No Lie: This At-Home Beauty Tool Really Gets Your Skin Glowing
If I could buy all of you just one tool today for better-looking skin tomorrow, it would be the Omnilux Contour Face LED light therapy mask. I’ve long been a fan of light therapy – pre-COVID, I was happily heading in-salon a few times a year for a skin-glowing fix.
When there was no end of lockdown in sight, I decided to road test the DIY version, which isn’t cheap at $550. I’ve been floored by the results. And my husband, who never comments on my skin apart from the times I do LED in-salon, was at it again.
Him: “Your skin looks really good, what have you been using?”
Me: “Um, remember when you were sitting next to me on the lounge and I was wearing that crazy-looking mask? That!”
For those who aren’t LED-savvy, the in-salon treatment can be confronting. Even though you wear goggles, the bright red light feels like it could be melting your eyeballs (it’s not, of course, but your brain keeps telling you it is). I vividly remember my first time, pleading with the therapist to remove it immediately (not that politely) after just a few seconds, when it needs to stay on for about 20 minutes.
I didn’t try it again for many years, and then only because a very lovely therapist explained that my initial reaction was common and offered to massage my feet the entire time the light was on, which would allow my brain to focus on that sensation and not the one that had me repeating in my head, “My eyeballs are on fire, fire, fire”. (Can I just add here I am not a sook and delivered two babies au naturale, but this feeling is something else.)
Happily, the massaging worked, and I've been going back ever since. But not all therapists are as kind. I can’t expect a foot massage, so I was so keen to DIY and see if the results matched up. They do, albeit with a bit more effort on my part, which I'm happy to do for the excellent results.
How this mask works (and not all are the same, BTW) is by using light-emitting diodes (LED) – both red and near infra-red wavelengths of light – which has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It does this by increasing blood circulation and stimulating skin-plumping collagen production. It also helps to fade age spots and even out redness, so your skin looks clearer and absorbs serums and moisturisers more effectively, too.
What it won’t do is keep your skin looking healthier if you are not religious with your sunscreen – every day, all day. (The best for really dry skin under our blistering sun is the creamy Ella Bache Sportsbloc Great SPF 50+ $39. Made with lanolin and cocoa butter, it feels more like a rich moisturiser but stays put for four hours in the surf)
So the routine is simple: three times a week, for 10 minutes, either lying down or watching Netflix. No freakily blinding light, and you get to be in the comfort of my own home. The results are not as intense as in-salon, of course, but it’s become an integral part of my skincare routine driven by the joy I get from the results. I look forward to the sessions – usually at night but sometimes by day in my office, too – because I know the next morning I'll wake up, look in the mirror and my skin will look that much better. On par with a soft holiday glow.
Pros: The light is not as bright as in-salon, so there’s no need to wear goggles. Cons: Because the mask is only a fraction of the intensity you would get in a clinic, you need to commit to regular use to get the benefits.
To maximise the treatment, I always follow a night session with a hydrating leave-on mask. My current favourite is MOR Correspondence Rejuvenating Overnight Mask $34.95.
Theo Chapman
is part of the Tonic team
