Protect Your Skin From Blue Light With Mineral Sunscreen

 

You’ve probably heard that the light emitted from screens, known as blue light, has been linked to a variety of questionable effects on our eyes and circadian rhythms.

But did you know it’s been linked to skin damage, too? Studies show that blue-light emissions from our digital screens for as short as one hour can cause oxidative stress on our skin — the kind of stress that’s been shown to cause extrinsic skin aging (aka, wrinkles).

And given the average American spends more than eleven hours a day exposed to blue light waves from screens, we need to consider how to protect our skin, especially considering digital technology isn’t going away.

A Quick Primer on Blue Light 

High Energy Visible (HEV) light is a higher-frequency light, with shorter wavelengths, in the violet-blue band on the visible spectrum of light. Now, blue light isn’t all bad. The primary source of blue light is the sun — it’s actually why the sky is blue. This blue light  helps your body regulate its natural sleep and wake cycles, and makes you feel energized.

Then, there are man-made sources of blue light, including fluorescent lighting, LEDs, TV screens and screens on smart phones, tablets and computers. And prolonged and/or excessive exposure to blue light\ has been linked to macular degeneration, heightened eyestrain, eye fatigue, blurred vision, sleep disruption and migraines. And now, skin damage. There’s mounting evidence that blue light can contribute to photo-aging skin, including: visible skin change in darker skin tones, as well as redness and pigmentation, possible stimulation of free radical production in skin — aka, premature aging — and the triggering of melasma.

The strength of the radiation emitted from screens is far less than that of the sun. But it’s still radiation exposure, and research is still emerging on short- and long-term effects. In the recent past, there’s been a drastic difference in how much exposure we now have to our digital devices. 

So, what can you do about blue light?

Along with limiting your screen time and considering blue light glasses for those of you who utilize digital devices over long periods of time, mineral sunscreens protect against blue light. And yes, it’s important to choose a mineral sunscreen. That’s because chemical sunscreens do not provide blue light protection.

Physical barriers with non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, block visible light transmission. Adding a visible light absorber such as iron oxide to mineral sunscreens substantially lowers blue light transmittance. But here’s the best part: the addition of pigments to physical sunscreens greatly enhances photoprotection.

What that means is using tinted, non-nano mineral sunscreen will help protect your skin against that ever-present blue light. It’s the tint — which Earth Mama achieves by simply combining iron oxide with non-nano zinc oxide — that’s key.

So yes, while you should wear sunscreen every single day, the gold standard is a tinted, blue-light-blocking mineral sunscreen, like Earth Mama’s Lady Face Tinted Mineral Sunscreen Stick and Earth Mama’s Tinted Mineral Sunscreen Lotion. Both products function as a make-up foundation or tinted facial moisturizer for most skin tones, so protecting your face could be easier.