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Light Therapy has earned its place as a well-trusted, science-backed form of skincare therapy thanks to its general ability to help visibly rejuvenate the skin. This technology uses specific wavelengths of light to deliver different skin benefits depending on the wavelength, offering a gentle, painless, non-invasive way to upgrade your skin routine.
Best of all, at-home Light Therapy is more accessible than ever thanks to easy-to-use devices that offer professional-grade results from the comfort of home.
Among the different types of LED Light Therapy, Red Light Therapy is the most popular, which is why you'll often see Red Light Therapy masks becoming more popular across beauty blogs and social media feeds. So, what does Red Light Therapy do for the face, anyway? Let's talk about how Red Light Therapy works, its potential benefits, and the other types of Light Therapy you may want to work into your routine depending on your skin goals.
What Is Red Light Therapy and How Does It Work?
Red Light Therapy is used in skincare to combat visible signs of skin aging by delivering low-level Red Light deep into the skin. This method is painless and non-invasive, making it a popular choice for those seeking to upgrade their skincare routine without resorting to aggressive treatments or surgery.
Red Light Therapy is able to deliver its benefits by penetrating past the skin's surface and supporting healthy collagen production. Collagen is a protein found in your skin that provides structure and elasticity. As we age, collagen levels naturally decrease, leading to the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, among other signs of skin aging. By supporting healthy collagen production, Red Light Therapy helps to counter these signs of skin aging over the course of just a few weeks with consistent use.*
So What Does Red Light Therapy Do For The Face?
Red Light Therapy is a powerful tool for reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles thanks to its ability to support healthy collagen production. Collagen, a vital protein, provides your skin with structure, firmness, and elasticity. However, as you age, collagen levels naturally decrease, leading to the formation of wrinkles.
The most common types of facial wrinkles include forehead lines, which are horizontal lines across the forehead; frown lines, or "11 lines," between the eyebrows; crow's feet at the outer corners of the eyes; smile lines, also known as nasolabial folds, running from the nose to the mouth; lip lines above the upper lip; marionette lines from the mouth to the chin; and neck lines, which are horizontal lines on the neck.
By supporting collagen production, Red Light Therapy helps to directly combat these facial wrinkles, creating a smoother-looking, revitalized complexion.
How Other Types of Light Therapy Can Benefit the Face
Combining different types of Light Therapy brings a wider variety of results while still being very gentle on the skin; this is why all of our devices use multiple types of LED Light Therapy for each treatment (excluding the 4-in-1 Skincare Wand, which instead combines Red Light Therapy with three other types of skincare technology!).
Near-Infrared Light Therapy
Near-Infrared Light Therapy is renowned for its ability to visibly rejuvenate your complexion. This type of therapy penetrates deeper layers of the skin, supporting a look of overall radiance and promoting a lifted, toned look.
Deep Red Light Therapy
Deep Red Light Therapy is designed to target visible signs of skin aging, which helps to promote visible skin rejuvenation and contributes to glowing-looking complexion.
Amber Light Therapy
Amber Light Therapy is particularly effective in improving the look of an uneven skin tone. It also works to reduce the appearance of puffiness and fine lines, giving your skin a more balanced and smooth appearance.
Blue Light Therapy
Blue Light Therapy is a powerful ally in the fight against acne. It works by destroying acne-causing bacteria on the skin's surface, helping to prevent future breakouts. Additionally, Blue Light Therapy reduces sebum production, which can further deter pimple formation, leaving your skin looking clear and healthy.
How To Add Light Therapy into Your Skincare Routine
Integrating Light Therapy into your daily skincare regimen can elevate your routine to a professional level, offering targeted treatment with real, visible results. Here are some tips to help you seamlessly incorporate this innovative approach into your at-home skincare routine:
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Start with Clean Skin: Before using LED Light Therapy, always ensure your face is clean, dry, and free of makeup or other products. This allows the light to penetrate effectively and work its magic on your skin. The exception here is if you're using a LightBoost product, which you will apply right before Light Therapy in order to help boost the effects of treatment.
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Consistency is Key: For optimal results, incorporate Light Therapy into your routine consistently. For most of our devices, we recommend treatment two to three times per week for best results.
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Combine with Your Favorite Products: Light Therapy can be used alongside your favorite serums and moisturizers. Apply your skincare products after your Light Therapy session to enhance absorption and effectiveness. (Check out our guide on how to layer your products here!)
