Digital Ageing is when skin damage is caused by a high energy visible light (known as blue light) from our phones and computer screens. This blue light is penetrating deep into the skin, making the skin age faster. This is called Digital Ageing.

What is blue light?

Blue light, a high-energy visible light (HEV), refers to light wavelengths between 390 and 500 nm that get emitted from phones, computer screens and LED lights. Blue light penetrates farther into the skin than both UVA and UVB sunlight and uses a higher level of energy than IR (infrared) light. This may result in even more damage to the skin—despite never even feeling a thing.

Blue light irradiation negatively affects all skin layers.

It impacts the skin in the following ways:

• Blue light from mobile phones causes digital ageing leading to sagging skin
• disrupt melanocyte activity, leading to uneven and excessive pigmentation
• Dark circles and fine lines
• Contribute to photo-ageing and glycation of the skin
• Weaken the epidermal barrier and delays barrier recovery

To make matters worse, blue light is also known to disrupt sleep cycles and cause premature ageing of the eyes.

The best skincare ingredients to prevent blue light damage from your phone are antioxidants.

To lessen the damage caused by blue light, you’ll want to use skincare ingredients in your products that use both direct and indirect antioxidants. What are antioxidants? They are members of a complicated biological system that defend the body against increased production of free radicals caused from blue light as well as from the air we breathe (oxygen), cigarette smoke, UV sunlight, stress, and smog.

Some of the best direct and indirect antioxidants to use in your skincare products include:

• Carrot Seed Oil
• Pomegranate Extract
• Green Tea
• Black tea
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E

• It’s important to understand the complexity of our skin cell’s antioxidant protection needs. Using just one antioxidant simply cannot control the many forms of ROS and RNS given off from blue light. A variety of antioxidants are needed in your skincare products. These should complement each other’s actions to ensure that as many free radical families as possible are neutralized. This is essential for a comprehensive skincare strategy, especially one that is focused on preventing the signs of ageing.
• Antioxidants should be used both morning and night.
• The main stressors that create free radical damage were always thought to be caused during daytime hours from sun and pollution. This is why we recommend using Perenne Glow Booster Serum and Perenne Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen in the morning. Thanks to new research, we now realize that the skin’s natural antioxidant supply gets depleted during the day and needs to be replenished at night. Additionally, with the way many people are looking at their phone screens well into the wee hours, this means antioxidants should be included in a night time skin routine.
• The products suggested for night time use are Perenne Replenishing Under Eye Gel Cream and Instant Hydration Nectar Dry Oil Serum because it has powerful actives to prevent digital ageing. It firms and lifts the skin and hydrate it well. While you sleep, these refuel the skin with a variety of antioxidants along with visibly improving firmness.
• The product we suggest for daytime use is Radiance Day Cream and Eternal Glow Booster Dry Oil Serum. It loads the skin up with antioxidants while keeping melanin cells suppressed to fade discolouration from sunspots and post-breakout marks.
• The secret to defying ageing lies in providing adequate moisture to the skin. Apart from being packed with vitamins and nutrients that encourage glow, Eternal glow serum also contains Cocoa extract and turmeric root oil for intense hydration to your skin. Coupled with carrot root extract and chamomile flower oil, this dry oil serum is the ultimate potent elixir that your dull skin has been craving for.

Eat a diet rich in antioxidants.

The following foods will fuel your body from the inside out.

• Avocados
• Berries
• Sweet potatoes
• Broccoli
• Grapes
• Citrus fruits
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Tomatoes

In summary, technology is intended to make our lives easier, but it can have side effects on the skin. Mobile devices have brought us “tech neck” which are the horizontal folds across the neck from looking down at our phones. Laptop computers created “toasted skin syndrome” which is a burning reaction that results in discolouration of the skin from the heat of a computer resting on the thighs. Now, blue light is given off from tech devices, screens and LED lamps and is damaging the skin. With the right skincare ingredients, you can keep the damage under control. Hope you found this post helpful!

At Perenne, we are working towards innovation and excellence to overcome skin problems arising due to environmental and digital lifestyle. Each of our products contains natural and clinically tested actives to deliver efficacy and promising results.