Watts up, Healthy Hotties!
Today, we’re shedding some light on one of the digital age’s enemies: blue light. What exactly is it, and is it bad for our skin?
Blue light
All of our smartphones, laptops, and TVs give off blue light, a type of visible light with wavelengths between 380 to 500 nm (on a 700 nm wavelength scale). It’s been shown that short-term exposure is safe. However, more research is needed to understand the biological effects of repeated or long-term exposure to blue light.
Blue Light vs. UV Light
One study found that blue light from digital devices is less harmful than UV light. However, the same study found that blue light from the sun (where we get most of our blue light) has similar consequences as UV light. Researchers recommend that future sunscreen formulations include protection against blue light wavelengths.
Is blue light bad for our skin?
Researchers have found that blue light can be both harmful and beneficial to the skin, depending on its intensity and wavelength. There is emerging evidence that blue light can be bad for our skin health, having consequences such as cell shrinkage and cell death, which speed up visible signs of aging. Even a simple hour of exposure can trigger these consequences!
However, there are also benefits to certain wavelengths of blue light. What a bright concept!
Therapeutic Benefits of Blue Light
Psoriasis Treatment
Two limited studies found that blue light has been used to treat psoriasis by reducing redness and shrinking patches over four weeks without serious side effects.
Acne Treatment
Blue light therapy has been effective in treating mild to moderate acne, significantly reducing blackheads, whiteheads, and other acne after just seven days.
Cancer and PrecancerTherapy
In photodynamic therapy, blue light activates photosensitizing agents to kill cancer cells, offering an effective alternative to surgery and radiation with fewer side effects. Blue light is also beneficial in treating actinic keratosis, which are precancerous scaly bumps that appear on sun-exposed areas like the face, ears, and hands. Blue light therapy reduces these patches with minimal side effects.
But blue light can be bad for our skin. Now what?
With growing evidence surrounding the dangers of blue light, what we’re worried about at BiotechBeauty is our increased usage of cell phones and screens in the digital age. After all, the average millennial checks their phone 157 times a day. We don’t even want to know about Gen-Z (sorry, we love y’all though)! Like with any form of light damage, you might not see negative effects right away, but they can accumulate or worsen over time. In other words, no burn now—but wrinkles later!
We want you to be tech-savvy without having to sacrifice your skin. Be sure to incorporate antioxidants into your skincare routine to counteract the harmful effects of blue light. Read here to learn more about ways you can help your skin stay healthy in the digital age.
BiotechBeauty’s antioxidant-infused products will be sure to leave your skin glowy in all the right ways!
Sign up on our waitlist now to get lit.
XO,
BiotechBeauty
