Foreo Luna 3 review: expensive but essential addition to your cleansing routine

Writing a Foreo Luna 3 review should, in theory, be easy. After all, it’s the answer to the question ‘do you need a smart device that costs three figures to wash your face?’ But the truth is that while of course, you don’t need a Foreo Luna 3, after two and a half months of daily use, this reviewer can officially say that you absolutely wouldn’t regret the investment. Smart beauty tech is only getting smarter and the Foreo Luna 3 is a particularly impressive gadget. 

If you haven’t heard of the company or somehow avoided seeing it crop up on Instagram, the Swedish brand Foreo offers vast swathes of colourful smart devices that all promise to glow up your skin in a variety of ways. Each device connects to the Foreo app via Bluetooth and comes with set treatments. The Luna 3 is the cleansing and massage option; a large egg-shaped device with hundreds of silicone brushes that Foreo call ‘touchpoints’ that pulsate in sixteen different pulse settings. Let’s break down how they measure up in this Foreo Luna 3 review.

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Foreo Luna 3 review: Price

First off, the perfectly plucked eyebrow-raising bit. Whether you choose the pink normal skin, blue combination skin, purple sensitive skin, or the mens ‘manly’ gothic black option (because Batman clearly cleanses this way), the Foreo Luna 3 is priced at £169/AU$299. Offers might take it below that but this is the set price you’ll see across online beauty sites and on the high street. 

The good news is that this is smart tech so Luna models are a bit like iPhones. The Luna 2 is still available in 4 varieties at £149/AU$269 and the original Luna is sitting at £109/AU$209 but the big difference between the generations is the number of touchpoints. More than half of the Luna 3 is covered in brush heads for improved cleansing compared to only a small number on the original Luna. There’s also the tiny Luna Go at £85/AU$149 to throw into a travel bag but again, this offers a significantly smaller cleansing area. 

In terms of competition with other brands, there are, of course, cheaper non-app connected options. Boots offers a Sonic Action Cleansing Brush for £29.95 but you will need to replace the heads occasionally for £9.95 for 2 and keep it stocked up with AAA batteries. The Luna 3 is a higher investment but it does mean you don’t need to think about buying anything else and the rechargeable battery lasts for an impressive 650 uses before it needs to be plugged in.

Foreo Luna 3 review: Design & features 

This is a review of the pink normal skin version of the Luna 3 but the design and features of each one are identical other than what appears to be a slight difference in the brushes. Each one has these soft silicone brushes on one side and a series of ridges on the other for use as a massage tool. 

The Luna 3 will sit happily on a bathroom shelf with its minimalist design and when you do eventually come to charge it with the USB cable included in the box, the charging port is easy to access on the back of the device. 

A button turns the Luna 3 on for use and you don’t actually have to connect to the app every time you use it. A set 2 minute cleanse will start at the press of a button and means you don’t need to constantly have your phone with you in the bathroom. 

After use, all you need to do is wash the brush surface with soap and warm water to clean the bristles and it’s ready to go for the next day. 

The Foreo app itself is easy to download and set up and connects speedily to the device via Bluetooth. Visiting the treatments section of the app automatically connects the device and from there you can choose your settings for cleansing. 

There are also a selection of two-minute massage options in the app to use with the ridged side of the device. These initially feel a little silly as you mimic the perfect skinned model on-screen but quickly become intuitive and feel surprisingly good.

Foreo Luna 3 review: Use

But how does it actually perform? Does it magically de-age your face ten years? Well no, but after two and a half months of daily use with a regular cleanser, this reviewer can confirm softer, more hydrated skin and significantly fewer spots and flare-ups. 

The default two-minute cleansing treatment means that using the Luna 3 doesn’t feel like an agonising addition as it’s routine you would be performing anyway. All you’re doing is applying cleanser straight onto the Luna 3 instead of your hands and it means that you actually take time to properly wash your face without it feeling like a chore.  

Running the buzzing touchpoints over your face does feel strange at first but there’s an immediate refreshing sensation afterwards and, while obviously, all skin will differ, no anger or redness. 

Serum and moisturiser applied afterwards feels smoother to apply and soaks in perfectly before bed. And if two minutes feels like a long time to be washing your face, you can easily reduce the time and up the intensity in the settings of the app. 

A double press of the button will start a preprogrammed personalised option so if you want to turn everything up to 16 for an intense session it’s easy to configure.

Foreo Luna 3 review: Verdict

Yes, it’s expensive but the Foreo Luna 3 consistently delivers a hassle-free cleansing experience that feels like it genuinely improves the appearance and feel of your skin. The massage option is a nice touch and the fact that you can fully personalise the routine feels like a game-changer for busy days where you still need to find time to do the important things.

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