How the Foreo Bear changed my skincare routine (and my face…)

This Foreo Bear Review contains affiliate links and was updated in September 2024

The older I get, the more I start to realise that, when it comes to ageing, it’s not the wrinkles you have to worry about – it’s the sagging.

No one ever warns you about the sagging, do they? Probably because there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it – facelifts aside, obviously. There is no lotion or potion in the world that can put your sagging jowls back where they used to be once they’ve started the journey south, and that’s one of the greatest tragedies of life, I think, because, WOW, why is my skin trying to escape my face, all of a sudden?

There is, however, the Foreo Bear (BUY IT HERE): a little facial toning device which claims to provide “the ultimate workout for your face” and an easy – if pricey – way to “sculpt” your face, and make everything look a little bit firmer, tighter, and <whispers>younger.

So, a facelift … but without the surgery, basically. 

Naturally, then, I had to have one. Because, no, I NEVER learn.

What is the Foreo Bear?

In their own words, it’s…:

…the world’s first microcurrent device with Anti-Shock System^™, BEAR^™ combines FDA-cleared anti-aging microcurrent tech with T-Sonic^™ massage to safely & effectively train & tone the 65+ muscles in your face & neck with pro-level power, for lasting results. Offering the same treatments found at celebrity spas, BEAR^™ helps improve facial contour, sagging & the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles in just 2 mins, so your inner esthetician can enjoy a professional spa routine from the comfort of home.

So, it’s a straight-up miracle treatment, in other words: a kind of easy alternative to facial yoga, which will lift, sculpt and tone your facial muscles in just a few minutes per day. I was ALL IN. But would my “inner esthetician” be suitably impressed, I wondered? Well, let’s see…

Using the Foreo Bear Facial Toning Device

For the best results, the Foreo Bear should be used at least once per day, and before you start you’ll have to apply a serum to the areas you’ll be targetting, which provides a conductive layer for the micro-current.

Foreo recommend their own crazily expensive serum, and provide a small sample of this along with the facial toning device itself. The serum in the sample was, admittedly, very nice, but, at £56 for 30ml (Yes, you are reading that correctly…) this is a great way to make an already-expensive treatment even pricier, so I was relieved to find at least one Foreo Bear review claiming that any water-based serum will do – and even more relieved to discover that pretty much ALL of the many serums already in my stash were, in fact, water-based. Win!

The treatment itself involves placing the device against your serum-soaked skin, and then moving it upward and outward, while pressing down firmly (but not too firmly, obviously…) to target the muscle underneath. To help you with this, you can download the Foreo app, which will walk you through a set of routines demonstrated by a very young and attractive model, who definitely doesn’t need to use a facial toning device (unless, of course, she’s actually 102, in which case, WOW, I’ma buy at least two more of these things…). If you prefer, however, you can choose to simply use the “manual” option, which allows you to start the device, and just freestyle it. In my case, I diligently followed the videos for the first couple of weeks, after which I switched to the manual option. Essentially, as long as you’re always moving the device in the correct direction (i.e. up and out, rather than dragging the face downwards), it will work its magic, so it’s totally up to you how you use it.

Here’s a handy video I made of how I use it on my jawline, in a bid to try to sculpt the area and get rid of the dreaded jowls…

Does the Foreo Bear hurt?

One of the big selling points of the Foreo Bear, as opposed to other facial toning devices, is the Bear’s Anti-Shock System, which constantly adjusts the intensity to make sure you don’t get an electric shock from it. Having been using it regularly for over a year now, I can confirm that this claim is legit, and the only shock I’ve had from it is the one I got when I saw the price tag.

It does, however, create a range of interesting sensations: when I use it on my forehead, for instance, the hairs around my brow will literally stand on end when the device gets close to them, and last week I discovered a certain point on my chin which, when the current is applied, makes the corner of my mouth twitch. Yes, I might have tried it a few times, just for kicks. I… don’t get out much.

Which brings us to the important part: the results!

One month of Foreo Bear use…

No Foreo Bear review would be complete without some decent before and after photos, but, unfortunately for you guys, this is MY blog you’re reading, and you should know by now that I suck at taking before and after photos. Sorry about me.

For the first month I owned the Foreo Bear, I used it faithfully, ever single day. 

From the very first use, my face felt instantly tighter. I’m not sure it looked any different at that point, but I could definitely feel a difference, by day 4 I could see one, too, although it was more of an an, “I think I look a bit better than usual today,” kind of a difference rather than anything specific. With that said, my mum did tell me I was “looking nice” when she saw me on day 3, and people don’t generally tend to comment on my appearance much these days, so maybe I have the Foreo Bear to thank for that, too?

After that, I continued to notice subtle improvements in the condition of my skin, but, again, nothing that I could really pinpoint by saying, “It’s THIS: this particular wrinkle has disappeared!” or “That sagging jowl is less saggy!”

The good news is that, at the end of my 30 day experiment, my skin looks healthier than it has in years: maybe even ever. It’s smooth, soft, clear, and the large pores which have plagued me for most of my life seem to have shrunk. So, in terms of the condition of my skin, I couldn’t have been happier. Now it was just a case of remembering to keep on using it…

My Foreo Bear Review many months later…

At the time of updating this post, I’ve owned the Foreo Bear for three whole years, and I have to admit right upfront that my use of the device has been sporadic at best.  

I’ll also just admit here that this is very much a “me” problem than a problem with the device itself; basically, I’m pretty lazy and tired, and when it gets to the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is add yet another step to my skincare routine. So, although I’ve owned the device for three years now, I haven’t been using it solidly for three years, and that’s why I still don’t have a snatched jaw and sculpted cheekbones. Woe! 

But, of course, that doesn’t mean you won’t get those results. 

What I DO notice about the Foreo Bear is that every time I start using it again after a period of allowing it to gather dust in my bathroom cabinet, I notice a near-instant improvement in my skin. By that I mean my face feels instantly tighter, and when I finish my routine, I definitely think it looks more ‘sculpted’. For that reason, even if I haven’t been using it every day, I WILL always use it if I have something important on, like a big night out, say, or just any kind of event I want to feel my best for. 

Within a couple of days, meanwhile, I’ll start to notice changes in the texture of my skin, which will start to feel much smoother, meaning my makeup goes on easier and looks better. I really hesitate to use the word ‘glow’ here, because I feel like it’s one of those over-used, kind of meaningless terms invented by the beauty industry, but in this case it’s the closest I can get to describing the difference it makes. 

Do I still have fine lines, and rather more in the way of jowls that I’d like? Yes. But people are always surprised when I tell them my age, too, and I think this little device is one of the reasons for that. It’s NOT, by any means, a miracle cure for all of the signs of ageing; for me, though, it IS far, far more effective than any of the millionty-one skin creams and potions I’ve tried, so, in that respect, it’s definitely paid for itself in the time I’ve had it. 

Have you written a Foreo Bear review of your own? I’d love to hear it…

If you’re interested in Microcurrent devices, or anti-ageing in general, you might also like to read these posts…

• Currentbody LED Mask Review
• Currentbody LED Lip Perfector review
• How to prevent sleep lines