Let’s Talk About One Surprising Cause Of Premature Skin Aging: Blue Light!

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July 17th, 2020

There’s no disputing the fact that we could all do with a little less screen time. I know that most of us work online to some degree, and with all of our social media apps, taking a step back from our screens may seem impossible!

But when we stop to realize just how much time we spend on our phones on an average day, we start to realize that something has to be done.

A 2019 study showed that on average, we spend at least 3 hours in front of our phone screens, and a whopping 12 hours in front of computers and televisions every single day!

That number is staggering. Apart from the impact it may have on your mental health, did you know that too much blue light from your screens can actually have a negative impact on your skin?

In this article, I would like to share more about blue light, the effect on your skin, and how you can ensure you are protected!

If the sun came to mind then you would be correct, since the sun is our main source of blue light. However, if you are spending a fair amount of time on your various gadgets and devices then you are still being exposed to blue light when indoors.

Shari Marchbein, a board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor at New York University, explains it in more detail, “blue light, part of the spectrum of visible light, is a high-energy, short-wavelength light (not to be confused with UVA or UVB rays)”.

 There is a silver lining where blue light is concerned though, as it helps to regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle and can help to improve memory and mood.  

Considering that you’re taught to protect yourself against the sun, and the sun is a source of blue light, wouldn’t it make sense that you need protection against any device that emits blue light?

“Spending four eight-hour workdays in front of a computer exposes you to the same amount of energy as 20 minutes in the midday sun. To put this in perspective, "seven minutes of sun exposure at 1 pm is powerful enough to induce immediate tanning." explains Dr. Murad, a revered dermatologist.

Oxidative stress may occur when exposed to blue light in the long-term, which increases your risk of skin aging.

Another excellent dermatologist, Dr. Stefanie Williams explains, “Blue light has the ability to penetrate deeper into the skin compared with both UVA and UVB light. Blue light can penetrate all the way to our dermis, where our collagen and elastin live.” This contributes to a loss of firmness and elasticity in the skin.

Antioxidants will help to ensure your skin is protected against free radicals. Our Age Corrective Facial Serum is brimming in antioxidants to feed your skin with nutrients designed to protect against and neutralize nasty free radicals.

I also highly recommend using a good quality, mineral SPF for optimal protection. It can be layered right over your skincare products.

Another excellent tip is to set your devices to night-shift mode, which favors warm, yellow light, rather than harsh blue light. Keep it on this setting all day if you can!

I hope this article has helped to explain more about something we don’t talk about often enough! If you have any questions do connect with me over on Instagram

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Written by Celia O'Grady