Victoria Beckham's glowing skin, Emily in Paris' fresh-faced complexion and Kate Moss' youthful appearance; all three of these women can testify to the magic of the CurrentBody LED Mask, which is also famously responsible (in part, at least) for Margot Robbie's incredible skin. Thanks to this celebrity endorsement – not to mention glowing customer reviews – it's quickly become one of the best-selling pieces of beauty tech on the market, so I decided to spend a whole year testing it out to see if it really is that good.
Previously, only a lucky minority had access to the latest treatments in skincare with no worry about cost. Now, however, the new wave of at-home beauty technology has made it accessible to everyone, and LED face masks promise celebrity levels of glow if you’re consistent and diligent with how you use them.
After I arrived at my mid-30s, I was keen to test out the CurrentBody LED skin mask, which went viral after it was spotted in the hit Netflix show Emily In Paris. It's also the mask Suki Waterhouse hailed as 'the product that has saved my skin'. It promises to promote skin renewal, help with anti-ageing, enhance collagen, improve fine lines, as well as improve texture, although I found it also really helped with breakouts.
Best LED Mask overall
Natalie Corner
The CurrentBody Skin LED Light Therapy Mask uses two clinically-proven light-emitting diode wavelengths to target tone, texture, firmness, and tightness. These non-invasive light therapy masks are suitable for all skin types, and a means of achieving a near salon-level treatment at home.
Pros
- Improves skin texture within two weeks of consistent use
- Helps to control breakouts
- Encourages production of collagen and results in glowing skin
Cons
- Series 1 mask has two silicone nose flaps that don't sit right - but Series 2 has improved this
- The single strap can slip - but again the newly released Series 2 has a multiway strap
How we tested it
I’ve had the CurrentBody LED Mask for over a year and used it at least two or three times a week for the first three months. I then dropped it to twice a week for the next six months and now I use it two-three times per month. This is alongside my existing skincare routine of cleansing, moisturising, using SPF daily and serums for extra hydration. The mask has a 10-minute timer, which is attached via a rechargeable wired remote.
How to use the CurrentBody LED Mask
On first use, you must plug in and charge the controller via a USB plug until the light goes from red to green. Then, plug the controller to the wire on the mask, fit the mask to your head and adjust so that it is comfortable – you're going to be wearing it for 10 minutes so it shouldn’t be too tight.
The recommended treatment time is 10 minutes, so once you are comfortable, press the button on the controller and it will bleep, then it will bleep again to alert you when the 10 minutes is up. The charge lasts for around seven sessions and will show an amber light when it needs charging.
I noticed that if I used it too intensely, my skin would get a little irritated. If this happens, just take a break and scale-back your use of the mask until your skin feels better.
My honest thoughts
When I first received the CurrentBody LED Mask, I did not read the instructions properly and, I have to confess, I used it every single day for the first two weeks. I slathered on a hyaluronic serum, sat back and let it do its job. Within the first week, I noticed an immediate glow and the texture of my skin changed; my pores were less visible and my active breakout was immediately reduced.
I then saw that Alicia Lartey, a beauty influencer I follow, recommended using it two-three times a week –because no-one really needs that much red light therapy – and so I stopped using it so much. I diligently stuck to my ritual – after work it felt luxurious to sit back and close my eyes with the mask on, avoiding screens completely.
As I have a unusually big head – the sort of size which means I find it tricky to wear hats – I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the LED mask is bendy. It’s made out of flexible silicone with an adjustable Velcro strap, which means it really will fit everyone. As this is the Series 1 mask, it doesn’t have the recently-released Series 2 feature of an added chin strap to target the area under the chin.
The only part that didn’t quite fit my face was the nose hole – the two separate flaps often pushed down the sides of my nose rather than target on top – but it appears with the Series 2 mask, CurrentBody has adjusted the nose section to be one piece of silicone, which I think will be much more comfortable.
What I loved
This product genuinely does what it says on the box, it stimulates skin renewal and leaves you glowing. Yes, you still need to moisturise and wear SPF but there was a definite difference in my skin texture. When I recently stopped using it so regularly, my skin broke out again but, when I started using it again (along with Tretonoin, I must add), it treated it much more quickly.
What could be better?
The CurrentBody LED Mask is at-home beauty technology at it’s finest – the results really speak for themselves. The £250+ price point, when you compare it to getting regular facials and other skin treatments, along with product purchases, balances out. The improvements made in the Series 2 would definitely alleviate my grievances on certain aspects and there is even a multiway strap to reduce slippage.
Natalie Corner is a Commercial Content Editor for Grazia, deeply invested in her skincare routine she is never without SPF. She has tried and tested all sorts of hair products for curly hair and is on a mission to find the perfect under-eye colour corrector.