This story first appeared on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, in The Strategist Beauty Brief, a weekly newsletter in which our beauty writers share their must-tries, can-skips, and can’t-live-withouts. But we liked it so much we wanted to share it with all of our readers. If you want more first impressions of buzzy launches, quick takes on what’s trending on TikTok and Instagram, and deep dives into the week’s best beauty launches, sign up here. The Strategist Beauty Brief is delivered every Wednesday.
I’ve tried about four different masks over the years, as well as red-light wands. So when I started to test HigherDOSE’s mask in August, I figured it’d work well (because most red-light things deliver results) but that it wouldn’t be anything special. For context, before starting with the HigherDOSE mask (which I’ve been wearing roughly five days a week), I hadn’t had a red light in my routine consistently for more than a year. The first thing I noticed about the HigherDOSE was the fit. I’ve learned over the years from writing about red light that masks really must be in perfect contact with your face, mostly because the strength of the light emitted from masks is generally pretty low, so in order for it to be effective, the LEDs need to be touching your skin. The HigherDOSE mask has an extra vertical strap that connects the top of the mask to two horizontal straps. That extra strap helps the mask stay in place and helps you get it tight enough so that it’s touching all of your face. Another small feature I appreciated was the 20-minute-timer option. Typically, masks stay on for a set ten minutes. But having the 20-minute-time option made it so that when I missed a day, I was reminded that I could double up on the next.
On to the results: After about eight weeks I started noticing that my skin was getting fewer breakouts and looked, just, nicer. For example, I have a few icepick scars on my cheeks from past battles with nodular and cystic acne. I think the extra boost of collagen from the red light helped smooth them out slightly. My skin has a healthy-looking glow without makeup or any kind of highlighter. Just moisturizer and sunscreen, and I’m still looking dewy. On the active-acne front, I usually get one sizable pimple once a month on my chin, jawline, or, god forbid, my nose. The incidence of those monthly breakouts chilled out significantly. I’ve gotten down to one pimple, rarely, instead of regularly. The results are in line with how most red-light masks perform, but the HigherDOSE does get bonus points for its effective design. At $349, I’d put it in the expensive but very much worth it category.
The Beauty Brief has partnered with HigherDOSE to offer one lucky reader its Red Light Face Mask. Enter the sweepstakes here. As a thank-you for entering, you’ll get a code for 20 percent off at HigherDOSE, excluding bundles, subscriptions, and full-size saunas.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes begins at 9:00am ET on 11/20/2024 and ends at 11:59pm ET on 12/13/2024. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., of legal age of majority and have access to the internet, and a valid email address. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Subject to Official Rules, additional eligibility restrictions apply. Official Rules, which govern, can be viewed by clicking here. Sponsor Privacy Policy
Sponsor: Vox Media, LLC, 1701 Rhode Island Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
