Between school, work, traveling, eating, sleeping and somehow trying to have a social life, it can be hard to find time to pamper yourself even a little, including facial masks.
Facial masks, like sheet masks, are all the rage, but let’s face it. They can be a bit cumbersome to use, fragile and aren’t something that you can apply and then go and do something like shopping for food or take a train.
There are masks that you can apply, wait 10 to 30 minutes to dry while you hope you don’t fall asleep before that, and have enough energy to get up and rinse it off. Needless to say I was looking for some alternatives.
While scouring the shelves of my local Sephora, I came across a device that makes applying masks easy, quick (90 seconds!) and it can be used on the go: Foreo’s UFO mini. The UFO Mini is a palm sized device that allows you to apply masks with the use of RGB (red, green and blue) LED technology along with heat and pulsating settings all within 90 seconds.
How do you use it?
You simply remove the plastic round circle that is in the indentation of the device, insert the mask, replace the circle and turn the device on. Their accompanying app makes it even easier to use as the app wirelessly sends the setting that accompanies the foreo mask by just scanning the mask’s barcode to your device. However, that function only works if you are using a Foreo mask.
The app also guides you as to where and when to move the device around your face. You don’t need the app to use the device. The on/off button also allows you to adjust the settings yourself.
As I mentioned, the UFO mini has multiple settings which include vibrations (what they call T-sonic pulsation) heating, which they refer to as “Thermo-Therapy”, along with the RGB LED light settings. They are all designed to help your skin absorb the mask better than just using a mask alone.
UFO Mini vs UFO: There are a few differences between the mini and the full sized UFO. The most obvious one being size as the mini is smaller and more portable. The mini only has a heat setting, while the full size has a cooling setting which they call cryotherapy. Because some masks use cryotherapy, there are certain masks that you can’t use because the mini only has the thermo-therapy. The mini is also about $100 less than the full size. I haven’t tried the full sized UFO so I can’t tell you what the cooling sensation feels like, but the warming sensation is very relaxing, calming and isn’t hot but merely feels like a warm compress. Once the treatment is over the heat on the device fades quickly so you don’t have to worry about where to put a hot device because it isn’t hot. The “Call it a Night” mask, which is designed to be used before bed, is the mask that comes with the device. It is night time mask that contains olive oil and ginseng. I found the mask to be hydrating, surprisingly not oily and it did not cause any breakouts.
I found the treatment to be very relaxing before bed. And since it only takes 90 seconds, I didn’t run the risk of falling asleep with the mask/device on.
I also use the morning mask, which contains Hyaluronic Acid and Red Algae Extract. This is one of my favorite masks. I find it makes my skin very soft and refreshed.
The masks range from $9.99 to $19.99 and comes with 6-7 masks depending on the type of mask. I love that it is palm sized and it takes only 90 seconds to apply the mask. I’ve literally done it while waiting for class to start. You can get the device and masks at multiple retailers including Sephora as well as on Foreo’s online store.
If you are a mask junkie who has trouble fitting in some much deserved pampering I highly suggest you check out Foreo UFO Mini.