I Bought A $200 Vibrating Sponge, and I'm Not Even Mad About It (Foreo Luna 2 Review)

A few years ago, I started seeing rave reviews for this contraption...

Foreo Luna 2 for Men

That's the Foreo Luna 2 Facial Cleansing Brush, and at the time, it was selling for around $200. Crazy, right? But the craziest part was that the reviews were AMAZING. Right now on Amazon, it has a 4.4/5 star-rating. People love this thing. So the first time I saw it on sale, I sprung for it. But I should probably explain WTF this thing does before I explain why you should buy one.

Basically, this is a sonic toothbrush for your face. The shell is made from silicone, and it has a variety of bristles and bumps on both sides. After you charge the waterproof unit (with a proprietary USB cable which is my only major gripe beside the steep price), you push the button, and it'll start to vibrate. These sonic vibrations supposedly clean, exfoliate, and prep your face for shaving - Foreo even claims that using the Luna 2 before shaving will double the life of your razors. How much money do you spend on razors? Imagine cutting that budget in half. That's a lot of savings if this thing actually works. But does it work? Well... Yes, and maybe.

Wait, you say. You're telling me to shell out a shit-ton of money for this doohicky, and you don't even know whether it actually works? Yaaaasssss.  And here's why.

First of all, I must point out that dermatologists recommend washing your face with your fingees, and I'm assuming you already have a full set those. You don't need to buy a vibrating device to wash your face or to prep your beard. In my estimation, this thing works about as well as washing your face with your bare hands. Foreo tells me the sonic vibrations are doing something, and I'll just take their word for it. I didn't notice any big change in my skin or in my razor budget after I started using it. That said, using the Luna 2 is like getting a lovely facial massage every time you use it. And it doesn't take any extra time because you have to wash your face anyway. So as a facial cleansing device, I don't think it's worth the exorbitant price. But as a relaxing facial massager that also happens to clean your face, it's worth every penny.

Here's how it works. The first time you press the button, a cleaning cycle begins. If you've ever used a sonic toothbrush, this basically works the same way. The unit vibrates as you rub it lightly across your face along with your favorite cleanser. Every 15 seconds, it rumbles to let you know it's time to move on to a different zone, and after 1 minute, it rumbles twice to tell you it's time to stop. Push the button again to pause the unit, and rinse your face. But we're only half-way done.

The next time you push the button, an "Anti-aging Massage Cycle" begins. The unit begins to vibrate again, but this time it doesn't feel like a sonic toothbrush. This time, the vibrations are timed to make you go brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr as you drool into the shower. And I DO mean that as a compliment. Like before, the unit rumbles every 15 seconds and then rumbles twice after 1 minute. I regularly ignore that 1-minute-mark and keep going until I'm damn well ready to shut it off. And boy, does it feel great. I haven't heard anyone else mention this, but the combination of vibration plus steam from the shower really helps to open up my sinuses, too. You can adjust the intensity of the vibrations, and the experience is delightful, soothing, and very relaxing.

Foreo Luna 2 for Combination Skin - notice the bristles are different

Right now, you're probably thinking all that sounds great, but the last thing you want is another device you need to charge. Well, Foreo claims this device will provide 450 uses between charges. And they're not wrong. This thing goes MONTHS between charges - even with two of us sharing it. It only needs to be charged 2-3 times per year. It's pretty miraculous in that regard.

In addition to the men's version pictured above, which is made for use on tough facial hair, Foreo also produces versions designed specifically for oily skin, sensitive skin, normal skin, and combination skin. The only difference (besides the color) is the shape of the silicone bristles. Foreo also makes an older version, a newer version, 3 mini versions, an app-controlled version, and a travel version (just off the top of my head). But I've been sharing the men's version with a woman for the past 2 years, and we both love it. So I wouldn't worry too much about which model you choose except to say that I don't think I would enjoy the mini versions because I have giant sausage fingers. If you have normal, human-sized fingers, YMMV. Basically, just buy whichever model is on sale. Which brings me to...

The men's version is only $126.75 at Amazon right now. Am I seriously suggesting that you spend THAT MUCH money on a vibrating facial sponge? I'm as shocked as you. But yup. Buy it. Thank me later.

Now I'm off for my daily drool in the shower.