Best Serums to Use With Red Light Therapy, by Skin Goal
The best serums to use with red light therapy are the ones your skin already tolerates, applied straight after the session rather than under the light. Hyaluronic acid is the one serum ingredient studied alongside a home LED mask, and vitamin C, niacinamide and a night-time retinoid fit around it by goal. Below: the order, each ingredient by goal, acids and prescriptions, the blue mode, light-activated serums, sensitive skin and a routine with our mask.
Key takeaways
- In a controlled study of 48 adults, those who added a 660 and 850 nm home mask to a hyaluronic acid serum improved faster and further over four weeks than those using the serum alone. Kim, 2020
- Cleveland Clinic says LED light therapy needs "a clean, makeup-free face", so serums go on after the session. Cleveland Clinic
- In a 12-week split-face trial of 50 women, a 5% niacinamide moisturiser used twice a day improved fine lines, dark spots, red blotchiness and sallowness. Dermatol Surg, 2005
- The American Academy of Dermatology advises using retinoids only at night and starting every other night. AAD
- The AAD advises giving most anti-ageing products at least six weeks, and some up to three months, before judging them. AAD
What are the best serums to use with red light therapy?
A plain hydrating serum such as hyaluronic acid, applied after the session, is the best first choice and the only one with a mask study behind it. After that, choose by goal: vitamin C in the morning, niacinamide for redness and tone, and a retinoid on the evenings you use one.
Choosing serums to use with red light therapy starts with your main skin concern. The AAD suggests targeting one concern and notes that a higher price does not mean a better product. AAD It also calls sunscreen and moisturiser "the two most-effective anti-aging products you can buy".
| Goal | Serum ingredient | When, on light days | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydration | Hyaluronic acid | After the session, morning or evening | Paired with a home mask in a 48-person study |
| Redness, tone, barrier | Niacinamide | After the session | 5% improved blotchiness and spots in a 50-woman trial |
| Dullness and dark spots | Vitamin C | After the session, usually in the morning | Small placebo-controlled trials at 5% and 10% |
| Fine lines | Retinol or a prescription retinoid | After the session, at night only | Dermatologists' standard night-time product |
| Breakouts and marks | Azelaic acid | After the session | Used for acne and post-acne brown marks |
| Dry or sensitive skin | Ceramide moisturiser | After the serum | Eased eczema severity a little more than other moisturisers |
| Firmness | Peptides, copper peptides | After the session | Mostly laboratory work so far |
Use peptides and copper peptides as you normally would, after the session. Cleveland Clinic describes the idea that peptides help skin make collagen as a "theory" that depends on the whole formula. Cleveland Clinic Copper peptide research is mainly laboratory and animal work so far. Pickart, 2018
Do you put serum on before or after red light therapy?
After. Use the light on clean, dry, bare skin, then apply your serum straight away, with no waiting time needed.
Mask trials kept faces cleansed and bare, and Cleveland Clinic asks for "a clean, makeup-free face". Cleveland Clinic Anything on the skin, even a clear serum, can scatter some light. Our guide to red light therapy before or after skincare sets out the full order.
No official source sets a waiting time between a session and your serum, so apply it as soon as the session ends. If you wore the mask over skincare by mistake, wipe the inside with a damp microfibre cloth before the next session.
Can you use hyaluronic acid with red light therapy?
Yes, and it is the best-studied pairing: in a controlled study of 48 adults, a home mask added to a hyaluronic acid serum improved skin faster and further over four weeks than the serum alone. Apply it after the session, on skin that was dry under the light.
In that study, 24 people used a 660 and 850 nm home LED mask with a hyaluronic acid ampoule, and 24 used the ampoule alone. Kim, 2020 Both groups improved in folds, firmness, pores and flaking. The mask group showed "a significantly faster and higher rate of improvement". The design shows the mask added to the serum's result.
Cleveland Clinic describes hyaluronic acid as useful "for reducing the appearance of wrinkles and age lines", and says reactions to it on the skin are rare. Cleveland Clinic The table lists the pairing study and the serum trials used in this guide.
| Study | What was used | Light | Schedule | Course | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kim, 2020 (48 adults, controlled) | Home mask plus hyaluronic acid ampoule vs ampoule alone | 660 + 850 nm LED | Daily use | 4 weeks | Mask group improved faster and further |
| Dermatol Surg, 2005 (50 women, split face) | 5% niacinamide vs plain moisturiser | None | Twice daily | 12 weeks | Fine lines, spots and blotchiness improved |
| Vitamin C trials (10 and 20 people) | 10% or 5% vitamin C vs placebo | None | Daily | 12 weeks; 6 months | Photoageing scores and furrows improved |
When should you use vitamin C serum with red light therapy, morning or night?
