Learn how red and blue light therapy work to help with inflammation and skin conditions, their differences, and how to incorporate them into your skincare routine. It’s easier than you think!

Red and blue light therapy is a phototherapy for a wide range of skin conditions. Phototherapy means using light as a therapeutic treatment. Although it might sound far-fetched, light can be used to treat several different skin conditions including acne, wounds, psoriasis, Bowen’s disease, basal cell carcinoma (skin cancer), or keratosis.
It’s worth noting that phototherapy is not the same as photodynamic therapy, which is a drug that is taken and is activated by light.
Since there is so much popularity around light therapy these days, and we have talked about the benefits of red light therapy for rosacea and the best red light therapy devices, I wanted to look at the facts of red and blue light therapy.
So let’s dive in.
Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them, and they are from companies I trust. There is no additional cost to you.
What is light therapy?
Light therapy means using a specific wavelength of light to treat a condition. As we know, there are many different colors of light.
White light, or the natural light you see in the daylight, is actually made up of a full spectrum of different colors that combine into a neutral white. Those different colors are found by separating the white light into the different frequencies, or the speed at which light is moving.
Light can move as a wave. At different wave speeds, the light looks to be a different color. This is because of the receptors in the human eye, which pick up the different speeds of light as they come into contact with the back of our eyes and translate those speeds into different colors.
Different colors of light (or wavelengths) react with our bodies and can be used to treat different conditions.
Here we are going to look at red and blue light therapy and discuss their differences.
Red light therapy vs. blue light therapy
Blue light is the section of the visible light spectrum that causes our eyes to see the color blue. It has a wavelength of 415 nanometers.
Since blue light can destroy common acne-causing bacteria, it’s effective in the treatment of acne.
Red light is the section of the visible light spectrum that causes our eyes to see the color red. It has a wavelength of 633 nanometers.
Red light reduces inflammation and increases the production of collagen, which helps to repair the skin. It can also go deeper and help with pain, hair loss and muscle recovery.
While blue light therapy primarily helps with reducing acne, red light therapy has a wide range of benefits including:
- Psoriasis treatment
- Rosacea treatment
- Wound healing
- Reduction of stretch marks
- Enhance blood circulation/blood flow
- Reduction in age spots and improve sun damage
- Aid in muscle recovery
- Reduce inflammation
- Reduce scars/wrinkles and even skin tone
- Decreasing pain
- Increase scalp hair growth
- Reduction of fine lines and wrinkles and increase collagen production
How does red and blue light therapy work?
Red and blue light therapy works by using an LED to shine the appropriate wavelength of light onto the area of the skin that needs treatment. This light then interacts with the skin. Within the skin are molecules that can absorb light through what is known as a chromophore. This is a small section of a molecule that has a physical change when it’s excited by light.
Excitation by light doesn’t mean the molecule was looking forward to the light’s arrival; it actually means that when the light touches that part of the molecule, the molecule changes to a higher energy state. Energy states of molecules are a really complex part of chemistry but within a molecule lots of atoms are held together by bonds. These bonds hold the atoms together in the lowest energy conformation that is stable.
However, when light excites the chromophore, the bonds in the molecule twist, and it moves closer or further away from other atoms within the molecule, resulting in the molecule being in a higher energy state than it was previously. This molecule can then pass on that energy to have an effect on the things around it, and return to the lower energy state.
Blue light

One example of blue light therapy is its use in mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris (acne). This is caused by a bacteria known as P.acnes, which sits on the skin to cause lesions and wounds. Blue light is effective for treating acne because it can break down the cell membrane of the bacterium causing the skin condition.
The light activates endogenous porphyrins (molecules used by the bacteria to create lots of other things). This causes free radicals to form. These are damaging compounds that can destroy cells. In this case, the cells where the free radicals are formed are the bacteria causing acne, so the cell wall of the bacteria gets destroyed, and the bacteria die off. This results in eliminating acne.
Red light
Another example of phototherapy is in wound healing. Often after a laser resurfacing or chemical peels, red or near-infrared light is used to help speed the healing process in a dermatologist’s office. In a study researching how this works it was shown that LEDs increase the cell growth to help close and heal the wounds.
Light therapy can be used on all skin types. It’s thought to work by targeting the mitochondria in our skin cells which aids in healing many different ailments and aiding in skin rejuvenation.
How to get red and blue light therapy?
Red and blue light therapy is available for home use or professional office treatments. Many spas and dermatologist offices offer light therapy skin treatments and you can research a center near you that offers a light therapy session.
There are also many great home devices that will provide the same benefits. Just make sure you’re buying from a company that is reputable and offers quality light therapy devices.
I recommend a home device (LINK), which makes getting light therapy super easy. Though I have not yet tried any blue light therapy devices.
I have a red light face mask and a red (and yellow) light handheld device. I use, love and recommend both, but I did a full breakdown on each device if you would like to decide which is best for you.

What is the best time of day to do red and blue light therapy?
There is no best time of day to do red and blue light therapy. The skin concerns it can treat aren’t dependent on the time of day, and it is done inside.
But having said that, bright light, especially blue light, right before bed time may make it difficult to fall asleep. So it’s best to do the therapy no later than an hour before bedtime.
How soon can you see results of light therapy?
Studies have seen results as little as four weeks after treatment. These studies use red and blue light therapy three times weekly for 20 minutes each time for four weeks. Other studies have continued using red and blue light treatment for several months.
It heavily depends on the condition you are trying to treat. A good estimate is one to three months to see an improvement.
Personally, during an autoimmune flare, I use my TrueLight Energy Square on my joints, which get swollen from Psoriatic arthritis. It helps decrease the swelling after two days or so. I do other things to aid with the flare, such as taking supplements, but I do believe the red light therapy really helps.
If you’re interested in trying the Energy Square, you can use code WELLNESSTRICKLE for 10% off your purchase at TrueLight.
The bottom line
Red and blue light therapy can help with a wide range of issues from skin conditions to muscle recovery. When trying to decide on a red light therapy that’s best for you, think about your treatment area or what you would like to accomplish.
Blue light is great for acne and red light is great for reducing inflammation and aiding in repairs and recovery time with no known side effects. Blue light and red light will reach different depths of the skin, with red light penetrating deeper.
You can get a professional treatment of red or blue light therapy, or you can get get your own home device. For best results, you will want to do the treatments regularly which makes a home device a great option.
Take Action
With all the benefits of red and blue light therapy, especially red light therapy, it’s a great idea to add a red light therapy device to your skin care routine. You can search for a spa or dermatologist near you to get treatments or look into a home device.
You can read about my favorite red light therapy home devices and why I love them or check out this red light face mask and this red light handheld device.
Use code WELLNESSTRICKLE for 10% off your TrueLight purchase!


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