What are LED facial masks for and should I have one?
If you have not heard about using LED facial masks at home yet, then you are definitely missing out. Everyone from Chrissy Teigen to Victoria Beckham to Jessica Alba are all on this bandwagon. The latest celebrity to endorse these masks loved it so much that she actually brought out her own brand of an LED light, you may have heard of her, Kourtney Kardashian. She said adding this light to her self care routine has been life changing. Let’s take a look at how this latest phenomenon got
NASA are the original inventors of the LED light. They created this decades ago to help the growth of plants and vegetables on a space shuttle mission. After more research they discovered that it had wound healing abilities. In the 1990s the US Navy Seals started to use it to help with quicker healing of wounds and then discovered it helped regenerate damaged muscle tissue. From then, skin scientists thought if it helps heal wounds and regenerate muscle then surely it would help the skin. It has now been developed to help the skin increase it’s collagen production, regenerate skin cells and has antibacterial properties to help with treating acne.
The official meaning of LED is light-emitting diode. How does it work? The power and energy of the light is pushed in the direction of your skin. The colours that we see are produced by the different wavelengths that are occurring. The wavelength that occurs will determine the effect it is having on your skin. LED is completely safe as it does not contain any UV and is a non-invasive treatment. It can be used on any skin type, any skin Fitzpatrick 2 -3 times per week for about 20 minutes.
Most at home LED light masks have 3 colours to choose from. Red, blue and yellow. Sometimes you may only find red and blue as they are the most commonly used colours. Each colour has its own specific purpose as to what effect it gives your skin.
Red - the most popular colour. This colour is used to treat the outer layer of your skin which is called the epidermis. Your skin absorbs this light the same as if it were absorbing a product. Once absorbed the light stimulates your collagen production. Giving your skin a boost to produce more collagen and work more efficiently, therefore helping reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The red light is also known to help improve circulation and reduce inflammation, in result giving your skin a lovely glow.
Blue - is used to help slow down your sebaceous glands (oil glands). When you have overactive sebaceous glands your skin usually breaks out with acne. This light helps reduce the amount of oil your skin is producing. It also has antibacterial properties, which can help clear up and stop acne that is spreading. As mentioned earlier LED also has wound healing effects, which also works with healing scars. If you have picked at your acne and it has left marks, the blue light is your go to help clear those up.
Yellow/Orange - this is the detoxifying light. It helps your lymphatic system flush away waste from under the skin, which helps reduce swelling and puffiness. It also increases cellular growth, helping new skin cells turnover quicker. This can help reduce the appearance of age spots and melasma. As well as repair dull, delicate skin.
No matter what machine or products you use there will often be contraindications, as goes for the LED mask. A couple things to note before you use the mask. You do not want to be using products that make your skin more sensitive to light, such as accutane and retinoids. They are very strong products that are directly derived from vitamin A, which is known to strongly increase your sensitivity
Here at Beautology we sell the LED mask, one that has very similar technology to Kourtney Kardashian’s brand. Ours is a bit more wallet friendly, selling at £34.99, click here to purchase. Our mask has all 3 colours with wavelengths at Red (620-750nm), Blue (476-495nm) and Orange (590-620nm). Giving you the perfect at home treatment to add into your beauty routine.