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Target Specific Concerns: Use different types of Light Therapy to address specific skin issues. For example, Blue Light Therapy can be particularly beneficial for acne-prone skin, while Red Light Therapy is key for reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Best Red Light Therapy Kits To Get Started With
Radiant Renewal Skincare Kit: This kit includes our Radiant Renewal Skincare Wand and LightBoost Wand Activating Serum, a perfect pair for visibly rejuvenating your skin and enhancing its natural glow. The wand uses Red Light Therapy, Facial Massage, Therapeutic Warmth, and Galvanic Current to deliver a broad range of benefits to your skin in just three minutes per treatment, including visibly depuffing, reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and reducing the look of dark circles.
Eye Recovery Pro Kit: Target the delicate eye area with our Eye Recovery Pro Light Therapy Eye Mask and LightBoost Eye Cream, designed to target signs of skin aging in the eye area, including but not limited to crow's feet, 11s, dark circles, puffiness, drooping, bags, and uneven tone.
Treatment is just three minutes per session, and you'll be getting our strongest concentration of Light Therapy yet with the mask's combined utilization of Red Light, Infrared Light, Amber Light, and Deep Red Light. Plus, on top of boosting the effects of Light Therapy, the LightBoost Eye Cream delivers a potent helping of caffeine and vegan collagen to moisturize and visibly firm and depuff the eye area.
Bye Acne Pro Kit: For those dealing with acne, our Bye Acne Pro Kit includes our FDA-cleared Bye Acne 3-Minute Pimple Spot Treatment Device to target acne-causing bacteria as well as our serum-infused Microdart Patches for nourishing but powerful aftercare for each spot.
Basic Light Therapy Skincare Routine
Here's a simple step-by-step routine that shows you how to incorporate Light Therapy into a basic skincare regimen:
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Cleanse Your Skin: Begin by thoroughly cleansing your face to remove any makeup, dirt, or impurities.
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Pat Dry: Gently pat your skin dry with a clean towel. Make sure your face is completely dry before proceeding to the next step.
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Apply LightBoost Serums or Creams: If you're using LightBoost serums or creams, apply them evenly across your face. These products are made with LightBoost technology, which boosts the effects of Light Therapy, so they should be applied immediately before your session.
Note: LightBoost topicals should not be used with the Bye Acne device. Use the Bye Acne device first if you’re using multiple Light Therapy devices so it can target spots on clean, dry skin for best results.
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Light Therapy Session: Use your Light Therapy device according to the unique instructions for each device. For masks, secure onto your face, head, or neck using the straps. For handhelds, focus on areas of concern, such as fine lines, wrinkles, or acne-prone areas. Hold the power button to activate the device; all of our devices will automatically shut off when treatment is complete!
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Follow with Your Regular Skincare Products: After completing your Light Therapy session, apply your regular serums, moisturizers, and any other skincare products you use.
Can Red Light Therapy Be Used For Other Things Besides Skincare?
You'll find that Red Light Therapy is often discussed in various contexts beyond skincare, with some health information data suggesting potential benefits for things like wound healing, certain skin conditions, and even mental health.
However, we've designed and optimized our devices specifically for skincare benefits, so that's where our expertise lies. Our focus is on helping our users reach their skin goals with professional-grade, at-home LED Light Therapy devices, so while there may be other uses for Red Light Therapy (and other types of LED Light Therapy), we concentrate on the uses that deliver effective and visible skincare results.
Conclusion
Light Therapy can help you address a wide range of skin concerns from fine lines and wrinkles to acne and inflammation. Red Light Therapy in particular works by supporting healthy collagen production, visibly rejuvenating the skin and promoting a healthy-looking glow.
Best of all, it's easy to incorporate professional-grade Light Therapy into your at-home, everyday skincare routine. Whether you're looking to reduce the visible signs of skin aging or achieve a clearer-looking complexion, Light Therapy can be a valuable addition that helps you reach your skincare goals.
If you're still looking for a little more guidance, take our Device Quiz here to get tailored recommendations on the best Light Therapy devices to help you get the results you're looking for.
*Individual results may vary. Everyone's skin is unique and may respond differently to our products. On average, Solawave users see results with treatment three times per week for two weeks.
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Sources:
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Clinical Efficacy of Self-applied Blue Light Therapy for Mild-to-Moderate Facial Acne
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Effects of low-power light therapy on wound healing: LASER x LED - PMC
