I have been asked on a couple of occasions whether the Zeno Tip Cartridge can be reused. At first I did not definitely know the answer because the tip on mine had not yet expired. Now that it has, I can safely say that the answer is no.
When the device gets down to only a few uses left on the tip, the tip itself seems to quit heating up as effectively. I found that I was basically cheated out of my last 2 uses. Then it just quits and will not heat up at all. I took it off and put it back on to see it it would reset, and it did not. Basically, it appears to have a little chip in it that kills it after the set number of uses has run out.
I should also mention that even if I had found a way to re-use it, I would not recommend doing to. It really is best to follow the manufacturer’s directions on such things. Regardless, I couldn’t find a way to to cheat it.
Interested in acne treatment devices? Read my review of the Zeno and review of the ThermaClear.
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Hi, I have a completely random question: I’m being forced to go on a 3-day camping trip. No showers, no nothing. What beauty tips/tricks do you have for staying fresh? (I also have brow-skimming bangs, which tend to get a little oily. I’ve heard of powder that helps absorb hair oil . . . where do I get that, if you know?)
Thanks soo much!
Julia,
Bumble and Bumble makes a hair powder. I think I have seen a few others as well. Depending on your hair color, you can even use just a little bit of cornstarch. Here is an article on that: http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip543.htm
If you can get past that it is an animal grooming product, there are also some powders for pets available at pet stores. I had a friend use one of those camping once!
As for your trip, stock up on some of those makeup remover toweletts. I like all of the ones by Ponds. They are good for the face and just in general. You can also purchase biodegradable soap and shampoo etc. Kiss My Face makes some that is quite nice. I have shampooed my hair under a water pump before when camping. It is cold, but it is also nice to feel clean!
You are incorrect about tip use with the Zeno. The following 3 tips are avail. on several venues. 1 & 2 are the same but explained diff. #3 has only a 40% success reported. I have personally been successful in using a 60 count tip over 250 times using the first method.
1)Turn it on and it gets hot and when it is ready (green) I click it and before 30 secs are up I unclick it (this doesn’t hurt your count) so then you leave it on the pimple and when it goes back to green ready for use click it and unclick right away…the heat is maintained because ZENO stays heated for reuse so it doesn’t cool and I believe you get the same amount of heat on the pimple without the ridiculous counting against you.
2)You can keep reusing your Zeno cartridge & never buy one again!
Turn on your device for the “warm up mode” within 10-12 seconds it is up to temp, put it on your treatment area at that time. The zeno will beep letting you know it’s up to temp but DON’T hit the button to start the cycle as this will take a use off of the microchip. Even when the Zeno shut downs automatically (casue you didn’t hit the cycle button) it holds temp for a while also. This method obviously takes longer but you can get a lot more use out of your Zeno cartridges and make them last longer. Even if you only have 1 use left in the Zeno this method will save you if you can’t get to a refill place to buy one right away. I use this method for the small bothersome ones that don’t need the “full cycle” treatment. Patience will save you money!
3)Each cartridge tip has a counter built in. Once you reach the maximum applications, the chip inside shuts down the tip. But, if you remove the tip from time to time before it reaches it’s maximum number of applications, it resets the counter back to zero and you can use it as long as possible. The trick is you have to reset this before it reaches the maximum count.
A quick note. I do not endorse the methods in the above comment and do not recommend using products in ways not intended by the manufacturer. However, it is interesting information, so I chose to publish the comment.
I tried the three items suggested. Number one appeared to work, although I lost a minor amount of heating each time I unclicked the green ready light. But that heat loss was quite small. I did not try this enough to verify if it does or does not effect the use count.
Number two did not work well for me because the device heats up slowly and then quickly loses heat when not activated. I did not try this enough to verify whether or not it affects the use count.
Removing the tip and reinserting it before the max has been reached as suggested by number three did not reset the use count. I had tried this in the past out of curiosity as well and never found it to reset. If devices did this in the past, perhaps they have been modified and no longer do so.
I just wanted to say that I love this site
Oh give me a break – the manufacturer’s instructions here are designed to empty your wallet. It has a microchip that ensures planned obsolescense of each tip (with its programmed shutoff preceded by a lowering of temperature, so you’ll think it’s actually “wearing out”). This business practice fuels hyperconsumerism, unnecessary waste, and bilks consumers out of their money. What’s going to happen if you re-use it? You’ll save your money is ALL that will happen.
can you reuse or recycle vitamin c (ascorbic acid)?
The Zeno tips have a memory chip inside that store the number of uses left. When an actual use has occurred the microcontroller in the Zeno subtracts a use from the tip. The tips can be reset if you have the proper equipment to change the count number inside the tips memory chip. I have been reusing tips for over a year. Google Zeno tip reset or goto http://thechristisens.com/tag/zeno/ for more information.