They look robotic — like a Stormtrooper from Star Wars, if you will — and promise to give you clearer, smoother-looking skin. Called LED light masks, they are what they sound like: devices illuminated by LED lights that you wear over your face.
Here’s what you need to know before investing in the celebrity-beloved beauty trend, including how and if the masks work, what you’ll pay, and the best products according to board-certified dermatologists.
Are LED Masks Safe to Use?
LED masks have an “excellent” safety profile, according to a review published in February 2018 in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology.
And though you may have heard more people talking about them lately, they’re nothing new. “These devices have been around for decades and are generally used by dermatologists or aestheticians in an in-office setting to treat inflammation after facials, minimize breakouts, and give skin an overall boost,” says Sheel Desai Solomon, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Today, you can purchase these devices and use them at home. (Most of the full masks cost in the $100 to $500 range. More on this later.)