Foreo has released its Luna 3 in Australia. So I thought it's time for me to review my Luna... 2 (finally!) I have owned this for nearly 2 whole years now. I am often asked: Do I like it? Do I still use it? Was it worth the spending?
What the heck is this?
If you do not already know what this thing is, the first thing you need to know is that it retails for $279 (gasp!). Still interested? Read on.
In short, it is a silicone cleansing device. The brush works by vibration. It comes in 4 different versions for normal (pink), oily (turquoise), combination (blue) and sensitive (purple) skin.
Luna 2 for normal skin
I have chosen Luna 2 for normal skin. The difference between the different Lunas is the type of silicone "touch points" on the device. The one for normal skin has 3 different types of touch points - the big ones at the tip of the brush, followed by medium sized touch points surrounding the big ones, and the majority are small touch points.
On the reverse side, there are a few ripples across the surface of the brush and this is the "anti-aging" mode that we are supposed to use after cleansing. It is supposed to increase product absorption when massaged with moistruriser, serum, etc. I have never tried the anti-aging mode, and will probably never use it. I simply don't have enough patience to use the brushing mode and then followed by the anti-aging mode.
My skin type
For background purpose, I have normal skin which can swing to the combination side in summer, but prone to dehydration in winter. I don't have any real issues with pores and pimples, apart from occasional congestion / hormonal breakout. My skin is quite resilient and, having tried hundreds of products, only had adverse reactions to two products over the last ten years.
My experience + results
The cleansing brush is very intuitive and easy to use. The button in the middle is for on/off, and then a button on either side to increase or decrease the vibration intensity. There are 7 intensities to choose from and my optimal setting is the second lowest intensity. In the cleansing mode the device will pause every 15 seconds as a prompt to move to the next area. However, the pause is really subtle that on most days I don't feel it.
After 1 minute, the device will pulse 3 times as an indication of "time's up". I seldom finish the one whole minute - I found that too much for my skin. My cleansing routine sits somewhere between 30 to 45 seconds.
I use the Luna 2 with a gel foaming cleanser.
Initially, I used the brush every evening. My skin felt amazing - it was so smooth, soft and supple to touch. After each use, my skin felt like it was freshly exfoliated, but without the harshness of a scrub. However, after a few days of consecutive use, my skin started to feel a little sensitive, especially where I used the bigger touch points on the tip of the cleansing surface. They are meant for areas around the nose where the pores are bigger and the skin is oilier. After using this for a further week or so, the skin around my nose started to flake, which has never happened to me before. At the same time, it is very difficult to use anywhere else of the brush (with smaller touch points) to clean those specific areas simply because it is not the right shape.
Since then I have cut back my use to every second day, and use caution around the nose.
In my skincare regimen this brush has become a substitute for a gentle physical exfoliant. I have cut back heaps on scrubbing since started using Luna 2. A tube of facial scrub was opened before I got my hands on Luna 2 and, two years later, I still haven't finished my scrub (well, it has now passed its best-before date!)
Throughout the two years I have fairly consistently used it every second day in my PM routine. Of course, the improvement in skin texture has now plateaued, and I no longer feel the initial WOW factor because I am so used to it. But yes, I still use it and I really like it.
I thought I would specifically mention that I still have not re-charged the cleansing device after the initial overnight charge. It is insane how little power it actually uses.
What can't it do?
Consistent with the properties of a physical exfoliant, Luna 2 does not help me clear any pore congestion, hormonal breakout or milia. I still need to rely on my chemical exfoliant.
Worth the spending?
Judging by the amount of money that I will save on physical exfoliant, if my Luna 2 can last 5 to 6 years then yes, it is worth the spending. However, even though I really like it I can't say that it is not substitutable. I believe I can achieve the same results using the right combination of skincare products.
Which version?
After two years, I still think Luna 2 is pretty strong for me as I haven't gotten past the second lowest setting. If I could choose again I would pick the one for sensitive skin which has smaller touch points.
About me
Makeup artist and hair stylist based in Sydney. Founder of the well-known award-winning bridal specialist team Faces Makeup & Hair. Beauty junkie with an obsession for skincare.