Review: Foreo Bear, a S$469 portable microcurrent facial device
Handheld beauty electronic gadgets had a harder time gaining popularity in Singapore, even though we don't blink an eye shelling out for facial packages. It's time to think about ways to ensure that our beauty routine continues in the case of disruptions.
Enter Foreo, a Swedish brand renowned for its skincare technology. We're specifically looking at their award-winning Foreo Bear, a small handheld device you can use at home. The device supposedly uses almost imperceptible electric shocks to tone, tighten, brighten and improve your skin. There's also a T-Sonic pulsation, a vibration mode meant to, according to the website, “extend deep into your pores to increase circulation, eliminate toxins and ease facial tension, resulting in smoother, softer, glowier skin."
We received the device from Currentbody just as I was recovering from terrible acne-prone skin, so I was looking for ways to get my skin back to its previous glowy glory. It's a timely chance to check out how the treatments work, see if this device does what it claims to do, and whether I noticed a difference in my skin after usage.
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How it works
You're supposed to use the device for three minutes, once a day. Sounds simple, right? Foreo even provides an app, downloadable from Apple or Playstore, with a couple of clips you can use with the device, much like an aerobics video.
It's intuitive and easy to pair the device to the app via Bluetooth, and there are plenty of tutorials and reminders about what you should do, including patting a conductive serum, gel or cream onto your face, and making sure both the silver spheres are touching your face at all times.
A few taps later, I'm putting this electricity-conducting device onto my face, not without some trepidation.
I'm not going to lie, the first electronic pulses can feel a little shocking (no pun intended) for someone not used to the treatment. There are 10 microcurrent intensities to choose from, numbered 1-10, together with an on and off T-Sonic option. I went for 3, which left a tingly sensation on my face. I could feel a sharp zap more intensely as it went over my healing acne scars, so I turned it down to a more bearable 2.
Three minutes went by, so fast I'm not even sure if it's doing anything for my face. But trudge on we must. By the end of a month of consistent usage, I was bumping the current up to 5.
What it does, and doesn't do
Foreo Bear is touted as an anti-ageing device, with the following intended results.
Firms & tones facial muscles to lift the face & reduce sagging.
Tightens & smoothes skin to reduce the look of fine lines & wrinkles.
Increases microcirculation to boost skin's radiance.
With those in mind, don't expect instant gratification. It took more than a month before I even started noticing any effect. I'm also not sure if this effect was intended – but my skincare products were being absorbed faster.
From many reviews online, the consensus does seem to point towards extended use for the effects to be more visible. It's a little like maintenance for the skin, and we know that maintenance means being consistent with our efforts.
For what it's worth, a month into using the product, someone asked me if I had lost weight because my face looked slimmer. I can only imagine it to be the tightening of my jawline, as I ended up targeting that area quite intensively.
Conclusion
I still have my pimple marks and patchy red skin left over from my acne days, but a recent makeup-less and unedited photo of me had me realising that there is a glow on my face that is similar to when you first stepped out of a facial salon. My pores also seemed smaller, and skincare is gliding onto my skin smoother.
Will the device change my life? No. Will it maintain my skin and possibly help me fight signs of ageing for longer? I'm inclined to think so.
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We received the device for review, but the review is entirely ours.
