L’Oréal’s CES 2026 beauty devices include a skin-like flexible LED mask
On lastten or soyearsL’Oréal brings beauty technology to the masses CES 2026. This time around, it has three devices on display: the “Light Straight + Multi-Styler” as well as the helpfully named LED Face Mask and LED Eye Mask.
Don’t let the humble names fool you. These three products actually have some unique features. For example, the Light Straight (and the multi-styler, which I’ll call Light Straight from now on) uses infrared light to help produce the heat needed to style your hair. Meanwhile, LED Face Mask, Dr. It is different from the masks produced by companies such as Dennis Gross, Omnilux, Therabody and others. Shark. Instead of rather rigid shells that fit tightly against your face, L’Oréal’s version feels flexible and thin.
I haven’t seen this in person yet, but I plan to do so as soon as possible, but pictures of the LED Eye Mask appear and I say this in the best way possible, nonsense. Not only do they look flexible, they also look transparent; There are bulbs and wires inside that you can see. In some images provided by the company, the masks appear completely red when the lights are on. In others, only part of it is red. One even shows the masks sitting in a small carrying case, almost resembling wireless headphones. I haven’t seen any photos of the LED Face Mask but I can imagine it would look pretty similar to these.
L’Oréal LED Eye Mask in carrying case (L’Oréal)
According to the press release, this “ultra-thin, flexible silicone mask” is currently “in prototype form” and was developed collaboratively. LED solutions company iSmart. The company said this mask “delivers light directly to the face” in automatically timed sessions of 10 minutes. This isn’t too different from existing red light masks, but L’Oréal said it believes “the key to the mask’s effectiveness is its advanced, transparent support, which integrates a skin-safe microcircuit to precisely control the emission of two selected wavelengths of light: red light (630 nm) and near-infrared light (830 nm).”
There are no details on pricing and availability yet, as the mask will only launch in 2027, but Guive Balooch, the company’s global vice president of technology and open innovation, told Engadget that it will be a premium product that will sit somewhere below the highest-priced offerings currently available.
One of my issues with full face LED masks is that my skin always feels very dry because you have to use them for 10 minutes on clean, dry skin. Balooch told me that L’Oréal would be developing a serum to be used with his mask, which would help with this and also increase the effectiveness of the light therapy.
This is certainly intriguing, and Balooch noted that creating formulations designed to work with devices such as LED masks is the company’s future direction.
A pair of hands using the L’Oréal Light Straight and multi-styler on one person’s hair. (L’Oréal)
I’m also interested in Light Straight, as is the company’s AirLight Pro It uses infrared light to help dry or style hair. According to the company’s press release, “hair straighteners with ordinary heating pads can reach temperatures of 400°F and higher, above the threshold at which keratin denatures, leading to weakening of cuticles, breakage, and reduced shine.” For context, I would turn my flat iron up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit to tame my hair (though these days I think a more reasonable 330 degrees is good enough).
L’Oréal says Light Straight and its “patented infrared light technology” can “help deliver exceptional styling results at lower temperatures to better preserve hair health.” The device’s glass plates never exceed 320 degrees, and the company says testing found the Light Straight was three times faster than “leading premium hair stylers” and left hair twice as smooth. I’m not sure how you’ll measure smoothness, but I’m hopeful the results will show up in the real world.
Light Straight uses near-infrared light, which L’Oréal says “penetrates deep into the hair fibers,” “reshaping internal hydrogen bonds.” It also has sensors with “custom algorithms and machine learning built in” that will adapt to your movements “to maximize the individual experience.” I’m not sure what this means, but I hope to learn more at CES this week. Considering that Light Straight won’t launch until 2027, it’s no surprise that pricing and other details aren’t yet available. But for now, I’m excited to see companies continue to explore new and healthier ways for us to look and feel beautiful.
