Illumask Light Therapy Mask ($29)

One of the biggest trends in beauty is light-therapy.  Blue light kills acne bacteria to help clear skin.  Red light helps stimulate collage production to soften fine lines and wrinkles.  But light-therapy isn’t cheap.

While checking the new arrivals at Ulta, I came across this Illumask Light Therapy Mask.  It purports to kill bacteria while stimulating collagen production, but unlike the popular light-therapy tools, it won’t break the bank.  More on that later.  (They also make a mask solely for anti-aging concerns.)

I used the mask for a week during a moderate, PMS-related breakout.  Wearing the mask took the fire out of the breakout and helped a few spots heal.  The lines on my forehead also improved noticeably.

I was really happy with the product, but there’s a catch.

The mask only contains 30, 15-minute uses.  Once you use it 30 times, it stops functioning.  So if you use it as prescribed, you’re paying $30 every month.  Over the course of a year, that’s $360.  Suddenly the Baby Quasar device, at $249, looks like a good buy.

So this is my recommendation: If you want to try light therapy and see if it helps your skin, buy the mask and use it every day for one month.  If you’re happy with the results, buy (or save up for) a more expensive tool.  If you’re not thrilled, you’re out $30.  Otherwise, the long-term cost just can’t be justified.

P.S. Want to try blue light treatment without having to wear a mask?  I’ve used this $50 Tanda device before and it works well.  If you put it on a spot before it fully forms, it stops it in its tracks.  Unlike the Illumask, it has 1,000 uses.