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Since people have been at home and on their electronic devices more than ever due to COVID restrictions over the past year, researchers at Burt’s Bees shared the latest research they’ve conducted on how exposure to blue light affects the skin during their recent Spill the Tea event.
If you didn’t know, blue light can come from places all over your home. A press release from the natural skincare brand noted that the type of light can be “emitted from electronic devices like cell phones, computer screens and even artificial sources like fluorescent bulbs and LED lights.” Building upon the information we have about how being overexposed at nighttime can have negative impacts on one’s ability to fall asleep, Burt’s Bees most recent research focused on the premature aging effects the blue light emitted from all our everyday technology can have on our skin.
Stanley Levy, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist, and study investigator for Burt’s Bees relevantly said that “In today’s socially distanced world, we are spending more time than ever in front of computer screens and cell phones which is increasingly being shown to induce free radical expression, leading to inflammation and skin aging.” With that in mind, in an effort to begin collecting information on how the aging free radical expression caused by being exposed to blue light can be combated, Levy also shared that the study he conducted with Burt’s Bees “demonstrated that a proprietary nature-based complex of green tea and lotus can work together synergistically to reduce the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by blue light exposure — establishing its potential as an effective treatment for the prevention of blue light-induced premature photoaging.”
Essentially, Levy and Hemali Gunt, Ph.D. — one of the main other researchers and head of clinical and scientific affairs at Burt‘s Bees — found that the “synergistic blend of green tea and lotus protects against blue light-induced free radicals.”
While we still need more information on the long-term effects of blue light on the skin, knowing that skincare products infused with green tea and lotus might help ward off damage the form of light causes is good to know in terms of what will keep our skin looking as youthful as possible. Since the brand conducted its studies using its own proprietary blends, this green tea face mask of theirs might be a great way to incorporate their findings into your skincare routine.
