How does blue light impact your skin?

Do you know the impact blue light can have on your skin?

Don't wait until it's too late...

Picture this: you’re sitting at your desk at the end of a workday that involved at least 8 hours of gazing deeply into your beloved computer screen – when you decide it’s time to reward yourself with a much-needed social media break on a… slightly smaller screen. Just as you’re about to relax into the updates from the goings-on of your peers, you are hit with a shockingly offensive notification: “your screen time has gone up 80% from last week.” After processing the harsh reality of it all, you think to yourself “hey, it’s ok! I’m in quarantine after all! What else am I supposed to do?” (that is if it happened anywhere from March -June 2020). But then you start to spiral thinking about how all this extra screen time might be affecting your health and remembering the dozens of headlines, memes, and IG stories all warning you about this dangerous new threat: Blue. Light. Exposure.

That’s right ladies and gentlemen, it seems like one can’t go a day without hearing various warnings about blue light exposure. And that’s why today we are going to break down all the facts & figures about blue light – what it is, what it does, and what you can do to protect yourself.

What is blue light?

First of all, blue light did not appear suddenly once everyone became addicted to their digital devices – we have always been exposed to it – because the main source of blue light is the sun. When it comes to light and defensive skincare, you’ll most often hear it being referred to as ultraviolet light - specifically UVA and UVB rays (which we are all too familiar with) that exist within the non-visible light spectrum (meaning you can’t see it, but it’s most certainly there).

Blue light (also known as HEV light), on the other hand, is part of the visible light spectrum. Some common sources of blue light include the sun, computer/phone screens, fluorescent and LED lights, and televisions. Sunlight is the main source of blue light that we are exposed to daily.

Why should I care about blue light?

It seems that everyone in this modern age was brought up with the understanding that UVA and UVB rays are extremely harmful and we should always wear sun protection when exposed to them. But blue light protection is still new in the status quo – we are still coming to grips with its dangers. But this doesn’t mean we should wait until it’s too late. We are constantly exposed to blue light that can penetrate your skin and tamper with natural collagen production – and we don’t know about you, but we’re not willing to take the risk!

In comparison to UVA and UVB rays, blue light has higher energy. What this means is that it can penetrate the skin deeper than UVA/UVB rays. Studies investigating the effects of blue light on the skin have shown that long-term exposure to blue light may be harmful to skin health. One possible outcome of long-term blue light exposure is increased oxidative stress on the skin. To put it simply, oxidative stress happens when the concentration of unstable molecules (reactive oxygen species - the bad guys) exceeds the skin's antioxidant defense system (the good guys) and leads to oxidation. This can lead to things like inflammation, premature skin aging, pigmentation, etc.

How do I protect my skin from blue light?

I know we have all been well versed in the importance of using an SPF to protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays, but blue light is still new ground for most of us and traditional sunscreens do not protect against it. A great way to protect your skin from blue light is to use products that are highly concentrated in antioxidants. Antioxidants are essential because they prevent free radicals from damaging cells, which stops oxidations. When skin cells are oxidized, they become damaged and that is when your skin starts to show visible signs of aging.

If you’re looking for a powerful hit of antioxidants, try our hydraluron™+ moisture mist which uses extracts from Buddleja Officinalis, also known as the Butterfly Bush (a shrub native to China) which holds 3x the antioxidative power of goji berries. This mist helps to restore your skin’s protective barrier, brighten skin, and defend against environmental stressors such as pollution and those pesky blue light emissions. It’s great for refreshing your skin, adding an instant dose of dew and hydration, providing on-the-go protection, and can be used on bare skin or over makeup.