We are well-versed in good skincare products on this blog, but did you know that there are gadgets that make even the best skincare products work better and penetrate the skin better? Gadgets that do things you thought you could only find in a spa treatment? They are quite pricey, but definitely worth it if you are serious about your skincare regime or if you just want to treat yourself.
Foreo UFO Mini 2* – £159, Foreo
I have been wanting to try this for quite a while, ever since I saw Anna Saccone using it in a vlog. It’s a nifty little device that fits nicely in the palm of your hand; making it so convenient for travel. It’s a ‘power masking’ device, so essentially it takes the sheet mask craze and improves on its efficiency even more. Instead of a sheet mask that you would lay over your face, with this you get a small circle of the same serum soaked fabric – the exact size of the gold circle in the image above. You attached this to the mask, connect your device to the Foreo app on your phone and then follow the app’s instructions and relaxing music. Through a variety of LED light therapy, heat and sonic pulsations, you can get all the benefits of a sheet mask in just a 90 second treatment with the UFO Mini 2 device.
You also get the pricier UFO 2 and this also includes a cool cryotherapy element as well as the heat. As well as the serum benefits from the Foreo mask circles, you are also benefitting from the device’s full-spectrum LED light therapy and you can activate the device for just this option if you don’t want to mask. It has all eight light therapy colours, tackling everything from stimulating the production of collagen, to destroying acne bacteria, tightening the skin and reducing puffiness. If i’m not masking with it, I like to apply a serum to my skin quite generously to give the device something to glide over.
The heat that the device gives out is soothing and relaxing, plus it also opens pores and allows for deeper penetration of the mask/serum’s ingredients. Then, Foreo’s patented T-Sonic Power sonic pulsations are fast – 10,000 per minute. You can feel the device vibrate and when these sonic waves are directed into the skin, they massage gently, exfoliate, reduce puffiness and dark circles, increase absorption of skincare ingredients and help to detoxify the skin. This device has so many benefits whether you use the branded ‘masks’ that go alongside it or whether you just use your own serums. It feels lovely to hold and it has really helped firm my skin and reduce puffiness.
Check out my tips of 4 Vitamin C skincare products you need to try!
Chok Beauty Ionic Skin Perfector* – £99, Chok Beauty
This is also a silicone device that uses massaging pulsations. Where the Foreo device uses soundwaves to do this (sonic), this Chok Beauty device uses ions i.e. molecules that carry either a positive or negative charge for its Ionic Thermo Infusion technology as well as massaging sonic vibrations. On one end of this device is the metal plate that these waves come from and on the other end is a silicone facial cleansing brush to make your sure skin in cleaned better and that your makeup is completely removed when you cleanse. It actually helps you cleanse 7 times more effectively than with your hands.
The electrical muscle stimulation that happens with this device helps to tone facial muscles. It also uses thermal therapy to help products absorb better by opening the pores. In addition to this, it also has red LED light therapy to help stimulate collagen production to keep skin looking smooth and line-free. In terms of LED light therapy, it is significantly limited compared to the full-spectrum LED therapy offered by the Foreo device.
The sonic pulsations massage the skin and help to remove impurities. With this device you can attach a cotton pad to the metal plate, the same way you would attach one of the circular Foreo masks to the UFO Mini 2. The idea here is that the cotton pad soaked in makeup remover would be so much more effective when teamed with the sonic pulses that will loosen particles. Having the heat therapy would also help to melt stubborn mascara etc.
Again, this device works well and I like it’s dual-ended design. For some it will be handy to have that pulsating silicone cleansing end, but others will already have a device for this e.g. the Foreo Luna, for example. If you are a heavy makeup wearer, this Chok Beauty device might be the better choice for you. However, if you are much more focussed on skin care and have a lot of skin concerns e.g. acne, sun damage, inflammation etc, the Foreo UFO Mini 2 device would be the best for you due to it’s full-spectrum LED light therapy. Those who are sheet mask addicts will also benefit greatly from the Foreo masks and the short 90-second routine it takes to mask. Both of these devices are good, so which is best for you will depend on your priorities and needs. For me, I like the full-spectrum LED light therapy and so would opt myself to purchase the Foreo UFO Mini 2.
This post contains press samples, but all opinions are my own.
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