Are the LED Face Masks really worth the hype?
LED face mask, Australia: trying one for the first time.
Hey there, skincare aficionados! Picture this: me, a bit sceptical, lounging in my fluffy purple slippers and PJs with Grinch on them, sporting a sci-fi-inspired LED face mask.
Yes, I know, it sounds a tad futuristic and maybe a touch too good to be true, but here I am taking the plunge to try it out, hopeful for a miracle.
In this review I want to share with you 5 best brands of LED face masks, Australia has to offer that are FDA-approved or in Australia, TGA-approved and actually yield results. You can say that curiosity got the better of me when LED masks started gaining popularity in the Australian market.
It took us about a year to test them all and here are the brands that I recommend, you can see more details for each further down the page. All 5 worked and produced results, but I chose to keep the 1st one as it offered the most variety of light to address various concerns, came with a neck treatment piece, and was easy on the budget.
Best All Around – for all skin concerns:
1. Project E Beauty Photon LED Face & Neck Mask -Wireless LED Photon Red Blue Green and more.
Best Price:
2. Aphrona – Moonlight 3 Color LED Face Mask.
Best for Wrinkles and Acne:
3. Project E Beauty – LED face mask, Australia.
Most flexible material:
4. Omnilux Contour LED face mask.
Most luxurious looking:
5. Dr Dennis Gross – DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro.
Between myself and my skincare testing team (and by the team, I mean mum, sis-in-law, bestie, and MIL), we consistently tried 8 of the best-rated masks available on the Australian market. Yes, 8, because we are committed to the experiment once we start. You can say they are my trusty and willing team of guinea pigs when it comes to testing skincare products, supplements, and anything else that can make us look and feel a little more awesome and youthful. And they are all almost as obsessed as me with skincare. Some day I will expand my testing team beyond my family members and friends.
We also wanted to know if the more affordable LED face masks come close in quality and results to the more fancy expensive ones like Dr Dennis Gross’s SpectraLite mask. Because as much as I love that gold shiny look, I was hoping that I won’t need to fork out $700+ for a mask. To my delight I discovered that I don’t.
So 3 of 8 we tested, I wouldn’t recommend as we didn’t see any results and they were returned (so I won’t even bother mentioning them), but 5 actually did what they were supposed to. Read on if you want to find out which ones made the cut. I will start with the most affordable one, which I am currently using every night for the past 9 months.
Note: it’s worth mentioning that you can return all of them for a refund if you are not happy. They all give a 30-90 day money-back guarantee (check in the return policy description for each below), as long as you don’t scratch or damage the mask during the trial. This is why I was brave enough to go through a few, knowing that I could return and move on to the next product when I was done for the purpose of testing. I kept only one that I chose as the winner for me.
Are the LED Face Masks really worth the hype?
The research and evidence on LED:
Many clinical studies have shown improvements in skin conditions such as acne and also reduction of wrinkles and fine lines.
National Library of Medicine states that “Photobiomodulation stimulates fibroblast proliferation, collagen synthesis, growth factors, and extracellular matrix production by activating cellular mitochondrial respiratory pathways. The result is lifting and tightening lax skin and the reduction of rhytids”. (Source NIH – National Center for Biotechnology Information) You can see more details information here.
Experts believe that red LED light acts on cells in the skin known as fibroblasts, which can help promote collagen production. You can read the full study on this here.
LED Face Masks, Australia: 5 best tested and reviewed light therapy face masks.
1. Project E Beauty Photon LED Face & Neck Mask -Wireless LED Photon Red Blue Green and more.
Durability: firm durable plastic, decent quality.
Colours used: red (wrinkles), blue (acne), green (broken capillaries, sagging skin, and pigmentation), cyan (blemish control), yellow (improve sensitive skin), purple (enhance blood circulation), white mix (cell regeneration).
Comfort: Easy to put on, relatively comfortable, neck piece fits well, but best to do neck treatment while laying down for comfort. Wireless.
Delivery and service: arrives within 2 weeks, free shipping.
Money Back Guarantee: 30 days, extended until 31st of January if purchased between 1st Nov -24th Dec.
Cons: Not suitable for a larger or wider face, as it’s not flexible.
FDA/TGA approved: FDA approved.
Price: under $350 AUD with neck piece.
2. Aphrona - Moonlight 3 Color LED Face Mask.
Durability: very sturdy firm non-flexible plastic, strong but lightweight, and doesn’t break easily when dropped.
Colours used: red (wrinkles), blue (acne), green (dark spots, redness, pigmentation). Can use all colours at once to address all of the above issues if you need to.
Comfort: not heavy, adjustable stretchy strap at the back, includes soft silicone eye pads. Opening for the nose and mouth. Easy to set up, simple to use. Doesn’t get too hot even during longer use.
Delivery and service: arrives in a very sturdy hard box, well packaged. Great after-sales service. FREE international shipping, takes about 2 weeks to arrive to Australia.
Money Back Guarantee: 60 days.
Cons: Have to be plugged in during use. A little pressure on the nose while wearing it, but can be resolved by using it lying down. Can leave some indent marks around the eyes, so best to use it before bed.
FDA/TGA approved: Yes, FDA (Food & Drug Administration) approved.
Price: Under $300 AUD
3. Project E Beauty - LED face mask, Australia.
Durability: very sturdy firm non-flexible plastic, strong but lightweight, and doesn’t break easily when dropped.
Colours used: red (wrinkles), blue (acne).
Comfort: not heavy. Wireless and portable (doesn’t have to be plugged in to use).
Delivery and service: arrives within a week, free shipping.
Money Back Guarantee: 30 days, extended until 31st of January if purchased between 1st Nov -24th Dec.
