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Apr 12, 2024

17 Best LED Face Masks For Acne, Wrinkles, Pigmentation And More

By Hannah Coates and Tracy Achonwa Over the past few years, LED face masks have become a permanent fixture in the nation’s beauty regimes. Once reserved for celebrity treatments and salon-visits, with

By Hannah Coates and Tracy Achonwa

Over the past few years, LED face masks have become a permanent fixture in the nation’s beauty regimes. Once reserved for celebrity treatments and salon-visits, with the rise of the DIY-wellness movement, professional equipment has found its way into our bathroom cabinets, and rightfully so. With a number of positive benefits for the skin, light therapy is a non-invasive treatment to improve the overall look of your skin. Tech-geeks assemble, here, British Vogue rounds up the best LED face masks and shows you how to use and where to buy them.

By Tish Weinstock and Tracy Achonwa

There’s a reason LED light therapy has become super popular in recent years – it really does work. A quick glimpse at celebrity Instagram accounts – from Victoria Beckham and Julia Roberts to Jessica Alba and the Kardashians – and you’ll note that these masks are mainstays in every luminous face’s home skincare routine.

So what exactly is it? LED light therapy is where the skin is exposed to different wavelengths of light (including red, near-infrared and blue) that penetrate deep beneath its surface. Unlike UV light, these rays are actually good for the skin, but their benefits depend on the shade of light emitted by the device, which should be chosen based on skin concern.

It was in the ’90s that it was first (accidentally) discovered for use on the skin, after NASA studied the use of LED light on plant growth in space, and quickly found that it also showed great promise for healing and treating wounds. Soon, it began being more widely used, and the rest – they say – is history.

From reducing acne and inflammation to slowing down the signs of ageing, stimulating collagen production, smoothing and generally boosting glow, utilising light therapy in your routine is a golden ticket to better skin health.

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Yes. Depending on the light emitted by the mask, they can offer a multitude of benefits. For example, while red light increases collagen and elastin production, blue light targets acne-causing bacteria, green light helps with pigmentation, and yellow is brilliant for healing. When combined with a good daily skincare routine, they can help improve skin health from the inside out, boost radiance, tackle acne and other skin conditions, and leave the skin clearer, smoother and plumper.

CurrentBody Skin LED Light Therapy Mask

Current Body

Amazon

Unicskin UnicLED Korean Mask

Net-a-Porter

Yellow: A preconditioning light that creates movement in the top layers of the skin’s cells, making it more receptive to the near-infrared light that follows, like red and blue. Yellow light can help boost glow post-use.

Blue: Used to treat acne, scarring and excess oil. It works by targeting the skin’s oil glands to reduce their activity, and subsequently lead to fewer acne breakouts, plus it also kills the bacteria (or p.acnes) inside pores. Combined with red light, it has an anti-inflammatory effect upon the skin too.

Red: A great light to try for its rejuvenating effects. Can also help to reduce inflammation, plus it is great for stimulating collagen production and blood circulation for plumper, healthier skin that glows with health.

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LED face masks are very easy to use and the more consistent you can be about using them, the better their effect will be upon the skin. Using them every day – for about 10 minutes – is ideal. Since they don’t emit UV light and are non-invasive, they are also very safe to use, so overdoing it isn’t easy. For best results always follow the instructions, and if you do notice irregular signs of damage, stop the use of the mask immediately and consult your doctor or dermatologist.

MZ Skin LightMAX Supercharged LED Mask 2.0

Net-a-Porter

Lookfantastic

SENSSE Pro LED Light Therapy Mask

Sephora

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For the best results, it’s recommended to use any sort of LED device on clean skin. Gently wash your face prior to therapy with a non-drying cleanser to remove any skincare and make-up residue. Also try to avoid any aggressive exfoliation and sunlight exposure before starting LED treatment. Post-treatment, follow up with serums, creams and other soothing moisturisers.

Choosing the best comes down to your needs, price bracket and preference. If you’re looking to test the water then the No7 Laboratories Age-Defying LED Mask is a great place to start. Ready to commit? You need to try Déesee’s Pro LED Next Generation Mask, which is Kim Kardashian’s favourite.

Luckily for us, Kourtney Kardashian posted a picture of herself wearing her LED mask at home, sending fans into a frenzy to get their hands on the LED shield in the post. The DMH Aesthetics Light Shield is £190, features red, blue and amber LED light and is apparently great to treat post- treatment/facial redness.

Victoria Beckham has spoken about using one of Vogue’s LED mask top picks, The Light Salon Boost Light Therapy Mask, when she's at home. The idea being that the at-home mask mimics the in-salon treatment on The Light Salon menu, the “Skin Health and Rejuvenation” facial.

The Light Salon BOOST LED Mask

Selfridges

John Lewis

There’s a Vogue tried-and-tested LED face mask for everyone, below.

Current Body LED Lip Perfector

Current Body

Why it’s Vogue approved: Hailed as a non-invasive alternative to lip filler, Current Body’s lip perfector promises a rejuvenated pout from the inside out. From marionette and smile lines to lost volume and smoker’s lips, its focused strip of LEDs increase cell renewal to improve the appearance of them all. And if you do have injectables, the deep-reaching red wavelengths will only enhance their effect, stimulating collagen and circulation of nutrients for a smile that’s plump and smooth.

