This vibrating light-therapy wand is the best part of my skincare routine — and it’s already helping my acne
SOURCE:TechRadar|BY: Josephine Watson
Nanoleaf’s light-therapy treatments are a great, cost-effective way to stimulate your skin, and I think the 6-in-1 light wand is the best of the bunch.
Nanoleaf’s affordably priced LED light-therapy wand hits a lot of the right marks, losing marks only because it can be a little unwieldy at times and some treatments fall outside of peak light therapy performance. However, it's incredibly useful and makes for an excellent addition to your weekly skincare routine, especially if you want to save on facials.
Pros
Great for travel
Heats, cools and vibrates
Affordable
Cons
-
Some treatments’ wavelengths fall outside of peak performance
-
Easy to accidentally look into LEDs
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It was a surprise to many fans of Nanoleaf's popular smart-lighting products when the brand expanded into wellness, releasing a selection of devices including the Nanoleaf LED face mask and 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand.
Given its experience in making some of the best smart lights, it makes sense that the brand should know what it's doing when it comes to light therapy, and based on my experience so far, it’s best demonstrated by the new light wand.
Offering six treatments (anti-aging, acne, repair, soothing, heating and cooling), the Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand is a veritable facial in your pocket, clad in a stylish sage green and weighing just 201g. I’ve been using it two or three times a week for five weeks at the time of writing this review, and I can already tell that it’s working well for me, and that’s not just because the treatment itself is better.
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Specs
Weight
201g
Dimensions
187 x 40 x 55mm (L x W x H)
Temperature
Heating Temperature: 38±3℃
Cooling Temperature: 15±3℃
Wavelengths
Red + NIR: 630nm + 850nm
Blue: 460nm
There are three key reasons why I prize my Nanoleaf light wand over and above the brand’s LED face mask, which I enjoyed, albeit with some reservations.
Firstly, the device is lightweight and very portable, making it an excellent travel companion. This is something I also appreciated about Nanoleaf’s silicone face mask, especially in comparison to the bulky and rigid Shark Cryoglow, and the handheld wand amps up the convenience by being portable enough to stash in a toiletries bag and lasting up to three hours on a single charge.
Each treatment lasts just four minutes, with Nanoleaf recommending two to three sessions per week, meaning the wand can comfortably go weeks without charging, too. It takes three hours to recharge via USB-C, so it’s plenty convenient even if you're traveling.
The second reason I’m drawn back to the Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand over its competition in the face-mask market is its versatility. To use the wand, you glide its light panel and metallic face across your skin in a circular motion, choosing one of its six presets depending on your needs.
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Each preset is paired with a different combination of temperature, LEDs, and vibration, which I’ve detailed below. Each setting can be adjusted to one of three intensity settings, though I’d always recommend sticking with the factory settings.
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Treatment
Light therapy
Temperature
Vibration
Intensity (default)
Anti-aging
Red Light + NIR
Heating
Y
3
Acne
Blue Light
None
Y
3
Repair
Red Light + NIR
Cooling
N
3
Soothe
N
Heating
Y
3
Cooling
N
Cooling
N
1
Heating
N
Heating
N
1
Much like the Shark Cryoglow, there’s a cooling element around the light panel, except here this effect can be used on your whole face rather than just your under-eye area.
Cryotherapy treatments can help to constrict blood vessels under your skin, reducing redness, puffiness and inflammation and helping to tighten pores and improve circulation; all things my acne-prone skin can benefit from.
However, it’s not just cooling that can maximize the benefits of light therapy; some modes instead utilize a heating effect, which can help to loosen debris and cleanse the skin, reduce tension and even stimulate skin regeneration according to some research.
Neither heating nor cooling is too intense, with the former reaching up to 42C and the latter at a lowest temperature of 12C, meaning both treatments can be enjoyed as a relaxing step of your skincare routine.
That’s an excellent segue into the final feather in the Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand’s cap, which is the fact that you can use it to apply products to your skin as part of your daily routine.
I loved starting my nightly skincare routine with a round of heating to help open my pores and clear my skin of the day’s grime, and relax myself for bedtime, applying my various lotions and potions and massaging them into the skin while treating it with heat, light and massaging vibrations.
Personally, I think this is what has made all the difference for me (and my skin!) compared to Nanoleaf’s LED-only face mask; my skin is a lot clearer, and after a slightly painful few days where it seemed my acne worsened and came to the fore, weeks down the line it’s settling and looking clearer than it has since I was using Shark’s Cryoglow every day.
(Image credit: Future)
While I love these three benefits, none of this is to say Nanoleaf’s 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand is perfect. One major design flaw is that you should never look directly at these LEDs, yet it’s really easy during use to slip or misplace the wand and blast bright lights straight into your eyes. Of course this can be remedied with eye masks or keeping them closed, but I personally don’t find jabbing blindly at my face with a hard surface particularly relaxing.
Also noteworthy is that, much like the brand’s face mask, the light wavelengths on offer still aren’t quite within peak performance based on currently available scientific studies; its blue light emits at 460nm versus the recommended 415nm and near-infrared (NIR) at 850nm versus 830nm. Thankfully, though, red light bucks the trend with its 630nm output vs 633nm peak performance.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Nanoleaf’s product isn’t effective; it just means that more premium products that align more closely with scientifically backed peak-performance levels might be better, and the results more noticeable.
As I always caveat when reviewing these products, the science behind light therapy is still in its infancy, and my review experience can be described as anecdotal at best. Still, I have noticed some moderate improvements which, while non-permanent, are helping me manage my adult acne.
(Image credit: Future)
Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand review: Price and availability
Price: $99 / £99 / AU$159.99
Affordable alternative to masks, best price option for wands
At its list price, Nanoleaf’s 6-in-1 LED Light Therapy Wand is an excellent budget-friendly alternative to a full face mask, and even offers some benefits that make it a better choice overall.
Even when compared to other skin-therapy wands, Nanoleaf stands out as a uniquely affordable offering. There are cheaper LED-only wands, yes, and there are similarly priced cooling/heating products at similar price points, but not many (if any) that can do both, and certainly not so affordably.
At this price, it's better value than most (if not all) budget-friendly LED masks and most wands.
5/5
Design
Handheld, easily portable and stylish enough to leave out on your vanity.
4.5/5
Performance
Light wavelengths aren’t optimal but slightly improved upon Nanoleaf’s facemask, plus added heating/cooling features improve efficacy.
4/5
Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand: Should I buy it?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
(Image credit: Future)
How I tested the Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand
I used Nanoleaf’s 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand for five weeks, primarily trialling its acne treatment, which is my primary skin concern. However I also used its anti-aging setting for a fortnight for good measure, having tried other products against which I could benchmark its effectiveness.
I’ve been testing beauty devices for four years, considering everything from product design and functionality to performance, affordability and any available medical research to assess their efficacy and value for customers. With this particular product, I considered everyday use-cases like travel, charging and beauty routines, researched optimal light wavelength compared to the product’s stated output, and the price and availability of the device to come to a decision on its overall score.
Josephine Watson is TechRadar's Managing Editor - Lifestyle. Josephine is an award-winning journalist (PPA 30 under 30 2024), having previously written on a variety of topics, from pop culture to gaming and even the energy industry, joining TechRadar to support general site management. She is a smart home nerd, champion of TechRadar's sustainability efforts as well and an advocate for internet safety and education. She has used her position to fight for progressive approaches towards diversity and inclusion, mental health, and neurodiversity in corporate settings. Generally, you'll find her fiddling with her smart home setup, watching Disney movies, playing on her Switch, or rewatching the extended edition of Lord of the Rings... again.
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