We spend so much time in front of our screens staring right into the artificial blue light on our devices. We know all about eye strain and protecting our eyes from blue light, but what about our skin? Blue light (HEV) generates oxidative stress, thus accelerating skin aging and increasing hyperpigmentation. Unlike artificial blue light, the sun’s natural blue light poses a very high risk for the skin, and in that case, the skin needs to be protected.
What are the effects of blue light?
Being exposed to natural blue light can age your skin faster. It can stimulate melanocytes and contribute to protein complexes that lead to pigmentation changes. Hyperpigmentation associated with exposure to visible light is typically only observed in people with dark skin types.
Exposure to blue light during nighttime can make it difficult for you to fall asleep and stay asleep.
What can I do? While the jury's still out on if artificial blue light causes the same damage as natural blue light from the sun. It's best to cut down on blue light exposure as much as possible in order to stay healthy—or at least look young. This can be achieved by shortening screen time, dimming ambient lights, using screen protectors, and using the night setting on your screen devices. Sunscreen offers effective protection against UVA and UVB rays, but they do not filter HEV light. For this reason, we recommend that you look out for products that contain antioxidants that work against oxidative stress.