How To Protect Your Skin From Artificial Blue Light

Do you need blue light protection for your skin?  

If you are reading this then the answer is YES! 

First, what is blue light?  

Blue/violet light is a high energy type of light that is emitted from the sun as well as digital screens (tablets, phones, computers and TV's), LEDS, fluorescence lighting and other electronic devices. Let's be straight, natural blue light from the sun does have positive benefits such as regulating our bodies wake/sleep cycles, boosting mood and promoting energy. However, there is concern about the long-term, cumulative effects of artificial blue-light screen exposure on your skin. 

Why you need blue light protection...

New studies find that just 1 hour of artificial blue light exposure can negatively impact your skin and cause oxidative stress. The result can be photo-aging, increased fine lines, hyper-pigmentation (especially those with darker skin) and the breakdown of collagen. Chances are, you are spending more than 1 hour a day in front of a screen so couple that with cumulative exposure and we got skin problems on our hands. 

So how do I protect my skin from excess artificial blue light? 

In short, limit screen time, but that’s easier said then done in today’s digital world. The next best step is to use a tinted mineral sunscreen that contains both iron oxide and zinc oxide. These two ingredients combined are the only known effective products that actually block blue light. Normal and chemical sunscreens do not block blue light, even plain zinc oxide sunscreens. They must contain the tint part, which is from iron oxides to be effective. This is where we shamelessly plug our beloved All In One Coconut Cream Foundation. It’s made with non-nano zinc oxide (the UVA/UVB protection part) and iron oxides (this is what gives it the perfect tint to match your skin). Consider it the last step in your morning skincare routine to get maximum blue light blocking benefits all day long. Plus, it contains anti-oxidant rich araza fruit which fights free radical damage produced by blue light. When we say it’s all in one, we mean it!  

Sources: 

Bernstein, E. F. (2020, November 18). Iron oxides in novel skin care formulations attenuate blue light for enhanced protection against skin damage. Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jocd.13803 

Arjmandi,1 Gh. Mortazavi,1 S. Zarei,2 M. Faraz,3 and S.A.R. Mortazavi3. (2018, December 1). Can Light Emitted from Smartphone Screens and Taking Selfies Cause Premature Aging and Wrinkles?PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6280109/