The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an advert for Beauty Pie's LED face mask, which claimed the device was 'clinically proven to reduce wrinkles in four weeks'. The regulator argued that there was insufficient evidence to support such claims.
Beauty Pie defended its product, citing a trial on 28 people aged 30 to 65 over four weeks, which showed a 'significant reduction in wrinkles', with 92% of testers agreeing that fine lines appeared less visible. However, the ASA noted the sample size was small, there was no placebo group, and testers also used an exfoliator and hydrogel not sold with the mask, meaning improvements could not be attributed solely to the device.
This is not an isolated case. Dr Sach Mohan, cosmetic doctor and founder of Revere Clinics, said the ASA recently banned several online adverts for LED masks that claimed to clear acne and rosacea. References to skin conditions constitute medical claims, which only devices registered with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) can make. 'Currently, there are no LED masks that comply with medical device regulations, so these devices are purely cosmetic at best,' Dr Mohan said.
LED masks have surged in popularity since the pandemic, with sales up 55% in 2020 and the global market projected to reach £600m by 2032. Despite the hype, experts question their efficacy. Dr Mohan noted that while light therapy has been used in clinics for decades, at-home masks may not deliver the same results, and consumers are drawn in by 'easy, tech-based solutions' that may not be effective.
