While it\u2019s a legitimate treatment you can get from a dermatologist, you\u2019ll also see at-home masks touted on TikTok, in wellness spas, and even gyms as a cure-all for this and that ailment. Every year at CES, I see plenty of companies jumping in on the trend with their own versions<\/a>. Some flash nine different colors, some falsely advertise \u201cFDA approval.\u201d It\u2019s such a crapshoot that for most people, I generally don\u2019t recommend purchasing the device.<\/p>\n So I was pleasantly surprised when I got to see L\u2019Or\u00e9al\u2019s LED Face Mask at CES this year.<\/p>\n The number one rule of wearable tech is simple: it must be wearable. You can have all the science in the world, but your wearable gadget ain\u2019t worth shit if it\u2019s not comfortable to wear. The vast majority of LED face masks on the market are bulky, uncomfortable to wear, and make you look like a Temu version of Jason Voorhees. Admittedly, L\u2019Or\u00e9al\u2019s mask does look uncanny in these pictures, but there\u2019s a crucial difference. They take their inspiration from sheet masks. There are two iterations: one for your entire face, and smaller masks that build off the reusable silicone eye masks that\u2019ve boomed in popularity over the past few years.<\/p>\n The mask is conceptually like combining a sheet mask with red light and near-infrared light therapy.<\/p>\n This is savvy. Sheet masks are a beauty treatment that is not only widely available, but they\u2019re also often an existing part of skin care nerds\u2019 routines. In essence, L\u2019Or\u00e9al isn\u2019t introducing a whole new step \u2014 it\u2019s potentially condensing them.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t get to wear the prototype masks myself for hygienic reasons. That said, I did get to handle them and view them on Guive Balooch, L\u2019Or\u00e9al\u2019s global vice president of tech and open innovation. They\u2019re made of lightweight, thin, and flexible material. And, unlike the hard, rigid masks flooding the market, this mask sits directly on top of your skin, which helps penetration. A user only has to wear it for five to ten minutes. Five, if they want to address fine lines. Ten if they want to target deeper wrinkles. Existing LED masks generally require users to wear them for ten to 20 minutes. Plus, another benefit of a flexible material means that it could one day also be applied to other areas that are challenging to treat, like the neck and decolletage.<\/p>\n I wasn\u2019t able to wear the mask myself for sanitary reasons, but here\u2019s L\u2019Or\u00e9al\u2019s Guive Balooch modeling it for us.<\/p>\n Another gripe I have with LED light masks is that red and infrared light therapy only works at certain wavelengths. A ton of available LED masks don\u2019t tell you that information \u2014 and for the ones boasting eight or nine different colors, there\u2019s not a ton of evidence proving efficacy.<\/p>\n Balooch tells me that to make its mask, L\u2019Or\u00e9al partnered with a startup called iSmart, which is also behind the tech in another popular mask by Omnilux<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have lots of clinicals, and working with them we found a way to bring a flexible electronic that has the same power with two wavelengths: 630nm and 830nm,\u201d Balooch says, noting that iSmart has an extensive 20 years of conducting peer-reviewed research in this area. \u201cWe wanted to work with a clinically driven science team, and there are not very many out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Balooch is also frank when I ask whether the mask\u2019s design could potentially help make existing skincare routines more effective using existing products like serums and moisturizers.<\/p>\n \u201cNot all formulas are activated by certain wavelengths of light. To activate something, you need to design the molecule and that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing with our labs \u2014 figuring out what molecules are activated by the wavelengths we have so we can design a particular formula for it. So could it synergize? Yes if you can create the right product. Will it reduce any effectiveness? No,\u201d says Balooch. He noted it was possible that the fact that the mask sits on the skin itself could help with absorption as well, but that would have to be studied further to know for sure.<\/p>\n A smaller eye mask version. Photo by Victoria Song \/ The Verge<\/p>\n Another thing I appreciate is that L\u2019Or\u00e9al is making the effort to get 510(k) FDA clearance for the mask. Obtaining this kind of FDA clearance doesn\u2019t necessarily mean the mask is more effective, but it does assert the product is safe to use and isn\u2019t making false marketing claims. It can be a lengthy and expensive process, which in this space, generally means a company is willing to go through extra hoops instead of defaulting to \u201cwellness.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m not about to straight up say that \u201cThis is the LED mask you should buy.\u201d That sort of endorsement requires testing and research. Plus, we don\u2019t yet know how this will be priced. On top of that, this device isn\u2019t slated to hit shelves until 2027, pending FDA clearance. 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