A quick post today about the *Foreo UFO hack that I use. I know these devices are no longer as trendy, as LED masks are easier to obtain now that there are several models on the market. I also have an LED mask now, but even so, I still enjoy the Foreo UFO.
I am a sucker for new shiny things. Several years ago, I tried my sister’s Foreo Luna, and it was so damn relaxing, I washed my face twice! So when I found out Foreo were releasing an LED device with thermal (hot & cold) treatment capabilities, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I purchased it.
What I don’t like about the Foreo UFO
The system is designed to use one single use sheet mask per use of the device. This can get rather costly, not to mention wasteful, and bad for the environment. Each sheet mask is wrapped singly. And the device itself is already not cheap.
Another thing that irks me is, in order to activate all the programs, you need to be able to scan the barcode of all the different sheet masks they’ve developed for the UFO. It’s up to you whether you want buy all of them to scan. I find I tend to only use two of the programmes – the ones that come with the Call it a Night mask and H2Overdose mask. The Call it a Night programme is probably my favourite overall, because of a pulsation it has in the middle that none of the other programmes has. But I would not have bought the mask because the ingredients wouldn’t suit my skin – see my post here for more info. (The UFO comes with one Call it a Night mask).
I feel that for the price you’re paying for the device, you should be able to access all the programmes without having to buy the corresponding mask. The correspoding mask may not agree with you in terms of ingredients, but may be the one that provides the best sensory experience or may have the programme best suited for your skin’s needs. For e.g., the ingredients of H2Overdose are not exciting enough for me to want to buy them. But of all the programmes, it has the longest red LED cycle, which is what I’m most interested in. Annoying that you can’t discover that without buying the mask.
The Foreo UFO Hack
- Peel a cotton pad in half, in terms of thickness. So it’s half the thickness of normal. OR use one of the Muji peelable cotton pads. They are very thin.
- Wet it with rose water (regular water will do if you don’t have rose water). Once it’s damp, it is easier to clip it in place. I do not do this step if I am using the Muji peelable cotton because of how thin they are.
- Use your choice of serum or face mask. It needs to be something with a bit of slip, because you have to be able to rub it over your face without it catching.
Watch my Foreo UFO hack demo here!
Update: I’ve used it with the Derma E Overnight Hydrating Mask* and the Versed Look Alive Mask*. Of all of these, my favourite was probably the Versed Look Alive Mask. The Melvita Nectar de Roses face mask worked pretty well, and both this and the Versed Look Alive Mask were a pretty similar consistency to the branded sheet masks that come with this. I find using a gel-type mask works better than serum. I have tried it also with The Ordinary Buffet*, and also with aloe vera gel. Of all of these, my favourite was probably the Versed Look Alive Mask. (Essentially I ended up using the Derma E and the Melvita masks for this purpose because I really didn’t enjoy those individual products as face masks on their own).
I have also read of other people using rayon, which they cut into discs to fit.
It still doesn’t completely eliminate the waste problem however….
What I do like about the Foreo UFO
It’s quick. Every cycle is 90s long. So if you really don’t have much time, you can do one or a couple cycles and get on with your day. I subsequently purchased the Boost LED mask* by the Light Salon, because I wanted to be able to treat my whole face for longer and without having to use a mask or serum. But sometimes, you just don’t have time, or you’ve left it too late and you’re too tired to sit there for the full 10 min cycle of the LED mask. So in these cases, the Foreo UFO is nice as it’s only 90 seconds long and still works.
The thermal effect in the Foreo UFO is really nice. I don’t know if this does anything for the skin, but the warmth feels so good and it’s so relaxing. The cold one is nice also, but I tend to be always cold, so I rarely use the programmes with the cold treatment. However, I can say that if you have a lot of breakouts, the cold one does feel quite soothing over the pimples.
Does it work?
There is evidence behind LED, but I do not want to comment on this until I’ve had a chance to properly review the literature.
For today, I will say that I’ve found the most noticeable difference is on my hyperpigmentation. Whenever I get a spot, I get a hyperpigmented scar, which shows up quite dark on my fair skin. With the LED (even with the short duration of the Foreo UFO), I find that the hyperpigmentation fades within a few weeks. I still have hyperpigmented scars from 10 years ago that haven’t faded, even with all the vitamin C, retinol, and sunscreen in the world! But the LED makes them budge.
Critics have said that the amount of treatment you get in home devices is nil, and that you need to go to a salon. But as a predominantly home LED user, I can honestly say that even with as short a treatment as the Foreo UFO, done routinely, does have an effect.
Hope this Foreo UFO hack has helped, if you were contemplating getting a Foreo UFO or an LED mask like the Light Salon one.
Until next time x
* Indicates affiliate links. Should you choose to use my affiliate links, I will make a very small commission, which will help me run theartbeaute channels 🤍
Hi !! I will tell you the most fun part for using this UFO.. if you need more time for LED therapy of your choice, you dont need the Foreo Mask. Treatment for customised can be use if you open setting in app, than you can control which LED you want to and with tsonic or not, cool or heat..
Ps : LED can be mix , example red and blue become purple.. and this treatment can be used so long time until battery run out 😉 hehee
Hi, thanks for reaching out! Yes I have tried that function in the app, but you still have to apply something to the device, as it says it shouldn’t be used directly on the skin. x