BLUE LIGHT has been known to damage skin – here’s what you can do to protect yourself.
Your phone and laptop screens emit something called ‘blue light’.
1
What is ‘blue light’?
Blue light – also known as high-energy visible (HEV) light – is visible light with a wavelength between 400 and 450 nanometers.
While this type of light is typically perceived as blue in color, it can also be perceived as white, or another color.
Blue light comes from sources, such as the sun, your smartphone, your television, and fluorescent lighting.
Some experts are concerned about blue light because it has very short, high-energy waves.
Experts at Harvard University explained: “[Blue light] has more energy per photon of light than other colors in the visible spectrum, i.e. green or red light.”
“Blue light at high enough doses is, therefore, more likely to cause damage when absorbed by various cells in our body.”
What type of damage?
Studies have shown that blue light can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm – or the physical, mental, and behavioural changes our bodies undergo in a 24-hour cycle.
Most read in Tech
Evidence has also found that blue light can have a harmful effect on the skin and eyes, per The Next Web.
Specifically, the damage to the skin can include pigmentation, inflammation, and photoaging (skin damage).
What’s more, several studies have found that regular sunscreens do not protect against blue and visible light damage.
How to protect yourself
Studies are currently limited on how to protect your skin from blue light.
However, many skin care companies claim that they can help to mitigate the risks.
Skincare brand Dermalogica, for example, recommends wearing a mineral sunscreen that contains Zinc Oxide every day.
“This ingredient helps protect skin against blue light. It also helps protect skin against UV rays – which pose a greater known threat,” the company writes on their webpage.
Dermalogica also noted that adding Matcha Green Tea to your skin regimen can help to “counter free radical damage” that occurs from UV and visible light.
Meanwhile, some experts say that using blue-light-blocking glasses can help to ward off damage to the eyes, according to Vogue.
Please note that there is limited proof to substantiate this claim.
Lastly, limiting your screen time on a daily basis can help to keep your skin and eyes protected from blue light damage.
