The MMSphere, a ring of LED lights, casts a red glow over my face. It sits adjacent to my laptop so that as I write, research and procrastinate, I can simultaneously calm a fiery constellation of acne on my left cheek.

Red light’s anti-inflammatory and collagen-building effects on the skin are well documented. But this hands-free device, designed by Ellen Marmur, a dermatologist in New York, has settings for blue, green, amber and purple light too.