraindications, which include: pacemakers and electronic implants of all kinds, pregnant or lactating women, epilepsy, cuts/abrasions in the treatment area, cold sores (Herpes simplex type I) and ulcers, metallic implants of the face, botulinum toxin and fillers within two weeks, sunburnt skin, angina/arrythmia, hemophilia, history of stroke and cancer patients or those undergoing radiotherapy.
Research and Results
With the overwhelming and proven science behind this efficacious modality, consumers and professionals are in for a treat. The combination of proven skin care ingredients, in combination with a well manufactured and trusted brand’s machine will yield extraordinary results from specially designed serums.
There is indisputable evidence that iontophoresis can be an effective tool in enhancing the efficacy of topical ingredients in skin care, both in practice protocols and via at home use technology/tools.
Be aware that the products must be appropriate for use, formulated correctly and ionized properly. Further, all technology, instruments and tools are by far not equal. You most likely get what you pay for, so research carefully. Check with your skin care provider to ensure you have the right products, the right technology delivery system and the right treatment regime.