Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About LED Skin Wands — & The Best Ones To Try

If, like me, your skincare routine rarely stretches beyond a simple cleanser and a basic moisturizer or serum — but this is the year you’ve vowed to step things up a notch — then investing in an LED light wand might just be the answer. 

Chances are your TikTok feed is already flooded with influencers and skincare enthusiasts bathing in red, green — even purple — light, with full-coverage LED masks the sci-fi tool of choice. But as a beauty director who’s tried most of them, some can be heavy and uncomfortable, leave you feeling sweaty, or make it seem like your eyes are taking a hit. (How people manage to read or watch TV while wearing them, I’ll never know.) 

For me, LED wands offer a far more comfortable — and not to mention more targeted — experience. 

LED wands offer everything you love about an LED mask — often harnessing red and blue light — but in a far more compact form. Esthetician Danielle Gamble says, “Red light builds collagen, speeds cellular repair [essentially healing skin], and calms inflammation.” Sure enough, several studies have found that red light can help boost collagen and elastin, two things that keep skin strong and supple.  

Then there’s blue light: “[This] helps kill acne-causing bacteria and reduces active breakouts,” says Gamble. While there’s less research on blue light and skin, mounting anecdotal evidence suggests it’s especially useful for treating pimples. I’m convinced that Medicube’s Booster Pro helped significantly minimize a large, painful chin breakout recently. LED wands are also nifty enough to reach trickier areas, like under the eyes. 

Gamble says, “Wands are typically more cost-effective and allow for targeted treatment, which is useful if you’re focusing on specific areas like active breakouts or fine lines.” The trade-off? “They require manual use, so you need to hold the wand and move it from area to area,” she adds. 

Because LED wands only work when applied correctly and consistently, Gamble recommends regular, measured use. While she says that masks are better for full-face results, wands excel at spot treatment and precise application. 

LED wands may take a bit more attention and thought than an LED mask, but Gamble says handheld wands are ideal for targeted concerns: “Think the occasional breakout or fine lines in a specific area you want to address,” she says. 

Intrigued? Here are the best LED wands to add to your wish list, depending on your skin concerns.  

My beauty editor peers can’t stop talking about this smart LED wand, and that’s because it does the most. The electroporation setting helps thick moisturizers and masks sink into the skin, while the gentle microcurrent acts like Pilates for facial muscles, boosting firmness instantly and over time. But it’s the light settings that really make it worth the price. Blue light helps calm raised pimples, red light encourages skin healing, green light is said to boost collagen production, and orange light supports skin repair. I like that it’s lightweight, which makes targeting specific areas much less of a chore. I reach for it whenever I have a hormonal pimple that concealer can’t cover — and I’m pretty sure it helps deflate them. 

This slim wand may look unassuming, but it’s like a mini at-home facial. I — and hundreds of other reviewers — love that it warms up, making every pass over stressed skin feel incredibly soothing. Beyond its comforting heat, the rotating wand also uses red light to help stimulate collagen and elastin, and its compact size means it can easily reach under the eyes where fine lines often appear. 

This LED device is a bit chunkier than others, but that actually works in its favor since it covers a larger surface area, making it excellent value for money. It’s especially handy for bigger zones like the jawline, cheeks, or forehead, and it even comes with goggles to protect your eyes. The multiple red-light wavelengths help reduce inflammation, calming redness from clusters of pimples. 

NuFace devices are beloved by R29 staff — and for good reason: the brand thinks of absolutely everything. At its core, this is an LED device, packed with red, amber, and infrared lights. Skin absorbs red and infrared light more easily, helping to kickstart regeneration and encourage newer, healthier skin cells. It also includes a microcurrent attachment with conductor gels. When used consistently, microcurrent can provide a temporary lift. You can even pair it with an app to boost the power. Genius. 

This tool cleverly combines red and blue lights to increase collagen in the skin and help eliminate the bacteria that can cause breakouts. The five-star reviews speak for themselves, with users noting reduced acne and less severe scarring. Even better, it’s fast — treatments last just three minutes, and the device automatically shuts off when time’s up. Again, consistency is key to achieving good results.

This wand was designed with delicate skin in mind, especially the under-eyes. Depending on the concern you want to target, you can switch the panel between blue and red light. Treatments take just five to 10 minutes, so you can use it while watching TV or getting ready for bed. The heat and vibration feel especially good because you’re meant to maneuver it over the face; it requires a little more thought than other wands, but the process feels therapeutic.