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Soaking up more hours of screen time became the new normal during the Covid-19 pandemic—thanks in part to the months spent staying home and avoiding social activities. And while there's nothing wrong with a little extra Netflix bingeing or internet surfing, all those hours in front of our screens are doing no favors for our skin.
When we use our laptops, phones and TVs, we're exposed to screens that emit blue light, a color in the visible light spectrum that's been proven to speed up signs of aging, including hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, according to the Journal of Biomedical Physics and Engineering. We know, it totally sucks—but the good news is that there are ways to protect ourselves from blue light damage. And we're predicting that this protection will be a major skincare trend throughout 2022. How do we know? Well, there's already been a big uptick in Google searches for how blue light can affect our skin.
Hopefully, you've already been wearing your sunscreen outdoors to protect against sunburn and premature aging. But now, it's time to level up with a few sun care products that'll protect your skin as you type away at your laptop.
To shop the trend, you'll want to look out for newer formulas with SPF labels that are "broad spectrum," which means you'll not only get protection against UVA and UVB rays, but also, you'll have an additional benefit of blue light defense, complete with antioxidants and vitamins. Sephora currently offers Dermalogica's Invisible Physical Defense SPF 30 for just $45, and it's ideal for all skin types. Plus, you can get Murad's City Skin Age Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50, now available at ULTA Beauty for $68.
Want to take it up a notch by ditching the dark eye circles? Try Dr. Loretta's Tightening Eye Gel, now on sale for $60 at Dermstore. Not only is it designed to keep your skin hydrated, but it's also supposed to protect from free radical damage caused by UVA and HEV light.
Yep, it sounds like we've got some shopping to do.
