What is Blue Light?
If you think back to high school science class, you’ll remember that the light around us is comprised of a mixture of all the light wavelengths visible to the human eye. Each light wave moves at a different wavelength, allowing our eyes to perceive them as different colors. Blue light, also called HEV or High Energy Visible light, just happens to be within the 380nm to 500nm range of light that can be detected by the human eye. We are exposed to this naturally from the sun, but our modern lives have added another source to our daily living: cell phones and electronic devices.
While exposure from devices has, for many years, been blamed for disrupting the body’s natural circadian or wake/sleep cycle, research into how blue light can damage the retina and contribute to cataracts and age-related macular degeneration is just beginning. Newer still is how exposure can damage the skin and trigger signs of premature aging.
How It Damages Skin
Research into the damaging effects of blue light on skin is still in its early stages. But until very recently, visible light was not thought to have been damaging to the skin. However, like UVA rays (which cannot be seen by the human eye), exposure to visible blue light was found to generate free radicals that could damage skin cells and speed up the skin’s aging process. More surprising? It actually penetrates deeper into the skin than either UVA or UVB rays. And for those of us prone to hyperpigmentation, blue light was also found to stimulate melanin production, which leads to dark spots.
3 Tips to Protect Your Skin
Today, hiding in a dark cave completely devoid of all light is not an option. Thankfully, there are some steps that we can all take to protect our skin from blue light exposure and minimize the damage:
- Limit Use of Devices. Although it may be difficult if your job consists of sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours of the day, limiting the use of cell phones and tablets can significantly decrease exposure. Most devices track daily screen time. You may be in for a shock at the number of hours an average person spends on phones and other devices.
- Use a Blue Light Filter. Whether it’s an app to reduce the amount emitted from your monitor, a blocking screen protector or the blue light filter option in your cell phone settings, take every advantage of reducing exposure.
- Use an Antioxidant Daily. An absolute must in the skin care game, topical antioxidants are essential in minimizing the chain-reaction of damage that free radicals can cause. Antioxidants have always been at the forefront of defence from the damage caused by UV exposure and environmental stressors such as pollution. Now you can add blue light to the list of healthy skin enemies. Luckily for us, we’ve got Apothekari Bespoke Vitamin C serum on our side. Featuring an arsenal of free radical fighting ingredients such as L-ascorbic acid, green tea extract, ferulic acid and lutein, Bespoke Vitamin C serum is also made-to-order to maximize stability and effectiveness.
Thanks for reading!
