Editor’s tip: If a nearly $2,000 LED mask isn’t in the cards (or your budget), consider Darden’s Best of Beauty-winning Triple Acid Signature Peel. “After a night of beauty sleep, my skin tone looked more even and smoother—it also felt and looked hydrated and supple,” said our tester.
Skin it’s best for: all | Use time: 10 minutes | Power source: wireless | Auto-shut off?: yes | Product highlights: FDA cleared, three treatment modes, adjustable head strap, neckpiece, handheld controller, and comes with a storage bag.
Best on a Budget: Skin Gym Wrinklit LED Mask
Why it’s worth it: Many LED face masks require an investment, but the Skin Gym Wrinklit LED Mask is the exception, clocking in at just double digits. Yet it doesn’t require compromising, offering blue (targets acne), red (minimizes redness and inflammation), and orange light therapy (stimulates circulation and targets dullness). Plus, it’s cordless. That said, it has to be worn for anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes at a time to deliver results, meaning it’s more time-consuming than other options.
Editor’s tip: Skin Gym also offers additional LED-equipped tools to suit every need, including face massagers and gua shas.
Skin it’s best for: all, especially dull skin | Use time: 15 minutes | Power source: wireless | Auto-shut off?: no | Product highlights: one treatment mode and cordless design.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of LED lights?
It depends on the light color—the most commonly used lights in LED masks are red and blue. “Red and near-infrared are great for wound healing and increasing collagen production to improve skin texture, tone, and firmness,” says Dr. Park, who notes that those with rosacea and redness may also take advantage of their anti-inflammatory properties. Meanwhile, “blue light is used for acne, as it targets the bacteria that causes acne,” Dr. Park notes.
What are the different types of LED Lights?
“[Red light therapy can] stimulate collagen production, reduce inflammation, and increase blood circulation, so it is primarily used for [fine lines and wrinkles] and wound healing,” Sejal Shah, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously told Allure. (In other words, it’s ideal for addressing signs of sun damage.)
Blue LED lights, meanwhile, are often used as an in-office acne treatment, as they’re able to kill the bacteria on breakout-prone skin types. Green light can address hyperpigmentation and dark spots as well as brighten skin. (While there are other lesser-known LED light colors, such as yellow and purple, red and blue LED are backed up by clinical studies, which is why you can often find them alone or even paired together in these beauty tools.)
How often should you use a LED mask?
Your LED mask will come with a recommendation for how long (and how often) to use it to see and maintain results. Generally speaking, though, Dr. Park says that you can usually notice a difference if you use an LED mask three to five times a week for 10 minutes at a time. But again, she says, “You should check the manufacturer’s recommended usage of your particular mask.”
Who should avoid using LED lights?
People with heart disease and those who are pregnant and breastfeeding should check with their doctor before using at-home skin-care devices, LED lights included. And for LED light masks in particular, you should skip them if you have “a seizure disorder, epilepsy, or a condition that causes sensitivity to light like lupus or migraines triggered by light,” says Dr. Park. She also recommends passing on them if you take a photosensitizing medication like doxycycline or isotretinoin, both of which can be prescribed for acne.