You've Tried Red Light Therapy for Your Skin, But What About Burgundy Light? Here's What Experts Say

I'm sure you've heard of LED light therapy by now and all of the incredible benefits it can offer. If you haven't, don't worry—we have you covered in our full light therapy guide. I've polled many aestheticians during my time as a beauty editor, and the most commonly used and loved LED wavelength is red light. Red light therapy can provide a host of benefits to the skin. For starters, board-certified dermatologist Blair Murphy-Rose, MD, FAAD, once told me that red light can help reduce inflammation in the skin and stimulate fibroblasts to produce collagen, reducing and preventing wrinkles. It can also help improve skin texture. She says you can even think of it as the "anti-aging" light. That was enough to sell me on using a red light mask every morning, but my aesthetician Katie Sobelman also told me that it can improve cellular health in the skin.

In a more recent development, one of my favorite skincare brands Monastery just released a burgundy light LED mask and, of course, I was intrigued. I had so many questions—the main one being, "How is it different than regular red light?" If you're wondering the same thing, then you're going to want to keep reading. The brand was kind enough to send one my way to test out for a few weeks, and Sobelman explained in a bit more detail exactly what this wavelength does.

Burgundy Light vs. Red Light Therapy

Monastery founder Athena Hewett says burgundy light is actually a more intense saturation of red light—it's deeper-hued, giving it a burgundy appearance. "Most of the LEDs on the market are an orange/red [color]," she says. "The red hue is what provides the healing energy, so obviously the more intense the color, the more depth of the penetration and uniform saturation into the cells there will be."

Sobelman added to this and dug into the meat of what a deep red wavelength really does. Spoiler alert: It's more effective than your traditional red light mask. "Deep red/burgundy light represents a slightly longer wavelength than traditional red light," she explains. "Deep red uses a wavelength of 660nm, which penetrates into the skin between two and three millimeters, making it ideal for stimulating collagen production. Conversely, traditional red light tends to use a wavelength of 633nm, which penetrates into the skin between one and two millimeters. While it also stimulates collagen production, it is an ideal surface-level treatment for targeting skin conditions such as redness, inflammation, and pigmentation—633nm red light is often paired with 850nm near-infrared light, which penetrates four to five millimeters into the skin, making it ideal for deeper tissue repair, pain relief, and improving circulation. 633nm and 850nm are the most comprehensively studied wavelengths and therefore have become the gold standard of light therapy skin rejuvenation, deep red being a close third in terms of having well-studied therapeutic benefits."

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My Experience Using a Burgundy Light Mask

Like most high-powered skincare devices, I have to acknowledge that this mask is not cheap. Coming in at an eye-watering $700, it may not be realistic for everyone's budget, but if you do have the means and want to get serious about your skincare routine, holy wow. I can't find enough good things to say about this mask.

First, let's talk about the design of the mask. I have tried almost every red light mask on the market at this point, and this one is by far the most well-designed IMO. The straps are really sturdy and secure—something most other masks don't have and they'll sometimes slide off your face. It's also smooth, comfortable, and so sleek with the Monastery logo on it. It also has adjustable time settings and a battery life indicator, which is key. I can't tell you how many times my other red light mask has died during use because I wasn't sure how much battery was left.

And now, for the most important part—the results. I'll be honest with you. I didn't think I would notice much of a difference after trying this mask out for a couple weeks, but I was completely wrong. I've been using the mask for a little over two weeks now, and I feel like it has made a noticeable difference in my skin. The below photo was taken a few weeks ago. This is what my skin looked like before I started using the mask.

My skin is a little dehydrated in the above photo, so it naturally looked a bit duller. While I can't credit the mask alone for perking up my skin (hydration is key), I did notice that some dark spots I had appeared way less prominent after the two-week period, and my skin had a bit of a glow to it. I used the mask five days a week for 15 minutes in the morning, and it worked like a charm! Below, you can check out my results. That's what my skin looks like now.

It definitely looks healthier, and I'm impressed that my skin has improved after using it for only two weeks. I know this mask isn't exactly cheap, and you'll want to get the most for your money, but I can speak to my own experience—I think it's 100% worth the money. The extra bulbs and deeper wavelength of red really do make a difference. I'm excited to see how my skin looks in another month or two after I've been using it a bit longer. The mask spoiled me—I can't go back to using a regular red light mask again TBH.

Skincare I'm Pairing With My Burgundy Light Mask