Two Years in the Making

The launch of the Maysama AURA LED Light Therapy Mask represents more than the introduction of a new LED light therapy mask. It marks the culmination of two years of research, testing, and iterative development, guided by a single objective: to advance the performance of at-home LED therapy through science-led innovation.

If you've followed Maysama for any length of time, you'll know that everything we do starts with science: peer-reviewed, published research. AURA is no different.

Most beauty tech brands approach LED therapy from an engineering perspective, focusing on wavelength, LED distribution and even coherent light beams – and these things are important, but they all relate to physics. A piece of the puzzle is missing.

At Maysama, our approach is different. We not only consider technical engineering but we also consider biology - how light interacts with cells and tissue. Only when you take the whole picture can we truly design LED masks that work best with your skin.

AURA is not simply another face LED light therapy mask. It is a rethinking of how light should be delivered, how it should reach the skin, and how cells respond to it.

To understand what makes AURA different, it is necessary to look beyond surface features and into the science that underpins it.

 

Rethinking Light Delivery: The Role of Intelligent Micro-Pulsing

At the heart of AURA is a fundamental question: how can face mask LED light therapy be made more efficient, more consistent, and ultimately more effective?

The answer begins with how light is delivered.

Most LED masks on the market operate using continuous wave delivery. When switched on, they emit a steady, uninterrupted stream of light for the duration of the treatment. This approach is supported by a solid body of evidence and remains effective. However, it does not fully account for how cells respond dynamically to light.

Maysama has long advocated for pulsed LED technology. Pulsing introduces intervals between bursts of light, allowing cells time to process the incoming energy before being stimulated again. These recovery periods support mitochondrial activity and enhance cellular energy production.

AURA builds on this foundation with Intelligent Micro-Pulsing Technology.

Micro-pulsing delivers light in extremely rapid bursts, within the microsecond domain. However, the distinction lies not in speed alone, but in structure. Intelligent Micro-Pulsing is based on precisely engineered pulse patterns, designed to align more closely with cellular signalling processes.

Rather than delivering light as a continuous stream, or even as a simple on–off rhythm, AURA delivers structured sequences of light. Each sequence is carefully controlled in terms of pulse duration, interval, grouping, and recovery phase.

This level of control transforms light delivery from a basic energy input into a more sophisticated biological signal.

From Simple Pulsing to Structured Signalling

Traditional pulsed LED devices typically operate at lower frequencies, often between 10 and 100 Hz, using a 50 per cent duty cycle. This means that the light is on for half the time and off for half the time, creating a regular, repeating rhythm.

This approach is simple, but effective. The introduction of off periods allows cells to absorb and respond to light without becoming overstimulated. It supports a stronger biological response compared to continuous delivery.

However, it remains a relatively crude method of signalling.

Intelligent Micro-Pulsing introduces a far higher level of precision. Instead of repeating a uniform pattern, it creates structured pulse trains, where each parameter is carefully defined. The duration of each pulse, the interval between pulses, the number of pulses in a sequence, and the spacing between sequences are all engineered to work together.

This creates a more complex and biologically relevant signal. Cells do not simply receive energy; they receive information in a pattern that appears to better match their natural response cycles.

Understanding the Bi-Phasic Dose Response

To fully appreciate why this matters, it is important to understand one of the central principles of photobiomodulation: the bi-phasic dose response.

LED light therapy operates within a defined therapeutic window. At low levels, light has little to no effect. At optimal levels, it stimulates beneficial biological activity, including increased ATP production, cell proliferation, and collagen synthesis. However, beyond this optimal range, excessive light can reduce effectiveness and contribute to cellular stress.

This phenomenon, known as hormesis, or the bi-phasic dose response, highlights that more light is not necessarily better.

Prolonged exposure to a continuous light stimulus can potentially push cells beyond this optimal zone. This can lead to an accumulation of reactive oxygen species, which lead to oxidative stress and may inhibit cellular function rather than enhance it.

Pulsing helps to mitigate this risk by introducing recovery periods. These intervals allow cells to process incoming energy, dissipate reactive by-products, and prepare for the next stimulus.

Intelligent Micro-Pulsing refines this concept further. Rather than simply introducing rest periods, it optimises their timing. Light is delivered in structured bursts that align more closely with the natural rhythm of cellular processes.

