I Tried the Best Red Light Therapy Masks for 8 Weeks, and I’m Smooth as a Baby’s Bum

Best Cooling

The Shark CryoGlow is one of the best LED face 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 maintain the best 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 and found I had considerably less inflammation and pigmentation after eight weeks, plus improved fine lines to boot. —Verity Burns

The Internet Favorite

Even though this cordless, hard-shell mask makes me feel like a rose-gold Optimus Prime, it’s incredibly comfortable to use. I like that the lights aren’t too bright around the eyeholes, so I can still walk around and see well enough to fold laundry or load the dishwasher, and the short, three-minute session (it automatically turns off when it’s done) makes it a cinch to fit into my routine on even the busiest of days. It also means the battery lasts ages—I used it close to every day for six weeks and did not need to charge it. Some online reviews mention an issue with charging, but I tested its ability to hold a charge, and it didn’t seem to have any issues.

I also like that there are three settings—red light only (press the button once), blue light only (press twice), and red-and-blue light combo (press three times). On the downside, the lightweight silicone strap constantly comes undone. I thought at first I may have assembled it incorrectly, but former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano had the same issue during her test. The shape and height of the mask (about 5 inches) also make it hard to fit in a drawer or smaller travel bag, compared with a flat mask like the GloTech. And, like other red-light masks I’ve tried, I have yet to notice a significant change in wrinkles or skin texture. However, I specifically tested the red-and-blue combination light setting for two weeks and did feel like I experienced a noticeable reduction in various blemishes. —Kat Merck

Best Spot Treatment

Solawave

4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Wand

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WIRED

• Handheld
• Travel-friendly
• Includes vibration and gentle heat therapy

TIRED

• Limited power and coverage
• No blue-light capability

The Solawave 4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Wand is a bestseller on TikTok. It has a single 630-nm red light wavelength, and former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano found it quite relaxing to use. With vibration and warmth therapy thrown in with the light, it feels like a full spa experience. Two other WIRED testers have had positive results with skin tightening. One mentioned that the skin around her eye area looked firmer in just a few weeks of use. It also has a longer return window than some of our other picks, so you can always try this and have time to see if it works.

Best Neck Mask

Nora Ephron famously wrote that the neck starts to go at 43. “Our faces are lies and our necks are the truth,” she said, and as a year shy of that hallowed age, I felt the need to preemptively address this area. I do not currently have any dark spots or acne on my neck or chest, so, I considered the Glotech Collar as preventative. I found it remarkably easy to use and wear. It comes with several different-sized straps, but I only needed the one around my neck. The battery lasts for two ten-minute sessions, but it’s palm-sized and rechargeable via USB-C, so you can top it off quickly after your nightly session. And because it’s on your neck and chest and not on your face, it’s very easy to slip the battery in your pocket while you do other things, like put away laundry.

LED Esthetics notes that you should wear the mask in conjunction with its proprietary serums, which I did not do so as not to confound the results. I did moisturize afterward, also as instructed, with Oil of Olay Regenerist moisturizer. After 30 days of wear per LED Esthetics’ user instructions (the manual says to continue use as convenient or desired afterward), I did not notice any reduction in my two deep-ish neck wrinkles, but I did not find it inconvenient to wear or maintain and the results are best assessed over time. There are also fewer LED bulbs and only one setting, which I did not mind as my neck has sensitive skin, but may be an issue for some users. —Adrienne So