This hand-held device promises to reduce sinus pain and all you have to do is rub it on your face.

By Sarah Mitroff

If you suffer from allergies, or often get colds, you know how miserable it can feel when your sinuses are inflamed and full of mucus. While medication, steaming your face and blowing your nose often might seem like the best solution to clear them out, they don’t always relieve the problem. ClearUP, a new product from Tivic that debuted at CES 2019, offers an alternative and it goes on sale today for $149 on Tivic’s website.

According to Tivic, the device uses a “proprietary microcurrent waveform that stimulates sinus nerve fibers under the skin.” Stimulating those nerves can reduce swelling, which can help open your airways and relieve pain. ClearUp is FDA approvedand Tivic promises that it produces zero side effects.

I haven’t been able to experience the benefits of ClearUP firsthand, because I haven’t had any sinus issues since getting one to test.  But, my college Sharon Profis got to try it out at CES and felt her sinuses drain immediately after using it.

At $149, ClearUP is pricey — but the company compares that to the longterm cost of buying allergy pills each month. Indeed, if you suffer from chronic allergies and regularly experience sinus pain, ClearUP could be a worthwhile investment in the long term, either as a treatment on its own or in addition to other methods you use to get relief. If you only get a cold or two each year and don’t have ongoing clogged sinuses, you can skip getting a ClearUP.

You can get a ClearUP right now from the company’s website or from Amazon on September 30. It will also be available on Walgreens.com, CVS.com and BestBuy.com by November.