Regardless of your kids’ ages, if you’re a mother, chances are you often feel exhausted and it reflects on your appearance. As a mother myself, I completely understand. From the disrupted sleep in the early days to the energy needed to keep up with a toddler, the daily juggling act during school years, all the way to the hormonal rollercoaster of the teenage years, and that’s without considering your own hormone changes. Motherhood is truly a whirlwind! While endless cups of coffee and rejuvenating yoga sessions can help you get through the day, the signs of fatigue and aging on your face cannot be easily concealed. That’s why I want to discuss the concept of facial exercise and introduce you to BEAR, a beauty technology device from FOREO Sweden that is enhancing my skincare regimen.
Understanding Facial Exercise
Simply put, facial exercise entails workouts specifically designed for the face. Just as we exercise our bodies to achieve a toned and sculpted appearance, we can do the same for our facial muscles.
As we age, everything tends to loosen up. The skin starts to sag, muscles weaken, and our skin loses its natural glow. These are normal aging processes. Factors like inadequate sleep, dehydration, sun exposure, stress, poor skincare, and habits like eye-rubbing or straw-sipping can accentuate these signs, making them more prominent and faster to appear. I’m not blaming the kids, but boy, they really know how to tire us out, don’t they?!
So, what can be done about it? How can we venture into facial exercise? There are various ways to give your face a workout. Techniques like facial yoga and movement-based exercises can help tighten facial muscles, reducing the appearance of wrinkles. However, today I want to introduce a method that can give you a firmer, more toned complexion in just 3 minutes of your daily skincare routine; let’s talk about BEAR.
Benefits of BEAR
BEAR is a stylish handheld device, roughly palm-sized, with two metal balls at one end. It utilizes microcurrents and T-Sonic™ pulsations to give targeted facial muscles a quality workout. Now, I realize this may sound complex – “microcurrents”, “T-Sonic pulsations” – what does it all mean? In simple terms, it’s electricity! Microcurrent technology uses low-frequency electrical currents to stimulate the muscles beneath the skin, which eventually aids in collagen production, tightening, toning, and sculpting. Imagine how your muscles feel after doing bicep curls; that’s what BEAR is doing for the muscles in your face. It’s like an at-home spa-grade, non-invasive facelift, and I am completely supportive of that.
Let’s touch on collagen, the holy grail of youthful skin, for a moment. Collagen, a protein naturally produced by our bodies throughout life, diminishes with age. Collagen production starts declining by 1% per year around the age of 25, accelerating to 5% during the perimenopausal years, and plummeting by 30% annually when women reach menopause. Collagen plays a key role in maintaining skin elasticity and firmness. Think of it as scaffolding for our muscles and skin: abundant collagen holds everything securely in place, firm and taut. However, lower collagen levels signify weakened scaffolding, resulting in sagging skin and the appearance of wrinkles. It’s goodbye to youthful bounce, hello to saggy lines.
However, there’s hope! While the odds may be against us, we can aid collagen production with tools like BEAR. The microcurrent technology in BEAR aids collagen production, reinforcing our skin’s scaffolding, making it firm and resilient once again.
Using BEAR
First and foremost, don’t worry. While it may seem like a hassle to figure out how to use it, or you might fear the prospect of electrocution, rest assured, you won’t get an electric shock from using BEAR. It is the only at-home microcurrent device featuring the Anti-Shock System™, an ingenious built-in mechanism that adjusts intensity for complete safety. And no, it won’t hurt. You’ll feel a fizzy tingling sensation, but if you’ve applied a water-based serum beforehand, the device will glide smoothly across your skin without causing discomfort.
Now that’s settled, let me guide you through using BEAR. Similar to FOREO’s other devices like UFO and LUNA 3, BEAR is a rechargeable device that can be linked via Bluetooth to the free FOREO app on your phone. Once connected, you can select from various settings, including:
- 5 intensity levels – It’s advisable to start at a low intensity and gradually increase.
- Basic or Pro intensity options – Stick to Basic for consistent long-term use, while Pro offers a stronger workout, so start slow and build up.
- 3 Preset facial workouts – Total Facial Knockout (2.5 minutes for overall toning and sculpting), Contour Cardio (2.1 minutes targeting fine lines around the mouth and cheekbone contours), Gentle V-Shape Yoga (2.5 minutes for relaxation).
Once you’ve customized your settings on the app, simply follow the guided instructions, which will include serum application. I recommend using FOREO’s Serum Serum Serum, a water-based blend of hyaluronic acid and squalane that aids in conducting microcurrents beneath the skin’s surface. After using BEAR for some time, you may not even need the app anymore, and that’s perfectly fine – it works seamlessly with or without it. That’s all there is to it. An energizing facial workout of professional quality that targets and tones the 69 muscles in your face and neck, delivering lasting results when used consistently, regardless of life’s challenges.
Unfortunately, I can’t offer solutions to getting your kids to sleep, preventing early wake-ups, or dealing with your moody teen (seriously, if you have advice on this, please share!), but I can confidently say that a consistent facial exercise routine combined with tools like BEAR can help rejuvenate your skin and confidence.
mention is that through incorporating BEAR into your daily 6-minute skincare regimen, you can effectively conceal signs of fatigue and stress.
My Encounter With BEAR
Improvements may become apparent after the initial application of BEAR, albeit one would need to meticulously examine every small detail of their complexion to truly discern any significant changes. It’s akin to undertaking your first workout at the gym—attending a single session won’t instantly transform you into the toned and athletic goddess you aspire to be, but your muscles will undoubtedly feel firmer, elongated, and radiant; the same principle applies to your facial muscles, progress takes time. According to FOREO, to achieve noticeable enhancements, consistent daily use of BEAR for approximately 2 months is necessary. Now, full disclosure, I strive for honesty, so I won’t deceive you into thinking that I have diligently adhered to this routine every single day for the past 2 months because I haven’t. I’ve been using BEAR for around 3 weeks now, and although my skin is far from flawless, I have started observing some favorable changes that I greatly appreciate.
My skin is exhibiting increased firmness, leading to a reduction in the visibility of certain lines. I’ve been troubled by enlarged pores for an extended period, a factor that likely contributes to the hormonal acne flare-ups I experience monthly; however, since integrating BEAR into my routine, these outbreaks have noticeably lessened, and my complexion feels smoother and less irritated as a consequence. I struggle with consistency in routines, it takes me time to fully instill good habits, but what I find appealing about BEAR and all the other FOREO devices I’ve utilized is their efficiency and simplicity. They effortlessly blend into my morning rituals, saving precious time that can be allocated to other pursuits. Waking up with a fresh face is a rejuvenating experience, providing a boost of energy and vitality, making you feel prepared to take on the day ahead (pardon the pun!) So, while I may still feel like a fatigued mother, my external appearance no longer reflects that.
