Red light, blue light, or both? I tried all three using the Dr. Dennis Gross DRx Spectralite Facewear Pro LED mask
LED light therapy has a lot of skeptics — including myself. So I tested one for three weeks to see how effective it actually is.
The Dr. Dennis Gross DRx Spectralite Faceware Pro is a light therapy device that’s designed to boost collagen production in your skin and target bacteria using red and blue light, leading to improved skin texture, fewer fine lines, and clear, breakout-free skin, according to the brand. The mask, which has FDA clearance and is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin, achieves this by using light-emitting diodes (energy conductors) on the inside of the mask — 100 red light-emitting diodes, and 60 blue light-emitting diodes to be precise, according to Dennis Gross.
Using these diodes, the mask has three treatment settings to choose from: red light, blue light, and a combination of the two, all of which run on a 3-minute cycle that automatically ends when the time is up. According to Dr. Apple Bodemer — a board-certified dermatologist and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health — in our story on red light therapy devices, red light therapy applies specific wavelengths of light onto your skin, which can penetrate two to three-millimeters beneath the skin’s surface, reaching our cells. The mitochondria in our cells then absorb that light, and in turn produce more energy and increase collagen production, which helps with fine lines, texture and more, according to Bodemer.
Blue light therapy, in a similar fashion, targets the acne-causing bacteria right below the surface of the skin, destroying them and leading to clear skin and reduced breakouts, according to the brand. To use the mask’s therapies, press and hold the power button at the top to turn it on, and press once to cycle through each setting. The mask can also be used multiple times a day — the brand recommends running your first setting of choice for one three-minute cycle, and allowing the mask to rest at least ten minutes between cycles before using again.
I used this mask daily for just over three weeks, alternating between incorporating it into my morning and nightime routines. Since I have oily/combination skin that tends to be prone to small breakouts, the mask’s blue light acne setting was most appealing to me.
For the first week, I switched between the three settings (red light, blue light, and both), using each mode for two days at a time (on the 3-minute cycle). By the seventh day, I decided to focus on the blue light mode, since the fine lines that the red lights target aren’t a big skin care concern for me. From that point, I used the mask on the blue light setting at least once daily. There were also days where I used it more than once — on those days I used the mixed light modes on any extra uses.
According to the brand, you should wear the mask over a clean, dry face. Following that advice, I used the mask right after cleansing, following it up with my toner and the rest of my routine. There were a few times in the beginning of my testing process when I forgot to use the mask before applying my toner and ended up using it with the toner on, but I didn’t experience any issues with it when this happened (however, this isn’t recommended by the brand).
After using the Dr. Dennis Gross DRx Spectralite Faceware Pro for three weeks, I found it very easy to use and integrate into my morning and night routines, and I liked that I could change the treatments based on the skincare concerns I wanted to address. By the end of the testing process, I could also see a noticeable improvement in my skin’s texture. Below I go in-depth on the things I liked the most about the mask, along with a few observations to keep in mind when thinking about buying one for yourself.
Quick and easy to use
As a lifelong procrastinator, it’s easy for me to skip out on specialty skin care treatments, even when I decide I want to incorporate them into my routine. If something requires a lot of time or has a very detailed and specific set of instructions, I often end up putting it off until the next night, and then the next night and so on. With this mask, the process is so low-maintenance that I was able to add it to my daily skin care regimen with very little change made to my routine, if any.
When using it in the morning, I apply the mask, and spend the treatment time — which again, is only three minutes — either packing my work bag or finishing my body care routine. At night, I use the time to set the water in my kettle to boil and pick the flavor of my nightly cup of tea. In both cases, once the cycle is up I’m able to finish my routine and seamlessly continue with the rest of my morning/night. I also like that the mask is totally silent, only needs the push of a single button to work, and shuts off automatically when each cycle is up — it makes the entire process feel almost effortless.
Multiple treatment modes
What I like most about the Spectralite Faceware Pro is the range of treatment options it has available. While many light therapy devices tend to focus on red light, this mask’s blue light and combination treatment options make it a much more effective tool for the skin care issues I’m looking to target.
As I said before, I mostly used the mask’s blue light setting after initially testing all three settings. The mask’s short time investment made it so that I could often do multiple treatments in a day or even a single sitting. During those times, I’d alternate between the blue light and the combination light setting — I especially like doing this at nights after long days spent outside running errands, or hanging out at one of the nearby parks. It gives my skin an extra healing boost before bed, and helps to address some of the sun damage that I may have gotten from the extended times outdoors.
Although I didn’t use the solely red light setting as much, I think it rounds out the mask’s offerings really well — being able to choose between all three modes that can address a wide range of skin care issues makes it so that the mask can be useful at different points in your skin journey.
