This facial cleansing gadget may just change the way you perceive beauty devices, writes Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan.
“WHY do I need a gadget to help wash my face when my hands have worked just fine the past few decades?”
I threw the question at Foreo regional trainer (Southeast Asia) Fibiee Liew out of scepticism.
Has the commercial beauty industry found yet another way to trick consumers into thinking that a gadget will change their lives and make them better-looking?
I have had my fair share of face-washing devices from Clarisonic, Clinique and Philips but they all had a short lifespan.
Charging had to be carried out often, the brush heads needed changing at periodic intervals and, more importantly, the nylon bristles were not exactly kind on my skin.
“While those machines use nylon bristles to scrub and clean the face, the Foreo Luna 3 uses food grade silicone bristles to gently pulse away dirt. Simply put, it makes micro movements on your skin so dirt is forced out of pores,” says Liew.
Foreo (pronounced Foray-o, not F-oreo, as I had ignorantly assumed) calls the Luna 3 the “ultimate beauty upgrade”.
As Luna 2 was already popular, this “upgrade” sets the bar even higher where face-cleaning devices are concerned.
The Swedish company says Luna 3 offers an ultra-hygienic gentle cleanse with a targeted yet personalised firming and toning facial massage — all controlled via the Foreo app.
ONE-MINUTE WONDER
The device has a one-minute cleansing routine — lifting away dirt, oil and excess sebum.
It works with cream, gentle and foam cleansers. You can’t use it with oil cleansers or scrub as they will damage the silicone. It also isn’t a make-up cleansing device so your make-up remover still needs its space on your bathroom shelf.
To use, you either squeeze the cleanser onto the machine or on your face before you switch it on.
I tried the Foreo Luna 3 the night after meeting Liew and I have not felt this impressed — in just 60 seconds, no less — in a long time.
I don’t wear make-up so after showering, I lather my face with Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser which, I swear, is the best. After using the machine on my face, it feels significantly softer.
All this time, the cleanser just did a superficial job but now, with the machine, cleansing is thorough and gentle.
When I tried the Luna 3, it was coincidentally the time I overused alpha hydroxy acid so there’s a flaky patch around my nose.
While that’s a sign of dry skin, addressing it isn’t just about lathering on a good moisturiser. You need the area to be gently exfoliated so the skin can absorb the moisturiser. And that’s exactly what this machine does.
Liew says if you cleanse the face well, you don’t need an extensive number of products to keep your skin hydrated and healthy. I have to agree with her.
MASSAGE MODE
Once it’s synced with your smartphone, you can set the intensity of your cleansing and the machine will remember it.
For cleansing, you can use it without your phone. However, for the massage mode, you will need your phone as you have to choose the routine you want — whether neck, face, eye or facial contour — from the app.
Place your favourite serum or moisturiser and use the other side of the device for this purpose. It’s pretty easy. You just follow the movements displayed in video format in the app.
The massage mode is very effective in getting moisturiser into your skin if you cleanse with the device earlier. Your skin will feel soft.
HARDER TO REACH
The new Luna has 30 per cent longer touchpoints for those hard-to-reach places. It ensures deeper cleansing of the pores. It also has a bigger brush head and the larger cleansing surface offers a more effective cleanse.
The device glides effortlessly across the skin, with no pulling or stretching to preserve the skin’s natural elasticity.
The company says it’s more hygienic than nylon and the non-porous material prevents bacteria build-up.
It’s also fully waterproof so you can take it anywhere. The device comes with 16 pulsation intensities to choose from — with up to 8,000 pulsations per minute — to suit your skin’s need.
The battery power is also impressive. One can use it 650 times with each charge. So if you use it twice daily from Jan 1, you probably only need to charge it in late November. Impressive, no?