FOREO has updated some of its best-selling beauty-tech products, but do they deliver real results? We’ve reviewed the LUNA 3 plus and BEAR mini to find out.
Whether it’s telly, social media or your favourite magazine, it’s almost impossible to get away from the latest beauty creams, serums and gadgets that promise to improve your skin.
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But leading the way when it comes to skin-tech devices is FOREO, a Swedish brand, loved by celebrities and dermatologists alike, that pioneered the hand-held LUNA cleansing brush with T-Sonic (transdermal) pulsations back in 2013.
Its T-sonic technology works to unclog pores and remove dead skin cells, which in turn helps reduce signs of ageing, helps improve absorption of skincare products and promotes clearer, brighter, and healthier looking skin. Fast forward to 2022, and we’re onto the LUNA 3 plus.
As well as facial cleansing, FOREO has released a host of other award-winning products including devices for facial treatments and massages with LED light therapy, cryotherapy and thermo-therapy, working to stop breakouts and soothe skin inflammation.
They’ve also created facial toning devices with the BEAR and BEAR mini, that utilise powerful microcurrent technologies to tone, tighten and energise the skin.
Here, we tested both the FOREO LUNA 3 plus and the FOREO BEAR mini. Read on to find out what we thought.
This new version of the FOREO LUNA comes with built-in microcurrent pins for the first time, combining the benefits of previous FOREO LUNA products and, to a certain degree, newer FOREO BEAR devices.
So in addition to being a master cleanser and providing a massage element, it now also helps with toning the skin. That makes it a 3-in-1 device, which helps justify the somewhat hefty £269 price tag as a long-term skincare investment with multiple benefits..
Overall, this is a great device: I’m already a fan of the FOREO LUNA devices and like the previous iterations, the LUNA 3 plus is brilliant at getting the skin clean without drying it out. The skin is left feeling soft and the removal of dead skin cells leaves your face super-receptive to your next steps in your routine when you moisturise.
The added microcurrent pins mean the device heats up during the cleanse which makes the device even better at melting away oils and make up residue compared with the previous model, leaving the skin looking luminous after each use.
The pins on the back are what contribute to the toning of the skin: choose from a number of different treatments to follow on the app and over time, you will start to feel a difference in the firmness of your skin. The feeling of lift around the laughter lines is almost immediate.
I decided to swap out my usual cleansing routine for the FOREO LUNA 3 plus for four weeks. I used the device to cleanse twice a day using a gel cleanser, massaged almost every day with FOREO’s Serum Serum Serum and used one of the microcurrent treatments from the app every other day (applying the serum first).
I’ve used FOREO products in the past and still cleanse a few times a week using an older model of the LUNA. As I find that FOREO products work very well for my skin, I was interested to see what extras this new model offers.
The good thing about this upgraded version is that it’s still a facial cleansing brush (at the front of device) and skin massager (at the back) but now has the added element of microcurrent pins on both sides.
The eight pins on the front add heat during the cleanse (a type of thermo-therapy if you will) and help to remove skin debris, which intensifies the cleanse and leaves the skin looking pretty plump and bright afterwards.
The massager on the back of the device works similarly to that on the previous model and does a good job of making the skin feel immediately tighter. Meanwhile, two microcurrent pins on the back can be activated through the app for a seven-minute full facial toning exercise or treatments that target your eye contour, laugh lines, forehead or neck.
As this is the newest offering from the LUNA, I was careful to see how well it works and the feeling of tighter skin is almost immediate (the laugh lines treatment in particular leaves the skin feeling firm). When you team this treatment with the massage element, you can really feel the whole face getting a lift. However, skin does feel pretty warm for about 30-mins afterwards so leave a bit of time if you’re planning on applying makeup.
I tried all three elements back to back a couple of times — which requires anywhere between three and ten minutes depending on your customised cleanse and the treatments you’ve chosen — and the skin felt clean and firm for the best part of the day. Skin definitely absorbs creams better after this full treatment and my skin was glowing for a good couple of hours.
