Do At Home LED Light Therapy Masks Really Work?

Do LED Light Therapy Masks Really Work?

For five weeks I put an at-home LED Light Therapy mask to the test.

As early as the 1870s, LED Light Therapy has been used by many health practitioners and hospitals around the world, as a way of treating bacterial infections on the skin, and has also used been used by global dermatologists to treat acne naturally, both with a high success rate.

As LED Light Therapy only uses non-mutagenic wavelengths such as UV, Gamma, or Ionising rays on the skin, LED is one of the safest forms of light treatment to be used for treating varying skin conditions.

Sia Hendry, founder, and director of the successful Cosmetic and Laser Clinics located across Sydney called You by Sia says LED Light Therapy is fantastic when treating all skin conditions and concerns.

“LED therapy can target intracellular structures and molecules. Meaning, it can effectively repair damage to the inside of skin cells where most technologies will work on the exterior of the cells, such as ultrasonic technologies.
By having the ability to do this, it can then rebuild and correct the skin cells back to their healthy state. You can also target individual skincare concerns based on the LED colour wavelength selected, which targets specific skin (concerns) such as acne, rosacea, pigmentation, and anti-ageing.” Sia explains.

This means there are no side effects when using LED Light Therapy on the skin, as the wavelengths of the treatment process are regenerative and reparative, not damaging and destructive.

With all of these positives, you could be forgiven for thinking LED is the magical cure for most health and skincare concerns.

So how does LED Light Therapy work with the use of a mask in a clinic or at home?

Well, LED means Light Emitting Diode. These are non-invasive LED light bulbs used to emit wavelengths of light energy into the skin to penetrate deep into the cells to promote healthy skin, reduce the signs of ageing and heal acne and scaring. It’s painless, relaxing, and safe for all skin types and colours.

There are 3 different coloured LED lights used; Yellow LED light is one of the most popular ones used in clinics, as it boosts overall skin health, targets skin rejuvenation, heals wounds, and decreases the signs of ageing by helping to boost blood and oxygen flow through the skin cells.

For anti-bacterial purposes, blue LED light is most commonly used as a way of treating inflammation of the skin by destroying bacteria and other infections. Blue LED is commonly used in hospitals across the world for the treatment of burns, major scarring on the skin, and for treating serious skin infections, with a patient receiving ten to twenty-minute therapy sessions daily depending on the severity of the concern being treated.

For anti-ageing, many skin clinics and some home-masks also include a red LED light therapy, which can help increase hydration of the skin making skin glow and appear more youthful and plumper looking.

the new peppyco led light therapy mask by peppyco
The NEW LED Light Therapy Mask by PeppyCo

LED Light Therapy treatments are accessible to anyone. Whether you wish to be treated in a clinic, with some clinics charging as low as $25 for a quick 15-minute session, to a luxe version which includes a facial treatment for around $200 which includes a 30 to 40 minute LED session.

Or if you prefer to treat yourself in the comfort of your own home using your very own LED mask, you can purchase your home version online starting from prices as low as $99 to $900. All of the masks provide a pre-programmed LED Light Therapy session ranging from 20 to 40 minutes.

But what ARE the differences between clinic LED treatments and one at home? It all comes down to power and what ability the mask has to reach the core issues of any skin concern.

Sia says; “LED is safe technology to use at home, but due to the power differences of a home mask to one at home, where the power generated with a clinical LED device, it will take longer to achieve the desired results you want from a mask at home.

However, I believe every household should have an at-home LED Light Therapy to mask to help maintain overall good skin health.

We use a medical-grade LED device for light therapy treatments in our clinics, so the light is a lot stronger than that of an at-home mask, and can travel through your skin, through your muscle into the bone to help repair anything beyond just the skin.”

Before putting an at-home LED device to the test at home, I asked the rest of the BB team if anyone had ever used LED Light Therapy before. BB writer Elise explained she had an at-home Neutrogena LED mask before they were all recalled due to the possible high risk of eye damage.

“It worked well for me and was a cheaper option for light therapy compared to other options. My skin looked more even after repeated use and there was an immediate difference in size and redness of blemishes after a single use” Elise recalled.

