obsessive tester

8 Best LED Face Masks That Are Worth the Money

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.

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

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

Usage: 10 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

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

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 Options:

The One That Gets Your Neck Too

Usage: 10 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

Usage: 10 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.

FAQs

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?

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?

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.

8 Best LED Face Masks That Are Worth the Money