The skincare blues
The blue light emitted from phones is emerging as a major beauty baddie.
We all know by now the importance of protection for our skin against UV rays, but lately an additional issue has been flagged for immediate attention in the beauty industry: blue light. It sounds kind of pretty, actually, but increasingly, research suggests that exposure to blue light (also known as High-Energy Violet Light or HEVL) is the opposite of pretty on our skin, and can be as harmful as the damage caused by UVA and UVB light combined.
What the heck is it? Kirsti Shuba, co-founder of Katherine Daniels Cosmetics, whose Daily DNA Defence SFP30 is formulated with active enzymes to protect skin from the damage caused by UV, pollution and blue light, says HEVL refers to the blue/violet band of visible light which “may pose a significant threat to our complexions” and “is everywhere”. “HEVL or blue light is not associated with sunburn, however studies have shown that it may accelerate skin ageing and even contribute to the development of patchy pigmentation marks on our skin. “Exposure to blue light leads to reactive oxidative stress within our skin,” says Shuba.
“This can contribute to the degradation of the lower levels of your skin, its youth mechanisms, and proteins such as collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid levels.” If it’s everywhere, though, why has it suddenly become a thing?
Trilogy’s head of global education Corinne Morley says the growing awareness is largely to our addiction to our blue light-emitting digital devices, and that we need to act immediately to protect our skin from potential damage.
“Given the uptake of technology (US Millennials check their phones 157 times a day!) coupled with global research consistently proving that blue light contributes to premature ageing, shielding our skin from blue light emitted naturally by the sun and artificially by our electronic devices is now, more than ever, a vital part of the modern woman’s daily beauty regime.”
Perhaps the most alarming part is that there’s nowhere to hide, unless we want to start spending all our time in dark rooms (we don’t).
“Sunlight is the biggest source of blue light but heading indoors doesn’t mean your skin is necessarily safe,” says Morley.
“Blue light comes from many other sources, including electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops, computers, TV screens and even energyefficient fluorescent bulbs and LED lights. And let’s not forget that UV rays penetrate through windows, too!”
With this in mind, Trilogy has upgraded its SPF moisturisers to include a unique super-ingredient called Pepha-Age, scientifically proven to protect and support the skin’s natural defence against blue light damage, and we can expect to see other beauty brands factor the additional protection into their products, too.
1. BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Defense, $70 at Mecca
2. Trilogy Age-Proof Multi-Defence moisturiser SPF15 $59 3. Trilogy Multi-Shield moisturiser SPF15 $53
4. Dr Sebagh Supreme day cream, $332 at Net-a-Porter
5. Katherine Daniels Daily DNA Defence SPF30, $80
6. Coola Organic SPF30 Full Spectrum 360° Sun Silk drops, $85
7. Murad City Skin Broad Spectrum SPF 50, $105