Blue Light: How it Damages Your Skin and How to Prevent its Effects

Over the past year and a half, our screens have become our partners in crime. Between working from home, FaceTime and Zoom calls with friends and family, and pure boredom from being stuck inside the house with nothing to do but scroll aimlessly, we have all had our fair share of screen time. However, what you may not have known about all that screen time is that it could have been damaging your skin due to blue light. Now that the pandemic is coming to a close and the hours we spend in front of a screen will hopefully shorten, we’re here to tell you how to treat the damage your screens have caused you, and how to prevent that damage going forward! 

  Research shows blue light from electronic devices can lead to changes in your skin cells, including cell shrinkage and cell death. When these cells shrink or die, they can speed up the aging process and have negative effects on your skin. While there still needs to be more research done, studies have shown that blue light exposure can lead to dark spots and hyperpigmentation, as well as possibly affect the breakdown of collagen, resulting in more wrinkles and less firmness in the skin. When blue light penetrates the skin, it results in the release of reactive oxygen species, which is what causes these negative effects to occur. 

In addition to the direct effects of blue light, blue light also indirectly affects our skin. Blue light helps regulate our body’s circadian rhythms, which are the 24 hour cycles that help us sleep. Our bodies naturally respond to light and darkness, so when the eye is receiving more light, that triggers our body to know that it is daytime and that we should be awake. Therefore, if you are up late on your phone, you are potentially disrupting your circadian rhythm, resulting in trouble falling asleep or trouble reaching deep sleep. Sleep is an essential factor in getting glowing skin: when you’re sleeping your body is pumping blood flow to your skin, resulting in the restoration process of the skin that was potentially damaged during the day. It’s called your “beauty sleep” for a reason!

However, much like sun damage, the damaging effects of blue light are cumulative. While it is possible to see short term effects from blue light, the more visible results are more noticeable over time. So don’t worry! A year and a half of constant blue light exposure does not mean your skin has reached a point of no return. But there are certainly steps you can take to help stop the damage blue light may be causing you. 

All three of our serums are preventative and anti-aging, so they will all tackle wrinkles, dark spots, and uneven skin tone. If you have noticed a difference in your skin from blue light due to the pandemic, all of our serums will help reverse the damage that has already been done. 

But just because the pandemic is ending does not mean our exposure to blue light is. 

Not only can we help treat the damage that has already been done, but we can prevent damage from happening further. Our Snake Serum is especially effective at helping protect against third-party environmental factors...such as blue light! The antioxidants from the green and white tea extract will help slow down the effects of the blue light on your skin. Some of the light rays emitted from our screens are not too different from light rays emitted from the sun, so making sure to wear a daily SPF as well can also potentially help protect you from blue light.

Limiting your exposure to blue light obviously will help to limit its damaging effects. We’re not going to tell you to stop using your phone just because it can damage your skin, but there are certainly ways you can limit your exposure! Most cell phones have a “night mode” feature that turns the hues of the screen to be warmer toned (resulting in less blue light being emitted). You don’t have to turn this feature on all of the time, but it could definitely be beneficial to utilize this feature for the times that you are on your phone for an extended period of time一i.e. when you’re scrolling on your phone in bed for two hours with the screen inches away from your face. 

We know it’s hard to avoid screens in the world we live in, and don’t worry: you don’t have to! The effects of blue light are certainly present, but not substantial enough for it to be a major cause of concern for your skin. With the use of anti-aging skin care (such as ours) as well as limiting your exposure, blue light will be a worry of your past!