6.5 Facial Products, Implements & Electric Skin Devices
Key Takeaways
- Facial products are chosen by function: cleansers, exfoliants (mechanical or chemical), toners and astringents, massage media, masks, and moisturizers or protectants, applied in that service order.
- Every facial product is dispensed with a clean spatula or single-use applicator, and product removed from the container is never returned to it.
- Galvanic current is direct current used for desincrustation with the negative pole and iontophoresis; high-frequency is alternating current used for its germicidal and stimulating effect, and produces no muscle contraction.
- Electrical devices are contraindicated for pacemakers, metal implants, pregnancy, epilepsy, high blood pressure, open lesions, and — for high frequency — any alcohol-based product on the skin due to flammability.
- Acne-prone skin gets non-comedogenic products and no aggressive extraction; aging skin gets gentler exfoliation and more hydration; sensitive skin gets fragrance-free products, cooler towels, and shaving with the grain only.
Last updated: August 2026
Facial Products, Implements & Electric Skin Devices
Quick Summary: Content Area VI, Skin Care, is 10% of the written examination, and three of its sub-topics are about materials and machines rather than massage: products, implements, and materials; using electric skin devices and equipment; and special procedures for sensitive, acne-prone, or aging skin. Indiana's curriculum backs this with 45 hours of facials and a separate 10-hour subject for electricity and light therapy — high frequency, UV/infrared.
Products, Sorted by Function
The service order below is also the study order: each class does one job and hands off to the next.
| Class | Function | Typical chemistry | Barber notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleanser | Removes surface soil, sebum, and product | Cleansing milk or lotion (dry/sensitive), foaming gel (oily) | Emulsify in the palm first; work upward and outward |
| Exfoliant — mechanical | Physically removes dead surface cells | Scrub with jojoba beads or fine granules; brushing machine | Never over inflamed skin, active acne, or a fresh close shave |
| Exfoliant — chemical | Dissolves the bonds between dead cells | Alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic, lactic), beta hydroxy (salicylic), enzymes (papain, bromelain) | Increases photosensitivity; avoid before a razor shave |
| Toner / astringent / freshener | Removes cleanser residue and restores surface pH | Freshener (lowest alcohol) → toner → astringent (highest alcohol) | Astringents suit oily skin; fresheners suit dry and sensitive skin |
| Massage medium | Provides slip for the manipulations | Massage cream, oil, or gel | Choose a lighter gel for oily skin, richer cream for dry skin |
| Mask / pack | Draws, hydrates, or soothes | Clay/mud (absorbs oil), gel (hydrates, calms), cream (nourishes), modeling/paraffin (heat and occlusion) | Keep clear of the eyes and nostrils; time by label |
| Moisturizer / protectant | Seals hydration and shields the barrier | Humectant + emollient + occlusive; SPF where appropriate | The final step, always applied after a shave |
| Aftershave / post-shave | Calms and re-acidifies after razor work | Acid-balanced lotion or balm; alcohol-free for sensitive skin | Alcohol splash on a freshly shaved sensitive face is the fastest route to a complaint |
[!IMPORTANT] Dispensing discipline. Every one of these is removed from its container with a clean spatula or single-use applicator, never with fingers, and product that has left the container is never returned to it. Leftover product at the end of the service is discarded.
Implements and Materials for a Men's Facial
- Linens: clean towels — a headband towel, steam towels, and a finishing towel — plus a clean drape, all handled under 820 IAC 3-1-10 and 820 IAC 8-1-5 (clean linens in closed storage, soiled linens in a covered hamper).
- Single-use items: cotton pads and rounds, gauze, tissue, cotton swabs, spatulas, gloves. Discarded after one client, no exceptions.
- Multi-use implements: mask brushes, fan brushes, bowls, spatula handles, and machine electrodes — cleaned and completely immersed in an EPA-registered bactericidal, viricidal, and fungicidal disinfectant (820 IAC 3-1-6(a)), and in a tuberculocidal disinfectant if they contact blood or body fluids (820 IAC 3-1-6(b)).
- Steam towel handling: the towel is wrung out and tested against the barber's own inner wrist before it touches the client's face, and it is placed to leave the nostrils clear.
