Best Cooling LED Face Mask
The Shark CryoGlow is one of the newest LED masks on the market and is a great choice for newcomers, since it holds your hand through the process. There are two main programs to follow—Blemish Repair, which uses a combination of blue light (415 nm), infrared, and red LED (630-830 nm) for eight minutes, and Better Aging, which uses just infrared and red LED for six minutes. It’s recommended to follow one program daily for eight weeks, switching to the four-minute Skin Sustain program afterward to keep up your results. It comes with a handy controller that counts down your time remaining and also tracks your progress, plus the mask has a party trick of cooling under-eye pads that can be used in combination with the LEDs or on their own, to soothe puffiness.
During my eight weeks, I noticed patches of perioral dermatitis clear up much quicker than they usually would, and my skin looked plumper and more glowy. Most interesting, though, was going to an aesthetician who scanned the layers of my skin beneath the epidermis before and after the program—it found I had considerably less inflammation and pigmentation after eight weeks, plus improved fine lines to boot. —Verity Burns
Includes a 60-day return policy and a 2-year limited warranty.
Best for Vibration Therapy
The TheraFace Mask has become my favorite excuse to sit still for 10 minutes (fine, nine minutes). Most LED masks stop at light therapy, but this one ups the ante with built-in vibrations that massage pressure points around your brows, temples, and scalp. It’s so soothing that I almost don’t care whether it’s transforming my skin (though I’d like to believe it is).
You can opt for a three-minute targeted treatment or a nine-minute session that cycles through all three wavelengths. Therabody claims 93 percent of users saw visible improvements after eight weeks. After 12 weeks of daily-ish use (give or take 10 days due to travel), my skin tone does look slightly brighter. The blue light didn’t do much for my hormonal breakouts, since it only treats existing blemishes, not prevents them. But more than anything, this gadget has encouraged me to be more consistent with my skincare routine.
It’s lightweight and cordless, and it has removable eye shields (a feature that should be mandatory). There’s no mouth hole, so snackers and yappers, be warned—or project your voice. At $599, it’s a splurge, but if you want an LED mask that doubles as a massager, this is the one.
Includes a 30-day return policy and a 1-year limited warranty.
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Photograph: Boutayna Chokrane
