The Most Popular Light Therapy, According to Spate Data

Light therapy is an effective tool to improve the appearance and overall health of your skin. Whether you’re combating breakouts or wanting to smooth fine lines, it can be a helpful ally on the road to radiant and healthy skin. The past few years have proven this tenfold. Interest in light therapy treatments has increased and there are more at-home light-emitting diode (LED) devices today than ever. Light therapy treatments work by using specific wavelengths of light to penetrate the skin at various depths. By now, most people are aware of red light therapy. However, blue and green light therapy are just as beneficial. According to Spate, red, blue and green light therapy are among the top trending skin-care treatments. Each hue offers a unique set of benefits for skin health. 

In a recent study, the data platform confirmed that while red light is the most popular, interest in the other colors is steadily growing. Interest in green light therapy has seen the largest year-over-year growth with a 177.6 percent increase. Despite being the least popular of the three light therapies, this drastic uptick proves how invested consumers have become in light therapy overall. If you’re new to blue and green light therapy or need a refresher on the benefits of red light, Spate’s breakdown of each is a good place to start.

Red light therapy

Red light therapy is a popular choice for in-office and at-home treatments. Given that, it’s unsurprising to see that it ranks as the most popular type of LED therapy in Spate’s report. It leads the pack in search for the category with 21.2 million views and 45 percent year-over-year growth. There’s a consistent thread of interest among consumers for good reason. Red light treatments offer powerful anti-aging results, such as smoothing fine lines and wrinkles. However, the star advantage is the boost in collagen production that red light therapy provides. Working at the 600-700 nm wavelength, red light can penetrate deep beneath the skin’s surface to stimulate collagen and improve elasticity. It’s the ideal treatment for targeting aging concerns, while also boosting hair growth and overall wellness.

Blue light therapy

According to Spate’s findings, blue light therapy falls in the middle, with medium popularity among consumers. While the search results are high, reaching 1.5 million views, interest has only grown 25.8 percent year-over-year. One reason for this could be the benefits blue light provides. Unlike red light, blue light works on the surface using a wavelength between 400 and 490 nm. While it can’t penetrate deep enough to improve signs of aging, it is effective for treating acne. It kills acne-causing bacteria on the surface, reducing the risk of potential breakouts. Beyond this, blue light calms the skin and reduces inflammation, making it ideal for those with hormonal acne.

Green light therapy

Green light therapy is still fairly new to most people. As Spate shows, the search for green light is the lowest of the three colors, with just 544.3 thousand views. While it’s not found in home devices, it’s becoming a common treatment in professional settings. Still, green light has lots of skin benefits when it comes to tone. It penetrates deeper than blue light, using a wavelength between 520 and 560, and is used to calm hyperpigmentation and reduce redness. The result is a balanced skin tone and a boost in natural radiance. The wavelength depth can also treat fine lines. The overall result, glowy skin that’s more even and slightly smoother, is likely the reason green light therapy is growing in popularity.