11 Best Expert-Approved Red Light Therapy Tools To Use On Your Face And Body At Home

Do at-home red light therapy tools actually work?

Yes, red light therapy tools work at home, but they won't work as quickly as in-office treatments since they're obviously not as strong. At-home devices are helpful for treating more common skin conditions like acne or for smoothing fine lines, says Dr. Sperling.

But, if you want to try and get fast and effective results from home, Dr. Patel recommends that you simply use your device more often—ideally daily—till you start to see results. Dr. Vasyukevich estimates it takes about three to six months to start to see results when you're using your red light tool regularly.

What are the benefits to doing red light therapy at home?

Well, let’s get the obvious one out of the way—doing red light therapy at home is more cost effective than in-office visits. And, it’s also way more convenient. Who doesn’t want to treat themselves to some dreamy skin while on the couch watching TV?

At-home red light therapy tools are also helpful for the upkeep of treatments in between doctor's appointments, but make sure to use the specific device recommended or approved by your doc, says Dr. Patel. “Red light therapy tools used at home can help to extend the results from in-office procedures longer in between your treatments,” she adds.

When should you use your red light therapy tool?

Red light therapy can be done in the morning or at night, but it should be applied on clean, dry, product-free skin after you cleanse your face, before any serums or moisturizers. But, Dr. Patel notes that if you do use a red light therapy tool after a serum, it'll help the product penetrate more deeply in to the skin—just patch test on some skin before you do it on the whole face.

What precautions should you take when doing red light therapy at home?

First, Dr. Patel says to read the instructions for usage, but just be sure not to apply red light to infected skin. You'll also want to make sure you're wearing a protective eye mask made to shield your eyes (most tools come with one). And, be sure that you don't fall asleep with the mask or tool on your face, dermatologist Dr. Brendan Camp notes—applying a red light for longer than instructed can result in burning or scarring. Most tools have an auto turn-off feature, but make sure of that before you snooze during your next treatment.

While many red light devices are generally safe (many are even FDA-approved), start out by using yours once or twice a week to make sure your skin doesn't have any reactions. Once you've confirmed that your skin can tolerate it, Dr. Sperling says you can increase how frequently you use your device.

Now that you know exactly how, why, and when to use one, see below for the 11 best expert-approved red light therapy tools you can use at home.

1 BEST FULL-BODY RED LIGHT THERAPY TOOL

Skin Gym Revilit LED

$80 AT DERMSTORE $80 AT BLOOMINGDALE'S

Pros

• Three different light colors that can be used separately

Cons

One of the more affordable red light therapy devices, this wand from Skin Gym is double expert-approved and has red, blue, and green lights that, because of the wand shape, can easily be used all over the body. "It can be used to address a variety of different skin concerns, including aging, pigmentation, and acne," Dr. Sperling notes.

Dr. Camp also says that the three different colored lights can be used separately, but green light is thought to calm inflamed, irritated skin.

2 BEST MULTITASKING LIGHT THERAPY TOOL

FOREO UFO 2

$175 AT AMAZON $254 AT NORDSTROM $299 AT DERMSTORE

Pros

• Can treat multiple skin concerns at once

Cons

• Pricey

This little tool does it all. It has thermotherapy, cryotherapy, T-Sonic pulsations, and eight LED lights so you can really customize your next at-home facial experience. "This product has so many potential uses," says Dr. Camp. "It has anti-aging benefits, treats muscle aches, and enhances the penetration of skincare products. It also has several LED settings to address a variety of specific skin concerns."

3 BEST LIGHT THERAPY TOOL FOR MULTIPLE COLOR OPTIONS

Solaris Laboratories NY How To Glow LED Light Therapy Mask

$115 AT REVOLVE

Pros

• Comes with protective eye glasses

Cons

This LED mask actually uses NASA technology to deliver four different colored lights. Red—as mentioned—does it all by increasing skin cell production. But, if you have a more specific concern, you'll appreciate that blue kills acne, amber calms sensitive skin, and green works to lighten dark spots.

"The red light feature works to help visibly plump the skin and reduce signs of aging," Dr. Sperling says. "Plus, it’s easy to use a couple times a week!"

