Breaking down conductive gel options for Radiofrequency treatments
Because we teach radiofrequency skin tightening in our online Body Contouring 6 in 1 Masterclass, and support our students post-course too, we're often asked “what are the best conductive gel options for radiofrequency?” They are not alone; this question frequently comes up with body contouring veterans as well. So in this article, we’re answering that question, providing you with the top three conductive gel options for radiofrequency treatments and delineating the pros and cons of each so you can choose what conductive gel is best for your radiofrequency practice.
Radiofrequency Technology
Before we dive into conductive gel options for radiofrequency treatments, let’s walk through a quick review of radiofrequency technology.
How does Radiofrequency Technology work?
Radiofrequency technology emits electromagnetic waves to produce heat. This heat reaches the lower levels of the dermis to stimulate collagen and elastin.
Radiofrequency Skin Tightening
This stimulation of collagen and elastin leads to skin tightening.
DID YOU KNOW?…
The amount of energy produced by Radiofrequency Machines Varies:
Radiofrequency at Higher Frequencies vs Radiofrequency at Lower Frequencies
Different radiofrequency machines deliver different frequencies.
- Machines with lower level frequencies deliver between 300 KHz and 1 MHz
- Machines with higher frequency deliver between 10 MHz to 5 GHz.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?...
Radiofrequency machines with LOWER FREQUENCIES tighten skin
whereas machines with HIGHER FREQUENCIES tighten skin + reduce fat
Machines that deliver high frequencies of radiofrequency emit electromagnetic waves capable of reaching deeper into the body, beyond the deep dermis and into the subcutaneous layer.
- These machines deliver dual benefits: tightening skin + reducing fat cells.
THE QUESTION IS…
How do you know if your Radiofrequency machine delivers Radiofrequency energy at lower frequencies or at high frequencies?
Assuming your machine manual does not specify, a good way to know if your machine delivers lower frequencies or higher frequencies of radiofrequency energy is to look at the (1) conditions to purchase and (2) the conditions to operate the machine.
Lower Frequency RF machines
- Machines that anyone can purchase and operate. You can purchase these machines without physician ownership or physician oversight/association (Level III machines*). These machines most likely deliver radiofrequency at lower frequencies.
Higher Frequency RF machines
Machines that are restricted to purchase by a physician. These machines require at least physician association to purchase and to operate (Level I machines*). Most of these machines deliver radiofrequency at high frequencies.
* If you’d like to learn more about the three Levels of body contouring machines, you can find a thorough discussion in our body contouring basics article.
What if your Radiofrequency machine delivers lower frequencies. Will it still work?
Yes, to tighten skin!
- Though you cannot use your machine to reduce fat with a machine that delivers Radiofrequency energy at lower frequencies, your Radiofrequency machine works perfectly for skin tightening.
A fitting example is the Radiofrequency energy contained in the 6 in 1 Cavitation Machine, the same machine we use to teach Radiofrequency Skin Tightening treatments.
What is a 6 in 1 Cavitation machine?
- Cavitation machines are non-invasive body contouring machines that deliver ultrasound (cavitation) energy to destroy fat cells.
- Most cavitation machines come as multi-technology platforms, meaning they come equipped with cavitation technology, plus one or more complementary technologies.
- The 6 in 1 Cavitation Machine delivers
-
- Fat cavitation
- Radiofrequency skin tightening
- Vacuum/LED
- Lipo laser.
Not familiar with the 6 in 1 Machine?
Take a look at one we recommend for our students.
This 6-in-1 cavitation machine is like the one we use in our medical spa. It’s our pick based on years of experience and expertise.
#ad We are amazon associates, so if you click on a link that is a qualified purchase, we may earn a small commission which helps support our mission to provide top-notch body contouring education.
Now let’s move on to…
Conductive Gels
What is a conductive gel?
A conductive gel is a material (in gel, oil or liquid form) designed to facilitate the conduction of the energy produced by a particular technology, such as the electromagnetic waves of Radiofrequency or sound waves of Cavitation, from the machine to the patient.
How is a conductive gel different from any other lotion, cream or gel?
A conductive gel is specifically formulated to
- facilitate the conduction of energy from machine to patient and
- to protect the patient’s skin from damage from the technology’s energy.
