Summertime in the OC can bring some hot sunny days. Sunny days usually make everyone a little bit more conscious of the need for sunscreen and SPF in order to ward off sunburns and harsh UV rays that can cause damage to our skin. But do you know that the sun isn’t the only thing we should be worrying about this summer? There’s something more frequent in our everyday lives than the blaring sun that is causing us damage. Something we are constantly around and exposed to….our SMART PHONES and digital devices!

Studies show that the light from our smart phones and digital screens are causing major damage to not only our eyes but also to our skin. The “blue light” emitted from our devices is most commonly known as HEV, or “High-Energy Visible Light “. While HEV light has not yet been associated with sunburn or skin cancer in the way that the bigger, badder UVB rays have, the HEV light CAN cause skin to age prematurely, and we definitely don’t want that! HEV penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin causing wrinkles and accelerating the aging process. Scary to think about when you consider almost everyone is surrounded by HEV rays all the time now.

What has “Blue Light” or HEV rays?
Well almost anything that is digital. Our tablets, phones, computers, TV screens, fluorescent lighting, and even our car dash cams all have HEV rays.

What can I do to protect my skin?
Now that there are new studies showing how harmful the HEV rays are to our skin, there are also several things we can do to protect ourselves. For one, we can all reduce the amount of time we are on our phones or exposed to the blue light from our computers by scheduling “device-free down time” at least 2-4 times throughout the day for twenty minutes or more at a time (that’s a no brainer), we can also purchase HEV barrier screens for our devices (yes, that’s a thing), as well as seek out make up primers that have the ability to shield your skin from the harmful rays.

But my favorite bit of advice is to regularly incorporate the Tru Lifting and Tightening treatment at Tru Skin Rituals as it’s a great way to fight off the effects of the damaging high energy visible light. Our Tru Lifting and Tightening treatment diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while toning and tightening your skin. The micro-current used is the most natural approach to rejuvenate and rebuild your facial muscles, so it can reverse the damage caused by HEV and other skin damaging culprits.

Another great tip I have is for you to find and use skincare products rich in antioxidants that will help to stop or reduce the effects of free radicals, which can also lead to weakened collagen, fine lines, and loss of elasticity in your skin.  At Tru Skin Rituals, I carry two great products for you to try that will do just that!  The Vitamin C Serum from Skin Script is a water soluble Vitamin C that protects cells from oxidative damage, assists in collagen formation, and strengthens capillaries and cell walls.  Replenish from Osmosis is an antioxidant repair serum that can be used in any regimen as a preventative measure against free radical damage. They both help fight free radicals and oxidative stress and you can purchase them online from the Tru Skin Rituals online shop!  So book your next facial treatment with us here, and remember to be proactive in your approach to reducing your exposure to harmful UVB and HEV light.

 

Jamie Ortiz of Tru Skin Rituals is a licensed esthetician, healthy skin advocate, age management strategist, and authority on corrective skin care and designer waxing services.