LED mask ads banned over unauthorised acne and rosacea claims

A number of advertisements for LED face masks have been banned for making unauthorized claims that they can help relieve acne and rosacea.

The popularity of at-home beauty devices has skyrocketed in recent years, with social media feeds filled with influencers unboxing masks as the latest skincare trend.

However, dermatologists are divided on whether light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in home masks can produce the same results as medical-grade devices used in clinics.

The advertising watchdog has banned advertising for cosmetic devices that have not been registered by the medicines regulator.

LED therapy is thought to stimulate cells and improve skin conditions, but devices must be registered with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to make medical claims for skin conditions such as acne and rosacea.

Devices registered with the MHRA can be found on its Open Access Registration Database (PARD). But the MHRA told the BBC that “no LED face masks are currently registered”.

Dermatologists previously told the BBC There are no clinical studies with sufficiently large sample sizes for a long enough period of time to realize the benefits of homemade LED masks.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) used AI to find ads that may have broken the rules, and the search was followed by bans.

The ad on Project E Beauty's website showed before and after images of a woman's forehead with and without acne, with the words: “By the third week, my acne was gone.”

The ad said, “Our most advanced LED mask for deeper skin renewal.” The company said it “cure acne” and offered “83% improvement in acne in four weeks.”

The ASA said that “no medical claims can be made in relation to the product, regardless of whether such claims appear in customer reviews.”

Project E Beauty LLC said it has removed potential medical claims related to “healing,” “acne treatment” and “rosacea.”

The company also said it has amended the ad to state that any mention of acne in before/after photos and reviews are reviews based on personal experience.

Silk'n's paid social media ad featured a video of a woman using an LED face mask with the caption: “Finished with blue light to help heal my acne and scars.”

Invention Works BV, a brand of Silk'n, has recognized that the term “acne” constitutes a medical claim. It says the ad was created by a woman after using the mask for a long time, and the wording reflects her individual perceptions and results.

The ASA told Silk'n that the ad should no longer appear in this form.

Other banned advertisements included an advertisement for the RejuvaLux mask on the Beautaholics website, which stated: “This mask provides a targeted solution to… acne… rosacea.”

“Beautaholics” said they would not make claims regarding the treatment or prevention of disease in the future.

A paid ad for a mask from Luyors Retail Inc on social media was also banned after it said: “It treats everything from acne… with clinical precision.”

Luyors said he would ensure that future advertising does not mention the word “acne” or other terms that may imply medications.

The ASA's Izzy Dharmasiri said advertising “can influence what people buy” so it is “important that advertisers do not blur the line between cosmetic benefits and medical claims.”

She said advertisers “need to have evidence to back up any claims they make in their advertising.” She said the ad ban was part of an effort to protect vulnerable people “looking for real solutions to medical problems.”