With more people working or studying from home in front of a screen due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of blue light are slowly surfacing. From mood swings and sleep disorders to eye strain and dry skin. Read on to find out what blue light is and how our ChitoCare beauty Face Cream can help protect your skin. 

What is Blue Light?

Our skin is the first barrier of protection for our whole body and at ChitoCare beauty we know this all too well. It keeps out pathogens, pollution and bacteria, and protects us from the elements, including the sun’s rays. We are all familiar with UVA and UVB light that penetrates our skin, harming its appearance and health. But what about HEV light?  

High Energy Visible (HEV) light, also known as blue light, is emitted by screens of all sorts: computer screens, laptops, tablets, mobile phones and flat screen TVs. If you work in front of a screen for eight hours a day, four days a week, you are exposing your skin to the same amount of energy as when you spend 20 minutes in the midday sun. So, protecting your skin, especially the sensitive skin of your face, is crucial for keeping it healthy, youthful and bright. 

How does blue light affect humans? 

With screen-time increasing by up to 50% due to the pandemic and its restrictions, extended exposure to HEV light is becoming a topic of discussion – and worry. While natural blue light from the sun does have benefits to health, such as boosting alertness, elevating mood and helping memory and cognitive functions, overexposure is a different story. It can lead to eye strain, blurred vision, trouble focusing, or dry, itchy or burning eyes. Endless scrolling before bed inhibits melatonin production, affecting the natural sleep cycle and leading to mood disorders, metabolism problems, even cancer. What’s more, blue light also affects your skin. 

How does blue light damage skin? 

Just like UVA and UVB light, HEV light penetrates the skin. This causes oxidative stress to the cells, disturbing the balanced between antioxidants and free radicals. When free radicals outnumber antioxidants, the body cannot detoxify or repair damages at the rate it should. As HEV light can penetrate deeper than UVA and UVB light, over time, it can destroy the complex structure of cells, affecting collagen and elastin that provide our skin with growth and elasticity.  

Side effects can include premature aging, dryness, swelling, redness, wrinkles, skin laxing, inflammation, and uneven texture and tone. Blue light also contributes to brown spots and hyperpigmentation, such as melasma, and can increase visible wrinkles and fine lines. In addition, when blue light affects your sleep cycle, the natural repair process is disrupted. This can lead to tired or puffy skin and dark under-eye circles.  

How can I protect myself from blue light? 

Limit screen time

This is the most obvious way of preventing blue light overexposure. However, if that’s not possible, you can try wearing blue light glasses to protect your eyes from strain, dryness and itching. To protect your skin as well, you can invest in a screen filter or adjust screen brightness by lowering your screen brightness to 50% or switching to “night mode.” 

Protect your skin every day

A broad-spectrum SPF will help block harmful light from reaching your skin, whether that’s HEV, UVA or UVB. But that will only go so far. It is important to nourish and repair your skin as well. For this, antioxidants are your best friend. ChitoCare beauty Face Cream contains antioxidants and SPF 15, making it perfect for daily use. 

Use skincare products that contain antioxidants

Using skincare products that are rich in antioxidants will help to counter the proliferation of free radicals and prevent pigmentation. ChitoCare beauty Anti-Aging Repair Serum has powerful antioxidant action and contains nutrients to combat dryness and wrinkles, while promoting collagen production to keep your skin firm and healthy. 

Whether it is thanks to technological advancements or due to the Covid-19 fallout, our lives are increasingly moving towards a screen-based experience. So, it is important to educate ourselves on blue light, as knowledge is one of the best tools in safeguarding our health and well-being. Now you know what blue light is and what damage it can cause, you can better protect yourself and your skin.