4 BEST RED LIGHT THERAPY TOOL FOR PORE SHRINKING

Trophy Skin RejuvaliteMD Red Light Therapy

$250 AT AMAZON $60 AT WALMART $199 AT SKINSTORE

Women's Health senior commerce editor Neha Tandon reviewed this light treatment after her dermatologist recommended it to her. Spoiler alert: She loved her results, noticing that it actually shrunk her pores, almost completely erased her dark spots and acne scars, and was super easy to use. "After years of being told it wasn't possible, I had fully debunked the myth that you can't shrink your pores," she wrote in her review.

5 MOST SPLURGE-WORTHY RED LIGHT THERAPY TOOL

Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro

$435 AT SEPHORA $435 AT NORDSTROM $399 AT WALMART

Pros

• Will last for years

Cons

• Pricey

Yes, this one is expensive, but it's FDA-approved, and it'll last for years according to Dr. Sperling. "The red light setting supports collagen production, which is key to a youthful complexion," she says.

"This one also contains blue light, and that combination can treat acne and increase collagen production, too" Dr. Camp adds.

6 BEST FDA-APPROVED LIGHT THERAPY TOOL

Omnilux Contour FACE

$395 AT OMNILUXLED.COM

Pros

• FDA-approved

Cons

• Pricey

Both Dr. Patel and Dr. Vasyukevich recommend this pretty patterned mask. They say it helps reduce redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. Dr. Vasyukevich especially appreciates that it's FDA-approved and has clinically-proven results backing it up.

7 BEST MICROCURRENT LIGHT THERAPY TOOL

Trophy Skin BrightenMD 4-in-1 Microcurrent Facial Device

$100 AT WALMART

Pros

• More affordable than most devices

Cons

This microcurrent facial device uses microcurrents (duh), red light therapy, and ultrasonic waves to help boost your skin's circulation and skin cell turnover. Plus, reviewers love it. Talk to a derm about using the proper serum underneath to accelerate results.

8 BEST LIGHT THERAPY TOOL FOR ACNE

LightStim Acne LED Light Therapy Device

$169 AT NORDSTROM $255 AT WALMART $169 AT BLOOMINGDALE'S

Pros

• Blue and red light are used at the same time

Cons

• All light colors have to be on at the same time

This wand uses non-UV red light and acne-fighting blue light on your skin at the same time, Dr. Camp says. Blue light has a different wavelength than red, so it'll penetrate the skin at a different depth and has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties to help clear acne while increasing skin cell turnover.

Because of the wand shape, it can easily be used on different parts of the body, too—just be sure to do a quick patch test before using it for a long amount of time.

9 BEST MASK WITH ORANGE LIGHT

Skin Gym Wrinklit LED Mask

$99 AT ULTA BEAUTY $89 AT JCPENNEY $99 AT BLOOMINGDALE'S

Pros

• Three light colors address different skin concerns

Cons

Dr. Camp endorses this mask that's one of the more affordable LED tools out there. "A more budget-friendly treatment, this device employs red, blue, and orange light to improve one’s overall complexion," he says. The red light helps with anti-aging and redness, the blue helps clear acne, and the orange light helps enhance your skin's natural glow.

10 BEST LIGHT THERAPY TOOL WITH HEAT

SolaWave Red Light Therapy Wand

$149 AT NEIMAN MARCUS $149 AT GOOP

Pros

• You can use it while multitasking

Cons

• You have to manually move it across your face

This wand has four treatments in one. It features a microcurrent, red light therapy, and a facial massage function all while providing a warm sensation that helps stimulate blood cells. "A popular tool, you will need to move this over your face for five minutes per treatment, so it can easily be used when you are talking on the phone or watching TV," Dr. Camp says.

11 BEST RED LIGHT THERAPY TOOL FOR SPOT TREATMENT

Dr. Dennis Gross SpotLite Acne Treatment Device

$52 AT DERMSTORE $52 AT SKINSTORE

Pros

• Perfect for spot treatments

Cons

• Not ideal for bigger patches

This device was specifically designed as a spot treatment. If you experience a few pimples or patches of redness here and there, it's perfect for you. Dr. Camp endorses it, saying the combined red and blue lights in it are great at targeting individual spots. The finger-sized device is super travel-friendly, too.

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