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Better skin without putting on pants? That's the beauty of the best LED face masks, which deliver LED light therapy in the form of convenient, at-home skin-care devices. With the press of a button, you can get the benefits of LED—which range from reducing acne to quelling inflammation—in your own home, no appointment necessary.
After testing for four weeks multiple times a week, we chose Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare's DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro and TheraBody's TheraFace Mask—2023 and 2024 Best of Beauty Award winners, respectively—as our top LED masks. You may associate red light with LED but both devices offer three types of LED lights—red, blue, and infrared or purple—to address additional skin-care concerns and layers of the skin. TheraBody supplements LED with gentle vibrations for an extra dose of relaxation, making it a tester favorite. With the holidays approaching, we've chosen HigherDose Red Light Face Mask as our top gifting pick. While on the pricier end of presents, this lightweight, portable mask has two, beginner-friendly preset modes to kick off their collagen-boosting, glow-inducing journey.
Our Top LED Face Masks
- Best Overall: Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro, $455
- Best Vibrating: TheraBody TheraFace Mask, $599
- Best LED Face Mask to Gift: HigherDose Red Light Face Mask, $349
- Best for Eyes: Currentbody LED Eye Perfector, $149
- Best for Acne: Omnilux Mini Blemish Eraser, $95
- Best for Wrinkles: Currentbody Skin LED Mask, $380
- Best for Inflammed Skin: The Light Salon Boost LED Mask, $495
- Best Customizable: MZ Skin Golden Light Therapy Treatment Mask Device, $670
- Best for Face and Neck: Shani Darden by Déesse Pro LED Light Mask, $1,900
- Best on a Budget: Skin Gym Wrinklit LED Mask, $99
A quick intro for those unfamiliar: LED stands for "light emitting diode," meaning it emits wavelengths of light in the visible spectrum. "At the cellular level, energy from the light gets absorbed by mitochondria," says Michelle Park, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Washington Square Dermatology in New York City. Mitochondria, as you might remember from biology class, is the powerhouse of the cell and provides energy to fuel cell functions.
By providing light to the mitochondria, LED treatment "triggers biochemical reactions that ultimately lead to beneficial effects on the skin, such as fibroblast proliferation and collagen production," Dr. Park explains. Fibroblasts are cells that produce connective structures like collagen and elastin, which serve as the scaffolding within skin—so increasing their numbers can translate to more of those important fibers and, in turn, smoother, firmer skin.
Check out our FAQs for a detailed breakdown of LED and how it works, or keep scrolling for the best LED face masks that we tested to invest in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Best LED Mask Overall: Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare
DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro
Angela Trakoshis wearing and demonstrating the different modes of the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro
Trakoshis wearing the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro
Best Vibrating: TheraBody TheraFace Mask
Therabody
TheraFace Mask
Sarah Han wearing and demonstrating the Therabody TheraFace Mask
Han wearing the Therabody TheraFace Mask
Best for Gifting: HigherDose Red Light Face Mask
HigherDOSE
Red Light Face Mask
Sarah Han wearing and demonstrating the HigherDose Red Light Face Mask
Han wearing the HigherDose Red Light Face Mask
Best for Eyes: Currentbody LED Eye Perfector
CurrentBody
LED Eye Perfector
Deanna Pai turning on and demonstrating the Currentbody Skin LED Eye Perfector.
Deanna Pai
Pai wearing the Currentbody Skin LED Eye Perfector.
Deanna Pai
More LED Masks We Love
Best for Acne: Omnilux Mini Blemish Eraser
Omnilux
Mini Blemish Eraser
Best for Wrinkles: Currentbody Skin LED Mask
CurrentBody
LED Mask
Best for Inflammed Skin: The Light Salon Boost LED Mask
The Light Salon
Boost LED Mask
Best Customizable: MZ Skin Golden Light Therapy Treatment Mask Device
MZ Skin
Golden Light Therapy Treatment Mask Device
Best for Dull Skin: Solawave Wrinkle Retreat Light Therapy Face Mask
Solawave
Wrinkle Retreat Light Therapy Face Mask
Best for Face and Neck: Shani Darden by Déesse Pro LED Light Mask
Shani Darden
Pro LED Light Mask
Best on a Budget: Skin Gym Wrinklit LED Mask
Skin Gym
Wrinklit Led Mask
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of LED lights?
It depends on the light color—the most commonly used lights in LED masks are red and blue. "Red and near-infrared are great for wound healing and increasing collagen production to improve skin texture, tone, and firmness," says Dr. Park, who notes that those with rosacea and redness may also take advantage of their anti-inflammatory properties. Meanwhile, "blue light is used for acne, as it targets the bacteria that causes acne," Dr. Park notes.
What are the different types of LED Lights?
"[Red light therapy can] stimulate collagen production, reduce inflammation, and increase blood circulation, so it is primarily used for [fine lines and wrinkles] and wound healing," Sejal Shah, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously told Allure. (In other words, it's ideal for addressing signs of sun damage.)
Blue LED lights, meanwhile, are often used as an in-office acne treatment, as they're able to kill the bacteria on breakout-prone skin types. Green light can address hyperpigmentation and dark spots as well as brighten skin. (While there are other lesser-known LED light colors, such as yellow and purple, red and blue LED are backed up by clinical studies, which is why you can often find them alone or even paired together in these beauty tools.)
How often should you use a LED mask?
Your LED mask will come with a recommendation for how long (and how often) to use it to see and maintain results. Generally speaking, though, Dr. Park says that you can usually notice a difference if you use an LED mask three to five times a week for 10 minutes at a time. But again, she says, "You should check the manufacturer's recommended usage of your particular mask."
Who should avoid using LED lights?
People with heart disease and those who are pregnant and breastfeeding should check with their doctor before using at-home skin-care devices, LED lights included. And for LED light masks in particular, you should skip them if you have "a seizure disorder, epilepsy, or a condition that causes sensitivity to light like lupus or migraines triggered by light," says Dr. Park. She also recommends passing on them if you take a photosensitizing medication like doxycycline or isotretinoin, both of which can be prescribed for acne.
Otherwise, these gadgets don't have serious side effects.
Meet the dermatologists
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We are particularly discerning when writing about skin-care devices. This is because of the increased risks and, in many cases, the high price points, that accompany at-home dermatological tools and devices.
Each LED mask undergoes extensive testing and must be approved by a senior member of our beauty team prior to appearing in Allure. Additionally, our editorial team consults board-certified dermatologists and cosmetic chemists about the science behind product claims and independently reviews any studies cited by brands. Testers consider performance across four primary categories: efficacy, safety (including ease of use), research and the science behind specific claims, as well as product value. To learn more information on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
