The Student's Guide to Blue Light Defense
Happy fall!! So it’s that time of year where we may spend more time indoors and on devices, and for those of us at school, on our laptops or phones for classes, studying and socializing. If you’re like me, you may have headed to your local Target to pick up supplies for class and maybe even some cute new blue light glasses, but did you remember to grab blue light protection for your skin? That’s right, your skin needs the same protection as your eyes when it comes to skin damaging blue light rays, which can lead to premature aging and inflammation.
What is Blue Light?
Blue light has high-energy waves that are slightly longer than UV rays. They are too short for people to see with the naked eye, which is why we may not realize that they can be damaging to our eyes and skin. Unlike UV rays, blue light has not been linked to skin cancer, however, studies have shown that it causes inflammation and free radical damage that can wreak havoc on your skin over time.
Blue light can be emitted through fluorescent light, incandescent light bulbs, and most commonly our technology, like cell phones, laptops, flat-screen TVs, and tablets. Another more surprising thing that emits blue light is the sun! Essentially we’re constantly exposed to it, but with our heavy device use, it’s become more important than ever to protect against it.
Why is Blue Light Bad for Your Skin? Inflammation, Premature Aging, and Hyperpigmentation
Many experts talk about why blue light is bad for your eyes, but it’s also damaging to your skin, causing issues we don’t want down the road.
"Blue light has a particularly high energy and has the ability to penetrate deep into the skin and has been linked to inflammation, photo-aging, and hyperpigmentation” according to a study by the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
Blue light can also damage your skin by increasing inflammation (swelling and redness), cell damage that can lead to pigmentation, and it can induce oxidative stress which is when free radicals overwhelm the cells and cause damage that leads to premature skin aging! Because the energy waves penetrate the skin, deeper damage can be done to our skin’s essential proteins – collagen and elastin – which essentially leads to a lack of firmness over time (yep, wrinkles).
The good news is that by including blue light defense into your daily skincare routine now, you can help prevent some of the issues related to blue light damage. Here are a few suggestions:
- Use skincare products with specific blue light defense protection. Solara Suncare’s non-sport, daily wear face sunscreens always include blue light defense. To help make it easy to refresh your defense barrier any time, I recommend the ultra-portable Barrier Defense Hyaluronic Essence Mist for an instant skin-plumping, pollution + blue light defense boosting spritz. It’s a steal for under $18 because it also hydrates the skin with Aloe Leaf Juice, plumping Hyaluronic Acid, nourishing Jojoba, and the protective plant power of Indian Cress.
- Blue light glasses. By now you know you need them, but have you actually found a pair you love? I love these brands which are cost effective, have stylish frames and have done the proper testing to ensure they are effective! My favorites are from Jins, Target, and Amazon!
- Filter it out. Purchase a blue light screen filter for all your daily electronics at Target on your next shopping run. My favorite tip from the tech community is actually to put your iPhone into “Night Mode” even if it’s in the middle of the day. This screen color adjustment is not only helpful for your skin exposure, but equally as important for your eyes!
- Take a screen break. Set timers on the apps that steal the most time away from your day. It’s beneficial for your skin, but perhaps more importantly for your mind too. Also set time at night when you stop using electronics and set your phone to “do not disturb” so you’re not too tempted to hop back on. Blue light before bedtime is shown to mess with your sleep cycle as well.
MAYBE INSERT A BD SPRITZING PHOTO OR YOU USING IT?
Ready to incorporate blue light defense into your day? Now’s the time!
BOGO! THIS WEEK ONLY
Buy 1 bottle of Barrier Defense Hyaluronic Blue Light Mist and get another FREE at SolaraSuncare.com Add 2 to cart and you'll automatically get the second FREE.
Or, if you are heading to Target (near Versed and Hero in the skincare aisle of select stores) or Target.com, pick up a bottle and snap a photo of your receipt and email it to us with your shipping address to hello@solarasuncare.com. For every one you purchase, we’ll send you another on us!!! Time to share with your besties!
