Foreo Luna 4 Review: Why This Facial Tool Is Worth It

worth it graphic overlayed with foreo luna 4 — (Image credit: Future)

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Foreo Luna 4 Facial Cleansing & Firming Device for Sensitive Skin

The Promise

It’s hard to talk about beauty tech without diving deep into Foreo. Don’t get me wrong, brands like NuFace, Droplette, and Dr. Dennis Gross have, and continue to, revolutionize the skincare space, but Foreo is one of the few brands that creates innovations across a handful of categories, from microcurrent therapy to at-home facial tools. Their newest tool, however, is an upgraded edition of their beloved Luna 3, very appropriately called the Luna 4. The cleansing device didn’t just get a cosmetic facelift (although it’ll give you a similar effect)—it got an overhaul. This go-round, it’s entirely customizable.

There are three heads to choose from depending on your skin type: sensitive, balanced, and combination. From there, you can select one of three cleansing speeds (gentle, regular, and deep) and 16 different pulsation options. Each was designed with bacteria-resistant, wildly soft silicone bristles at varying densities. The back side doubles as a superpowered sculpting tool. Think: A gua sha on steroids. Perhaps the most exciting new feature, however, is the Foreo app. It syncs with your device and provides a guided cleansing routine as well as a range of firming massages that boost lymphatic drainage, increase circulation, and contour. You just plug in your preferences and let the tech take over.

Why I'm Obsessed

Pardon the cliche, but honesty is the best policy. And when it comes to this cleansing tool, I’ll shamelessly say my hopes were non-existent. On the floor. Ground zero. You get the point. I have really, really, really sensitive skin that turns into a red mess of broken blood vessels if I toss funny in my sleep—let alone go to town exfoliating with a bristly brush. Alas, I’m in the business of trying products for a living. So, here goes nothing.

I unboxed my pretty purple tool and did a little touch test. The bristles felt more like a plush toy than they did an exfoliation mechanism. Interesting. I pressed the power button and felt out the varying vibrations and cleansing modes. Intense. While I could have gone straight into cleansing or massage mode, I decided to link my device to the app. It was a super simple process (just scan the barcode) and then gave me access to tutorials, a skin quiz, preferences, and guided massages.

Once that was done, I wet my face, applied my cleanser, and pressed start on the app. With that, everything became automatic. The app controlled the device and showed me exactly where and how to move it across my skin. I was fully prepared to pull the device away if it felt too harsh, but I pinky promise I didn’t even cross my mind. It didn’t tug, scrape, or create any tension whatsoever on my skin. After 60 seconds I splashed my face with water and pat it dry. There was no makeup residue on the towel. That never happens (!!). Fast forward through a very intense inspection in a magnifying mirror, and I was sold. My skin looked glowy, the flaky patch of skin on the left side of my mouth was gone, and my face felt a different type of clean. Like, post-facial, post-extraction clean.

Now it was time to test drive the facial massage feature. After applying a water-like serum, I selected the “Contour Crazy” guided facial, which promises to contour, firm, and define the jaw bone and cheeks. With facial massagers, or any kind of skin-tightening-firming-lifting-tool for that matter, I'm perpetually unclear if I’m using it properly. But with the app, there’s zero question. The app controls the pressure and duration, while the model on screen demonstrates how to glide the tool. It’s so easy—and the results are visible off the bat. Granted, it’s not going to be as lifting as something like microcurrent, but I will say that my face looked substantially de-puffed.

Cut to a few weeks later, and this has become the MVP of my skincare routine. I haven’t had a little bump or breakout, my pores look smaller, and my skin looks extra healthy. Standing by my “honesty is the best policy” motto, I can confidently say this is worth the splurge.

Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.