Review of CurrentBody LED Light Therapy Mask- Does it Really Work?

This a review I was very excited to write. I learnt a lot about LED Light therapy for different skin issues when researching for my podcast, we did an episode devoted to LED therapy if you fancy checking that out to get a bit more background on the science behind it. I was so impressed with the scientific evidence that I bought myself a red and infrared LED light, but it wasn’t a great design and I kind of just forgot about the whole thing till now.

CurrentBody is a pioneering online destination for home use health and beauty technology.
They sell the best home electrical devices for health and personal use (they have some cool looking sex toys). There are Currentbody designs and they also sell other brand like Foreo and Nuface. There are loads of cool devices on their site, I could spend a fortune!

The mask was kindly gifted to me by CurrentBody, which does not affect my opinion even a bit (the photos speak for themselves). I have a discount code, a whopping 15% off, just type NIA15 at checkout. The links are affiliate which means that if you click and spend, I get a small percentage which I put straight back into my blog. Using my codes and links help keep my blog going.

Here is a little bit about the CurrentBody LED Light Therapy Mask-

• It is made of a flexible silicone material
• Has a portable rechargeable battery
• Can reduce wrinkles by 35% in just 4 weeks
• Applications include line reduction, redness reduction, skin firming, increases circulation and improved healing
• Utilises both red and near infrared light therapy

The technical specifications of the CurrentBody Skin LED Mask-
• Operates at 30mW and delivers 18 J/cm2
• 49 Red LEDs and 49 Near Infra-Red LEDs
• LEDs: Red: 633nm+/-10nm. NIR: 830nm+/-17.5nm

How Does the CurrentBody LED Mask Work? (Science)

I don’t know about you, but I like to know the science behind skincare before I commit my time and money to something. LED therapy, particularly red light therapy has some decent scientific evidence for it’s effect.

Many in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory, repair, skin rejuvenation and healing effects that are promoted by red light. The infrared range (700–1200 nm) accelerates the healing process of lesions in the skin, increases proliferation of cell differentiation, as well as contributes to an increase in the extracellular matrix

Rocha Mota et al, 2018

Light therapy has a few plus sides. Unlike lasers and radio frequency, there is no heat or pain involved and no downtime. It might not feel like it, but when you’re using you LED mask, the light is having a real effect on the cells in your skin. When high energy light at specific wavelengths hit their target (which might be a particular molecule or cell) it triggers an effect called Photobiomodulation. This Photobiomodulation occurs when red light of wavelength around 633nm hits the skin’s fibroblasts. The cells become excited and increase in energy, multiply, produce collagen and growth factors. All of this, over time increases the skin’s smoothness and firmness (Ablon, 2018).

There have been a few studies which show that this effect is reproducible and visible over time. The studies suggest a device with energy levels over 5 j/cm2 and a timeframe of more than 3 weeks. Some of the studies use LED therapy in combination with anti oxidants (Green tea extract specifically) as it is thought that the light can generate some free radicals (George et al, 2018). For antioxidant product recommendations, look at my other posts on The Ordinary, they do some really nice cheap antioxidants.

These energy levels are important for us to know if we’re going to get the same results at home as they did in the experiments. The CurrentBody LED mask has an energy level of 18 j/cm2 which is comparable to some of the devices used in the studies. I also love that they let us in on the data, some brands are very cagey.

What is the CurrentBody LED Mask like?

So we know we’ve got the science on our side, is the mask nice to use? Yes! Convenience I think is the key to keeping up with any at home device. It’s hard to keep up a habit if it’s annoying or uncomfortable. I love the idea of home use anti aging devices, having a treatment at home that you would pay a lot of money to have at a clinic. But if it’s not easy and painless it’s just not going to happen (like home Microneedling). The Currentbody LED mask is very usable.

The mask is very secure once it’s in place. You can easily extend the strap if it’s tight, and the strap is elasticated. The mask is flexible so it moulds nicely to the face, keeping the lights close to the skin, exactly where we want them to be. The battery pack is small and light. It’s very portable and comfortable. I’m not very good at sitting still and I was so pleased that I could just pop the mask on and carry on doing tasks.

Does CurrentBody Skin LED Light Mask Work? Before and After Pics

I was skeptical about the LED mask, would it really make a visible difference in just a few weeks? As the days and weeks went by I felt that my skin was improving in tone and brightness. I’m an oily skinned person and not particularly plagued by fine lines but I think the mask has just given me a general skin improvement.

Here is the comparison photo, the first image is the 25th August, the second is 29th September. Neither image has been edited in any way, I always use natural lighting and take my pictures in the same place.

Full disclosure- I use Tretinoin and have botox in my frown area, but I have been using those for about 10 years. Nothing else has changed in the last few weeks apart from the LED mask.

Looking at the pictures, I can see a general improvement in my appearance. It also looks like my pigmentation has improved which I wasn’t expecting. My lines may be less noticeable. I was also hoping that the mask would help with my acne scarring and I can’t tell for absolute sure whether it has. Skin firmness I can safely say is improved.

I’m going to keep using my mask and I’ll update as I go. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the CurrentBody Skin LED Light Therapy Mask. I love that the mask is so portable and easy to wear and I think it produces visible results. Head to CurrentBody to learn more and use my code NIA15 for 15% off. Come and find me on Instagram @niapattenlooks and let’s chat LED masks.

References

Ablon G. (2018) “Phototherapy with Light Emitting Diodes: Treating a Broad Range of Medical and Aesthetic Conditions in Dermatology”. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2018 Feb;11(2):21-27. Epub 2018 Feb 1. PMID: 29552272; PMCID: PMC5843358

George S, Hamblin MR, Abrahamse H. (2018) “Effect of red light and near infrared laser on the generation of reactive oxygen species in primary dermal fibroblasts”. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2018 Nov;188:60-68. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2018.09.004. Epub 2018 Sep 6. PMID: 30216761; 

Rocha Mota L, Motta LJ, Duarte IDS, et al (2018)’Efficacy of phototherapy to treat facial ageing when using a red versus an amber LED: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial” BMJ Open 2018;8:e021419. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-021419