Cells appear to operate in cycles. They absorb photons, process the signal, and respond before entering a recovery phase. By aligning light delivery with these cycles, Intelligent Micro-Pulsing supports a more efficient and sustained biological response.

What the Research Shows

The principles behind Intelligent Micro-Pulsing are supported by peer-reviewed research, particularly studies conducted on human fibroblasts, the cells responsible for collagen production in the dermis.

These studies have demonstrated that the pattern of light delivery can have a greater impact on biological outcomes than the total energy delivered. In other words, how light is structured matters more than how much light is used.

When different pulse structures were compared, specific micro-pulsing patterns produced significantly higher levels of collagen than both continuous wave delivery and standard pulsed approaches, even when the total energy dose remained the same. And the best performing patterns produced up to three times as much collagen as other conditions tested.

This finding is important because it challenges a common assumption within the LED mask market. More light is not better - precision in delivery appears to be the more critical factor.

Structured micro-pulsing allows cellular processes to complete fully between stimulation cycles. It avoids overwhelming the system while maintaining a consistent and effective signal. This approach drives a more effective cellular response with greater efficiency of collagen production.

Fit Is Not a Comfort Feature. Fit Is a Functional Feature.

Even the most sophisticated light delivery system is only as effective as the light that actually reaches the target tissue. Before any photon triggers a biological response, it has to make it past the skin surface, and that transition is where a surprising amount of energy is lost.

Designed From the Data Up

AURA's is made from medical grade liquid silicone, allowing us to create a 3D-contoured mask. The design however begins not with a material, but with data. We used artificial intelligence to analyse the dimensions and geometry of the average female face and used that analysis to engineer the silicone mould from the ground up. The result is a mask whose contours are not approximate; they are intentional. Every curve follows the topography of a real face.

In clinical and medical applications, contact LED – where the device is held in direct contact with tissue – is consistently preferred over non-contact approaches, for precisely this reason: it delivers more light, more reliably, and with greater consistency from session to session. A 3D flexible mask maintains consistent proximity between each LED and the skin surface, and light striking the skin at a more perpendicular angle further reduces reflection compared to oblique incidence.

When light travels through air and hits skin, it encounters what physicists call a refractive index mismatch. Air has a refractive index of 1.0. The outermost layer of skin – the stratum corneum – sits at around 1.55. That air gap at the boundary causes a proportion of incoming photons to be reflected away before they've even entered the skin. Research indicates this accounts for around four to seven percent of incident light. In the context of a timed therapeutic treatment, that is a meaningful and avoidable loss.

By contrast, medical-grade silicone has a refractive index of between 1.4 and 1.6 – far closer to skin than air is. When a silicone LED light therapy face mask sits flush against the face, the air gap is reduced and the optical transition from LED to tissue becomes more efficient. The mismatch at the boundary is decreased, reflection losses are minimised, and more usable light enters the skin. This is known as optical coupling, and it is one of the core reasons that material choice and physical fit are not cosmetic decisions in LED mask design. They are functional ones.

Nothing illustrates this more clearly than a visual. We compared AURA with another leading LED light therapy mask in a dark room. When your LED mask fits well, when the LEDs sit close to your skin, you should have very little light leakage – the light is directed into the target tissue. You can clearly see that this is the case with AURA, on the left. The room remains dark, showing that minimum light is lost. More of the light energy is delivered directly into your skin. With the competitor mask, on the other hand, the room lights up red. Light is clearly leaking around ill-fitting areas. This light energy is wasted. 

 

This is the design logic of AURA: IMPT ensures that light is utilised by cells as efficiently as possible. The 3D contoured fit ensures that light reaches the skin as effectively as possible. Each reinforces the other.

The Specification and the Reasoning Behind It

Every decision in AURA's specification has a rationale. Here is what you'll find inside the mask, and why each element is there.

Wavelengths: 630nm Red and 830nm Near-Infrared

AURA uses two clinically supported wavelengths: 630nm red light and 830nm near-infrared. Both carry a substantial body of peer-reviewed evidence behind them.

Red light at 630nm is well-documented for its ability to support mitochondrial activity and stimulate dermal fibroblasts – the collagen-producing cells targeted by IMPT. Near-infrared at 830nm penetrates more deeply into the tissue and is associated with enhanced repair processes, improved circulation, and anti-inflammatory effects. Together, they address multiple layers of the skin simultaneously.