Don’t overlook the importance of warming your radiofrequency conductive gel
Before we move on to a discussion of our top 3 conductive gel options for radiofrequency treatments, we have something very important to address…and it’s something that’s all-too-often overlooked by body contouring professionals.
Conductive Gel Warmer
The normal temperature of the surface of the skin varies between 92 and 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Compare that to conductive gel sitting at room temperature in your treatment room; that gel is no more than 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Since radiofrequency energy works via heating the dermal layer, you should make every effort to avoid applying conductive gel to your patient’s skin that is cooler than her surface skin temperature.
- Applying gel at room temperature takes away valuable treatment time to warm the gel to surface skin temperature.
- Plus, reapplication of cool gel in the midst of a treatment (reapplication is often needed with radiofrequency due to the heating) cools the surface skin temperature again.
- Here’s the bottom line. Using conductive gel that is too cool affects the efficacy of your treatment and is the reason why you should be using a Conductive Gel Warmer regardless of your choice of conductive gel.
Take a look at this single bottle Conductive Gel Warmer we love!
Here are some of the reasons why we love it!
✅ Delivers spa-grade warmth
✅ Personalized heat control with uniform heat distribution
✅ Easy cleaning features
✅ Guaranteed satisfaction with a 1-year manufacturer warranty
Since it’s more economical to purchase a large size of conductive gel (which won’t fit into your warmer), you’ll need some empty bottles.
You can get a pack of three bottles for under $10!
#ad We are amazon associates, so if you click on a link that is a qualified purchase, we may earn a small fee. It comes as no extra cost to you and we only recommend products based on our experience and/or use.
Moving on to our conductive gel recommendations…
The top 3 conductive gel options for radiofrequency treatments
⇨ Ultrasound Gel
⇨ Vegetable Glycerin
⇨ Radiofrequency Cooling Gel™
What do the top 3 conductive gel options for radiofrequency treatments have in common?
Each of the top three are
- Water-based and water-soluble
- Easy to clean
- Won’t stain clothing
PLEASE NOTE the limits of this article!
- Students in our radiofrequency course learn the theory, protocols and techniques of treatments using the 6 in 1 machine, a Level III machine delivering radiofrequency at lower frequencies.
- Therefore, this article focuses on radiofrequency treatments with lower frequencies, and to avoid confusion, we are excluding RF slimming creams or gels formulated for higher frequencies of RF.
Now it’s time to break down the…
Pros and Cons of the top 3 conductive gel options for radiofrequency treatments
We’ll examine each gel using the following categories:
- Safety
- Conductivity and Glide
- Cost
- Compatibility with other technologies
You may be wondering…
Why is ‘compatibility with other technologies’ an important consideration when evaluating conductive gel options for radiofrequency treatments?
- Many body contouring treatment protocols combine technologies to achieve optimum results. For example, many fat reduction and/or cellulite smoothing protocols use cavitation combined with radiofrequency skin tightening.
- Finding a conductive gel that is both safe and effective for multiple technologies is more efficient, more safe, less costly and preferred if at all possible.
Ultrasound Gel
Ultrasound gel is a bacteriostatic, water-based, viscous gel material composed of water and propylene glycol.
Safety
- Ultrasound gel for conduction of various technologies has a long and established safety record both in the medical field and aesthetic practice.
- Allergies to propylene glycol are extremely rare and ultrasound gel generally does not require a patch test prior to use.
- Because it is water soluble, ultrasound gel will not overheat the skin like oils.
Conductivity and Glide
- Because it is water-based, ultrasound gel is highly conductive to radiofrequency energy.
- And is a good medium for easy gliding.
BUT
- Dries up quickly and requires frequent reapplication. This reapplication can result in cooling the skin but it is not a problem if you use a Conductive Gel Warmer (like the one we mentioned in this article).
Cost
- We recommend the 5-Liter size which just costs around 17 cents per fluid ounce.
Compatibility with other technologies
✅ EMS
✅ Vacuum Therapy
✅ Cavitation
- Good for all sound wave frequencies (high, medium, low).
#ad We are amazon associates, so if you click on a link that is a qualified purchase, we may earn a small fee. It comes as no extra cost to you and we only recommend products based on our experience and/or use.
