The Best LED Face Masks of 2024, Tried & Tested by Bazaar Editors

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Futuristic-looking phototherapy masks are everywhere, but does the science support the claims? Here, the experts reveal all

Previously restricted to the four walls of a facialist’s clinic, LED face masks have now fully broken into the mainstream, with an increasing array of skin-tech brands offering at-home light therapy devices that promise transformative results with consistent use.

If you haven't experienced an LED mask before, you've probably at-least seen one in action. A quick scroll on Instagram confirms the A-list appeal of these beauty gadgets: pretty much everyone has been spotted posing in an illuminated mask, from Victoria Beckham to Kim Kardashian. So ingrained into beauty culture are these strange-looking devices, they’ve even enjoyed fleeting roles in the likes of Emily in Paris and Sex Education.

Now, a few years after this technology first hit the home-use market, a host of brands are ushering in a new wave of devices, pushing the technology further in an attempt to reignite demand and deliver next-level results.

But are the latest and greatest LED masks really that efficacious, and, more importantly, safe in untrained hands? Here, the experts reveal everything you need to know about LED light therapy – and the Bazaar beauty team reveal the masks that triumphed in their forensic testing.

Firstly, are LED masks simply celeb catnip, or is there solid science underscoring the appeal of these market-dominating beauty gadgets? Actually, a hefty amount of clinical research has shown that certain light devices can effectively treat a multitude of skin concerns, with particular success when it comes to increasing collagen production and management of (mild to moderate) acne. One small study has even found green light therapy to show promise when it comes to fading melasma and hyperpigmentation: conditions that are famously tricky to tackle with topical products alone.

However, it's important to know that the results of light-therapy treatments are cumulative, meaning you won’t see long-term benefits from that single salon facial you treat yourself to once a year. If regular appointments aren’t an option, investing in an at-home LED mask could be the answer.

“At-home LED masks are an excellent way to bring a normally in-office treatment to the comfort of your home," says Dr. Maryam Zamani, oculoplastic surgeon and founder of MZ Skin. “These at-home devices will not be as strong as the LED used in a clinic setting, but they do have similar benefits."

If you're new to LED therapy and want something practical and easy to commit to, a flexible silicone mask is a good way to go. Currentbody's is perhaps the most well-known: one of the first on the shelves, it has recently been revamped to offer more precise wavelengths, which equal sharper, swifter results.

Made of lightweight, flexible silicone, The Light Salon's LED mask is one of the most comfortable to wear. It boasts almost 100 individual LEDs and emits both red and near-infrared light.

The second generation of CurrentBody's phenomenally popular LED mask has just launched and, with a closer fit against the skin plus precisely targetted wavelengths, it offers bigger, better results with every use.

Compact and comfortable, this device is a great introduction to the benefits of LED light therapy. The flexible silicone mask emits both red and infra-red light. Use it twice a week for the first month, before building up to more regular use.

The one that started it all, Dr. Dennis Gross' FDA-cleared SpectraLite device combines 100 red led diodes with 60 blue. Sleek and practical, it comes with a USB charging port and rests comfortably on your face thanks to the adjustable straps.

For truly remarkable results, consider investing in one of the most advanced LED masks on the market. The Déesse PRO is a truly impressive option, combining 770 lights with four wavelengths, while the Dermalux Flex is a canopy-style LED panel that you can slip yourself under for a 30-minute refresh (and try not to fall asleep).

One of the most powerful LED masks available for home use, the Déesse Pro boasts a huge 770 lights across four wavelengths, including green, which works on pigmentation. The solid structure is moulded to sit comfortably on the face, and the six treatment modes work to tackle everything from acne to loss of collagen.

The largest LED device on the market for at-home use, the clinic-grade Dermalux Flex comprises 360 lights and offers a whole range of treatment protocols, from acne-zapping blue light to firming near-infrared. Use it as a canopy over your face, or position it over sore muscles from head to toe.

There's a clever point of difference to the My Blend (which is owned by Clarins) LED mask: it reaches down to the neck, offering a larger treatment area with every session. This powerful option comprises 144 red and 144 infrared diodes, and has pre-set treatment protocols tailored for every skin phototype, or tone.

The ultimate investment, the Cellreturn LED mask features almost 700 lights, so offers one of the highest strengths outside of a clinic setting. There are treatments for acne, dullness and fine lines, and the surprisingly comfortable helmet silhouette also treats your neck.

For blemishes and acne, it's blue light you need. While some multi-spectrum devices offer a blue light setting, there are now several specialised gadgets out there that are firmly focused on killing the bacterial root cause of breakouts. Solawave's hand-held torch is the easiest thing to commit to (simply switch it on and hold it over the offending area) while Currentbody's new take on its classic LED mask uses precise blue wavelengths to tackle acneic skin across the face.

We're so impressed with Solawave's small but mighty LED wands. This blue-light option is designed to treat mild breakouts, working to kill the bacteria that leads to spots. It's a good entry-level option at a price that's hard to beat.

