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Best light therapy LED face masks for wrinkles, acne and sensitive skin

Check out the futuristic gadgets that boast many benefits for your skin

Lauren Cunningham
Monday 26 June 2023 15:44 BST
<p>Our tester tried full face versions, as well as options for hands and neck </p>

Our tester tried full face versions, as well as options for hands and neck

Our Top Picks

The importance of caring for our skin only seems to be growing. From celebrity aestheticians to TikTok “skinfluencers” and beauty buffs like ourselves, there’s no short supply of skincare tricks and tips.

But while we mark some products as must-haves – sunscreen, moisturisers and a good ol’ cleanser – some are solely made for those who want to go that extra mile. Enter: LED face masks, the salon-style device that can be used in the comfort of our own homes.

While we can’t exactly call them essential, these high-tech gadgets are known to give great results. According to Dr Nyla, skin specialist and founder of Dr. Nyla Medispa Clinics, they can brighten skin, reduce wrinkles, lighten dark spots, treat acne, increase elasticity and reduce oil secretion – which is quite an impressive list.

Using varied wavelengths and coloured light, LED face masks can be used between three to five times a week for 20-minute periods (or according to each brand’s specific instructions), with some having different settings to tailor to each concern. “Red light is an anti-ageing treatment used to promote collagen production and to enhance skin elasticity,” Dr Nyla explains, while “blue light targets excess sebum in the dermis, removing acne-causing bacteria”. Other options, such as yellow and purple, reduce redness and help to fight inflammation, respectively.

Unsurprisingly, these masks aren’t cheap, so we scouted out the best ones to buy so you’re really getting your money’s worth. Keep reading below which ones made the cut, from celebrity favourite Currentbody to an eye mask from Dr Dennis Gross.

How we tested

Over the course of three months, our expert tester tried out all of the LED masks they could get their hands on, from full face versions to hand and neck options, to see which ones best impressed. Looking at ease of use, how comfortable they were to wear, spectrum of settings and results, we rated each one out of five and gave an in-depth review below.

The best LED masks for 2023 are:

  • Best overall LED mask – CurrentBody Skin LED light therapy face mask: £279, Currentbody.com
  • Best LED eye mask – Dr Dennis Gross skincare DRx spectralite eyecare pro: £175, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best face mask for fine lines and wrinkles – Rio FaceLite beauty boosting LED face mask: £349.99, Lookfantastic.com
  • Best comfortable LED face mask – Omnilux contour face: £290, Omniluxled.com

CurrentBody Skin LED light therapy face mask

best light therapy LED face masks
  • Best: Overall
  • For body part: Full face
  • Type of light: Red and near-infrared light
  • Settings: One
  • Treatment time: 10 minutes

CurrentBody is a celebrity fan-favourite known as a go-to for red-carpet prep, and it was even spotted in the most recent season of Emily in Paris. So it’s safe to say we had high hopes, and we were not disappointed after giving it a go.

Made from medical-grade silicone, it’s soft against the skin and moulds to cover every area of the face. A combination of red and near-infrared light work to stimulate collagen and elastin production while encouraging new cell renewal, and the ten-minute treatment is incredibly easy to use. Powered through a rechargeable battery pack, it can be worn around the house, but as it’s quite bright, you will want to close your eyes (eye covers are also provided in case you are slightly sensitive). After just one use, our tester’s face felt tighter and looked brighter, and the results only seemed to improve every time we wore it.

Use code ‘ SAVINGS20’ for £20 off orders over £200 at CurrentBody

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Dr Dennis Gross skincare DRx spectralite eyecare pro

best light therapy LED facce masks
  • Best: LED eye mask
  • For body part: Eyes
  • Type of light: Amber, red, deep red and infrared light
  • Settings: One
  • Treatment time: Three minutes

If you’re slightly claustrophobic, aren’t a fan of the full-face masks, or want to focus on the eye area only, then this LED mask may be the one for you. Looking more like a cross between ski goggles and glasses, this smaller, more targeted mask is a quick and easy treatment working to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, tackling crows feet and frown lines.

