This UFO Face Mask Incredibly Transformed My Skin In 90 Seconds
An out-of-this-world face mask ... literally
vasanty / Shutterstock, Micki Spollen If you’re a beauty and skincare lover, chances are you have a stash of face masks for every purpose under the skin sitting in your bathroom. Chances also are they’ve been sitting there for a while because it’s just about impossible to find a spare 20 minutes to use them.
I mean, really. Have you ever tried to sit down and do nothing — and I mean absolutely nothing — for 20 minutes? If you’re anything like me, the answer is no, because you know sitting still and doing nothing is just about impossible unless you’re sleeping. And even that can be hard to achieve.
Face masks are great, and they do work. But finding the time to actually use them isn’t always easy. Plus, they’re not all that practical. They’re gooey, they slide around everywhere, and did I mention they take really frickin’ long?
Good news: there’s a new face mask for acne in the beauty industry.
In January 2018, the Swedish beauty company FOREO which specializes in electronic skin and oral care unveiled its secretive UFO face mask device. “Face masks are the guilty pleasure of millions, but is lying under cold, wet sheets of paper the best we can do?” asked FOREO CEO Paul Peros in the press release leading up to FOREO’s announcement.
“After 4 years in development, FOREO’s designers and technicians have proven there is a better way.”
That “better way” is a small device (called UFO after ‘Ur Future Obsession’) that promises the full benefits of a traditional face mask plus those of LED light treatment. “UFO’s Hyper-Infusion Technology uses your skin’s natural reactions to heat and cold as well as signature T-Sonic pulsations to ensure you get the most out of every mask treatment,” claims the FOREO site.
The best part? It only takes 90 seconds. Sold.
To really harp on the point that I apparently have very little free time, once I finally received my UFO it took me another month and a half to actually take the 90 seconds out of my day to actually try it.
The device came with FOREO’s Make My Day face mask, formulated to hydrate your skin and protect it from pollutants. The instructions told me (side note: read the instructions because the product isn’t all that intuitive at first glance) to place the little circular device under its clear ring.
I then hit the button, and watched, likely with a confused look on my face while I wondered when I was supposed to place the product on my face, the UFO flash white and then purple until it finally turned red. When it turned red, I begin moving it around my cheeks and chin.
After a few seconds, it started vibrating, which FOREO explains is meant to help “boost absorption of active mask ingredients and promote micro-blood circulation for radiant, healthier-looking skin.”
The red color was followed by a warming feeling which was just subtle enough that I thought it was all in my head at first. However, the UFO’s site description claims that its use of heat “relaxes, soothes and revitalizes mind and body,” and “infuses active mask ingredients into the deepest layers of skin, making them more effective in less time.”
For its next trick, the UFO turned green, which FOREO explains is its “cryotherapy mode,” designed to “lift and firm skin” and “diminish the appearance of pores and reduce puffiness.”
As the 90 seconds came to an end, the vibration slowed before it finally turned off. It’s possible that a blue light followed the green as explained on the site, but I didn’t notice a color change. The device also comes with an app that supposedly tells you when your 90-second treatment is over, but I didn’t use it because I am lazy. And it was fine because I could tell it was over when it stopped buzzing.
So, does it work?
Short answer: yes! It certainly made my skin softer and alleviated the patchy redness. And the obvious plus is that it did all of that in just 90 seconds.
I also deal with hormonal acne on the reg — you know, those big, deep pimples that take forever to go away and scar when they finally do. Here’s to hoping regular UFO treatments can help relieve that as well!
One caveat: the FOREO UFO retails at a whopping $279, so if you only indulge in face masks every once in a while, the bang might not be big enough for your buck. However, if face masks and facials are your lifeblood, the UFO is your new best friend.
Micki Spollen is a YourTango editor and entertainment news writer. She also runs the travel blog Where In The World Is My Drink.