CurrentBody's most recent LED mask is dedicated to treating acne-prone skin with a powerful bank of bacteria-killing blue lights. It'll bring down the inflammation that leads to red, sore skin, while removing the p.acnes bacteria that act as the catalyst for spots.

Now, the most forward-thinking skin-tech brands are experimenting with ways to push LED technology even further, adding in sensorial elements or simply pushing the practical appeal. Therabody has launched two devices into the arena: a multi-functional gun-style device that combines LED with microcurrent, cryotherapy and tension-relieving massage, and a helmet-style device that massages your pressure points as you bathe in the light.

Therabody’s first foray into LED really moves the technology forward: this solid face mask features 648 lights that offer multiple wavelengths – red, red and infrared, and blue – in each diode, meaning you’re getting full face coverage whichever you choose (Most devices only feature sections of either colour within their matrix.)

What’s more, powerful vibrating pads around the eyes, brows and head bring the brand’s signature tension-melting massage therapy to each nine-minute treatment. With removable rubber eye guards and a flexible front, this one may look hefty, but feels supremely comfortable to wear.

Foreo’s new LED mask features a hefty 600 lights and offers seven different wavelengths, adding healing green, regenerating purple and inflammation-calming cyan to the traditional hues.It’s made from flexible silicone with a larger-than-usual eye window, which means you can easily walk around while wearing it. The smartphone app allows you to choose pre-set treatments to tackle any skin concern.

Dr Maryam Zamani's latest innovation is designed with busy schedules in mind. These precise LED patches are designed to be placed over one of the accompanying peptide-infused hydrocolloid patches, delivering line-relaxing actives as well as skin-boosting LED light to the delicate skin beneath your eyes. Use them while you blow-dry your hair or brush your teeth, and you'll have brighter eyes by the time you head out of the door.

Therabody's maximalist Theraface device offers the brand's famed percussive therapy benefits for the face. This multi-functional device combines massage with microcurrent, heat and cryotherapy, and both red and blue LED light to treat all manner of skin concerns.

As aesthetician Angela Caglia explains, the benefits of LED for skin were discovered by happy accident. "Light therapy was originally developed by NASA for healing wounds in space. US Navy Seals in the 1990s began using it, and shortly thereafter aestheticians brought it to their treatment rooms, inspired by the clinical data that proved LED to help with not just skin repair, but to stimulate collagen, fade age spots, and decrease inflammation and acne too."

According to dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross, the benefits of LED light therapy are manifold. They include treating acne, regulating natural oil production, stimulating collagen and elastin and minimising redness and wrinkles. Certain wavelengths have even been shown to reduce dark spots and uneven skin tone.

The short answer here is: no. The wavelengths used in LED masks are different to that of UV, meaning there's no risk of damage or burning (and no, you won't get a tan).

“LED therapy uses light in the visible spectrum – including blue, yellow, amber and red – as well as light beyond the visible spectrum to penetrate different depths of skin. As the light wavelength increases, so does the depth of penetration,” explains Dr. Gross. This light is absorbed by receptors in the skin, just like topical skincare, and each colour of light stimulates a different response within the cells.

Dr. Zamani adds that one of the primary benefits of LED therapy is the absence of downtime and discomfort – in fact, skin often looks positively glowing as soon as you slip out from behind the mask. What’s more, the healing properties of LED also make it ideal for use after in-office procedures, such as peels, lasers and microneedling. It's also suitable for all skin types and tones.

There's currently plenty of hype surrounding the idea of using LED light therapy to promote a healthy scalp and optimal hair growth, with social-media users showing off startling before-and-afters. Admittedly, this may sound a little too good to be true, but many trichologists and dermatologists do support the idea of using LED for hair growth and prevention of hair loss, citing the cell-energising properties of red light in particular as showing promise in the follicle-stimulating realm.

Designed to be used on the whole body, The Light Salon's red and near-infrared LED patch is especially useful for crepey décolletages and for stimulating hair growth.

During Currentbody's in-house testing, 96 per cent of study participants saw an improvement in their hair density after using this LED hair helmet for 12 weeks.

Given the phenomenal success of LED face masks in the market, it's hardly surprising brands are now looking at harnessing the technology for the skin beyond the neck. Of course, the same science applies on the rest of your body: LED is capable of calming inflammation, building collagen and reducing acne wherever you use it.

The décolletage and the hands are the two areas on most brands' minds this year, which makes sense: these points are often as exposed to the sun as your face (and often without sun cream).

Tech mainstays Currentbody and The Light Salon both offer a harness-style LED mask designed to sit snugly around your neck and across your chest, allowing you to reap the reparative benefits of red light. But the most innovative launch of the year so-far comes from FAQ, the sister brand to Foreo. Just launched, the 211 is a remarkably lightweight silicone bib that sits comfortably over your neck and dec with 761 pin-points that refract the light across your skin. Impressively, this one offers 8 LED wavelengths, from the favourites (red for collagen, blue for acne) to brightening green and pigmentation-fading purple.

