How does blue light affect our skin and how to get protected from it?
Blue light is part of the visible light spectrum. It falls near the UV spectrum in terms of
wavelength which means that its energy is a bit less than that of the ultraviolet rays. Though
not as harmful as the UV rays, the blue light carries amount of energy that is capable of
causing certain damage. It is discovered that higher amounts of blue light can affect us in two
ways:
- they can cause generation of free radicals in the skin leading to oxidative stress
- they can interfere with the circadian rhythm and cause sleeping disorders if we are
exposed to them in the evening
The main sources of blue light in our daily life are the fluorescent and incandescent light
bulbs, computer, laptop, tablet and mobile phone screens, and other devices using LED light
technologies. The sun is a natural source of blue light. Considering the fact that many of us
work every day with computer, we get some amount of blue light from the monitor.
Our face is exposed to the blue light from the displays. That means the skin is suffering. The
main damage is oxidative stress. As we know from previous articles in the blog, oxidative
stress causes wrinkles, skin sagging, pigmentation disorders and other signs of premature
aging.
Circadian rhythm is the pattern of sleep and activity. Our eyes have the ability to detect even
the slightest change in the visible light during the day so once the blue light begins to
decrease and the darkness starts to set, the eyes give signal to the brain to start releasing
melatonin which is our sleep hormone. If we continue to be exposed to blue light after the
sunset we tend to stay awake longer and to fall asleep more difficult. Inadequate sleep is
connected to lower energy levels, metabolic changes, fatigue and puffy face in the morning.
The skin looks tired with lack of luster and loses some of its elasticity. A tired face always
looks older than its real age.
The way to protect yourself from blue light is to use less devices that emit it and to use them
for shorter periods of time. You should fully skip them before sleep. If you work with a laptop
its display should be put far from your face, at least 20 inches away. Almost the same holds
true for the phone – 15 inches away, which I know none of us is doing. Many devices
currently have blue light protection filters. The best way to protect your skin is by eating
antioxidant rich foods and applying cosmetics with antioxidants. La Thea’s Bulgarian Rose
Water contains considerable amounts of antioxidants so spraying your face a few times a day
and using a cream or serum rich in vitamin C, bioflavonoids or other antioxidant ingredients
will offer you sufficient protection.