Soothing Color Research

UC Davis researchers at The Color Lab have discovered that amber lighting has significant soothing effects on stress and anxiety, and they are now working on implementing human-centric lighting designs aimed at optimizing well-being in real-world settings. This innovative research is the product of an interdisciplinary collaboration between the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC) and the Center for Mind and Brain (CMB), supported by industry partners such as Toyota Boshoku America, Seoul Semiconductor, and Color Kinetics.

Experimental Setup

To study the effects of light on human stress responses, the team utilized an adapted version of the Trier Social Stress Test, a standardized protocol for inducing stress in laboratory settings through tasks such as public speaking and mental arithmetic. Participants completed these tasks, after which they were moved into rooms bathed in one of five ambient lighting colors: white, amber, blue, green, or red. Researchers monitored physiological responses using measures like electroencephalogram (EEG) brainwave recordings and cortisol (the “stress hormone”) levels, as well as behavioral assessments after exposure.

Key Findings

• Amber light was found to produce the most rapid and substantial reduction in stress and anxiety, both in physiological measurements and in subjective reports from participants.
• Other discrete colors—red, green, and blue—offered no additional benefit over white light and, in some cases, slowed down stress recovery compared to amber light.
• The team hypothesizes that amber light’s calming effect is due to its resemblance to natural light found in sunsets and campfires, which may have evolutionary and daily significance for relaxation. Amber lighting is thought to evoke experiences and settings typically associated with winding down and comfort.

Translating Research to Applications

The goal of the Color Lab’s work is to develop passive interventions for stress reduction that do not require active participation, unlike approaches such as meditation or yoga. This makes lighting adjustments an accessible and easily integrated strategy for enhancing wellness.

The researchers have begun collaborating with partners to design and introduce amber lighting products—such as the Davis Lamp, a table lamp incorporating amber light for relaxation, and integrating circadian lighting systems in healthcare infrastructure, with pilot implementations at UC Davis and UC Irvine Medical Centers. They see particular promise for applications in hospitals, dentist offices, and elder care housing, where stress mitigation can improve health outcomes and environments.

Scientific and Societal Impact

The Color Lab demonstrates interdisciplinary research at UC Davis, integrating insights from lighting technology, psychology, neurology, and industry to address human health challenges. While much remains to be understood about the biological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying light’s influence on mood and physiology, this research marks a step toward translating scientific discoveries into everyday solutions for stress.

Researchers emphasize the importance of understanding how artificial lighting interacts with circadian rhythms, hormones like melatonin, and overall psychological well-being. Modern lighting—especially blue light from screens and LEDs—can disrupt these natural cycles, so the capacity for intentional, human-centric lighting design is increasingly valuable.

The Color Lab’s work reveals amber light as a potent tool for passive stress relief, and demonstrates a scalable path from laboratory findings to tangible improvements in health and well-being. More information is available here.