Foreo, the Swedish beauty tech company known for its Luna sonic cleansing facial brush, launched a new body-toning iteration of its popular Bear device franchise on Tuesday. Foreo’s original Bear device franchise was launched in 2020 and touted as the first FDA-cleared microcurrent device available. The brand’s Bear 2 franchise is marketed as the strongest microcurrent device available today.
The Bear 2 franchise now features four tools that use the company’s microcurrent technology. Its first three releases, rolled out in 2023, target the face and include the Bear 2 face tool, which is marketed to replace facelifts and Botox. Meanwhile, the Bear 2 Eye and Lip tool is said to plump and firm the delicate skin around the eyes and lips, and the Bear 2 Go is a mini version of the face tool and meant to offer similar results while traveling. They sell for $329, $253 and $279, respectively.
On Tuesday, the company launched Bear 2 Body, which was designed to tone and firm skin on the body using a cocktail of the company’s technologies found across its portfolio, including two types of microcurrent and a massage function. The product is being marketed as a solution for cellulite and sagging skin.
According to market research company Mintel, 41% of consumers use some kind of skin-care device at home. In a 2023 report created by the firm, it found that daily device use increased from 31% in 2021 to 44% in 2023. In the same 2023 study, Mintel found that 34% of current beauty device users plan to purchase a second device within the next 12 months, and among non-users, 16% said they were interested in buying a beauty device within the next six months.
Foreo’s new release provides competition to other body-firming devices, topical creams, manual devices and supplements that target cellulite.
According to a peer-reviewed article published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, 80-90% of women have some form of cellulite — mostly on their thighs, buttocks and hips — which includes “dimples and depressions, producing an uneven surface to the skin.” The cause of cellulite is linked to hormones, genetics and lifestyle, but is not fully understood. Cellulite impacts mostly post-pubescent women.
On Tiktok, the search term #cellulite has been used to tag more than 163,000 posts and features a mix of treatments, products and body-positive messaging. Posts sharing body-positive messaging about cellulite encourage viewers to accept cellulite instead of seeking solutions and often repeat one popular mantra: “The best cure for cellulite is better lighting.”
The top competition for Foreo’s Bear 2 Body appears to be the NuFace Body Toning device, which launched in 2022. It sells for $399 through U.S. retailers including Sephora, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Revolve and Bloomingdales, as well as direct-to-consumer.
As these devices target luxury shoppers, retailers also stock less expensive solutions.
For example, creams and serums from popular brands that target cellulite and sagging skin include Clarins’s Body Fit Active Gel Cream for $78, Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum firming cream for $48 and Shani Darden’s Body Reform Treatment for $72.
In 2023, Charlotte Tilbury entered the cellulite space with a body iteration of the brand’s popular Magic Cream for face, which launched in 2014. The brand’s Magic Body Cream sells for $65 and is available at Ulta Beauty and Sephora.
In June, Kourtney Kardashian added a cellulite-focused supplement to her vitamin line with Lemme Smooth Cellulite Support & Skin Smoothing. The capsules sell for $40 for a one-month supply and feature enzymes and botanicals the brand says smooth and plump skin. They’re currently available DTC on Lemme’s site.
