At this point, I don’t think there’s anything I won’t try when it comes to skincare devices, at home or in a clinic. Whether it’s electrical muscle stimulation during a FaceGym workout or a night time routine gua sha massage, I’m always up for ramping up my skincare routine with additional support.
That being said, I can’t say that I had given LED much thought. As much as I love a device, the one thing that any tool I try has in common is that you can pretty much see an instant difference, something that doesn’t happen in LED technology. It’s only with perseverance that you will see the benefits of using an LED mask in your regular routine. But if you keep it up for at least four weeks, the benefits are vast. From helping with oil regulation to treating pigmentation, depending on the colour of the wavelength you pick.
Red: Stimulates collagen production and aids in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Blue: Regulates oil production and evens out texture. Good for spot-prone skin types.
Purple: Aids in repairing skin hyperpigmentation and blemishes.
Yellow: Helps with skin elasticity and depuffing.
There are loads of LED masks on the market right now. I opted for the Sensse mask as it seemed the most user-friendly and straightforward to set up. After charging for a couple of hours I picked a setting and put it on for five minutes. As a particularly oily skin type I opted for the blue light, using it twice for five minutes in the first week. I gradually upped my usage to every other day for ten minutes at a time. Take it from me, you don’t want to go too hard too quickly, even if your skin isn’t sensitive, like retinol, this is something that everyone needs to ease into.
For me, the results were pretty obvious. After about two weeks I noticed that when I woke, my face was a lot less greasy—a small joy for someone that usually looks like they’ve dipped their face in a fry up. Wearing a protective face mask on a day-to-day basis mixed with my oily/combination skin has led to more breakouts than ever, but when incorporating this LED mask religiously into my weekly routine only the odd spot has crept through, mainly during my period.
The only thing I would say is that, while it is only ten minutes of wear for maximum impact, I’m not sure I’ll keep it up. Ever since my testing time came to an end I’ve reached for it once a week tops and understandably it’s not working as well. Remembering to charge it and sticking to a regimen is hard enough with all the other parts of my skin care routine to contend with I feel like this is going to be the part that continues to fall by the wayside. With other at home tools I’ve used, they can be incorporated into my skincare routine; like my cleansing device I use with my face wash, or my gua sha I massage my night moisturiser in with and my cryo balls for de-puffing my eyes. This, however is a step unto itself, which if your skin care routine is already maxed out can feel like a step too far.
If you can be strict and stick to your routine, I really do believe that the power of LED is worth investing in if you know you can invest the time as well.
Next up, the best haircuts for thin hair.