155 LEDs – Full Coverage by Design

AURA features 155 LEDs, providing consistent coverage across the full treatment area. This density supports even light distribution, ensuring that no area of the face receives a meaningfully different dose from another. Consistency of delivery is part of what makes consistency of results possible.

Cordless Design, Detachable Battery

One of the most consistent pieces of feedback from our community has been that cords reduce the quality of a treatment experience. They limit movement, feel cumbersome, and work against what should feel like a considered, purposeful ritual.

AURA is cordless. The battery is detachable and charges independently, while the controller stays fixed to the mask. You are free to move through your routine during treatment.

Default Programme: Six Minutes

Because most people prefer to ‘press and go’, AURA is already set up for you with optimised settings.

AURA defaults to a combined red and near-infrared mode with a six-minute treatment time with pulse-activated – our recommended everyday protocol, designed to deliver a therapeutically meaningful dose. Six minutes is achievable. It is something you will actually do every day. And in photobiomodulation, consistency is everything.

For those who prefer to adapt their protocol, the mask is fully customisable. Modes 2 and 3 allow you to select red only or near infrared light respectively, which can be beneficial for melasma-prone skin, depending on where you sit on the Fitzpatrick scale.

SMART Dosing – Automatic Therapeutic Calibration

Optical outcomes depend on delivering the right dose, not just the right wavelength. When wavelengths are used in isolation (red only, or near-infrared only), the total irradiance changes, and the optimal treatment duration changes with it.

AURA's SMART Dosing feature detects which mode is active and automatically adjusts treatment time to compensate for irradiance differences, ensuring every session delivers a dose within the therapeutic window, regardless of the combination selected. It removes the guesswork entirely.

Frequency of Use

LED therapy depends on regular bio-stimulation of fibroblasts to effect positive changes to skin health. With consistent use, 3 to 5 times per week, users experience improvements in the appearance of skin tone and texture. Within a few weeks, skin appears brighter as the LED mask supports faster skin renewal. And at around twelve weeks, skin appears smoother and firmer as new collagen is deposited.

And don't stop there because extended use beyond three months will help maintain your results - continuing to provide the light energy your skin cells need to stay hydrated and healthy. What's more, emerging science shows that regular LED treatments help build solar resistance, with protective and reparative effects against UV light, so using your LED light therapy mask during the summer months is just as important as in other seasons. 

FDA Cleared and UKCA Certified

The AURA LED Light Therapy Mask is FDA cleared and UKCA certified. These are not marketing designations. They represent rigorous, independent safety and efficacy review processes, and we encourage you to verify certifications when considering any professional LED light therapy mask.

 

A Science-Led Approach to LED Therapy

Photobiomodulation is a fast-evolving field. The science is becoming more nuanced, more specific, and more compelling with every year. At Maysama, our commitment has always been to follow that science – not to simplify it for a marketing message, but to build devices that embody it.

AURA is the fullest expression of that commitment to date. The Maysama AURA LED Light Therapy Mask brings together two key principles: precision in light delivery and efficiency in light utilisation.

Intelligent Micro-Pulsing ensures that light is delivered in a way that cells can respond to more effectively. The contoured silicone design ensures that this light reaches the skin with minimal loss.

Together, these elements create an LED light therapy mask that is not only advanced in its engineering but also aligned with the underlying biology of the skin.

If you have been waiting for an LED mask that takes the science as seriously as you do, AURA was built for you.

If you have been waiting for an LED mask that takes the science as seriously as you do, AURA was built for you.

Explore AURA and shop now at maysama.com. If you have questions about the science, your skin, or how to incorporate AURA into your routine, we would love to hear from you – drop us a message at support@maysama.com.

 

 

Key References

Zein R, Selting W, Hamblin MR. Review of light parameters and photobiomodulation efficacy: dive into complexity. Journal of Biomedical Optics, 2018.

Kim HE et al. A Comprehensive Analysis of Near-Contact Photobiomodulation Therapy. Advanced Biosystems, 2020.

Sourvanos et al. A novel investigational preclinical model to assess fluence rate for dental oral craniofacial tissues. ScienceDirect, 2024.

Barolet et al. Peer-reviewed research on human fibroblast collagen production and micro-pulsing light delivery patterns.

Lee SY et al. A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of LED phototherapy for skin rejuvenation. Dermatologic Surgery, 2007.

Tuner J & Hode L. Phototherapy — skin contact and pressure techniques.