The combination of cleansing, massage and toning means that the FOREO LUNA 3 plus is now a 3-in-1 product. This is important, because FOREO products don’t come cheap and this gives you good value for money if you were thinking about buying multiple products.
The device costs £269 but I think it’s worth the money if you’re interested in all three elements it offers. If you really just want a good cleansing brush take a look at some of the previous FOREO LUNA models which are a little bit cheaper.
However, if you can afford that bit extra, the cleanse is better with the FOREO LUNA 3 plus and using the three elements in tandem does make the skin feel and look incredible. It is worth noting that this device isn’t as strong as the BEAR devices when it comes to microcurrent treatments (more on that below) but it’s a good starter option or extra to have.
The FOREO BEAR mini is specifically for facial toning, and uses microcurrent technology (low-level electrical currents) to work on muscles in the neck and face.
This ‘training' and ‘toning’ of the muscles has an anti-ageing effect, which has given the FOREO BEAR products a reputation for ‘non-invasive facelifts’. Whereas the FOREO BEAR offers spa-grade electrical currents the mini offers slightly lower intensity.
Both devices need to be used with a conductive serum and treatments take about two minutes. I liked the FOREO BEAR mini because its smaller size means it's good at targeting tight spaces, such as around the nose and mouth.
It also costs £179, which I think is good value and worth the buy if you’re serious about an at-home toning device.
The FOREO BEAR mini is all about improving facial contour and minimising sagging and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, by sending electrical currents to the facial muscles.
It has an anti-shock system which adjusts the microcurrent to mirror your body’s natural electrical currents. These currents, plus the T-Sonic pulsations, work to lift and firm the muscles – hence the ‘facelift’ moniker.
The device works best after cleansing and applying a generous amount of conductive serum (I used FOREO’s Serum Serum Serum) but can be used with other branded or non branded conductive serums, whichever suits your skin best. Then it’s over to the app (all devices need to be registered on the app) where you can choose the targeted treatment for you.
You use the FOREO BEAR mini in an upward motion, keeping both of its metallic spheres in contact with the skin at all times to conduct the current. You can’t feel much when you’re using just the micro-current, but as you add the T-Sonic pulsations you can physically feel the vibrations really working the muscles, a feeling that remains for a little while after the treatment is over.
I used the FOREO BEAR mini two or three times a week over a four-week period and must say that my skin did feel firmer. Straight after using the device I could see a small but definitely perceptible difference when I looked in the mirror; over time, I think this will be more defined.
The main surprise was that my skin also started to look clearer, and some of the darker patches on my skin have started to fade a little. I also like the smaller size of the FOREO BEAR mini — because it’s easy to handle, it helped make the movements smoother.
I would recommend the FOREO BEAR mini for people who have thought about using Microcurrent treatments at a spa or are interested in achieving firmer skin. The fact it costs £100 less than the Full-size FOREO BEAR does make it even more appealing for those who are new to microcurrent but want to explore what it can do, although it doesn’t provide the exact same effects.
The FOREO Bear does go up to a level 5 intensity, which is more in line with electric current treatments you might get at a spa, whereas the FOREO BEAR mini only reaches an intensity of 3. However, I think frequent use can help make up for this difference.
The FOREO Bear does go up to a level 5 intensity, which is more in line with electric current treatments you might get at a spa, whereas the FOREO BEAR mini only reaches an intensity of 3. However, I think frequent use can help make up for this difference.
I think using the FOREO BEAR mini for a little longer than the two minutes can also help with its shortfall in size compared to FOREO BEAR. If you’ve been looking at the FOREO BEAR but been unsure about the spend, this is an amazing alternative for a lower price.
Enjoyed our review of the FOREO 3 plus and the FOREO BEAR mini? You might also enjoy our tried-and-tested roundup fo the best anti-ageing serums.
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Head to Sun Selects Beauty for more reviews, roundups and recommendations.
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