obsessive tester
By Erica Smith and Hanna Flanagan
Looking glowier already! Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Hanna Flanagan
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Whether you’re sick of spending your precious time and money on fancy facials or you just want to maximize the results of your facials by incorporating at-home treatments into your skin-care routine in between spa appointments, the solution is LED face masks. There are now several user-friendly versions available online, meaning anyone can harness the power of LED light therapy from the comfort of their own home (and without a fancy dermatologist’s supervision). Sure, these devices are pricey, but the noticeable results make them worth the investment.
Below, we rounded up the best LED face masks of 2024. Keep scrolling to shop our top picks, after testing several best-selling masks myself and reading hundreds of five-star customer reviews.
So, you’re looking for the best LED light therapy mask?
➼Our top picks
➼More tried-and-true options
➼FAQs
➼ Our experts
Our top picks
The Overall Best LED Face Mask
Photo: Hanna Flanagan
Usage: Three minutes daily | Light types: Red, blue, and red + blue
Pros: Dermatologist-created, convenient and efficient, automatically shuts off when your three-minute treatment is complete, has adjustable straps
Cons: Some testers say the acne-fighting mode (blue light) is more effective than the anti-aging mode (red light)
This LED mask from Dr. Dennis Gross is one of the more fashionable ones on the market. It comes with gold accents, 162 LED lights, and three treatment options to choose from: red-light therapy, blue-light therapy, or red- and blue-light therapy. Each treatment only takes three minutes, so if you like to keep your skincare routine short and sweet but still want to try an LED mask, add this one to your cart. Plus, it’s lightweight and completely hands free.
The Best Cordless LED Face Mask
Photo: Hanna Flanagan
$75
Usage: 15 to 20 minutes three to five times per week | Light types: Red, yellow, blue, green, purple, and clear blue
Pros: Affordable, lightweight, long battery life, clear design
Cons: Doesn’t cover the under-eye area
This under-$100 option offers seven different light-therapy modes to help reduce wrinkles, improve skin texture and firmness, reduce inflammation, regenerate and repair skin cells, and smooth the skin. It also helps prevent breakouts and heal existing ones faster. Another major benefit? It’s completely clear (unlike other options on the market), so I can walk around, get things done, and actually see what I’m doing while wearing it. If you want to dip your toes into the world of LED light-therapy masks without spending a fortune, add this one from Beauty ORA to your cart.
The Most Adaptable LED Face Mask
Photo: Hanna Flanagan
$349
Usage: Ten minutes three to five times per week | Light type: Red
Pros: Has multiple head straps, lightweight and portable, easy to clean
Cons: Only has one-light therapy mode
Most LED face masks feature a hardshell design that simply sits on the face like a helmet. But this one from HigherDose is made from flexible, medical-grade silicone, so it molds and adapts to your unique face shape for a perfect fit every time. It emits red light to target fine lines and wrinkles while enhancing my natural glow and boosting my overall mood. I end my daily ten-minute sessions looking and feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
The Most Convenient Option
$359
$359
Usage:90 seconds daily | Light type: Full-spectrum
Pros: Ideal for all skin types, made from ultra-hygienic silicone, instantly gives the skin a healthy-looking finish
Cons: Pairing it with the app can be a bit of a hassle
This handheld option emits full-spectrum LED light therapy, meaning several different light colors are combined in different ways for optimal results. Along with LED light therapy, it also provides thermo-therapy for relaxation and increasing blood flow, cryotherapy to help reduce puffiness and soothe inflammation, and Foreo’s signature T-Sonic pulsations for a gentle facial massage. The best part? As the smallest device on this list, it’s travel-friendly and incredibly easy to store.
The Best Affordable LED Face Mask
$115
Photo: Retailer
Usage: Three minutes three times per week | Light type: Red
Pros: Affordable and efficient, portable and travel-friendly
Cons: Has a pretty short battery life
This is definitely not a mask, and it isn’t a razor either (even though it looks like one). While it’s not conveniently hands-free like the majority of the products on this list, the small tool from Solawave is ideal for those who want to reap the benefits of red-light therapy, micro-current, or a warm facial massage, in targeted areas. I simply glide it for five minutes per day while watching my favorite show, scrolling through TikTok, or reading a book.