Well-fitting, adjustable strap
When I initially received the mask, I was worried about having to sit still (near an outlet) while wearing it. Although that wouldn’t be much of an issue at night, my mornings are usually packed pretty tight, and being a few minutes behind can make all the difference when commuting in a busy city like New York. The adjustability of the straps prevented that from ever being an issue.
While wearing the mask, I can freely move around and continue getting ready for my day. Before using the mask, I thought that I may have issues with it feeling uncomfortable — I had concerns about the lights emitting heat and the mask’s fit not being fully contoured to the shape of my face, but the opposite is true. The mask’s lights are completely painless, to the point where I wouldn’t even know it was on if it weren’t for the brightness of the lights. It also fits firmly onto my face without obstructing my vision, although the mouth gap is slightly too small for my lips so I can’t talk much while wearing it. The strap design made it so that the mask was securely fastened to my face without squeezing or pinching too tightly. I wore it while applying body lotion, making my bed, and even stretching and it held firmly through it all. The straps were also easy to adjust between uses, although most times I left them fastened after each use, so I wouldn’t have to constantly readjust them.
Noticeable, but not drastic improvements
While I definitely noticed textural improvements in my skin — I had fewer breakouts, a cleaner look and firmer texture — while regularly wearing the mask (as evidenced in the photos below), the results weren’t as drastic as I’d expected. Granted, the brand advises using the mask for 10 weeks for best results, but even so, in the time I was testing the mask I still experienced a few minor breakouts, and still had noticeably deep under eye bags even while consistently cycling in the red and blue combination light setting.
It’s possible that my lack of dramatic results could be because of my lack of extreme skin care issues — I didn’t have major problem areas to target initially, my results were more subtle and potentially less noticeable because of that. In short, I think the mask absolutely delivers on its promise of helping with smoothing lines, improving texture and clearing your complexion, it just may take a bit more time, and the initial results may not be as noticeable if your skin issues aren’t very severe.
Pricey
As far as red light and general light therapy devices go, this mask’s price isn’t much of a departure from similar products from other brands — these devices can range from anywhere to under $100 to over $900. Solawave makes a similar mask for $349, while Therabody’s Theraface Pro, which also has red light and blue light settings, comes in wand form and retails for $399. If you’re looking for a more affordable option, LED Technologies makes a portable red light wand that retails for $79.
For a serious skin care enthusiast or someone trying to address more severe issues, investing in the Spectralite Faceware Pro’s $455 price tag may be well worth it. However for someone like me, who is an enthusiast but doesn’t have many serious issues to target, it’s a lot to pay for the results I achieved. Given that it’s as costly as a few trips to my esthetician or a few quality Clarins and Tatcha products, it feels as though I could get the same, if not potentially better results by putting that money toward high-grade products or professional treatment, rather than spending it on the mask. The upside of purchasing the mask, of course, is that it’s a one-time cost for unlimited uses, while with products and treatments, they may cost more in upkeep and maintenance in the long run.
In short, yes: Dermatology offices nationwide have been using red light therapy for over a decade, according to experts we spoke to in our guide to red light therapy. It’s safe to use as long as you’re using an FDA-cleared device at its instructed dosage and for its recommended purpose.
The FDA classifies medical devices into three tiers based on their risk and the level of regulation needed to ensure the product’s safety, with Class III being the highest risk (ex. a pacemaker) and Class I being the lowest (ex. examination gloves). According to the FDA, red light therapy devices rank as Class II, which means when a brand has a new product they want clearance for, they submit it to the FDA’s 510(k) clearance program . Once submitted, the devices are evaluated based on their safety and effectiveness and if successfully reviewed, become “FDA-cleared.” FDA clearances means that a product has been assessed and deemed safe and effective enough to be equivalent to other, similarly-marketed devices that the FDA has already cleared or approved.
FDA approved products, on the other hand, are Class III devices that have to go through a more rigorous testing and legal process, including providing direct evidence of a product’s claims and undergoing a detailed safety review by a panel of FDA experts, before being given the “FDA-approved” label.
If you’re a skin care enthusiast looking to take your routine to the next level, the DRx Spectralite Faceware Pro can be a worthy investment — and at $455, it’s certainly an investment.
Fine lines aren’t a concern for me right now, but if that’s something you struggle with, this mask’s red light feature may be something worth trying I would especially recommend it to those who routinely experience mild to moderate acne flare-ups, since the blue light treatments helped better regulate my breakouts and improved the overall texture of my moody summertime skin.
The mask isn’t a necessity, and not a step that everyone will need in their routine, but it is a fast and low-commitment way of taking your regimen up a few levels. While my results were subtle, I definitely noticed a difference in my skin and saw results.
I’m an associate SEO reporter for NBC Select who regularly covers skin care, wellness and lifestyle. To write this review, I tested the Dr. Dennis Gross DRx Spectralite Faceware Pro for just over three weeks and recorded my experience, noting what I did and didn’t like about the mask throughout my time using it.
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