Public Education on sun protection has been successful in that most of us would have heard of the damages ultraviolet radiation can do to our skin and many have gone on to use sun screens that offer protection from UVA and UVB.

A lesser publicised and known segment of the light spectrum is the High Energy Visible Light (HEV), also known as Blue Light. We are exposed to HEV both outdoor and indoor as this is emitted not only by the sun but also by ubiquitous household devices like computer screens, mobile phones and laptops. Up to recently, discussions of risks associated with HEV have been limited to potential damages to the eyes. However, the body of evidence pointing towards HEV skin damages is growing. There are indications to suggest that HEV maybe as damaging as UV radiations and can cause premature ageing, leading to textual and pigmentary changes, fragility and impaired barrier function.

Conventional sunscreens offer no protection against HEV. Using our natural skin protector, melamin, as a model  a fractionated form of the pigment has been formulated in the industry to provide a shield against HEV. This product, Liposhield, is beginning to be adopted by various cosmeceutical manufacturers and we should be seeing more of it as a public awareness of HEV grows.

Image from Obagi Skin Health explaining HEV: