Who remembers the childhood game, Red Light, Green Light, Go? When it comes to blue light, however, it would be a no. Most of us know that we should be protecting ourselves from UVA/UVB rays which have been proven to contribute to skin cancer, but there is a lesser-known ultraviolet light, blue light, that can have detrimental effects on your body and we are all being exposed, now more than ever.
Blue light is the light that emits from our devices - computer screens, phones, tablets, even energy-efficient light bulbs - and it can have negative effects on our vision, skin, moods, sleep, hormones, and weight.
Blue light is stimulating, which can be helpful during waking hours, however, when over exposed, especially after sundown, it throws off our circadian rhythm as it fools our brain into thinking that it’s still daylight. This messes with our melatonin production and leads to restless sleep, which affects our bodies in more ways than one. Additionally all that screen time causes our eyes to strain and even damage our skin. So even if you’re working from home, apply your sunscreen.
So how do you battle blue light? We found six products for the job.
Protect Your Eyes
When you’re in front of a screen protect your eyes with Barner Blue Light Blocking glasses that have lenses with a coating specially developed for people who spend a lot of time indoors and are exposed to the blue-violet and LED light of digital devices. These super stylish glasses, with high quality, organic CR39 lenses block 40% of the blue light on the 430-450nm spectrum and 100% of the blue light at 410nm, are one of our top picks. $72.00, https://barnerbrand.com, and on Instagram (@barnerbrand).
While we personally won’t sit down in front of our computer without Blue Light blocking glasses, if you don’t feel like rocking the “four-eyes” look, there are a number of vitamins to enhance your eye health. Radio Foresight is a proprietary blend of nootropics and vitamins crafted to not only protect your eyes from blue light but also boost your energy levels, concentration, alertness, cognitive function and focus. Improving mental clarity while helping to keep your eyesight and mind sharp as a tack, we’re here for that! $59.99, https://turnonyourradio.com, and on Instagram (@turnonyourradio).
For those with children, their little eyes are seeing an abundance of blue light thanks to virtual school and increased screen time during the pandemic. Thankfully, Viteyes.com recently released a version of their popular Blue Light Defender+ for children, Blue Light Defender Kids, which contains Lutein & Zeaxanthin to naturally filter blue light and AstaReal® astaxanthin to combat tired eyes. These berry soft chews are for ages 4 and older. $21.95, https://www.viteyes.com, and on Instagram (@viteyes).
Protect Your Skin
If applying daily sunscreen is not already part of your daily skincare routine, your Florida card should be revoked. What might surprise you is that even if you’re working from home and inside most of the day, you still need protection. Sun can filter through windows and now you know that blue light can damage your skin you’re going to want to apply daily.
We discovered a simple solution to add in SPF and block blue light in Coola Full Spectrum 360° Sun Silk Drops Organic Face Sunscreen SPF 30. A few drops of this organic sun silk can be added to your favorite moisturizer or foundation, or use on its own and allow the proprietary blend of antioxidants and specially harvested plant-cell cultures to help lessen your exposure. $46.00, https://coola.com, and on Instagram (@coola).
Another skin protector that we recommend is The Better Skin Co.'s Super Shield Anti-Pollution Serum, a liquid defense system, which is designed to fight this and other silent aggressors while nourishing the skin with ingredients like Turmeric, Eggplant, Aloe, Henna, and Pearl Powder. $38.00, TheBetterskinCo.com, and Amazon.com. Follow on Instagram (@betterskinco).
You can battle skin-damaging wavelengths by applying makeup with SPF, like Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Fluid Powder Foundation SPF 20. This liquid-to-powder foundation reveals a soft-matte finish. We especially love this SPF formula as it not only offers sun and blue light protection (though we still recommend wearing sunscreen), but it is also sweat resistant, transfer-resistant, and non-acnegenic aka won’t contribute to maskne. $40.00, https://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com, and on Instagram (@bobbibrown).
