Cleansing brushes have come and gone since they first hit the beauty shelves and arguably that’s because none have been able to compete with the ground-breaking innovation of Foreo devices from the Swedish beauty-tech brand.

What sets the Foreo cleansing brushes apart from the rest, is the next-level design and technology. Since the first Luna debut, all the devices in the collection use silicone touch-points and sonic pulsations to clean and clear complexions of make-up, dirt and excess oil. There are no harsh bristle brushes to contend with or replace, which was part of the downfall of the Clarisonic.

Celebrities, beauty editors and influencers alike all sing the praises of the Foreo cleansing brushes, and the brand has a string of awards to boot too. It’s no surprise Foreo has seen its fair share of poor-in-quality budget imitations, just like Colin the Caterpillar, but they do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

The latest Foreo luna play smart 2 promises to be game-changing too. It offers a more tailor made cleanse, thanks to its ability to measure how healthy your skin is by analysing its moisture levels and then generating a personalised cleansing routine based on your skin’s needs.

We put the gadget to the test for one week, using it as part of our morning and evening skincare routine. Here’s what we thought.

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Foreo luna play smart 2

Design

Just like the Foreo brushes before it, this device uses soft, flexible, silicone touch-points combined with sonic pulsations (as many as up to 8000 pulses per minute) to gently brush across the top layer of the skin, removing it of make-up, dirt and excess oil, as well as sloughing away dead skin cells. Leaving skin clear of any barriers and ready for maximum skincare absorption.

Compared with other models this is smaller in size, but we found this made little difference to its performance as it fits into the contours of the face nicely. It’s made up of two sizes of touch-points, at the head is a broader selection making it easier to tip the brush for a deeper clean, we found this especially useful to get to the pores around the nose and chin.

Bacteria resistant silicone and a waterproof design also makes it a much more hygienic option, compared with other cleansing brushes. You simply wash with soap and dry to clean the device. Its conveniently waterproof design also makes it safe to use in the shower or bath – fitting easily into your daily routine, and you get 1000 uses before you have to change the battery.

How to use

To get the most out of this latest Foreo brush, you have to download the “Foreo for you” app to get a personalised skin analysis and routine. It’s easy to register, just make sure you’re in a strong wifi connection for your phone to sync with your device via Bluetooth. You’re then ready to measure the moisture levels in your skin.

The app tells you what to do, and it couldn’t be more straightforward. By holding the 24K gold-plated dual-sensors to each main area of the skin, the forehead, both cheeks and chin, for ten seconds each it tells you the condition of your skin with a numbered percentage, i.e. very dry, dry, normal.

The app then recommends the pulsation intensity and the duration you should clean each area of your skin for to get optimum results using the brush. It then saves this personalised routine to the device, so you can use it out of wifi too. Then use it like all other Luna models.

Apply your favourite cleanser and dampen your brush. Turn it on and use small circular motions for each area. It will pause briefly to tell you to move on to the next area. When it stops, rinse and dry your complexion ready for skincare. Simple.

The result

After the first skin analysis, we were shocked that the device was reading our skin to be “very dry” in parts – when we pride ourselves in layering our skincare well. But on reflection, it made us realise how lockdown has changed our daily routines so that we had made a bad habit of sometimes skipping certain moisturising skincare steps and not taking care of our skin from the inside out too.

Just like our daily step counter encourages us to move more, measuring your skin regularly helps you to look after your skin better. Once we mixed up our skincare routine and got on top of our daily water intake we saw the moisture levels rise.

When it comes to cleansing, there is no denying that adding this Foreo brush to a skincare routine, encourages a much more thorough cleanse. Partly, because it’s such a pleasure massaging your skin with it, but also because it is timed for you so you’re not tempted to cut the routine short.

Most importantly, the combination of measuring skin’s moisture levels and the threat of a more meticulous cleansing routine really does leave skin more soft and supple. Using it has become a personal competition, just like we aim for 10,000 steps a day, we want our moisture levels up to 100 per cent. And we can’t wait to see the on-going results.

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The verdict: Foreo luna cleansing brush

Foreo prides itself on being a beauty-tech pioneer, and we have to say they’ve outdone themselves once again as their luna play smart 2 has fast become an invaluable asset to our skincare routine. We’ve become mildly obsessed with measuring our skin moisture levels so we can constantly improve them, and anything that encourages you to look after your skin better is a winner in our book.

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We tried the Foreo luna play smart 2 cleansing brush that measures the moisture levels in your skin

Who doesn’t want healthy, glowing skin? We put this bespoke cleansing routine to the test to see if it delivers