The Skin Nerd: Are all those hours spent on screens ageing your skin?

Our laptops, tablets, and smartphones emit blue light which could potentially be damaging to our skin and sleep.

Tue, 25 May, 2021 - 20:00

If you’re anything like me, you probably rack up a tonne of screen-time. From Zoom meetings galore to unwinding with an e-book or watching a TV series, it’s likely that you’re glued to a screen at some point during the day and evening. But have you ever wondered whether these screens are doing any harm to your skin?

You might already be familiar with the term ‘blue light’, otherwise known as high-energy visible (HEV) light. Blue light is visible light that’s mainly emitted by the sun, but also comes from digital screens, LED, and florescent lights, too.

What we do know is that blue light isn’t necessarily a skin villain. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment in 2005 shows that blue light can be beneficial in the treatment of mild to moderate acne as it reduces inflammation in acne lesions.*

There are some concerns that prolonged exposure to blue light can be damaging to skin health. Before I get all nerdie, I want to stress that research into blue light’s effects on the skin is still very much in its infancy. A study published in the Lasers in Surgery and Medicine journal in 2009 found that blue light emitted from digital screens increased the generation of reactive oxygen species in the skin, but any long-term effects to skin remain unknown.

To explain, reactive oxygen species are highly unstable molecules that trigger the skin to enter a state of oxidative stress. A prolonged state of oxidative stress can speed up the ageing process which leads to a loss of collagen and elastin – our structural proteins which keep skin firm and plump. But again, it’s unclear if blue light contributes to this kind of damage to the skin.

Supplements are a super easy way to serve your skin the goodness it needs to function healthily.

Until we have a better understanding of what exposure to blue light does to our skin, I always prefer to err on the side of caution. Don’t worry, this doesn't call for another skincare product – or indeed chucking your desktop. It’s as simple as picking a broad-spectrum SPF that also protects against blue light. In fact, your existing SPF might already be shielding your skin from pesky blue light with you being none the wiser.

Your skin will give you major kudos for using the Murad City Skin Broad Spectrum SPF 50 (€70, theskinnerd.com). It not only protects skin from UVA and UVB rays, but also from blue light emitted from screens, pollution and infrared. This mineral SPF’s magical ingredient is iron oxide which attenuates blue light.

The Skingredients Skin Shield SPF 50 PA+++ also offers skin protection from blue light, UVA, UVB, infrared and pollution (€43, theskinnerd.com). Notably, it also contains powerful antioxidants niacinamide, otherwise called vitamin B3, and vitamin E which neutralise free radical activity by giving the unstable molecules a spare electron.

Did you know that blue light could also be preventing you from nodding off? Blue light tricks our body into thinking it’s daytime, which suppresses the release of melatonin – the sleep hormone that influences our circadian rhythm, aka the natural process of sleeping and waking.

In my nerdie opinion, what we do know about blue light only further demonstrates the importance of applying a daily broad-spectrum SPF. Come rain, shine or when enjoying a duvet day spent tucked up in bed with Netflix, it’s crucial that we protect our skin from damage. Even if future studies show that blue light has minimal effects on our skin, slathering on sunscreen will keep skin protected from the inevitable UV rays that sneakily penetrate through windows and car windshields.

Nerdie Pick

I’m nerdie for skin but I equally to feel healthy, too. A multivitamin like Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Vitality promotes total skin, nail, hair and body health with a blend of hero ingredients.

The supplements contain vitamin B2 which help with fatigue and tiredness, vitamin C for normal skin function, and vitamin D to contribute to normal bone, muscle and immune system function. Take just one capsule a day alongside a balanced diet.