🛑 Weekly Newsletter: Green Light Counters Melasma, Hyperpigmentation & Melanin?!

Huge news! A topic that many of you are interested in, hyperpigmentation and melasma, the "brown spots" on the skin, has some great new 2026 research.

I've also added a new interview from Alex with one more interesting mask review, and, his new measurement methods for light therapy devices that we're rolling out as we speak!

Big things coming in the next few months!

So stay tuned...

But first:

Groundbreaking Green Light & Melanin 2026 Study

So here's a new study that just came out, where 505 nm green light was used on a mask model to counteract melanin.

Here's what the researchers state about the study setup - I'll break this down in simple language below:

"Fifteen healthy female participants aged 45–57 years (mean age: 51.9 ± 3.1 years) were enrolled in the study. Participants continued using their regular skincare products, cleansers, makeup removers, and makeup products. The mask was applied to cleansed, makeup-free skin and used for 10 min, 6 times weekly. Effects were compared between GLED-irradiated and non-irradiated sides. The melanin index was assessed using a Mexameter MX18 (Courage+Khazaka, Cologne, Germany), and L* and ITA value were measured with a spectrophotometer CM-26d (Konica Minolta, Tokyo, Japan), and the number of dark spots was evaluated using the VISIA Evolution (Canfield Scientific, Parsippany, NJ, USA). L* in the CIE Lab colour space represents skin brightness, with higher values indicating a lighter complexion"

So:

Women between 45-57 years old were included, and kept applying their regular beauty routine
They wore a mask 10 mins a day, 6 times weekly, that emitted the 505 nm green light at only one half of the face!
Melanin was then tested on the face through different scientifically-validated methods.

Participants were tracked for 8 weeks in total. Here's parts of the results of the study:

And:

The meaning of these pictures?

Dark spots were reduced by just over 20% on the facial part receiving green light.
Melanin was reduced by 10% on the facial site receiving 505 nm green light
Skin color and brightness improved at the facial side receiving the 505 nm light.

Next up, the researchers discuss this outcome in the discussion section of their paper:

"Based on GLED’s [Green LEDs at 505 nm] 10 min of daily irradiation was shown to effectively suppress melanin production. To reflect practical daily use, the human study adopted a 10-min daily irradiation, both achievable and sustainable for regular routines. After 8 weeks, significant improvements were observed in melanin index, skin brightness, skin colour index, and the number of dark spots. Although participants used the mask on cleansed and makeup-free skin, GLED may cause hydrogen bonding or hydrogenation reactions, and interactions between residual cosmetic ingredients and GLED cannot be fully excluded. This is a limitation of our study."

This means that dark spots, or "hyperpigmentation"/melasma, may be counteracted with green light. I've written about these topics extensively in the past, such as here:

And, here on green light specifically:

The paper above has huge implications, however. Of course, we need more verification of these results. But it's extremely promising that 505 nm green light is likely able to counteract brown/dark spots on the facial skin. Many people are worried about these spots predominantly on the face, and having this methodology to counteract these is a great finding.

Here Are Our Latest Light Therapy Insiders' Articles:

Every single article that we've published recently - you can find the videos in the article itself:

CurrentBody’s Acne Mask Gets the Wavelength Right. But There’s a Catch - One more interesting mask review - with the perfect wavelength for skin issues! But there's one important things you need to know about this mask that Alex explains in detail...
I Bought a $10,000 Red Light Therapy Testing Tool — Here’s Why It Matters - Alex explains the huge upgrades we've been getting for testing methodology for different products for 2026 and beyond! For you this means more valid and accurate data on different devices going forward!
I Have Been Using Red Light Therapy Incorrectly! - This video of Alex is going viral, wherein he explains how his recommendations for facial treatments with panels and masks have made a huge change in the last year! Must-read/watch!
Red Light Therapy For Women SPECIAL: Everything You Need To Know - Huge deep dive into female health, and how to adjust red light therapy treatment/protocols for that specifically, with the great Tracy Donegan. We also cover female specific topics such as periods, female fertility, and more
Chroma’s New Light Therapy Devices: The Most Innovative Red Light Therapy Devices Yet? - Chroma has released a ton of devices that used a lot of outside the box thinking in the last few years. Alex considers these, such as a UVA/UVB device, indoor lamps, a mask replacement, and much more!

Also, Check Out Some Of Our Other Content:

Below you'll find some of our best content that you shouldn't miss:

Light Therapy Insiders Science Tool

Search for different health conditions and benefits, and get Bart's breakdown of the science on that topic, as well as recommended devices and light therapy routines.

We've been trying to simplify this space as much as possible: