How far would you go for glowing skin? For skincare aficionados of a certain order, the journey includes an ever-growing lineup of LED face masks, woo-woo esthetician office tools, and terrifying poreless Calabasas operators. But in recent years, while a variety of home-use options have made technology more accessible than ever, none Dr. Dennis Gross.
At first glance, the SpectraLite looks like a prop from a horror movie set ( Body, Body, Body, Lee Pace wears a light therapy mask in honor of the first slow motion movie), but with reliability based on the science and high-end fans, it is surprising despite its $500 price tag. The ritual has become popular.
New York Dr. Carmen Castile. Blue light can fight acne-causing bacteria; Red light that reaches the skin better increases collagen production. Most LED fixtures designed for home use have one or the other, but SpectraLite uses both, which is part of why beauty experts like Sophie Pavitt swear by it. Pavitt has been using LED therapy for many years in her personal skincare practice and in her New York studio. Unlike other laser treatments which are invasive and can irritate sensitive skin, LEDs are said to be safer and more effective.
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SpectraLite also makes this technology very easy to use: just put it on after cleansing your face, let the light shine on the cup for a few minutes and you're done with your daily routine. Sounds funny, but the science here is very real. Exposing your skin to blue or red light can help you overcome the dull acne scars and hyperpigmentation of recent months. Castilla makes your skin brighter and more compact. Working hand-in-hand with the retinol you wear at night, it helps boost spot performance. (Daily use of broad-spectrum SPF is negotiable, Pavitt says, and she recommends people with a history of skin cancer avoid LED treatments altogether.)
Before homemade masks, LED treatments were mostly used in special facials. The primary benefit of SpectraLite is that it solves skincare woes that leave you in the esthetician's chair from the comfort of your couch. The only caveat? You have to wait a little longer to see the results. “It's easier to make LED panels at home than to come to the office,” he said. Castilla, however, requires you to be consistent in using it 3-4 times a week for a few months to see the benefits.
That's Evan Sheen, one half of the Dewey Dudes, still skeptical. In the past, Shin used LED treatments as a targeted facial, but I don't think buying a mask is worth the investment, especially if it's going to collect dust in his bathroom cabinet. "Routine skincare can be tiring, especially when you're on the go," she says. Adding more devices that you can connect and use in minutes may seem "fun and new at first," but it quickly becomes mundane. If you don't have the discipline to use it, why bother?
For an Iron Man to spend $500 and rethink his skincare routine, the question isn't why , but when . The convenience of an LED mask, which you can turn on at any time and tap between facial expressions, makes its benefits hard to ignore. In the pursuit of perfect skin, cosplaying a Jason clone is a small price to pay.