Using a good serum with your LED light therapy is essential for optimal results.
Here’s why:
A good serum can boost all skin benefits of LED light therapy when used immediately after a LED light treatment.
While home LED light therapy devices can work wonders on your skin, sometimes your skin feels dry after them, and serum is necessary to bring back moisture and promote cell regeneration.
In this post, I’ll show you the best serums to use with LED light therapy and a little-known secret about the one natural ingredient – proven to supercharge the effect of any LED light treatment.
Overview
- Important: Use LED Light Therapy on Clean Skin
- Pro Tip – The Secret Upgrade for Your LED Light Treatment
- The 6 Best Serums to Use with LED Light Therapy
- 1. Project E Beauty Hyaluronic Acid Serum Best Budget
- 2. Eternal Beauty Light Therapy Serum Made in USA
- 3. MMSkincare MMRepose serum Best Skin Regeneration
- 4. Peptide Complex Serum by Eva Naturals Best Peptide
- 5. Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum Best for Acne
- 5. TruSkin Vitamin C Serum Best for Skin Brightening
- Can you use Retinol with LED light therapy?
- How Do You Prepare Your Skin for LED Light Therapy?
- Should You Use a Vitamin C Serum Before Red Light Therapy?
Important: Use LED Light Therapy on Clean Skin
LED light therapy penetrates the skin best when the skin is clean.
Heavy creams can prevent the light wavelengths from reaching deeper skin cells, and you’ll lose some of the benefits you can enjoy from LED masks and red LED light therapy devices.
These benefits include:
- Wrinkle and fine-line reduction
- Sagging skin improvement
- Acne Prevention
- Hyperpigmentation reduction
I recommend exfoliating at least once a week. Exfoliating “pushes” your skin to build new, fresh skin cells, and using LED light therapy can keep these cells fresh and healthy.
Before you do an LED facial, use a natural face cleanser (my favorite is this one) to allow for maximum anti-aging action.
AFTER your treatment, you may apply peptides, antioxidant creams, serums, or EGF products.
👉 There is just one exception: there’s one product you can use BEFORE an LED light therapy facial. Keep reading to find out what it is!
Here are our top 6 choices for 2024, compared in the table below. Below it, you’ll find our detailed reviews, pros, and cons.
| Serum | Bottom Line | Main Ingredients | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
TruSkin Vitamin C Serum | Best for Skin Brightening | Hyaluronic Acid Vitamin E Witch Hazel | ✅ $21 on Amazon |
Project E Beauty Hyaluronic Acid Serum | Best Budget | Vegan Hyaluronic acid Vitamin C & vitamin E | ✅ $13 on Amazon |
Eternal Beauty Light Therapy Serum | Made in USA All-natural | Hyaluronic acid Vitamin C complex Vitamin E | ✅ $20 on Amazon |
MMSSkincare Serum | Best Skin Regeneration Dermatologist-Formulated | Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, gamma-linolenic acid, niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid | ✅ $85 on Amazon |
Peptide Complex Serum by Eva Naturals | Best Peptide Serum | Aloe Vera, Vitamin E Hyaluronic Acid Peptides | ✅ $15 on Amazon |
Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum | Best for Acne | Willow Bark CoQ10 Aloe Vera | ✅ $35 at Juice Beauty |
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Pro Tip – The Secret Upgrade for Your LED Light Treatment
Did you know?
Green tea is proven to significantly enhance red LED light therapy results – when used BEFORE treatments.
For example, this study has found that placing cotton pads soaked with green tea once a day for 20 minutes before LED light therapy – has led to rejuvenated skin, reduced wrinkles, and juvenile complexion – 10 times faster (in 1 month instead of 10 months) than using LED light therapy alone.
Why?
Because green tea extends the action spectrum of phototherapy.
Want to get results 10 times faster?
Use a few cotton pads soaked with organic green tea – for 20 minutes before your home LED facial. Alternatively, you can use a Green Tea extract serum, like this one.