Key specs:

Pros: focused treatment of the lip contour- one of the first places on the face to show signs of ageing | short treatment times - easy to fit into your skincare routine

Cons: cannot be used to treat the entire face

CurrentBody Skin LED Light Therapy Mask

Current Body

Amazon

Why it’s Vogue approved: Clinically proven to reduce wrinkles by an impressive 35 per cent in just four weeks, CurrentBody’s LED Mask is also a hit with a number of celebrities. With red and near-infrared, it’s not for you if you want a mask that will target acne-prone skin (as it doesn’t offer blue light), but it is brilliant for general luminosity, collagen boosting and skin smoothing. And to add to that? It’s made from patented flexible silicone, which isn’t just comfortable, but it ensures light covers every area of the face. It’s a yes from us.

Key specs:

Pros: boosts collagen with red LEDs and Near Infrared | silicon comfortably flexes to the contours of your face | great for brightening skin

Cons: does not include blue LED light

TheraFace Pro

Therabody

Selfridges

Why it’s Vogue approved: If you’re after a tool that does it all – LED light and the rest, that is – the TheraFace Pro is your guy. We are big fans of the red, blue and infrared light it delivers directly to the skin, as well as the other attachments that come with it, such as percussive and cryo-therapy. All you have to do is glide the head over the skin post-cleanse – it’s lightweight, multifaceted and quite simply the easiest way to incorporate LED into your routine.

Key specs:

Pros: easy to use | multiple functions including massage, cryo and LED therapy

Cons: not a handsfree LED device

SENSSE Pro LED Light Therapy Mask

Sephora

Why it’s Vogue approved: Modestly priced compared to its counterparts, Sensse Pro's mask is our pick for accessible LED therapy. It's flexible, comfortable and easy to use, with a whopping four wavelengths included to rejuvenate skin. There are the usual suspects – red and blue – to boost collagen and banish acne, but with yellow and purple treatment modes, you benefit from lymphatic drainage and brightened blemishes too.

Key specs:

Pros: purifies, rejuvenates and repairs skin as well as addressing signs of ageing | slim and lightweight silicone is comfortable to wear, plus easy to wipe clean after each use | doesn't break the bank

Cons: needs patient, consistent use over several months to see the best results

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Dr Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro Mask

Cult Beauty

Harvey Nichols

Why it’s Vogue approved: There’s a reason this Dr Dennis Gross LED mask is always selling out. Having tested it extensively ourselves, we’ve found it’s a brilliant mask for those who are short of time or want to incorporate LED into their routine, but never find a moment to actually do it. Each treatment “session” is just three minutes, which means the red, blue or red-blue combo lights (of which there are 162) get to work quickly. From evening skin tone and texture to softening fine lines and discolouration, it’s truly brilliant – oh, and the chic rose gold accents and adjustable head strap are great too.

Key specs:

Pros: speedy session time | treats everything from acne and pigmentation to signs of ageing

Cons: rigidity of mask may be uncomfortable for some

MZ Skin LightMAX Supercharged LED Mask 2.0

Net-a-Porter

Lookfantastic

Why it’s Vogue approved: One of the issues with hard plastic LED masks is that they’re not always comfortable to wear. This (delightfully) pink number is made from silicone and hugs the contours of the face for a relaxing fit. It has two modes: the anti-ageing mode deploys red and infrared light to boost collagen and radiance and calm inflammation, while the acne mode combines red and blue to decongest and clarify the skin, take down bacteria and stimulate collagen production. It’s clinically proven to improve inflammatory acne by 77.9 per cent in eight weeks and wrinkle depth by 36 per cent in four weeks. We love it.

Key specs:

Pros: silicone offers a comfortable second-skin fit | has three LED light colours to address a variety of skin concerns | full coverage, so leaves no area of the face untreated

Cons: requires consistent use to see the best results

Déesee’s Pro LED Next Generation Mask

Cult Beauty

Why it’s Vogue approved: All the pros love this mask, which has become something of a cult buy within the industry. It offers four different wavelengths – red, blue, green and near-infrared – and six different treatment modes (including anti-ageing, calming and purifying modes), plus it’s home to a huge 770 medical-grade LED lights. Get rid of dark spots, scars, breakouts and boost collagen production with this one. Again, worth the money if you’re going to use it regularly.

Key specs:

Pros: treats every conceivable skin concern with four LED colours and six treatment modes | highly effective with 770 medical grade bulbs

Cons: powerful mask which needs to be plugged in to a wall socket, so you'll have to stay put during sessions

The Light Salon BOOST LED Mask

Selfridges

John Lewis

Why it’s Vogue approved: One of the Vogue beauty team’s collective favourites, The Light Salon’s medical-grade Boost LED Face Mask is really easy to use, deploys a combination of clinically-proven red 633nm and near-infrared 830nm wavelengths that help to instigate good blood circulation, collagen and elastin production and toxin removal. Beloved by everyone from Victoria Beckham to Chrissy Teigen, it can be adapted to any face shape and is a brilliant addition to any good age-supporting skincare routine.

Key specs:

Pros: medical grade device | made of flexible silicon | easy to use | stimulates collagen production for youthfully plump skin

Cons: only has one treatment mode

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