Skincare That Fight Blue Light Damage

People from all walks of life, regardless of age, gender and geography, sit on their laptops and mobile phones for hours and hours daily. Thanks to the pandemic, the use of electronics has only increased in the past years. These habits have resulted in over-exposure to blue light damage or High Energy Visible Light (HEV).Recently, many studies have shown the direct adverse effect of blue light on the human skin. It leaves one’s skin damaged through free radicals and aging. Blue light penetrates deeper into the skin than UV rays, so it’s definitely worth having on your radar. Not only that, but blue light is also the reason for skin darkening (hyperpigmentation), wrinkles, dark eyes or bags under the eyes, melasma, and discoloration.While the use of electronics daily doesn’t seem to be lessening any time soon, luckily, enough research is done in the skincare industry to reduce the negative effect of blue light. Good ingredients can fight the blue light damage and form a protective layer over your skin. Here are a few of the ingredients that you can include in your skincare range to help you protect yourself from blue light.

Botanical Ingredients

Rice Extract

Rice has a mix of good properties like amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that form a protecting layer over one’s skin. It repairs and forms a protective layer on the skin to prevent trans epidermal water loss, remove dead skin cells and moisturize. We recommend The Face Shop Rice & Ceramide Moisturizing Face Toner, which is suitable for all skin types for the best results.

Butterfly Ginger Root Extract (Hedychium coronarium)

A wildflower from the lands of Madagascar, also known as “Sakarivodambo,” butterfly ginger is known to show protective effects on skin degradation, inflammation, and premature aging when exposed to infra-red and heat stresses.It’s also effective in protecting against pollution and smoke. In fact, studies have shown that women who smoke have seen 16% brighter and more illuminating skin after a 1-month use of Butterfly Ginger Root Extract on their skin. It helps detoxify the look of skin exposed to blue light from tech devices.We recommend Clarins Double Serum (Hydric + Lipidic System) Complete Age Control Concentrate

Cacao Seed

Rich in polyphenols, theobromine, and minerals, specifically magnesium, raw cacao seed, when fermented, is used as skincare in various forms like oil, cacao powder, and moisturizers. These components in cacao seed are bio-active and have antioxidant, anti-aging, and moisturizing functions on the skin.We recommend Be plain Greenful pH-Balanced Cleansing Foam, a light-weight cleanser that cleans up your pores without leaving with a dry and harsh feeling.

Carrot Root and Seeds, Marigold (Calendula Officinal)

Carrot’s root, seed, and Marigold flower are some organic foods that are rich in antioxidants like carotene. While carrot comprises B-carotene, major carotenoids are found in marigolds like lutein, lycopene, and β-carotene.These actives are used to deter blue light oxidation. Beta-carotene is converted into Vitamin A in our body, which is responsible for cell regeneration. These antioxidants also help reduce free radical damage and inflammation.We recommend Pixi Vitamin C Tonic Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-Free Toner

Algae-Derived Products

The fermented algae-derived extract is known to activate the skin’s photosensors to repair against blue-light damage. Algae contain polysaccharides, peptides, and carotenoids, which can contribute to their antioxidant properties. These can help with the look and appearance of your skin.Prolix – Detoxifying Sea Algae Face Mask –Other than these ingredients, Vitamin C, along with ferulic acid and Vitamin E, are considered a good match for blue light protection. You can add in ingredients like Niacinamide (B3) to boost skin rejuvenation. It’s a must to wear sunscreen with SPF of 50 and PA ++++ in order to protect the skin from sun rays and the blue light radiated from the sunlight. It would be a plus if you could wear a tinted mineral sunscreen.One more method that acts as an essential tool in protecting your skin from visible light is makeup. Makeup bases of any kind, whether compact, concealer, foundation, or tinted moisturizers and BB creams, all contain iron oxides. These oxides give significant protection against pigmentation triggered by blue light.

Final Words

Though various products are available in the market providing lots of skin benefits. But any product with antioxidants and vitamins will help mitigate blue-light damage. There are also many products for which the company makes blue-light claims; you should check the ingredients list properly and try to understand what component is present in the product at what percentage. This will help you make a clean choice for yourself.Besides skincare, habits like eating an antioxidant-rich diet, wearing blue-light resistant eyeglasses, and using a cover shield on electronics can be of great advantage. Regular skin care is a necessity in today’s time when there are so many environmental hazards and stress in our lives. Adding to it, the damage by blue light is something we definitely don’t want, so proper care becomes even more essential.