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- After 2 Years of Searching, I’ve Finally Found An At Home LED I Can Commit To
After 2 Years of Searching, I’ve Finally Found An At Home LED I Can Commit To
by
Ruby Feneley
Supplied
Remember 2020? We all went home from the office for two weeks and didn’t return for… two years?
As we spent more time in our bedrooms, the skincare tech revolution of the 2020s kicked off.
Suddenly, we had the time to break out our microcurrent devices and switch on our LEDs. We became obsessed with beauty tech and thousand-step skincare steps.
During this period, I accumulated a lot of beauty devices, including at-home LED masks. But when we opened up, and life returned to (nearly) normal, they moved to the back of my shelf.
Why? Much like going to the gym, skincare tech requires time and effort. Unfortunately, workouts for your body and your face are the first things to go when you’re on a time crunch.
However, unlike a microcurrent device where similar, more permanent results can be delivered in one session at a clinic, LED therapy provides cumulative benefits. Daily or several times weekly use is more beneficial than a once-a-month clinic treatment. Jennifer Lopez (who deserves a Nobel Prize in “keeping it tight”) Phoebe Tonkin, Lil Nas X and Kristin Cavallari are all fans of LEDs, making it something I had to get behind.
The Problem With At-Home LEDs
Time: The cheaper ones often require up to half an hour of exposure. This is… longer than I have in a day.
Movement: I can’t move around when I’m wearing them. While I’m not going to vacuum my house while wearing an LED, I don’t want to feel straight-jacketed to my bed because I have a cord plugged into the wall.
Fit: Simply, they don’t fit my face. Some LEDs have a rigid “shell” structure. This means if you have a tiny face like mine that is often overwhelmed by simple sheet masks (small-faced babes unite), they can slip and slide or sit far away from areas you’d like to target. Some at-home LEDs are made of stiff rubber, so while they have some flexibility, they don’t hug the contours of your face.
Putting Dr Naomi “LED it Glow” To The Test:
Enter the Dr. Naomi LED It Glow Anti-Ageing Light Therapy Mask ($595).
I was lucky enough to be gifted this to trial and have been using it for almost four months. I’d seen “in the know” types like Hannah English raving about it on Instagram, so I was very excited to try. These are my thoughts.
What It Promises:
The mask claims to “reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation and redness while promoting healthier, hydrated, plump skin”.
First things first: Dr Naomi McCullum is an aesthetic doctor who practices in Sydney. At her flagship clinic, The Manse, she and her staff carry out all manner of procedures. She’s an expert in both skin health and post-procedure recovery.
The LED It Glow Mask contains 156 LED lights and uses clinically proven red and near-infrared wavelengths.
Red light addresses inflammation and redness, while boosting blood circulation and the stimulation of collagen and elastin. It promotes wound healing, evens skin tone and addresses the damage caused by UVA rays.
Near-infrared light strengthens and supports skin cell regeneration. It penetrates the deepest layers of the skin to work synergistically with red lights to reduce inflammation and signs of ageing.
While you may find both these lights in other masks, the wavelength is essential. Red lights need to be 630-660nm (633nm is the gold standard) to be effective on the skin, and near-infrared rays need to be 820-840nm (with 830nm being the gold standard) to be effective on the skin.
This is something you should keep in mind when shopping for an LED.
Both red and infrared lights in the LED it Glow LED hit the gold standard mark.
The Experience:
This LED is the first mask I have been able to commit to using at least five times a week, sometimes more (recommended usage is 3-5 times a week for best results).
What makes it great? This mask is SNUG. LED it Glow is made of silicone rather than plastic or rubber. This means it perfectly moulds to the shape of my face. It hugs my under-eye areas, where I need the most help, and the sides of my face, where other LEDs often miss.
Dr Naomi McCullen said when designing the mask that “effectiveness was number one”. This meant using the maximum number of lights and being “very specific about light positioning”. LED it Glow hits every mark (literally).
Related: 8 of the Best LED Masks in Australia and Exactly What Each Light Does For Your Skin
I feel totally confident I am getting full coverage LED. Because it hugs my eye area, the LED isn’t shining directly into my eyeballs the way masks that sit away from the face can do. I can keep my eyes open if I want to, which means I can even wear it while I work if necessary. Even better, it’s comfortable.
“Comfort was essential to us,” Dr McCullum said. “If it’s comfortable, customers will use it more.”
It’s also portable. The LED mask plugs into a charger I could carry with me, so when I needed to get up and grab something (… like my Uber Eats order) I could do so without interrupting the session.
The mask folds neatly for travel, meaning I didn’t need to go without it for work trips, and compared to the Patrick Batemen style designs of other masks on the market, its pale pink “Do Not Disturb” design is utterly charming!
How I Use It:
While you can use a serum underneath your LED, I like to use it on freshly washed and toned skin in the evenings. Using a serum just means the LED mask will get dirtier more quickly, and you’ll need to clean it more frequently.
Sometimes I’ll watch TV, but recently I’ve been listening to a 10-minute meditation, so the mask has actually helped me do something I have struggled to implement for a very long time! It’s important to note that “ability to sit still and meditate” isn’t a clinically proven side effect. After 10 minutes, I remove and follow with my usual skincare.
Does Dr Naomi LED Mask “LED it Glow”? (Yes):
I have 100% noticed an improvement in skin texture and quality since using the LED. Another little-known benefit of LEDs? They can decrease skin sensitivity.
As a beauty writer who trials many products, skin irritation is a risk of the job. Beauty editor skin is actually not desirable because we’re frequently “on the bench” recovering from reactions Dr McCullum confirms that LED Light Therapy reduces inflammation and promotes healing, which makes it a great complement to skin procedures and higher strength active ingredients.
What it Won’t Do (and a Third Surprising Side Effect):
This LED is the cutest one I’ve seen, but it still won’t stop your beauty non-versed friends, family and housemates from screeching at you and taking photos. Frankly, they can deal with it. In a twist, however, my cat Mr Blanky simply LOVES the LED and is endlessly curious about it. Expect your pets to join each session.
