How screen time is affecting our skin and how to counteract it
We all know about ‘light rays’ such as UVA and UVB and how damaging they can be, but very few are aware of another harmful ‘light’ taking centre stage! A light that is not only emitted from sunlight but scarily also from all our devices – now labelled the silent anti-agers of our generation! This light is known as ‘blue light’.
Research has shown that blue light can damage our skin, accelerate the visible signs of ageing and even cause dark under eye circles. Eek! And with the amount of time we spend on our phones, computers, tablets…we really should be doing something about it and we are here to tell you what!
How exactly does blue light affect our skin?
We are all guilty of staring, bleary-eyed at our screens (hell I’m doing it now as I type!), having that last minute flick through facebook or late night scroll on instagram, in fact with the amount of time we spend on our devices, we are now getting significantly more blue light exposure than we get from the sun alone! Blue light also has the ability to penetrate deeper into the skin compared with both UVA and UVB light – it can penetrate all the way to our dermis where our collagen and elastin live! Terrifying!
Not only does that extra 10 minutes watching our favourite Netflix show eat into our precious zen time, it can also disrupt our natural circadian rhythm (our handy internal body clock which tells us when it’s time to be sleepy as well as time to wake up!) Our circadian rhythm is actually very important when it comes to many aspects of our well-being, ranging from metabolism to immune system function to most importantly good quality sleep!
Sleeping is our body’s time to recharge as well as repair skin cells, however this blue light is known to be impacting the natural repair process overnight leading to an accumulation of skin damage – premature ageing, discolouration, inflammation, weakening of the skin’s surface, as well as dark under eye circles.
How can we prevent blue light from damaging our skin?
While we aren’t likely to give up our evening Netflix binge, switch off our mobile phones or give Facebook the heave-ho, we can do many a thing to reduce our exposure and in turn the effect of blue light on our skin;
- Switch your mobile to ‘night shift’ mode every evening
- Avoid devices as much as possible an hour before bedtime (read a good old fashioned book instead!)
- Instead of holding your mobile to your ear opt for hands-free every time.
- Purchase blue light filters for your devices
- Make sure you have a well-rounded diet with plenty of anti-oxidant and fatty-acid rich food to reduce or protect against inflammation.
- Try using makeup containing iron oxide, this can help neutralize and repair blue light damage
- Use targeted skincare products religiously. Antioxidant-rich creams and serums are really important to battle off cell-disrupting free radicals and inflammation generated by light pollution. We are obsessed with Phytomer’s Souffle Marine Energizing Oxygenating Serum – specifically formulated to protect against environmental pollution and free radical damage
Scared? You should be! No, on a serious note, first port of call, if you’re not using targeted products to protect yourself you need to start, ASAP.
