We Tried It: A PRICEY AT-HOME LED FACE MASK

For three minutes every evening, I lie on my couch with an absolutely terrifying mask placed over my just-cleansed face while red and blue lights allegedly work their magic to give me line-free, blemish-free skin. The mask is the latest innovation from Dr. Dennis Gross, a board-certified dermatologist and dermatological surgeon known for his at-home peeling masks. The DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro is an LED mask that uses red light to boost collagen and reduce fine lines, and blue light to kill bacteria to help heal and prevent future breakouts and redness.

- RENEE REARDIN

I’m hardly the only one spending time this way. Celebrities like Paris Hilton and January Jones are fans of LED masks (with Jones opting for a substantially pricier version from Déesse). As are top aestheticians Sophie Pavitt and Melanie Grant (who uses the even more expensive Dermalux Mask). Could this thing actually improve my skin?

Light-emitting diode, or LED, masks “may stimulate collagen and elastin production, reduce skin inflammation and help kill bacteria contributing to acne,” says Monica Li, a board-certified dermatologist at City Medical Aesthetics Center in Vancouver. “But that depends on their wavelength.”