Benefits of Red Light Therapy for Your Skin

The buzz about red light therapy is growing, with good reason. Whether you use a mask or wand at home or receive treatment at your dermatologist or spa, it’s important to know what red light therapy may do for your skin.

What is Red Light Therapy?

Red light therapy, sometimes called low-level laser light therapy or photobiomodulation, uses low levels of red light to treat skin. Unlike the UV rays from the sun that can damage skin, the red light promotes healing, which can improve skin damaged by disease, environmental toxins, or aging.¹

How Does Red Light Therapy Work?

Red light therapy was discovered in the mid-1900s, and in the 1990s, NASA started using it to help astronauts heal wounds.¹ The red light stimulates the mitochondria in cells, encouraging growth and increasing cell function. When used on skin cells, it may boost skin repair, cell growth, collagen production, and blood circulation.^1,2

Benefits of Red Light Therapy for Skin

More research is needed to conclusively determine how red light therapy can benefit skin, but small studies and anecdotal evidence suggests that the therapy can:⁷

• Improve wound healing and acne

• Reduce wrinkles, fine lines, age spots, scars, and stretch marks

• Help with the effects of psoriasis, rosacea, and eczema

• Improve skin tone and elasticity

• Repair sun-damaged skin

Experts say that results to date are promising and the FDA has cleared some red light therapy devices for home use.

Helps Reduce Inflammation and Redness

The most common benefit from red light therapy, supported by various small studies, is the reduction of inflammation and redness.⁸ This makes it a good choice for people with conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and rosacea. 

You can safely combine red light therapy with a great topical containing niacinamide to further calm irritated skin. Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 shown to reduce redness and inflammation. Niacinamide Lotion 10% maximizes benefits and protects skin against damage from the sun and disease. It helps skin look and feel smoother.

Boosts Collagen Production for Anti-Aging

Red light therapy can stimulate collagen production, which improves skin tone and elasticity, making skin look younger. Studies show collagen increases after as little as one week of daily treatment and is particularly helpful on sun-damaged skin.⁷

For an even bigger collagen boost, add Foundation Skincare’s Vitamin C Lotion 20% to your skincare routine. It’s safe to use in conjunction with red light therapy. It combines the highest possible concentration of vitamin C with vitamin E for extra antioxidant power that helps reduce inflammation, redness, and improve overall skin health. Plus, it keeps skin looking firmer, reducing the fine lines and wrinkles associated with sun damage and aging.

Accelerates Healing for Inflammatory Acne

Research suggests that red light therapy can lessen inflammatory acne by 60-70 percent in some people. It helps decrease sebum, or oil, production that can result in acne breakouts. It may also reduce pore size which keeps dirt and oil from clogging pores and causing infections. Whiteheads, blackheads, or cystic acne don’t usually benefit from red light therapy.¹⁰

If you have frequent inflammation from acne, you can get additional protection from Azelaic Acid 14% Cream from Foundation Skincare. Its gentle formula fights the bacteria that can cause acne breakouts. Plus, it reduces inflammation and redness and helps unclog pores by removing dead skin cells.

Helps Reduce Hyperpigmentation

As you age, your skin can get dark spots due to sun damage called hyperpigmentation. They are caused by an increase in melanin production. Studies show that red light therapy can inhibit the production of melanin, helping fade dark spots.⁹

You have other options if you’re troubled by unwanted dark spots on your face. Foundation Skincare offers several products that can reduce the effects of hyperpigmentation and improve your skin’s health and vitality. 

Azelaic Acid 14% Cream helps even out skin tone, texture, and brightness, and minimizes acne scars and brown spots. It pairs well with Niacinamide Lotion 10%, which helps repair sun-damaged skin and reduce brown spots. 

An additional bonus is that all Foundation Skincare products are developed to work together and layer well for a complete skincare regimen.

Promotes Overall Skin Health and Radiance

Red light therapy may help widen blood vessels, increasing the blood and nutrients delivered to skin cells. The increased blood flow can reduce wrinkle formation and accelerates skin healing leaving skin looking smoother and younger.¹¹

How to Incorporate Red Light Therapy Into Your Routine

You can get red light therapy from your dermatologist, from a spa or clinic, or from a device you purchase for home use. 

Your dermatologist may be able to offer more powerful red light therapy than a spa or home device, and will probably suggest it be used in conjunction with medicated creams, microneedling, or chemical peels. Red light therapy at the dermatologist requires a series of treatments over weeks or months with follow up treatments every few months.

If using a device at home, make sure the device is labelled “FDA cleared” and created for the results you want. The terms “FDA approved” and “FDA certified” are marketing terms that have a medical meaning. Make sure you follow the directions for your specific device. The amount of time each treatment takes and the number of treatments needed will vary with your device.^12,13

Positive results from red light therapy typically last about a month, which may be increased if you combine it with a healthy skincare routine that includes complementary topical products. While side effects and negative reactions are rare, watch out for inflammation, rash, redness, pain, or hives after treatment. If you see any of these, call a doctor immediately.

No matter how you decide to use red light therapy, speak to your dermatologist first to make sure you are a good candidate. Take note of these considerations and guidelines.^12,13

• Don’t use red light therapy if you have a condition or are taking medication that makes you sensitive to light.

• Don’t use red light therapy if you have skin cancer or eye disease.

• Use caution if you have darker skin. Red light therapy may cause uneven color in your skin.

• Always use eye protection during treatment.

• Wash your face before the treatment and don’t wear makeup. 

• Avoid the sun for 48 hours after treatment and apply extra sunscreen when you go out.

Red light therapy is gaining respect in the medical community and use will continue to grow. While we don’t yet have conclusive evidence that it works as advertised or what the long-term effects could be, some people are seeing beautiful results. You may be one of them.

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References:

1. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22114-red-light-therapy

2. https://www.brownhealth.org/be-well/red-light-therapy-benefits-safety-and-things-know

3. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/5-health-benefits-red-light-therapy

4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10311288/

5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8403573/

6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33594706/

7. https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(19)33160-3/abstract

8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5523874/

9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10707362/

10. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5843358/

11. https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2025/02/red-light-therapy-skin-hair-medical-clinics.html

12. https://www.aad.org/public/cosmetic/safety/red-light-therapy

13. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22146-led-light-therapy