At-Home Facial Tools Are Having a Major Moment—So 3 Well+Good Staffers Took This Buzzy One for a Test Spin

But before we get to the fun part, let's talk trends: The popularity of skin-care tech (like microcurrent facial devices) is on the rise, and board-certified dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD, FAAD shared her expert take as to why. “Skin care has evolved a lot in the past few years, and people expect more from their regimen than what topical products can offer,” she says. “Microcurrents can enhance your home regimen, and also target deeper layers of tissue than topicals—stimulating anti-aging and repairing pathways in new ways.”

Enhancing the effects of your skin-care regimen is exactly what the FOREO BEAR aims to provide. The device uses microcurrent (tiny electrical currents that gently stimulate the muscles in your face) in order to provide spa-level results a la contouring and toning, reducing fine lines and wrinkles, and increasing radiance and smoothness in treatments you can easily do at home.

"The effects of a microcurrent facial device, like BEAR, are two-fold—the ones that you see instantly, and the ones that you see over time," says Anika Sekhri, product marketing manager at FOREO. "The top three effects are seeing an instant lift in the face, tightened skin that smoothes out fine lines, and a radiant glow to the complexion."

To find out whether those benefits were legit, three Well+Good staffers tried adding the BEAR to their usual skin-care routines for a few weeks. Keep reading to find out what happened.

Scroll down to read each staffer's FOREO BEAR review after she put it to the test.

Dani Beckford, Assistant Editor

With all the clay masks and face scrubs that wrap around my bathtub, you would think I’ve cracked the code to amazing skin. The reality is actually the opposite, which is why I wanted to get in on the beauty-tech trend with the BEAR.

Mind you, I was on the fence about using a microcurrent at-home facial device at first because I was afraid of getting shocked, but Sekhri reassured me by cluing me into the BEAR's innovative Anti-Shock System™. "[It] uses ultra-smart sensors to scan and measure your skin’s resistance to electricity at a rate of 100x per second," Sekhri says. "It then automatically adjusts the microcurrent (in just 0.002 seconds - quicker than you can even think of blinking!) to best suit your skin for an unwavering quality of treatment every time."

Assured that I would definitely not get shocked, plus the knowledge that microcurrent can help reduce fine lines, tone, and brighten your complexion over time, I was convinced to give it a chance, and I'm so glad I did.

After several weeks of using it, I've loved the ritual of applying a semi-generous amount of FOREO's SERUM SERUM SERUM (using a water-based serum like this one is essential for conducting the microcurrent to your muscles, and this one also contains moisturizing ingredients such as squalane and hyaluronic acid) before using the device, and moving it over my face for each spa-like treatment. And my skin has been loving it too, considering my complexion definitely looks tighter and more youthful than it did when I was just relying on all those products around my bathtub.

Lindsay Guim, Senior Designer

As someone who enjoys a good round of gua sha (which is a traditional Chinese medicine practice) before bed, I was looking forward to trying out the BEAR since I experience a lot of facial tension and have been on the hunt for another tool to add to my skin-care arsenal. This was my first experience with a microcurrent device and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to use, and how relaxing the treatments using the adjustable T-Sonic pulsations felt.

I appreciate that you’re able to manually adjust the settings, making it possible to cater to how my skin is reacting that day—a lower microcurrent intensity for sensitive days and a higher one for the days when I want an extra boost. I used the product with my usual skin-care routine and found that it actually helped work the products into my skin better—allowing me to tap into more youth-boosting benefits all around. Immediately after use, my skin looks and feels tighter and smoother, which is nice. I think moving forward I will focus on worry areas, like my jawline and cheekbones, for some added lift and definition.

Erin Flynn, Senior Editor

If I could sum up my FOREO BEAR review in one phrase, it would be "self care." As a wellness editor, I write about the term self care constantly, but I recently realized that proximity doesn't equal benefit—aka, talking about self care all day doesn't give you the same perks of actually doing it. (Sounds like a no-brainer, but it was a bit of an a-ha moment for this over-stressed editor.)

My new search for a self-care practice that would dedicate some time just for myself each day led me to the BEAR, and it was exactly what I needed. The device connects to an app on your phone that allows you to queue up treatments named after workouts (since the microcurrent facials have been likened to a workout for your face thanks to their lifting and toning effect on the 65+ muscles in your face and neck), and it plays soothing music while you follow along.

Each treatment takes less than three minutes, which was short enough that it didn't feel like an overwhelming addition to my nightly routine, but just long enough that it made me feel more relaxed before getting into bed. After a few weeks of using it, my stress levels are more at bay, my complexion is loving the smoothing, firming effect of my regular microcurrent facials (my skin definitely looks plumper immediately after using the device), and I'm totally sold on the benefit of actually having a self-care routine.

Images: Well+Good Creative