And now:
The 6 Best Serums to Use with LED Light Therapy
Anti-aging and acne-fighting serums offer great benefits for aging or damaged skin.
They are based on tiny elements (to be able to penetrate the outer layer of the skin), promote faster skin regeneration, and restore necessary moisture after LED light treatments.
The most suited serums for LED light therapy contain peptides, Argan oil, vitamin C, and retinol.
1. Project E Beauty Hyaluronic Acid Serum Best Budget
- Active ingredients – Hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E
😍 Pros – Lightweight and absorbs quickly (can be used under makeup)
😣 Cons – Some users don’t like the smell
✅ $13 on Amazon (with coupon code under the price)
Project E Beauty is a well-known brand that makes the Project E Beauty LED mask (Click the link to see my trial and results!)
The company has created the best serum to use after treatment with its LED mask, and it contains natural and organic ingredients, such as vegan Hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and vitamin E (natural antioxidants that promote collagen production).
These 3 ingredients combined have great skin benefits, including dark spot removal, pore reduction, fine lines and wrinkles reduction, moisturizing, reducing redness, and scars, and treating hyperpigmentation.
This oil-free serum is safe to use under the eyes and can reduce dark circles and puffiness.
It absorbs quickly and results in supple and smooth skin.
👉 More ingredients inside the Project E Beauty serum: witch hazel, aloe Vera, geranium, green tea, horsetail, dandelion, calendula, willow bark, and elderflower extracts.
✅ Available at Project E Beauty ($25 with code LUNAR15) and on Amazon ($13)
2. Eternal Beauty Light Therapy Serum Made in USA
- Active ingredients – Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E, Vitamin C
😍 Pros – Absorbs quickly, keeps skin hydrated after LED treatments, vegan and cruelty-free
😣 Cons – Doesn’t work for everyone
✅ $20 on Amazon
The Eternal Beauty Light Therapy Serum was specifically designed for LED light therapy treatments, with its active ingredients being Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C.
I love the fact that this serum is USA-made and contains only natural ingredients, including rosehip oil, vitamin B6, and more.
These can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles (under the eyes as well), improve pigmentation, and nourish your skin with vitamins.
Most customers have pointed out that this serum absorbs quickly, and hydrates very well after LED treatments.
✅ Available on Amazon ($20)
3. MMSkincare MMRepose serum Best Skin Regeneration
- Active ingredients – Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, gamma-linolenic acid, niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Green Tea Leaf Extract
😍 Pros – Formulated by a Dermatologist Surgeon, contains peptides and anti-inflammatories
😣 Cons – Expensive
✅ $85 on Amazon
Dermatologist surgeon Dr. Ellen Marmur formulated this serum with ingredients that work synergistically with LED technology.
The serum contains ingredients that support the production of collagen, which is essential for maintaining the skin’s elasticity and firmness, boosting elasticity and thus making it appear plumper and more resilient.
It is designed to tighten sagging skin and make it smoother while moisturizing it with Primrose oil.
The anti-inflammation ingredients reduce redness in the skin and the niacinamide helps to reduce hyperpigmentation and scarring, making the skin appear more even-toned.
✅ Available on Amazon ($85)
4. Peptide Complex Serum by Eva Naturals Best Peptide
- Active ingredients – Hyaluronic acid, peptide complex, aloe vera, vitamin E
😍 Pros – USA-made, healing components (necessary for LED treatments’ skin recovery), great quality for the price
😣 Cons – Some users complained about the package leaking
✅$15 on Amazon
The Eva Natural collagen-stimulating peptide complex (made in the USA) serum contains Aloe Vera, Vitamin E (heals skin damage, reduces free radicals), Hyaluronic Acid, and peptides that can smooth wrinkles and improve skin elasticity.
What Are Peptides?
