Light up: The best LED masks to add to your beauty routine
Level up your skincare with the easiest non-invasive at-home treatment
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At-home skincare has never flourished as much as in the last couple of years. The trending DIY beauty and wellness movements have brought about easy access to the kind of professional equipment once reserved for salon visits and celebrities. Breaking out of facial clinics, LED masks have infiltrated skincare routines everywhere, with social media feeds crowded with videos of celebrities and influencers showing off the latest space-age device. If you’ve never used one, chances are, the sci-fi-looking beauty gadget feels slightly intimidating. But with the numerous benefits this non-invasive beauty treatment offers, it’s worth getting acquainted with.
What is LED Light Therapy?
While LED light therapy was first used as a medical treatment for lupus by scientist Niels Finsen in 1903, its potential for skincare was accidentally discovered by NASA. When studying the effects of LED light on plant growth in space, they discovered it worked well for healing wounds on astronauts. Various studies and widespread usage in skincare clinics have since culminated in at-home LED face masks.
LED therapy uses controlled levels of red, blue, and infrared light to help rejuvenate and repair the skin. Different wavelengths also help target a diverse range of skin concerns without causing any damage.
Do LED masks work for your skin?
Shortly put, yes. LED masks offer a host of benefits for your skin, including improving skin texture, reducing acne and pigmentation, and even boosting collagen and elastin production. While the masks provide immediate results with instantly glowing, plump, and radiant skin, it is important to note that best results will come from consistent use.
Which colour LED masks should you use?
Red Light: A commonly found setting in most LED masks, red light boosts collagen production and soothes redness and inflammation. Red light can help reduce the visibility of acne scarring for plumper, healthier, glowing skin.
Blue Light: This should be your go-to to treat acne-prone skin as it’s an antibacterial light that kills the bacteria that leads to breakouts. Blue light can help you achieve clear skin by purifying pores.
Yellow: While yellow light is harder to find in at-home LED masks, the colour is perfect for an immediate glow as it penetrates the top layer of the skin to make it more receptive to near-infrared lights like red and blue.
How should you use LED masks?
With all the technical jargon that accompanies an LED mask, you wouldn’t be remiss in thinking they’re difficult to use. However, it’s quite the opposite. Simply wash your face with a cleanser to remove makeup and excess oils and pop the mask on over clean skin. Be sure to keep eyes closed or covered during the treatment because, while the light has no long-lasting damaging effects, the brightness could cause irritation. Follow up with a hydrating serum or moisturiser for perfectly healthy skin from the inside out.
Here are the best LED masks to invest in for glowing skin.
Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite FaceWare Pro
This medical-grade FDA-approved mask is a cult favourite for a reason. The mask uses a combination of over 150 blue and red lights to penetrate the skin and reduce fine lines in two weeks. Use regularly for three minutes for reduced sun damage, increased elasticity, and a smooth complexion.
The Light Salon Boost LED Face Mask
Approved by Victoria Beckham and Alexa Chung, you can’t go wrong with this one. This lightweight and portable mask uses a combination of red and near-infrared lights to boost blood circulation, relax facial muscles, and increase production of collagen. It also reverses the damaging effects of environmental aggressors and smoothes fine lines and wrinkles. Recommended usage is for 10 minutes a few times a week followed by a serum for bright, hydrated skin.
MZ Skin LED 2.0 LightMAX Supercharged mask
A brilliantly flexible mask from Dr. Maryam Zamani, the MZ Skin mask is crafted with silicone that literally moulds around your skin and promises optimal light absorption. The device comes with two settings: a red and blue acne mode that decongests pores and clarifies the skin, and a red and infrared anti-ageing mode that stimulates collagen and increases blood circulation. A 10-30 minute treatment a couple of times a week will not only improve your skin overall, but will also help it respond better to other topical products.
Angela Caglia Cellreturn Platinum LED Mask
Created by celebrity aesthetician Angela Caglia, this wireless mask is the epitome of portable comfort. It features 1,026 lights that reach under the top layer of the skin and activate the cells to boost collagen production. It has an eight-minute treatment mode for a quick facial. You can also track your skin journey on the brand’s ‘CellReturn’ app.
CurrentBody LED Neck and Body Mask
A neck and chest entry into the mix, the CurrentBody mask uses 50 LED bulbs to improve skin tone, texture, and firmness. Your neck is usually the first indicator of ageing skin, so this device could prove important in reducing fine lines on the neck and could also help tighten sagging skin.
CurrentBody DermaFlux Flex MD LED Light Therapy Device
This powerful LED light therapy device is perfect if putting on a mask feels too claustrophobic. With 360 lights and a multitude of treatment options, this cult favourite’s fans include Kate Moss. While you can use it as a roomy canopy over your face, it is also a multi-use device and can help with sore muscles and eczema all over the body.
Unicskin UnicLED Korean Mask
Easily the LED mask with the most diverse treatment options, this Korean mask features colour settings including red, blue, yellow, green, purple, and white. While the more common shades help with inflammation and acne, the green light setting is especially useful for reducing hyperpigmentation, a typically stubborn skin concern. Use thrice a week for 30 minutes for best results.
Déesse Pro LED Phototherapy Mask
Favoured by Kim Kardashian, the Déesse Pro LED mask includes lights of four differing wavelengths to offer a choice of six treatment modes, including anti-ageing, calming, purifying, brightening, express anti-ageing, and post-procedure. The post-procedure mode is particularly helpful as it prevents scarring and accelerates skin healing. An absolute investment, using this regularly is sure to give youthful glowing skin for days.
Read more: The best moisturisers and face creams for women (that actually work)
