Can This $469 Cleansing Brush Really Deep Clean Your Skin?
I tried the new FOREO Luna 3 Plus (sensitive skin) to see if it left my skin glowing or red and itchy. Here's the verdict.
These days, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a bathroom #shelfie without a vibrant Foreo in the foreground. Besides being cute and compact, many of the newer devices from the Swedish beauty-tech brand can be connected to your phone via Bluetooth so you can easily customise your routine to suit your needs.
The latest Foreo Luna 3 Plus promises to be a game-changer too. It comes in two variants, for normal and sensitive skin types. When paired with the Foreo app, the device offers you the opportunity of a more tailor made cleanse — simply select the intensity that you want and it’ll automatically sync. Just like other devices in the Luna series, there are no harsh bristles in this cleansing device. Instead, the Luna 3 Plus features a cleansing brush made of thermal and ultra-hygienic silicone touchpoints to thoroughly but gently whisk away impurities and makeup coupled with a microcurrent treatment to lift, firm and tighten skin.
To see if it delivers what it promises, I put the Luna 3 Plus to test, using it as part of my AM and PM skincare routine. Here’s what happened.
Excited to put my Luna 3 Plus to work, I connected my purple device (for sensitive skin) to my phone via Bluetooth. It’s a relatively straightforward process that would take you less than five minutes. Once you’ve successfully synced your device to your phone, you’ll see a little icon with the Luna 3 Plus on the Foreo app’s home screen. Click on that and you’ll see a list of options. I decided to cleanse my face first.
While I had no issues setting up my device, this is the part that got tricky. As mentioned earlier, you can select the intensity that you want. I stuck with the default setting/temperature but the pulsations were way too strong for my sensitive skin. When using a new facial device, I would definitely suggest opting for the lowest setting/temperature (I have mine at about 40 degree celsius) and seeing how it feels on your skin before gradually increasing the intensity.
On the options menu you’ll also see a button that says “Start Cleansing” and try as I might, it just doesn’t seem to work. I’ve learnt that regardless of how many times I hit start, nothing actually happens to my device. I just end up turning it on manually by pressing and holding on to the button on the back of my device. This technical difficulty made it hard for me to follow the routine suggested on the app.
Aside from the technical problem with the app that marred my experience, the vibrating motion on the tool, granted it’s on a setting that suits your skin type, does feel like you’re giving your skin a thorough cleanse. Just lather up your face with your current gel cleanser of choice and massage it gently into skin with circular motions — there’s a built-in timer that will prompt you to move to another part of your face. There is really no need to exert pressure when using the Luna 3 Plus, just put it against your face and gently buff in circular motions to prevent any irritation.
Besides being anti-bacterial, the brush itself is made of silicone so it’s extremely gentle and perfect for reactive skin types. You don’t have to worry about it being too abrasive to skin.
I’m not exaggerating when I say I noticed a difference in the texture and clarity of my complexion after using this for just a day. My skin felt cleaner, smoother and less congested (save for a pesky hormonal pimple on my chin). The gentle massaging also helped to improve luminosity and depuff my face.
Another upside? The device’s “treatment” function. It’s hard to find a facial device that does it all. If you’re a beauty enthusiast, you’ll probably have two or three devices in your arsenal — one for cleansing, one for lifting and one for massaging. But the Luna 3 Plus promises to do all of the above and more. To get started, click on the “Treatments” option in the app menu.
There are a few treatments to choose from (I chose the Full Facial Toning option). Before using the device, I applied toner and moisturised my skin before going in with the brand’s Serum Serum Serum. I had zero problems with this part of the app. There’s a tutorial that will show you where to place the device and how to get the best results from your treatment. I can’t say for sure if it helps in the anti-ageing front, but I can honestly say that it felt just like a pampering spa treatment.
Despite the teething problems, which I hope will get resolved in the near future, this device is definitely worth the investment if you are someone who struggles with congestion and bumpiness. The cleansing feature works extremely well. The brush’s silicon surface manages to scrub off all the traces of makeup, oil and dirt, without the abrasiveness of a towel or face cloth. My skin felt so much cleaner and smoother after I started using the device. I just wish I had more guidance on which areas focus my device. I can’t wait to see the on-going results.
Text: Letty Seah/HerWorld
The LUNA™ 3 plus is available at Sephora (in-stores and at Sephora.sg), as well as all premium beauty stores such as ZALORA, TANGS, Takashimaya and LAZADA.