Peptides are potent proteins that “alert” your skin when it’s time to produce more collagen. They are also natural healing agents.
The serum also contains Witch Hazel and Jojoba which can brighten your skin and even skin tone.
The company is very confident about this serum and offers a full refund if you don’t like it, and the consumer ratings on Amazon are high.
✅ Available on Amazon ($15) and at iHerb ($15)
5. Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum Best for Acne
Active ingredients – salicylic acid 0.75%, aloe vera, willow bark extract, vitamin C
😍 Pros – Prevents and treats acne breakouts, contains organic lemon & apple fruit acids, effective
😣 Cons – The squeeze bottle is not the greatest (squirts out too quickly) so sometimes it gets wasted
✅ $35 at Juice Beauty
If you use LED light therapy (red & blue wavelengths are best) to fight and prevent acne breakouts – use an acne serum (not to be confused with “regular” serums”).
Acne serums are lightweight formulas filled with strong anti-inflammatory active ingredients (like willow bark) that can stop a breakout fast, and fade any marks that may have been left behind.
The main benefit of salicylic acid is to clear your pores and prevent them from being clogged with dead skin cells, excess oil, and other impurities.
It works best on blackheads and whiteheads, as it penetrates the skin and dissolves skin debris that clogs pores, acts as an anti-inflammatory, and also helps red, inflamed pimples and pustules go away faster.
This serum can also target dryness, oily skin, and hyperpigmentation (with vitamins C, E, and B5).
CoQ10, and organic aloe renew the skin for a healthy, clear complexion and a youthful glow.
✅ Available at Juice Beauty ($35) and Amazon ($35)
5. TruSkin Vitamin C Serum Best for Skin Brightening
- Active ingredients – Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E, MSM &Witch Hazel, aloe vera, Vitamin E
😍 Pros – Speeds up healing, great for treating redness, soothes topical abrasions and skin irritation, can brighten skin
😣 Cons – Only subtle results for some users
✅ $21 on Amazon
Vitamin C serums pair nicely with LED light therapy, as long as you use it only after your light therapy session.
Serums with vitamin C are best for skin brightening, but also for fine line reduction and acne healing.
Through my research, the best skin-brightening Vitamin C serum is the TruSkin Naturals, with Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E, and Witch Hazel.
It is currently Amazon’s choice for the best Vitamin C serum, with more than 50,000 glowing reviews.
Consumers say this one does it all – reduces fine lines, brightens the skin, treats dark spots, and leaves your skin smooth and happy.
✅ Available on Amazon ($21)
Can you use Retinol with LED light therapy?
Using retinol (Vitamin A) and light therapy together can give your skincare routine a boost.
However, retinol can cause light sensitivity to your skin, so you should never apply retinol before light therapy use, as your skin may react unexpectedly.
Retinol can safely be used after light therapy.
You can use retinol and LED light therapy at separate times.
How Do You Prepare Your Skin for LED Light Therapy?
LED light therapy’s best results will be achieved on a clean, bare face.
Make sure you don’t have any makeup or moisturizers before an LED facial – to allow maximum light penetration in your skin.
Should You Use a Vitamin C Serum Before Red Light Therapy?
The only recommended serum to use before LED light therapy is a serum that contains a high amount of Green Tea extract. Green tea was proven to enhance LED facial results in clinical studies.
While A vitamin C serum enhances LED facials, it may block some of the red light rays’ penetration into the skin, so I recommend using it immediately after treatment instead.
To your health and happiness,
Meital
Studies
Aldag C, Nogueira Teixeira D, Leventhal PS. Skin rejuvenation using cosmetic products containing growth factors, cytokines, and matrikines: a review of the literature. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2016;9:411-419. Published 2016 Nov 9.
Jeong S, Yoon S, Kim S, et al. Anti-Wrinkle Benefits of Peptides Complex Stimulating Skin Basement Membrane Proteins Expression. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;21(1):73. Published 2019 Dec 20.