Similarly, the 221 utilises the same technology in a sleeve-style device designed to slip over your hand: ideal for reparing sun damage after years of forgetting to apply SPF over your hands.

Both are incredibly lightweight (with a delicate chain to secure them) and easily controlled via an app on your phone. Consider this a glimpse into the next gen of beauty technology.

With eight shades of LED light on a flexible necklace-style plate, Foreo's newest innovation is good news for sun-exposed chests.

And for the hands – which are exposed to the elements just as much as your face, after all – this comfortable gadget is the solution. (You can even type on a laptop while wearing it.)

There's now a small but growing list of options when it comes to at-home light therapy devices. For a complete facial treatment, an LED mask is the most obvious investment, but the emergence of targeted 'wands' and smaller (more portable) treatment lights is especially interesting for combatting areas of acne-prone skin (not to mention how effortless they are to use).

As LED treatments deliver cumulative results, commitment is key. As Debbie Thomas, laser aesthetician and celebrity facialist says, "just owning a device won’t give you any results."

While instructions will vary depending on the device you choose, LED treatments are usually light on labour. "The good thing about LED masks is they are pretty simple to use and generally only need around 10 minutes of dedicated time," explains Thomas. While a mask offers more 'slip on and relax' appeal, "wand devices are designed to be held over your skin for 20-30 mins, so it's normally a toss-up between an aching arm or boredom that leads a dedicated skin warrior to fall out of love with their new skin gadget."

The majority of at-home LED masks offer a red light setting. At the lighter end of the spectrum, red light works to soothe inflammation and redness, while deeper shades penetrate the skin further to prompt cellular repair and circulation, resulting in a plumper, more vibrant complexion.

This antibacterial light is used to kill the bacteria that leads to breakouts, making it ideal for treating acne-prone skin. Blue light also helps purify the pores and regulate oil glands. It's commonly combined with red light in at-home devices, but can also be found in single-spectrum targeted pens, which are ideal for bringing down specific breakouts.

Less common in at-home devices, this colour works to revitalise the skin, reducing any swelling and increasing radiance.

Invisible to the naked eye, this light penetrates deeper than any other colour in the spectrum. It combats the signs of ageing by replenishing dermal and epidermal cells, stimulates the natural production of collagen and elastin, and speeds up the recovery process. You'll find near-infrared light in the most advanced at-home LED masks.

More recently, research conducted by Déesse found green light wavelengths to be effective in breaking down melanin clusters in the epidermis, thereby reducing the appearance of pigmentation on the skin surface. You'll find this shade in the brand's Pro LED Mask, as well as FAQ's 202 Mask.

Like many beauty innovations, at-home LED masks have been subject to controversy, sparked by concerns over their potential impact on eye health. However, a 2018 study found "no adverse events associated with the use of these devices and little to no downtime for the patient." While most experts agree that a correctly used LED mask is a safe and efficacious tool, it’s vital to invest in one that has been FDA-approved and purchased from a reputable brand.

"At-home LED devices are a fraction of the strength of devices that are used in professional settings,” says Dr. Gross. “The testing for at-home devices is actually more rigorous than professional ones because the device is being cleared to use without the presence of a professional – there's a higher-level burden of proof to show efficacy and safety because a consumer is in charge of their treatment. For this reason, we focus on specifics like safe optical output and recommended treatment times.” The best at-home LED masks will also be developed with in-build safety mechanisms: look for auto shut-offs, heat regulators and timers.

According to Thomas, the most important consideration to make is that, when wearing a mask that covers your entire face, your eyes should be kept closed – so no slumping in-front of the TV. "The lights are not strictly dangerous, but as they can be very bright you could get irritation. I would say using them for a few minutes daily would be fine as long as you do not have a pre-existing medical condition that sensitises you to light."

Indeed, Dr. Zamani recommends avoiding light therapy if you suffer from seizures or epilepsy. She also does not recommend LED for anyone with migraines, eye conditions, or taking certain types of antibiotics. Of course, a professional should be your first port of call if you are at all unsure.

As with most things in skincare, your LED mask will work best when used in conjunction with the right topical products. Before you fire up your device, cleanse your skin thoroughly to remove make-up and oil. It's fine to apply skincare before using your mask, but most experts advise to apply products after your treatment, as the boost in circulation will enhance absorption.

Caglia strongly recommends using your LED mask over bare skin, as "the shine from skincare (especially sheet masks) will cause a reflection, meaning the wavelengths of the light won’t penetrate as deeply."

When it comes to specific skincare formulas, you have plenty of options: most things play well with LED. Perhaps you're trialling a vitamin C serum for brightening, or maybe a hydrating hyaluronic acid is your booster of choice. If you're aiming to tackle breakouts, salicylic acid is ideal. As always, seal with a moisturiser and don't forget the SPF by day.

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