The boom in LED face masks has meant that red light therapy has entered our beauty vocabulary. But there’s still confusion around red light therapy vs LED – what this wizardry is and, more importantly, how both technologies differ.
The first thing to clarify is that red light is a type of LED therapy. So the tiny bulbs in your trusty LED mask are powered by red light-emitting diodes (LED). “LED, including red light, has been available in a professional setting for decades after being discovered by NASA in the 1960s,” says Emily Buckwell, associate director of communications at The Beauty Tech Group, which includes CurrentBody.
Your skin absorbs this light energy – which, in turn, stimulates your cells to act in different ways. It can either produce more collagen or reduce the amount of oil your skin produces in a process that’s technically known as photobiomodulation (PBM).
But red light therapy and LED therapy also work in their own distinct and powerful ways. Ahead we demystify both technologies to help you shop smarter when targeting your skin concerns.
What’s the difference between red light and LED light therapy?
The most obvious difference between red light and LED light therapy is the colour spectrum. Red light is, as the name implies, red in colour while other LED lights come in yellow, green, blue and even purple shades. This isn’t just for a visually pleasing rainbow effect – the key difference between red light therapy and LED therapy is the wavelength.
Most LED face masks are just powered by red and near infrared light. Others have a variety of coloured LEDs. Without getting too technical, this is because all LED lights have a different wavelength, which means they penetrate the skin at different depths and intensities. In doing so, they address different skin concerns.
For example, near infrared and red light are both longer wavelengths, which means they can reach deeper into the skin’s layers to boost collagen production, cell repair and healing. Blue light, on the other hand, works at a more surface level. In doing so, blue light therapy devices registered with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency may have inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects to help improve breakouts.
What is red light therapy used to treat?
The most researched LEDs are red and infrared light. “It’s important to note that there are many gold standard, peer-reviewed studies into the popular wavelengths such as red at 633nm and near-infra-red at 830mn,” says Emily. “Other wavelengths of light are less well studied but becoming more popular as tech develops.”