Product Overview: Tanda Clear Anti-Acne Light Therapy Device

As many as 50 million Americans are affected by acne breakouts, including 85% of teens and young adults under 24. Even adult acne is increasing, especially among women.

Is there any hope for acne sufferers to find relief from this annoying, persistent, and even painful skin condition?

One answer may be blue light therapy. Clinically proven to treat acne breakouts and prevent future pimples from forming, blue light therapy is a safe, effective treatment option.

The Tanda Clear Plus is one anti-acne light therapy device that uses blue light to fight acne. We’ll look at how it works, who it’s for, and what the reviews for this product say.

To better explain how the device works, let’s start with a brief overview of how acne forms and the science behind blue light therapy.

How Does Acne Form?

Acne starts with an excess of sebum, or skin oil. Your skin contains sebaceous glands that secrete their oil into hair follicles, the tiny pores where your body hairs grow. When these glands produce too much oil, your follicles can become clogged. The oil mixes with dead skin cells and Propionibacterium acnes, or P. acnes, the main acne-causing bacteria. The result is a nasty breakout.

P. acnes is attracted to the excess sebum from your sebaceous glands, making a breakout more likely on oily skin. As the bacteria multiply, your immune system springs into action with inflammation and white blood cells, which attack the P. acnes. The sebum and dead skin cells clogging the follicle get pushed to the surface and form the “head” of a pimple.

How Does Blue Light Therapy Work?

Blue light therapy has been clinically proven to kill the bacteria that causes acne. Photoreceptors in P. acnes absorb certain wavelengths of blue light to produce singlet oxygen, which then kills the bacteria. By destroying acne-causing bacteria, blue light therapy helps prevent new pimples from forming and facilitates the healing process in existing blemishes.

One study of self-applied blue light therapy noted significant reductions in inflammatory acne as early as week one of treatment. Both noted that self-administered blue light therapy appears to be a safe and easy-to-use acne treatment.

Tanda Clear Plus Anti-Acne Light Therapy Device: How It Works

HoMedics’ Tanda Clear Plus anti-acne light therapy device has been around for over a decade. This FDA-cleared device uses blue light therapy in combination with sonic vibration and warmth to fight acne breakouts.

The Tanda Clear Plus produces blue light wavelengths of 414 nanometers (nm) to destroy acne-causing bacteria on the skin and in hair follicles. The sonic vibration helps improve microcirculation in the treatment area and brings more bacteria into contact with the light. The device’s warming function opens pores, allowing the blue light to access any bacteria within.

Does Tanda Clear Plus Anti-Acne Light Therapy Really Work?

No matter how sound the theory behind a product seems, the most important question is, does it really work? 

According to a study on the Tanda Clear Plus anti-acne light therapy device, participants who used the therapy daily saw a significant reduction in mild-to-moderate acne, including an overall improvement in their skin. They found the Tanda Clear effective and easy to use.

At the time of this writing, the Tanda Clear anti-acne light therapy device does not have a product rating on Google, and it appears to be out of stock on most vendor websites. Amazon had 63 user reviews submitted, rating the device at 3.3/5, but the listing has since been removed.

The lack of ratings could be because the Tanda Clear Plus didn’t gain as widespread popularity as some other devices, like the DPL IIA Professional Acne Light Therapy Device.

What Comes in the Package?

If you can locate a device, the Tanda Clear Plus anti-acne light therapy device comes with the handheld unit, a power cord to charge the device, and a user guide. The Tanda Clear Plus has dimensions of 5″ X 2″ X 1.5″ and weighs 12 ounces.

How to Use Tanda Clear Plus Anti-Acne Light Therapy

When you receive your device, you’ll need to plug it in before use. The battery takes about four hours to reach a full charge.

When you’re ready to begin treatment, wash your face with a gentle cleanser to remove all cosmetics and residue. Make sure your skin is completely dry.

To turn on the Tanda Clear Plus, press the orange power button until the indicator light flashes green. Then, rest the light panel against the area of your skin you want to treat. Sensors will activate the treatment light and vibration once you make contact with your skin.

Hold the device in place for three minutes. The unit will beep every 30 seconds to indicate the passage of time, and it will beep twice at the end of the treatment time. Twenty seconds after you remove the device from your skin, it will turn off on its own. As an additional safety feature, the Tanda Clear Plus will beep three times and automatically shut off if it gets too hot.

If you have another problem area to treat, repeat the steps in that location. Treating your entire face can take 20 to 30 minutes. One you’ve finished treatment of all problem areas, apply your favorite non-comedogenic moisturizer and any other other skin care products you use.

For best results, use Tanda Clear anti-acne light therapy twice per day, once in the morning and once at night.

Where to Find the Tanda Clear Anti-Acne Light Therapy Device

Because the Amazon listing has been taken down and the company website no longer exists, it’s possible that the Tanda Clear Plus is out of production. However, you may be able to order it from other third-party retailers or resale sites.

If you can’t find the Tanda Clear Plus, you might consider the Tanda Zap Acne-Clearing Device. It works exactly the same way as the Tanda Clear Plus, but with a smaller surface area to focus on specific blemishes.