This is the most clinically established use of blue light therapy, considered the global standard of care for newborns.

Study Type: Cochrane Systematic Review (Highest Authority)

Title: Phototherapy for neonatal jaundice

Key Finding: Blue light phototherapy is the most effective intervention for preventing neurotoxicity in newborns with jaundice. It breaks down unconjugated bilirubin better than other light spectrums.

Link: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Blue light targets and kills Cutibacterium acnes bacteria on the skin. The evidence here is strong, with multiple systematic reviews.

Study Type: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Title: Blue-Light Therapy for Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Annals of Family Medicine)

Key Finding: Analyzing 14 trials with 698 participants, this review found that blue light therapy significantly improved acne severity compared to placebo, particularly for inflammatory lesions.

Link: Annals of Family Medicine Study

Study Type: Randomized Controlled Trial

Title: Clinical Efficacy of Self-applied Blue Light Therapy for Mild-to-Moderate Facial Acne

Key Finding: Participants using blue light devices daily showed a significant reduction in inflammatory lesions within 4 weeks compared to the control group.

Link: Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy

Blue light is the primary regulator of the human circadian clock (sleep-wake cycle). Timing is critical here (beneficial in the morning, disruptive at night).

Study Type: Meta-Analysis

Title: The Efficacy of Light Therapy in the Treatment of Sleep Disorders: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Key Finding: While broad-spectrum light is often used, this analysis confirms that short-wavelength (blue-enriched) light is highly effective at suppressing melatonin and phase-shifting the circadian rhythm to treat insomnia and circadian disorders.

Link: Sleep Medicine Reviews

Study Type: Randomized Controlled Trial

Title: The effects of blue-light therapy on daytime sleepiness and cognitive function

Key Finding: Morning exposure to blue light significantly reduced daytime sleepiness and improved cognitive performance and alertness in subjects with sleep deprivation.

Link: Journal of Biological Rhythms

Blue light is investigated as a more efficient alternative to traditional 10,000 lux white light boxes.

Study Type: Randomized Controlled Trial

Title: Light Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder with Blue Narrow-Band Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)

Key Finding: This study demonstrated that narrow-bandwidth blue light was superior to dim red light in reducing symptoms of SAD and was effective at lower intensities than standard white light.

Link: Biological Psychiatry

Emerging research suggests blue light can help repair sleep architecture and reduce fatigue in brain injury survivors.

Study Type: Randomized Controlled Trial

Title: Blue-Enriched White Light Therapy Reduces Fatigue in Survivors of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Key Finding: Patients recovering from severe TBI who received blue-enriched light therapy reported significantly lower fatigue levels and improved sleep quality compared to those receiving standard light.

Link: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair

Study Type: Clinical Study (Neuroimaging)

Title: Blue-Light Therapy following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Effects on White Matter Water Diffusion in the Brain

Key Finding: Daily morning blue light therapy was associated with positive structural changes in the brain’s white matter (specifically the corpus callosum) and reduced daytime sleepiness.

Link: Frontiers in Neurology

Blue light is being studied as a UV-free alternative for inflammatory skin conditions, though it is currently less authoritative than UV-B therapy.

Study Type: Prospective Randomized Study

Title: Blue light treatment of mild to moderate plaque psoriasis

Key Finding: High-intensity blue light successfully improved plaque psoriasis symptoms (redness, scaling, and induration) without the UV radiation risks associated with traditional phototherapy.

Link: Dermatology