Housing 80 LED lights with amber, red, deep red and infrared wavelengths, it penetrates right into the hypodermis layer of the skin, stimulating collagen production and evening skin tone and texture. As the eye area is one of the first to show fine lines and wrinkles, our tester loved this quick and easy treatment – which only takes three minutes – and made it a part of their everyday evening routine.

Unlike most of the other masks, you can walk around and see whilst wearing it – although reading a book may be a push – meaning you can crack on with your day while reaping the rewards, and it’s comfortable too. To finish the treatment, simply add a moisturiser or eye cream and clean the mask with a damp cloth. After around three weeks, we started to see the results: fewer eye wrinkles and a reduction in fine lines, but the brand says ten weeks is when you start to see the real effects.

Use code ‘ 22NC’ for 22 per cent off the best light therapy LED masks for new customers at Lookfantastic

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Sensse professional LED face mask

best light therapy LED face masks
  • Best: Multi-use LED face mask
  • For body part: Full face
  • Type of light: Red, blue, yellow and purple light
  • Settings: Four
  • Treatment time: 10 minutes

If you’re after an LED mask that does it all, look no further than this Sensse pick. With four settings, each corresponding to a different coloured light, it boosts lymphatic flow, fights fine lines and wrinkles, battles blemishes and evens out skin tone and texture through 90 LEDs. It plugs into a small rechargeable controller so you can wear it around the house while the 10-minute treatment (5 minutes for beginners) truly gets to work.

One thing our tester both loved and loathed at the same time was the internal eye protection. As the mask is so bright, silicone strips line the eye holes to protect the eyes from any light, meaning you can see whilst wearing it, but, it isn’t as comfortable to wear as the Currentbody pick (£279, Currentbody.com). We started seeing results after just one use as our tester noticed their face puffiness almost immediately reduce. And after using it every other day for around four weeks, acne marks started to fade and a more even skin tone was achieved.

Use code ‘ 22NC’ for 22 per cent off the best light therapy LED masks for new customers at Lookfantastic

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Déesse Pro LED phototherapy mask

best light therapy LED face masks
  • Best: Luxury LED face mask
  • For body part: Full face
  • Type of light: Red, blue, green and near-infrared light
  • Settings: Six
  • Treatment: Adaptable but pre-programmed to 10 minutes

For those who are incredibly serious about their skincare and happy to invest a lot of money in an LED mask, let us introduce you to the Déesse Pro. Although all LED masks are expensive, the Déesse Pro sits in its own separate price bracket, coming in at close to £1.5k. However, that price tag becomes a bit more understandabe once you learn that it’s the closest in design to a salon-like option.

Housing 770 LED bulbs, which is much more than the others on this list, this hard plastic mask has six different settings and four different lights to promote wound healing, reduce acne, fine lines and wrinkles, even skin tone and texture, stimulate collagen and boost circulation. It really does do it all. The downside to such a powerful bit of kit is that it has to be plugged into the wall, and it’s not as comfortable as the soft silicone options we tried.

However, our tester did notice an immediate brightness in their skin after just one use and felt like they were receiving a salon-quality procedure every time they used it.

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Omnilux contour face

best light therapy LED face masks
  • Best: Comfortable LED mask
  • For body part: Face
  • Type of light: Red and near-infrared
  • Settings: One
  • Treatment time: 10 minutes

For starters, the Omnilux contour face is incredibly comfortable – so much so that our tester almost fell asleep in it, although we wouldn’t recommend this. Made from soft silicone, it wraps around the face like many of these other options, but the nose cut-out makes it much more breathable, perfect for those who get a little claustrophobic. There’s also two head straps instead of one which kept it nice and secure across all areas of the face.

With 132 medical-grade LED’s, and both red and near-infrared wavelengths, it’s designed to firm skin, brighten the complexion and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles – which our tester did start to see. It’s easy to use, not too bright, and even comes with four types of plugs – meaning you can travel with it incredibly easily should you wish. The only downside we found was that our tester’s face was just a touch too small for it, meaning they had to stretch out their jaw if they wanted the lights to sit on their chin, instead of it poking out of the lip hole.

