You may be reading this post on a phone, a computer or a tablet, meaning your skin is receiving tons of blue light waves, that scientific research considers bad for the skin (and eyes).

HEV and blue light from electronic devices, a cause of premature aging

Whereas natural sunlight is definitely the main source of high-energy visible light (HEV – otherwise known as blue light) to which our skin is exposed, and electronics only a fraction or that amount of radiation, our phones, tablets and other electronic devices are much closer to our face, and this is why accumulated exposure to this blue light creates damage to the skin: changes in skin pigmentation (some studies suggest that blue light would produce more hyper-pigmentation than UVB), dryness, and various aggressions of the skin’s surface. The consequence is photoaging, which is premature aging caused by sunlight.

Millennials, who check their phones over a hundred times a day are the most exposed. Regardless of your age, the more time you spend checking your phone or using a computer or a tablet during a single day, the more at risk you are.

Year-round UVA rays are the biggest cause of photoaging

But if you’re sitting in front of your computer next to a window or if you're checking your phone while sitting outside on a bench, there’s more risk coming from that window or that bench in terms of sun damage because of the UVA rays. Unlike UVB rays that peak during summer, UVA rays are equally intense year-round, and they penetrate glass and clouds. They are responsible for much of the damage we associate with photoaging: because UVA rays have a longer wavelength than UVB, they penetrate deep into the dermis, where they damage the collagen fibers. The dermis contains collagen, elastin, and other fibers that support the skin's structure. It is these elements that give skin its smooth and youthful appearance – and that are damaged by UV radiations. Daily exposure to UVA rays incurs a chain of chemical reactions that prevent the damaged skin cells to rebuild correctly, creating wrinkles, while the depleted collagen results in leathery skin.

UVA rays are actually constantly hitting your skin throughout the year. And while we tend only to think about the warm sun as being harmful, it’s a different type of damage: UVB rays (those who warm us and make our skin tan) are the #1 culprits for sunburns, their intensity varies throughout the year with a peak during the summer months, and they don’t penetrate glass or clouds. On the other hand, UVA rays are equally intense year-round, they penetrate glass and clouds, and they are the main cause of photoaging.

Our daily passive exposure to sunlight year-round – even on seemingly sunless and chilly days, combined with the blue light radiations coming from our electronic devices, is where most of our photoaging is happening.

Learn more about our Incidental Sun Smart Serum as your daily skin care solution.