After the session, usually in the morning, before moisturiser and sunscreen. Vitamin C supports sunscreen but does not replace it, and red light gives no protection from UV.
A 2017 review describes L-ascorbic acid as a "hydrophilic and unstable molecule". Al-Niaimi, 2017 It reports that strengths above 8% are needed to make a difference, and that above 20% adds nothing and may irritate.
- 10% for 12 weeks: in 10 people, a placebo-controlled trial found lower photoageing scores.
- 5% for six months: in 20 people, a placebo-controlled trial found an improvement in furrows.
- With sunscreen: the review says sunscreens are "only partially effective in blocking free radicals".
Cleveland Clinic suggests vitamin C each morning. Cleveland Clinic Vitamin C breaks down under strong light in the laboratory, which is why it comes in dark bottles, so it waits until the session is over. Our article on using a red light mask with makeup or sunscreen covers the morning order.
Is niacinamide a good serum after red light for redness or uneven tone?
Yes, it is one of the gentlest options and sits well after a session in either mode. A 5% niacinamide moisturiser improved fine lines, dark spots, red blotchiness and sallowness in a 12-week split-face trial.
That double-blind trial compared niacinamide with the same moisturiser without it, on opposite sides of the face, in women aged 40 to 60. Dermatol Surg, 2005 Skin elasticity also improved.
Cleveland Clinic notes that most niacinamide products are 5% or less and are "generally considered gentle and safe". Cleveland Clinic It may support the barrier, ease inflammation and help regulate oil, and it pairs with retinol, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid.
Can you use retinol or tretinoin the same night as red light therapy?
Yes: light first on bare skin, then the retinoid at bedtime, never under the light. Start one new thing at a time and bring in the second two to four weeks after the first.
The AAD advises retinoids "only at night", because they make skin more sensitive to the sun. AAD It suggests starting "every other night to start, slowly building up". It adds that people with dry skin or skin allergies are "probably not good candidates". Retinoids should not be used during pregnancy, and pregnancy is also on our do-not-use list.
Retinoids are light-sensitive mainly to ultraviolet and violet-blue light, so they go on strictly afterwards. Our comparison of a red light mask vs retinol explains how the two reach collagen by different routes.
- Prescription creams: our precautions rule out use with photosensitising medication, so anyone using tretinoin or another prescribed medicine should check with the prescriber or pharmacist before adding a light device.
- Oral isotretinoin: Cleveland Clinic lists it among medicines that make LED treatment unsuitable, so do not use our devices while taking it and follow your doctor's advice. Cleveland Clinic
- Isotretinoin and sun: the NHS lists "skin irritation after being in the sun" and says to avoid sunbeds and chemical peels. NHS
Can you use glycolic, salicylic or azelaic acid on red light nights?
Yes, after the session or on alternate nights at first, with one active per evening. Azelaic acid is one of the gentler acids, while glycolic and salicylic acids raise sun sensitivity.
Cleveland Clinic says facial acids "can leave you more prone to sun damage" and advises daily SPF 30 or higher. Cleveland Clinic It suggests starting glycolic acid once or twice a week at night.
The AAD warns that "using several anti-aging products at the same time can irritate your skin". AAD Retinoids, retinol and benzoyl peroxide already make skin more sensitive, and exfoliating on top of them can dry it out. AAD, 2026 So on a light night, pick the retinoid or the acid, not both.
DermNet describes azelaic acid as generally well tolerated and used for acne, post-acne brown marks and a type of rosacea. DermNet It lists sun sensitivity among the effects it does not cause. After a clinic peel, follow the provider's aftercare and wait until skin has healed.
Which serums go with the blue mode for breakouts?
Calm, non-tinted serums such as niacinamide or azelaic acid, applied after a morning or afternoon blue session. Remove tinted products completely first and keep retinoids strictly for afterwards.
