Before splurging on a beauty device, it’s nice to know exactly what you can expect from it. Here, one skin care lover documents his experience with the Foreo UFO Smart Mask Treatment. Watch how it works and read about his thoughts below.
Over the last couple of years, more and more technological devices have been released that are intended to enhance beauty routines. From spinning facial brushes and vibrating exfoliators to sonic facial toning devices, it seems like every couple of months there’s a new innovative gadget available to improve your skin. One of the companies behind many of these devices is Foreo. The brand is responsible for the popular Luna cleansing brushes, and most recently, the UFO Smart Mask Treatment.
The device uses technologies like blue tooth, LED light therapy, thermo and cryo-therapy, as well as sonic pulsations to take your sheet masking experience to the next level. Intrigued? I was too, so I tested it for two weeks.
Read on below to find out what it did for my skin, and if it’s worth the $279 price tag.
First Impressions
The Smart Mask first piqued my interest because it claims to achieve the same – if not better – results as a regular sheet mask in just 90 seconds. I often struggle to find 20 spare minutes in my schedule, so the thought of achieving the same results in just a minute and a half was compelling.
The device itself wasn’t anything like I expected. It’s small, round, fits perfectly in your hand, and looks nothing like a mask. Thus, when I first tried it out, it took some time to figure out just how it works. Here’s what I discovered:
- The Smart Mask has two sides: One for your hand (the textured side designed for an easy grip) and one for a small circular sheet mask.
- The masks (all developed by Korean skin care experts) are sold separately in packs of six or seven and are priced from $9.99 to $19.99, though the device does come with one mask to get you started.
- Before use, you have to download the Foreo app and then connect your device. By scanning the barcode on your mask pack, your device determines the correct treatment of LED light, vibrations, and temperature to go with your treatment.
- To use it, you clip the mask onto the device using the clip attached, and press a small button to turn on the device.
The first treatment I tried didn’t work, and the device didn’t heat up or vibrate like the app said it would. I was a bit confused and turned everything off and reconnected it, and that seemed to solve the problem. The second treatment was fast, effective, and delivered a decent dose of essence into my skin.
Masking With the UFO
Once I had the app downloaded and had gotten the hang of it, my subsequent treatments didn’t feel like too much work. I would pop in a new mask treatment, scan the barcode, and get to masking right away. I tried a handful of different mask treatments (there are seven varieties to choose from), from a purifying charcoal mask to a hydrating hyaluronic acid one. Each treatment was enhanced by a different set of vibrations, LED colors, and heat levels.
The device and the mask feel really nice on the skin, especially when the device warms up and buzzes. And I do feel like it enhances absorption into my skin. However, I don’t know if I really noticed a difference from treatment to treatment in terms of temperature/light/vibrations. I knew they were slightly different because each barcode had a different set, but during use it was difficult to distinguish between them.
Because the device is a flat circle, it’s a bit tricky to get the essence into certain parts of my skin, like around the contours around my nose, lower part of my chin, and anywhere around the eyes. However, on the majority of my face, I felt like the essence was distributed evenly. And after each treatment, it only took a few pats of my hands before the essence was fully absorbed. When you finish the treatment, you can just rinse the device under running water which makes it really easy to keep clean.
Incorporating It into My Routine
The Smart Mask has been super easy to incorporate into my daily routine. I use it after toning and applying essence, but before serums. While I know it’s a masking product, I actually think of it more as an enhanced serum and incorporated it as such. The major benefit of this device is that since it only takes 90 seconds to use, I can also easily incorporate it into my morning routine to give my skin a boost at the beginning of the day.
Is It Worth It?
After using the device a handful of times, I definitely saw positive results. My skin was hydrated and healthy looking, and overall felt really great. I also felt different results from the different masks, indicating that the ingredients featured aren’t just a marketing ploy. For example, after applying the charcoal mask, my pores felt clearer and tighter, and following the hyaluronic acid treatment, my skin was noticeably more hydrated. So, at the end of the day, it definitely works.
The question is, is it worth the $279 price tag? That’s where it gets tricky. The device definitely works, the temperature/LED light/vibrations definitely enhance the experience, and only having to take 90 seconds to mask is majorly convenient.
However, in terms of results, I honestly didn’t feel like they were any different or better than I’d get from using regular sheet masks. And, in some cases, I opted to use a regular sheet mask instead because while the 90 seconds is convenient, it definitely doesn’t provide as heavy a dose of hydration as a good old 20-minute masking session.
Bottom Line
If you’re someone who wants to reap the benefits of masking in less time, the Smart Mask Treatment could be a really good option for you. And if you’re drawn to the temperature/light/vibration combo, it could be a fun splurge – it definitely takes the masking experience to a new level. But if you don’t mind taking the time to use traditional sheet masks regularly, the price tag may be a bit harder to justify.