More tried-and-true options
The Best LED Mask for Acne
$395
Photo: Vendor
Usage: Four 10-minute treatments per week for six weeks | Light type: Red and blue
Pros: Made from flexible silicone, has adjustable head straps and a portable controller, gentle enough to use on sensitive or irritated skin, features a built-in protective eye shield
Cons: Some reviewers say the eye shield is uncomfortable
This dermatologist-recommended blue- and red-light mask is specifically designed to treat active breakouts, redness, and inflammation while also reducing the appearance of acne scars. Wavelengths of light penetrate the cellular level to kill bacteria that causes acne in the sebaceous glands to improve mild to moderate cases of acne and give the skin a nice glow.
The One That Gets Your Neck Too
Usage:Ten to 15 minutes four times per week | Light type: Blue, green, yellow, red, cyan, purple, and white
Pros: Affordable, covers face and neck, has five levels of intensity
Cons: Heavy, has to be worn while lying down
This wireless mask features seven different color options to address every issue imaginable on the face: red and blue (the usual suspects) along with green (for discoloration), yellow (for fine lines and wrinkles), purple (for scar reduction), light blue (for a more soothing acne treatment), and white (which tightens and penetrates the deepest). It also comes with a bonus attachment for the neck, arguably the most overlooked part of skin-care routines (sad).
The One to Keep on Call
Usage:Up to 20 minutes five to six times per week | Light type: Red, blue, yellow, green, and white
Pros: Reduces redness and boosts circulation in as little as two weeks, comes with an adjustable head strap
Cons: Might leave marks around the eye and nose area
If your skin is temperamental, it’s nice to have a well-rounded, high-performance mask on call. Designed to replicate MZ Skin founder Dr. Maryam Zamani’s in-office treatments, it comes with five different light settings (red, blue, green, yellow, and white) so you can focus on anything from inflamed breakouts to the annoying scars and discoloration those pimples sometimes leave in their wake.
The Celebrity Favorite
$1,900
Usage:Ten minutes five times a week | Light type: Red, blue, and near infrared
Pros: Easy to clean, purchase includes a custom neck piece and handheld controller, comes with a limited two-year warranty
Cons: Not as comfortable as some of the other masks on this list, expensive
You’ve probably seen this haunting creation creeping on your Instagram feed thanks to celebrity aesthetician Shani Darden, who uses its whopping 770 LED lights on her celebrity clients. It will set you back $1,900, but you’ll probably end up looking like January Jones, Jessica Alba, Nina Dobrev, or a Kardashian in terms of skin texture.
The One That Promotes Relaxation
$599
Photo: Retailer
Usage:Three or nine minutes daily | Light type: Red, red and infrared, and blue
Pros: Sturdy head straps, comfortable to wear, has two settings: a 9-minute treatment that cycles through all three LED lights in combination with vibration patterns, or a 3-minute treatment of one type of LED light
Cons: Some reviewers don’t like the vibration setting
Don’t worry, this mask isn’t as scary as it looks (and the results are worth looking like a robot for a few minutes every night). Like many other devices on this list, it delivers red light to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, red and infrared light to treat dark spots, and blue light to fight acne-causing bacteria. However, what makes this LED treatment special is the fact that it also delivers massaging vibration therapy to key pressure points to relieve stress and help you relax. Think of it as a very effective extension of your nightly self-care routine.
The Best Targeted Treatment
Usage:Three minutes daily | Light type: Red
Pros: 360-degree coverage, detachable, adjustable head strap for universal fit, also helps diminish puffiness and dark circles
Cons: Only delivers one type of LED light
The eye-mask version of my favorite Dr. Dennis Gross LED treatment is a great option if your main skin concerns include crow’s-feet, bunny lines, 11’s. It’s designed with 96 red LED lights in four wavelengths to boost collagen, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and even out the skin tone, specifically around the eye area.
FAQs
What are the benefits of using LED face masks?
What are the benefits of using LED face masks?
LED light therapy works wonders on short- and long-term skin concerns — it can help minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve circulation, stimulate the skin’s natural rejuvenation process, and reduce blemishes, inflammation, hyperpigmentation, and sun.
What is the difference between the types of light?
What is the difference between the types of light?
Red light: Deeply penetrates the skin to promote cell regeneration and collagen production, which helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
Blue light: Helps kill acne-causing bacteria and soothes the skin.
Green light: Targets dark circles and pigmentation and helps even out the skin tone.
Yellow light: Penetrates deeper than blue light to alleviate redness and rosacea and boosts circulation to reduce inflammation.
When should I use LED face masks?
When should I use LED face masks?
LED masks can be used morning or night, but make sure to cleanse beforehand so your skin can fully absorb the light. Most of them should be used on a regular basis (5- to 20-minute treatments about five to seven times per week) and followed up with your favorite serum or moisturizer.
Our experts
- Hanna Flanagan, shopping writer and editor for the Cut.
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