Do at-home LED masks actually improve your skin?

Light-emitting diodes – or LED – masks aren’t new, but they are enjoying a recent surge in popularity. It’s safe to say being forcibly separated from our facialists during lockdown(s) has turned many of us into beauty treatment DIY-ers.

When celebrities like Chrissy Teigen and Victoria Beckham began posting selfies wearing these high-tech skincare devices on Instagram, it was only a matter of time before the category well and truly ballooned. But do these gadgets stack up against professional LED treatments? And more importantly, are they safe?

How do LED masks work?

LED therapy involves the use of light in specific wavelengths (or colours) to stimulate receptors in the skin. Dermatologist and director of Complete Skin Specialists, Dr Cara McDonald says that once the light enters the skin, your cells convert it into other forms of energy. “It’s a little like recharging a battery,” she explains.

“The light enables the skin cells to be more efficient.” Your skin responds to the different wavelengths in different ways, so devices are configured to deliver the wavelengths best suited to the intended skin benefits.

According to McDonald, red and near-infrared wavelengths have been the most widely studied, and we have data on blue and yellow light too. For your LED mask to work, the wavelengths must fall into these ranges.

• Red light can reach the deeper skin layers. It activates fibroblasts (cells that produce collagen – the stuff that keeps skin youthful and supports wound healing) at between 630 to 700 nanometres.
• Near-infrared light has maximum penetration in the skin and stimulates wound healing at between 700 to 1200 nanometres.
• Blue light has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects which is why it’s often used in treating acne. It’s beneficial at between 400 and 470 nanometres.
• Yellow light can effectively treat skin conditions involving redness, swelling, and pigmentation when used at about 540 nanometres.

Cosmetic doctor Dr Naomi McCullum of The Manse Clinic launched Dr Naomi Skin – a skincare line that includes an LED mask called LED It Glow – in 2021 as a supplement to the treatments she performs in clinic. She says that in addition to beneficial wavelengths, LED masks need other elements to be effective. “The energy output and power density must also be sufficient.”

In layman’s terms, this means there needs to be an adequate dose of strong enough light to the skin to see a therapeutic effect. There are other factors to consider too: the distance of the LED lights to the skin and how long the light is used. Unfortunately, there are no established standards for these when it comes to at-home masks, so it’s up to brands to show efficacy.