How do I protect my skin against blue light?
What is blue light?
Blue light (450-490nm) is emitted through our devices; such as smartphones, laptops, LED lightbulbs, televison, and the sun. Blue light can increase your mood and boost your memory, however, it is detrimental to your eyes and damages your skin.
How is blue light harmful?
Blue light can be harmful to the skin, causing free radical damage, hyperpigmentation, inflammation, and can even cause collagen and elastin breakdown. Blue light also ages your skin; photo-aging, which is aging due to your exposure to the light.
Steps you can take to prevent blue light exposure:
- Wear blue light screening glasses, it helps to prevent exposure to blue light.
- Purchase a blue light blocking screen protector
- Wear SPF with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide daily to help decrease the amount of blue light your skin takes in
The truth on blue light marketing:
Most products are advertising that they can protect your skin from blue light just by using antioxidants and other antiaging ingredients. These products are marketed as blue light protectors. For the most part these products do not screen out the blue light itself. They claim that the mere presence of antioxidants will protect you from blue light damage. This is blatantly untrue. Sunscreens in general, especially physical sunscreens, containing titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, protect from blue light exposure given that the spectrum of blue light falls into the range of wavelength that these physical sunscreens cover. For example, our SPF 30 Defense Day cream contains zinc oxide which covers the 450-490 nanometer range of blue light and help protect your skin from it’s damaging effects.
Other ways to combat the degeneration effects of blue light:
- For collage production: Glycolic acid and Retinol
- For hyperpigmentation: Vitamin C
- For Inflammation: Ginger, Bisabolol, and other soothing ingredients
Cited Source:
https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/protect-your-eyes-from-harmful-light
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side