I can’t speak for everyone, but my skin has changed since the start of the pandemic. While I’m pretty fortunate to have skin that rarely breaks out, I’ve had more spots and more dullness since March. I don’t believe that this is a coincidence, either. In fact, a quick look at Google Trends and the phrase “bad skin in lockdown” shows that it’s clearly something people are googling (and are looking for a solution to). It’s not exactly surprising—stress has been proven a big factor for skin becoming spotty and inflamed and can increase the rate of ageing.
When I’m stressed out, I often turn to a trusty facial roller, but this time, I needed something more powerful. So when I saw that Foreo, a Swedish skincare device brand, was launching a new facial toning gadget, the Foreo Bear, that promised to help with anti-ageing and blemishes, I was intrigued. Just how good could it be?
When the product arrived, it seemed a little complicated. The box included a charger, some serum, and a whole booklet to understand how it works—and the gadget itself, which has an oval shape with two round ear-style bits on the top (hence the name, the Bear). Once you have all the bits together, you have to download the app. While I might love being fully digital (I only use streaming services and read books on my iPad—not to mention, I’m a digital journalist), the truth is I didn’t want to mess around with an app. However, it was very useful in giving directions on the timings of how long to keep the gadget on your face. And once it’s on your face, it feels great. The round balls, which vibrate, are cool against your skin. Ultimately, once the app has finished, you’ve ended up pushing the device up your jaw, along your cheekbones, up to your brows, and on your forehead.
After using the Bear for a month, I noticed my skin was smoother and looked fresher in the mornings. It also felt like the tension in my jaw had released a little bit.
To understand more about how it works, I spoke to Emily Buckwell, head of partnerships at CurrentBody.com, an online beauty gadget retailer, who told me just why this will be doing the trick.
“The benefits of facial massing centre largely around relieving tension and walking up the facial muscles, just as you can do with a good yoga session. By adding the microcurrent used in Bear, you’re upping the ante—a bit like adding some weight training on at the end of your yoga session,” she said.
“The Foreo Bear uses microcurrent technology to build collagen, repair elastin, and tighten your face via electrical currents that mimic your body’s own natural processes,” Buckwell added. “Bear features a patented Anti-Shock System, making it the world’s safest microcurrent device. Advanced sensors measure your skin’s resistance to electricity then automatically adjust the intensity to eliminate any chance of shock.”
Now that I’ve started using the product, I’m not looking back. Keep scrolling to shop the Foreo Bear and keep going to see some of the other Foreo products.
Next up, The Best Beauty Advent Calendars for 2020