Our mask's blue mode combines 460 nm blue with 850 nm near-infrared. Niacinamide may help regulate oil and ease inflammation, and azelaic acid targets acne and the marks it leaves. Benzoyl peroxide makes skin more sensitive, so introduce it slowly.
The blue mode is not for anyone prone to melasma or dark marks: use the red mode and see a dermatologist first. Our guide to red light therapy for acne covers the light side in more depth.
Do light-activated serums need red light to work?
No: nothing published shows a cosmetic serum being switched on by an LED device, so treat any serum as an ordinary one and apply it after the session. The idea borrows from photodynamic therapy, a clinic treatment that uses a prescription light-sensitising cream.
Prescription photodynamic creams belong in the clinic, never under a home device. In a 2016 clinic trial of 32 people, LED light improved wrinkle scores with a plain base gel as well as with a gel containing a light-absorbing ingredient. Nikolis, 2016
What the light does on its own is better documented. A 2025 consensus of 21 experts agreed that photobiomodulation "can be used for skin rejuvenation". Maghfour, 2025 The light and the serum do separate jobs, and the 48-person study measured the mask as an addition to the serum.
Which serums suit sensitive or dry skin with red light therapy?
A plain hydrating serum and a fragrance-free ceramide moisturiser are the gentlest pair, with niacinamide added slowly at a low strength. Start the mask in the red mode at 50% brightness for 5 minutes and build up.
A 2023 meta-analysis of 5 trials in eczema found ceramide moisturisers lowered severity scores a little more than other moisturisers. Nugroho, 2023
- Fragrance: the AAD names it among the most common allergens in skin care, and "natural" products can still cause reactions. AAD
- Citrus and bergamot oils: they contain compounds that react with UVA in sunlight. Janusz, 2021 Our devices make no UV, so the care point is sunlight: keep oils off during sessions and wear sunscreen outdoors.
- Patch test: the AAD suggests testing a new product on the inner forearm twice a day for four to five days. AAD
- Darker skin: the AAD says visible light can cause darker, longer-lasting spots, so see a dermatologist first. AAD
Our guide to red light therapy for sensitive skin has the full low-and-slow start.
How do you use the Kivorla mask with your serums?
Cleanse, pat fully dry, run a red or blue session, then apply your serum and moisturiser straight away, with sunscreen in the morning. We do not sell serums, so use whichever ones suit your skin.
The 4-Wavelength Red Light Therapy Mask is a cordless full-face silicone shell with an eye opening and no diodes over the eyes. The red mode combines 665 nm red with 850 and 1064 nm near-infrared. The blue mode combines 460 nm blue with 850 nm near-infrared. Brightness is 50, 70 or 90%, and the timer is 5, 10 or 15 minutes, set by voice or the handheld controller.
- Morning: rinse, pat dry, session, then vitamin C, niacinamide or hyaluronic acid serum, moisturiser, SPF 30 or higher and make-up.
- Evening: cleanse, pat dry, red mode session, then a retinoid on the nights you use one, then moisturiser.
- Limits: 10-minute sessions up to 4 times a week at high brightness, or 15-minute sessions up to 3 times a week after a week of three 10-minute sessions. Never more than 20 minutes a day, counting red and blue sessions together.
- Eyes: keep them closed and do not stare into the light.
- If skin stings: drop the actives, keep cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen, and restart at 50% for 10 minutes with no actives that day.
- Judging: give a new product six weeks to three months, and the light 8 to 12 weeks.
For neck or body skin, which the mask does not reach, our panel is used with goggles on, side-on or from behind, never aimed at the face, with body lotion afterwards; it is not for skin types V or VI. Our guide to what to do after red light therapy covers the rest of the routine.
Do not use the mask if you are pregnant, have epilepsy, have a thyroid condition or take thyroid medication, or have broken skin on the area. Our precautions also rule out photosensitising medication, so check with your pharmacist or doctor first if you take any medicine.
Standard shipping to the US, UK and Germany is free. Read the precautions before ordering. Under our return and refund policy, returns are accepted within 30 days: an unopened device with its seals intact is refunded less a 10% restocking fee, and an opened device that is undamaged and complete is refunded less 20%.
Kivorla devices are general wellness devices, not medical devices. Ask your dermatologist or prescriber before combining light with prescription skincare or medicines, and stop any product that stings or burns.