Vegetable Glycerin
Vegetable glycerin is a naturally occurring water-based material classified as a humectant. As a humectant, vegetable glycerin attracts and retains moisture.
Safety
- Vegetable glycerin is and has been widely used in the cosmetics industry and is considered safe.
- Allergies to vegetable glycerin are rare, thus it generally does not require a patch test.
- Because it is water-soluble, vegetable glycerin will not overheat the skin like oils.
Conductivity and Glide
- Because it is water-based, vegetable glycerin is highly conductive to radiofrequency energy.
- It is more ‘liquidy’ than ultrasound gel and feels very sticky when applied.
- Its softening properties allow for smooth gliding across the skin.
BUT
- Although vegetable glycerin lasts longer before drying out than ultrasound gel, because it is water-based and you’re working with a heat based energy, you may need to reapply vegetable glycerin during the treatment. That’s why we recommend use of a Conductive Gel Warmer - to prevent loss of heat when reapplication is necessary.
Cost
We recommend the gallon size of vegetable glycerin which runs around 19 cents per fluid ounce.
#ad We are amazon associates, so if you click on a link that is a qualified purchase, we may earn a small fee. It comes as no extra cost to you and we only recommend products based on our experience and/or use.
Compatibility with other technologies
✅ EMS
⚠️Vacuum Therapy
- Though safe with vacuum therapy, glycerin may be too sticky to allow for smooth gliding of your vacuum therapy applicator.
⚠️ Cavitation
- Good for cavitation sound waves at low and medium frequency; not good for high frequency cavitation sound waves.
- One study looked at cavitation sound wave transmission using various conductive materials and found that glycerin transmitted sound waves well at low and medium frequency, but did not transmit at high frequencies of cavitation.
Radiofrequency Cooling Gel
A specialized water-based conductive material with multiple ingredients, formulated to assist in the transmission of energy for (1) radiofrequency treatments, (2) microcurrent treatments, and (3) laser/IPL treatments.
Safety
- Each of its multiple active ingredients, on their own, are not likely to cause an allergic reaction…but due to multiple substances being involved, the greater the possibility of a reaction.
- Skin patch test prior to treatment is recommended.
Conductivity and Glide
- Conductive for radiofrequency (plus microcurrent and laser/IPL).
- Skin heats up nicely during RF treatment.
- Glides smoothly and easily.
BUT
- The heat produced by the RF treatment dries out the gel and reapplication is necessary, though not to the extent needed with ultrasound gel. Use a Conductive Gel Warmer!
Cost
- Most expensive option. Available only in small sizes for around 94 cents per fluid ounce.
#ad We are amazon associates, so if you click on a link that is a qualified purchase, we may earn a small fee. It comes as no extra cost to you and we only recommend products based on our experience and/or use.
Compatibility with other technologies
⚠️ EMS
- Contains water and glycerin so should conduct the EMS energy but we flag it as a ‘safety unknown’ due to its multiple active and inactive ingredients.
⚠️ Vacuum Therapy
- The water-solubility of the gel is good for vacuum therapy, but there are no studies to show safety.
- As with EMS, the many active and inactive ingredients present questions regarding safety.
🚫 Cavitation
- No studies proving safety. The manufacturer makes no claims that the gel works as a conductor for Cavitation.
- Unproven in conductivity, efficacy and safety with the sound wave energy of cavitation.
Final Thoughts
Finding the right conductive gel options for radiofrequency treatments is a challenge for new and veteran body contouring providers alike.
As medspa business owners/operators with twenty years experience, and as faculty for the Body Contouring Academy, we’ve used our expert knowledge and experience to provide you with solutions.
We’ve unveiled our top three conductive gel options for radiofrequency treatments: ultrasound gel, vegetable glycerin, and Radiofrequency Cooling Gel™.
We’ve highlighted the pros and cons and evaluated each gel for conductivity, safety, and cost, helping you choose the best conductive gel for your practice.
So now it’s time to make a selection from the conductive gel options for radiofrequency treatments and use it to enhance your radiofrequency treatments and optimize your radiofrequency results.
If you’d like more in-depth education about radiofrequency skin tightening, check out our popular online Body Contouring 6 in 1 Masterclass.