Cons: Does not have nose or mouth opening. Only has blue and red light. Does not have an adjustable strap, just a regular sunglasses-type temples.
FDA/TGA approved: FDA cleared.
Price: under $300 AUD
4. Omnilux Contour LED face mask.
Durability: flexible silicone, strong but lightweight, and doesn’t break easily when dropped.
Colours used: red (wrinkles), infra red (wrinkles, healing).
Comfort: flexible plastic, that can suit any face shape or size. Men’s version is also available in different colours. Adjustable strap, flexible nose opening and mouth opening. Portable.
Delivery and service: arrives within a week, free shipping.
Money Back Guarantee: 30 days.
Cons: Only red and infra-red light, not suitable for acne or pigmentation treatment. A bit on the pricey side.
FDA/TGA approved: FDA cleared, TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration), Australia.
Price: over $600 AUD
5. Dr Dennis Gross - DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro.
Durability: firm durable plastic, great quality.
Colours used: red (wrinkles), blue (acne).
Comfort: Adjustable strap, very lightweight and handsfree.
Delivery and service: arrives within a week, free shipping.
Money Back Guarantee: 30 days.
Cons: Not suitable for larger wider face. Only red and blue light.
FDA/TGA approved: FDA cleared.
Price: over $700 AUD
Convenience & savings compared to treatments in the clinic:
Cost:
If you take the average cost of an LED in clinic treatment which is around $70 per single treatment, and you need to do this consistently, having your own device at home can definitely save you quite a bit of dollars.
Convenience = consistency:
Not to mention the convenience of just popping one on while you watch your favorite show on Netflix or better yet relaxing with some meditation music and essential oils. Being able to do the treatment in the comfort of your own home will have a higher chance of you actually using the device consistently, or at least I’d like to think so.
Time saving:
You will also save a lot of time by not having to make regular appointments and travel to your skin specialist each time you want it done. Let’s face it, how many of us postpone those appointments often because we are just too busy, sometimes even the important appointments like blood tests and dental, because we are just so darn busy with work, life, kids, gym or never-ending to-do list. Not having to add those extra appointments to our already full to-do list, can definitely save us some time.
Efficacy:
It’s important to note that the strength of commercial LED devices is higher. Home LED masks are deliberately not designed to be too strong, as it’s made to be used frequently and by a regular person, not a professional skin clinician. So you need to be more consistent with the treatments. The best results are achieved by many users when used around 10-15 mins a day around 3-5 times per week.
So in my opinion, it’s a worthwhile investment to save money, time, and effort.
Are home LED face masks safe to use?
FDA approved LED face masks is your best bet to make sure the mask you are buying has been vetted for safety and efficacy. You should always consult your doctor prior to using LED light devices if you are taking medication or have a health condition.
Certain medications can increase sensitivity to sunlight, in which case LED might not be advisable. Doctors advise avoiding LED treatments during pregnancy as there is not enough clinical research on how it can affect the foetus.
Check for contraindications in the description of the product before purchasing.
You shouldn’t have any problems if you are otherwise a healthy individual. A good quality LED face mask Australia is normally suitable for all skin types.
LED usually does not emit harmful UV rays. You need to make sure to protect your eyes when using the mask.
FAQ:
1.What products compliment LED face mask therapy?
My favorite product is Vitamin C serum, you can check out which one I recommend and use right here.
But don’t put the serum on before the treatment, use it after. Vitamin C can be quite potent and if LED light is applied while it’s on, you could potentially irritate your skin. However, applying it after LED treatment can be even more beneficial than without the LED treatment prior, as LED light can allow penetration of the product deeper and more effectively.
LED light can help you get the most out of your skincare products.
2. How can you choose an LED face mask for your needs?
If you are looking for a mask to combat wrinkles and fine lines then you definitely need to look for one that has red light-emitting diodes or infra-red as it targets the depth of the epidermis in a way that promotes the production of collagen in your skin cells.
If you are looking for something to reduce acne and blemishes, blue LED light is what helps with that.
Yellow light helps with skin sensitivity.
While green LED light helps with broken capillaries, sagging skin, and pigmentation.
With multiple skin concerns such as wrinkles, pigmentation and broken capillaries, I felt that it makes sense to invest in a mask that has most variety of lights . Which is the first one in this review of best LED face masks I placed the multi-coloured one in the first position. If you have several skin concerns that you want to improve then you are covered.
3. How often can you do led light therapy at home?
Dermatologists recommend starting with using it no more than 3-5 times per week or around 5-20 minutes of treatment time (depending on the strength of the device) with a lower setting to see how your skin responds and then up the setting higher if there is such a feature on the mask. But you can safely increase to using it daily. Some even use it twice a day, but in most cases, it’s not necessary.
4. Which LED mask is TGA-approved in Australia and what does it mean exactly?
All of the above face masks in this LED face mask, Australia review are FDA approved or cleared and some are TGA approved also. FDA (Food & Drugs Administration) is an American association, which approves products that are made in the US, whilst TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) is the equivalent in Australia. It means the devices have been tested for safety and effectiveness for which it’s intended.
5. Are LED masks worth buying for facial treatment?
LED masks can complement everything that you are already doing with your skincare routine. It can help your skincare products penetrate deeper into the epidermis layers, helping you get the most of your products. I feel like of all the skin devices out there it’s probably the most effective one when it comes to skin rejuvenation. It can help improve your blood flow and penetrate your skin on a cellular level. The best part is that if you find that the devide isn’t giving you what your expected you can return it and all brands mentioned above have at least 30 days of purchase guarantee where you can return them.
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