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Rio FaceLite beauty boosting LED face mask

best light therapy LED face masks
  • Best: For fine lines and wrinkles
  • For body part: Face
  • Type of light: Red and near-infrared
  • Settings: One
  • Treatment time: 10 minutes

Similar in many ways to the Omnilux mask (£290, Omniluxled.com), this Rio LED mask makes the beauty procedure incredibly easy. In soft silicone, it also wraps around the face, with one strap keeping it secure at the back of the head. For those more sensitive to light, handy eye guards are included to block it from view even further, so you can crack on with work, reading or even watching TV while being pampered.

Designed to improve skin texture, reduce the appearance of wrinkles and stimulate collagen and elastin production, a lot is gained from the quick 10-minute treatment. The brand states you can use it three times a week with visible results after just one month, combining red and near-infrared light to stimulate collagen and blood flow. We used it for a slightly shorter amount of time and still think we can see results, reducing redness and fine lines on our forehead, which is a huge plus point.

For those with long faces, this may be a little bit small, so really is best for those with slightly smaller heads. And, to sweeten the deal, it also comes with four types of plugs, so you can use it almost anywhere in the world.

Use code ‘ 22NC’ for 22 per cent off the best light therapy LED masks for new customers at Lookfantastic

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Silk’n neck mask

best light therapy LED face masks
  • Best: LED mask for necks
  • For body part: Neck
  • Type of light: Red, blue, yellow and purple
  • Settings: One
  • Treatment time: 15 minutes

Yes, it’s not a face mask, but here us out. It’s often our necks and hands that show the first signs of ageing, even if we have a standout skincare routine and other more hardcore help, so it’s unsurprising that we’re now seeing a surge in LED masks for both of these areas. They work just the same as they do for the face and are tailored to reduce wrinkles, improve elasticity, skin tone, texture and more.

Sitting like a thick choker, the Silk’n neck mask wraps around the front of the neck with an adjustable elastic back that’s surprisingly comfortable. By simply plugging it into the rechargeable controller, it can be worn around the house, or at the same time as your face mask if looking to do a full DIY beauty procedure.

There are four light settings – red, blue, yellow and purple – which work to produce different results, as explained by Dr Nyla above, and can be used for 10 or 15 minutes between one and five times per week. But what really sold us on this mask is that it can be used on any body part as it’s one solid block of light, so we found it worked a dream on chest and back acne too.

  1. £130 from Silkn.co.uk
Prices may vary
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Silk’n LED hand mask

best light therapy LED masks
  • Best: For hands
  • For body part: Hands
  • Type of light: Red, blue, yellow and purple
  • Settings: Four
  • Treatment time: 15 minutes

This one may make you look a bit like Robocop with a bright white mask covering your hand and forearm, but sadly it doesn’t shoot laser beams. Instead, you’ll be treated to four types of light – including red, yellow, purple and blue – to help reduce wrinkles, even skin tone and texture. With all of the same settings as the neck mask (£130, Silkn.co.uk), yet in a more hand-friendly shape, how it works is identical.

Although we are still scratching our heads as to why blue light (the type that reduces bacteria and tackles acne) has been included in this hand mask, we still enjoyed using it. Our tester particularly liked this using it to tackle dark sports, a core issue as our hands are often in the sun.

  1. £150 from Silkn.co.uk
Prices may vary
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The verdict: LED face masks

While LED face masks are a spenny bit of kit, it can offer some impressive results, so consider it a skincare investment over an expensive extra – so long as you use it instead of just keeping it in a drawer. And although we’d happily welcome any into our beauty regime, Currentbody just nicked the top spot, offering near-immediate results that our tester was incredibly impressed by.

For those looking for comfort, the Omnilux contour face option is sure to be your best bet, but if you’re specifically looking to treat fine lines and wrinkles, it’s got to be the Rio FaceLite beauty boosting LED face mask. Meanwhile, the Silk’n LED hand and neck masks make for nice extras if you’re really looking to level up your body care.

For more products for age-defying skin, read our roundup of the best retinol serums

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