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Near vs Far Infrared Light: What's the Difference?

by John Tsenekos | February 24, 2025

Infrared light has become an increasingly utilized element in modern skincare, offering one more way to enhance your skin's appearance. As part of the electromagnetic spectrum, infrared light is invisible to the naked eye but holds potential for visibly rejuvenating and refreshing your skin. 

Let's talk about the differences between Near-Infrared and Far-Infrared light, and how you can incorporate this type of light into your regular skin routine.

What Is Infrared Light?

Infrared light, a form of electromagnetic radiation, occupies a unique position just beyond the visible light spectrum. With wavelengths longer than visible light, infrared light can penetrate deeper into the skin, making it a valuable tool in skincare. This deeper penetration allows infrared light to interact with the skin in ways that visible light cannot, and offers a range of aesthetic benefits.

In skincare, infrared light is primarily used to enhance the appearance of skin by promoting a more luminous and refreshed look. One of its key benefits is supporting healthy collagen production. Collagen is a protein that plays a crucial role in maintaining skin's firmness and elasticity. By encouraging collagen production, infrared light helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, giving your skin a smoother appearance.

Additionally, infrared light can improve visible skin tone and texture. It helps to even out the appearance of your complexion, reducing the look of hyperpigmentation and promoting a more uniform-looking skin tone. This can result in a brighter-looking and more visibly radiant complexion.

Near-Infrared Light Therapy

Near-Infrared Light Therapy utilizes wavelengths that penetrate deeply into the skin, targeting the underlying layers to enhance your skin's appearance. This type of light therapy is characterized by its ability to reach deeper tissues without causing any discomfort or damage to the surface of the skin.

One of the standout features of Near-Infrared Light Therapy is its capacity to visibly rejuvenate the appearance of your skin. By supporting healthy collagen production, it helps to smooth out the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, contributing to a glowing look.

It also promotes a brighter-looking complexion by reducing the appearance of dullness and uneven skin tone. The result is a luminous and radiant appearance that reflects health and vitality.

Far-Infrared Light Therapy

Far-Infrared Light Therapy harnesses longer wavelengths that are also adept at penetrating the skin's surface to reach deeper tissues. This property allows it to interact with the body in a way that promotes overall wellness and enhances the skin's appearance. Unlike Near-Infrared, Far-Infrared Light Therapy is often associated with generating gentle heat, which can have soothing and relaxing effects.

In skincare and wellness, Far-Infrared Light Therapy is utilized for its ability to promote a refreshed-looking complexion. The gentle warmth generated by Far-Infrared light helps to improve blood circulation, which is helpful for delivering essential nutrients and oxygen to the skin. This increased circulation can lead to a more vibrant complexion as it supports the skin's overall health.

Far-Infrared Light Therapy also plays a role in detoxifying the skin. By promoting better circulation and encouraging the removal of toxins, it helps to clear the skin, reducing the appearance of impurities and promoting a clearer, more even skin tone. This detoxifying effect can leave your skin looking revitalized and rejuvenated.

Additionally, the soothing warmth of Far-Infrared Light Therapy can help to relax facial muscles, reducing the appearance of tension-related lines and contributing to a smoother, more relaxed look.

Near vs Far Infrared: Key Differences

When comparing Near-Infrared and Far-Infrared Light, the primary distinction lies in their wavelengths and penetration levels.

Near-Infrared Light Therapy operates at shorter wavelengths, allowing it to penetrate deeply into the skin's layers, reaching tissues beneath the surface. This deep penetration is ideal for targeting the underlying structures of the skin, supporting healthy collagen production and enhancing skin elasticity. 

In contrast, Far-Infrared Light Therapy utilizes longer wavelengths, which are effective at generating gentle warmth and reaching deeper tissues without penetrating as deeply as Near-Infrared. This makes Far-Infrared particularly beneficial for promoting circulation and detoxification, as well as providing a soothing and relaxing experience.

Each type of infrared therapy also offers distinct skincare benefits. Near-Infrared Light Therapy is renowned for its ability to rejuvenate the skin's appearance, reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and promoting a brighter-looking complexion. It is particularly effective for those seeking to enhance visible skin firmness and achieve a glowing appearance.

Far-Infrared Light Therapy, on the other hand, excels in promoting a refreshed-looking complexion through improved circulation and detoxification. Its gentle warmth helps to relax facial muscles, reducing the appearance of tension-related lines and contributing to a smoother, more relaxed appearance.

Integrating these therapies into your skincare routine can be both simple and effective. Near-Infrared Light Therapy can be incorporated through devices designed for facial treatments, used a few times a week to promote a radiant-looking appearance. Far-Infrared Light Therapy can be experienced through spa treatments or at-home devices that provide gentle warmth, offering a relaxing and revitalizing addition to your skincare regimen.

The Best Near-Infrared Light Therapy Devices

Eye Recovery Pro Mask

The Eye Recovery Pro Mask is a powerful eye mask device that utilizes Near-Infrared Light, Red Light, Deep Red Light, and Amber Light to address visible signs of skin aging around the eyes. 

This mask targets eye bags, wrinkles, fine lines, 11s, and dark circles, promoting visible rejuvenation and a brightened appearance. The combination of these Light Therapies supports healthy collagen production, visibly evens skin tone, and reduces the look of puffiness. 

In the Eye Recovery Pro Kit, the included LightBoost Eye Cream boost the effects of light therapy while also providing a deeply moisturizing treatment that visibly depuffs, firms, and lifts the eye area. This device is painless, non-invasive, and designed to seamlessly fit into your regular skincare routine at just three minutes per treatment session.

Wrinkle Retreat Mask

The Wrinkle Retreat Mask offers a more comprehensive approach to combating visible signs of skin aging across the entire face. Harnessing both Near-Infrared Light and Red Light Therapy, this mask supports healthy collagen production and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, all while supporting the skin's overall radiance. 

The LightBoost Face & Neck Serum, included with the kit, features growth factors and multi-peptides that visibly renew and hydrate the skin, leaving it looking smoother and more radiant. This mask is also designed for easy integration into your daily skincare routine, providing a restorative 10-minute treatment that is both safe and effective.

Neck & Chest Rejuvenating Mask

Finally, we have our Neck & Chest Rejuvenating Mask, which is specifically designed to address fine lines, wrinkles, and creases in the neck and chest area. Utilizing both Near-Infrared and Red Light Therapy, this mask visibly rejuvenates and restores the skin, revealing a vibrant and youthful appearance. 

The included LightBoost Face & Neck Rich Cream complements the mask by boosting the effects of Light Therapy while also deeply moisturizing and visibly strengthening the skin with ingredients like multi-peptides and vegan collagen. A relaxing 10-minute treatment enhances your skincare routine and helps you provide some TLC to this often-overlooked area of skin.

Conclusion

Near-Infrared and Far-Infrared Light Therapy each offer their own benefits for enhancing your skin's appearance. Near-Infrared Light Therapy penetrates deeply to support healthy collagen production, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and promoting a radiant look. In contrast, Far-Infrared Light Therapy generates gentle warmth that improves circulation and detoxifies the skin, resulting in a refreshed and revitalized look.

Exploring Light Therapy can help you professionalize your at-home skincare routine, offering an easy, results-backed method of achieving a more radiant and glowing appearance.

If you're looking to learn more about the results you can get from Light Therapy, explore our Light Therapy Before & After Results here!


Sources:

  1. What is light? The visible spectrum and beyond | Eye 

  2. Far infrared radiation (FIR): its biological effects and medical applications - PMC 

  3. Unlocking the secrets of skin blood flow - PMC 

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