- Extraction: only gentle, correctly draped work on softened comedones with cotton-wrapped fingers. Lancets, needles, and deep extraction are outside the barber scope of practice.
Electrotherapy: Which Current, Which Effect
| Modality | Current | Primary effect | Key rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galvanic | Direct current (DC) — constant, one direction | Desincrustation (negative pole softens and emulsifies sebum for deep cleansing) and iontophoresis (introducing water-soluble product) | Polarity matters: negative pole is alkaline, softens tissue; positive pole is acidic, closes and soothes. Client holds the passive electrode |
| High frequency (Tesla) | Alternating current (AC) — rapid oscillation | Germicidal and stimulating; produces heat and ozone at the surface | Produces no muscle contraction. Never use over alcohol-based products — flammability. Turn the current on only after the electrode is on the skin and off before removing it |
| Infrared lamp | Radiant heat | Warms, relaxes, increases circulation and product penetration | Roughly 30 inches from the skin, eyes protected with damp cotton pads, exposures kept short |
| Ultraviolet lamp | Short-wave radiant energy | Germicidal, drying effect on oily and acneic skin | Eyes always protected; strictly limited exposure time |
| Brushing machine | Rotating brush | Mechanical exfoliation and deep cleansing | Damp skin and damp brush; light pressure only; not over inflamed or broken skin |
| Steamer | Vapor | Softens surface cells, prepares for extraction | Direct vapor from a safe distance; never let the tank run dry |
Universal electrical safety rules
- Inspect the cord and plug before every use; a frayed cord is removed from service.
- One hand on the machine while adjusting settings.
- Start at the lowest intensity and increase gradually within the client's comfort.
- Do not leave a client unattended while connected to any device.
- Keep all electrical equipment and cords away from water and from the shampoo bowl.
- Do not overload circuits or run cords under mats where they can be crushed.
- Disconnect by pulling the plug, not the cord.
Contraindications for electrical devices
Do not use on a client with a pacemaker or other implanted electronic device, metal implants or braces in the treatment field, pregnancy, epilepsy or seizure disorder, high blood pressure or known heart condition, impaired skin sensation, open lesions or broken skin, active herpes, sunburn, or a recent chemical peel — and never use high frequency over alcohol-based product. When in doubt, perform the facial manually.
Adapting the Facial to the Skin
Sensitive skin
- Fragrance-free, alcohol-free, low-acid products only.
- Cooler steam towels and shorter contact time; skip the steamer or shorten it drastically.
- No mechanical exfoliation, no brushing machine, no strong chemical exfoliant.
- Shave with the grain only, single pass, light pressure.
- Finish with a calming, alcohol-free balm.
Acne-prone skin
- Non-comedogenic products throughout; avoid heavy occlusive balms and mineral-oil-rich massage creams.
- Salicylic acid (a beta hydroxy acid) is the oil-soluble exfoliant that works inside the follicle.
- Gentle extraction only, after softening, with proper draping and gloves. Never squeeze inflamed pustules, nodules, or cysts.
- Avoid massage manipulations directly over inflamed lesions.
- Note isotretinoin and topical retinoid use — recent retinoid therapy is a contraindication for exfoliation, waxing, and aggressive shaving; refer the client to their physician.
- Distinguish acne from pseudofolliculitis barbae: PFB is a mechanical ingrown-hair problem cured by changing shaving technique, not by acne treatment.
Aging skin
- Emphasize hydration and barrier support — humectants, emollients, and occlusives.
- Gentler exfoliation on thinner, more fragile skin; enzymes rather than aggressive scrubs.
- Slower, lighter massage; skin is less elastic and bruises more easily.
- Watch for couperose (visible dilated capillaries): avoid hot towels, high heat, and strong stimulation over them.
- Recommend daily sun protection — the single highest-value retail recommendation for aging skin.
Test Your Knowledge
Which statement correctly distinguishes galvanic current from high-frequency current in facial treatment?
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Test Your Knowledge
A client has just had an alcohol-based astringent applied and the barber reaches for the high-frequency electrode. What is the problem?
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D
Test Your Knowledge
Which client history requires the barber to skip electrical modalities and perform the facial manually?
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D
Test Your Knowledge
How should a barber adapt the standard facial for a client with sensitive, easily reddened skin?
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D