“The mask was recalled though due to the risk factor of the eyes being exposed to the light. The Neutrogena mask had yellow-tinted sunglasses on it to enable reading whilst having the treatment, which was great. I am disappointed I can’t use it anymore.”

Sia from You by Sia says it comes down to the quality and electrical components of the devices you are using at home.

“It is vital to know the quality and the clinical studies to back the device you are using, otherwise you could merely be using a household globe that is painted red or blue. And whilst this may not cause any harm to the user, there would be no effect either. I strongly recommend you do your research before purchasing an at-home mask.
Of course, booking into a clinic for a LED Light Therapy session is a great way of testing the treatment and education on how to use an at-home-based device based on your concerns,” she says.

With most clinics still closed from COVID-19 I was restricted in my access to a clinic to trial the clinic version of a LED Light Therapy session. My only option was to try an at-home mask and see how my skin reacted.

I discovered an Australian brand called PeppyCo who launched an at-home LED Light Therapy Mask RRP $179 online recently and was gaining a lot of traction amongst many beauty enthusiasts and influencers.

Compared to other LED masks, this was the only one that was USB operated, had blackout sunglasses incorporated into the mask so eyes are completely shielded from the LED light, and it came with three available light therapy colours: red, yellow, and blue.

And with a built-in timer of ten minutes that switches off the mask, you can use it daily.

The mask is comfortable and easy to wear as it sits as a pair of sunglasses would on your face. So chilling in the bath and on the bed, depending on where I chose to chill for ten minutes was easy.

I was also super thankful for the ten-minute timer on the mask, as I was discovered more than once by my partner asleep on the bed still wearing the mask.

After the first few days, I noticed all pre-existing blemishes I had were healing faster than normal, and any new blemishes were disappearing after only one day, usually, it would take at least four to five days to clear. I also noticed an improvement in skin texture, where I had a more even tone and better hydration throughout.

After two weeks of using the mask, I saw significant results, with overall skin texture looking more dewy and plump and I was experiencing fewer breakouts. I was using the mask daily as part of my nighttime ritual, which seemed to help.

More than one month later and my skin has never been better. Yes, I do still get breakouts, but they are fewer and less damaging than before, where pre-LED they would often hang around for weeks at a time. Now they are gone in a day, a maximum of two. The results speak for themselves. I even feel more confident not wearing foundation all the time. Which are a winning outcome for me and my skin confidence.

My Favourite Beauty Product of the Week:

Swisse Skincare Bamboo Skin Refining Exfoliator RRP $11.99

https://www.priceline.com.au/swisse-bamboo-skin-refining-exfoliator-125-ml

Swisse is well known for its vitamins. It is Australias hugest selling vitamin brand. But did you also know they do skincare as well? And do it well they do.

Infused with essential vitamins and minerals, their skincare range is refreshing and delivers on the promises they make, helping you achieve better and healthier skin. It is also very well priced.

This exfoliator works well as a pre-skin prep before using the LED Light Therapy Mask by PeppyCo, as it removed dead skin cells, renews skin by expelling dirt and grease built up from the day, and with the added witch hazel ingredient reduces the sizes of pores.

The texture is gritty but soft enough to use on any skin type including sensitive skin. And as it’s formulated using bamboo extract and brown rice extract, it works to promote the regrowth of healthy skin cells after the removal of dead ones.

As a skin prep before using the LED Therapy Mask, this has been a magic product to use as it’s specially formulated for oily to combination skin, so it balances out the excess sebum of the cells to reduce any overflow of the excess oily build-up to keep skin nice and fresh, making it work with the LED Light Therapy which then treats any blemishes and works to heal and re-hydrate after exfoliating.

Rebecca Wilkinson

Beauty Editor

Rebecca is a freelance content creator and beauty editor for Bondi Beauty. She is a pescatarian, who may yet become vegan. She loves all things beauty, health & travel, has a weakness for coffee and is obsessed with cats and yoga. If she's not answering her mobile - it's probably because she's trying out the latest beauty trend, like massaging crushed pearls into her skin for the ultimate collagen and vitamin boost to skin cells.

1 Comment
  1. LED masks are secure. These masks are great to assist stimulate collagen production and kill the bacteria that cause acne breakouts, though they don’t replace your regular skin-care recurring.

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