In the United States, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. The Skin Cancer Foundation reports that 1 in 5 Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer annually (that’s roughly 5 million cases!), which is the highest rate of diagnoses among Americans than any other type of cancer combined.

 

While there are three types of skin cancer, melanoma is the most aggressive and deadliest form of skin cancer, affecting more than 1 million people every year. Skin Cancer Awareness is represented by an orange ribbon, while the black ribbon represents melanoma awareness. 

 

According to VeryWell Health, 90% of skin cancer results from excessive sun exposure. Despite this, many people are not taking enough measures to ensure their skin is fully protected from sun damage and sunburns. However, the good news is that skin cancer is preventable. 

 

By learning about the risk factors, signs for early detection of skin cancer and preventive approaches we can use in our day-to-day lives, we can protect our skin from harmful UV rays and prevent skin cancer altogether. 

 

How to Prevent Skin Cancer

 

As the saying goes, prevention is the best form of intervention, so Black Girl Sunscreen has compiled three golden rules to help you protect your glowing and healthy skin all year round:

 

Always, Always, Always Wear Sunscreen 

 

Sunscreen isn’t just used to prevent premature skin aging. Sun exposure is a preventable risk factor for all types of skin cancer, and wearing sunscreen helps protect the skin from harsh and harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.

 

People who do not apply (and reapply) sunscreen are likelier to suffer from sunburns. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) reports that a person who’s had five or more sunburns throughout their childhood and adolescence has an 80% increased risk of getting melanoma and a 68% increased risk of being diagnosed with a nonmelanoma form of skin cancer. Wearing a Broad Spectrum sunscreen (with a value of 15 or higher) every single day is crucial to decreasing these risks.

 

 

If you’re new to regularly wearing sunscreen, Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 gives you just the right UVA and UVB protection and defense against skin cancer. Always wear sunscreen 15 minutes before you step outside and reapply every two hours for optimal sun protection. Make sure to apply sunscreen throughout your body, especially in areas on your face that are typically ignored, such as the lips (an SPF lip balm would be ideal) and even the eyelids.

 

Visit Your Dermatologist and Get an Annual Skin Screening 

 

Is it a common mole? Is it a sun spot? Or is that melanoma? What’s the difference? Sometimes it’s hard to tell what exactly is on our skin. It’s important to regularly check your skin for signs of abnormalities and new growths, however we get it: it can sometimes be hard to see any changes to our moles and spots. Visiting your dermatologist annually can help with that. Your doctors will be able to tell you if your skin is in good health or experiencing early signs of skin cancer and provide you with additional tips for your skin type to ensure that you are taking the correct measures to promote skin safety. 

 

 

If you noticed a change in your skin’s color and texture in certain areas, let your doctors and dermatologists know at your next appointment. It’s also important to let your doctors know if your family has a history with skin cancer. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, malignant melanoma has a 99% survival rate when detected early. If you’re unsure how to give yourself a skin exam, this guide walks you step by step through the process.

 

Seek Shade and Wear Protective Clothing 

 

Did you know that skin is the largest organ in the body? It’s so important to protect our skin at all costs. In addition to wearing sunscreen, seeking shade and wearing protective clothing that covers arms and legs is another way to block out those harmful UV rays. Limit your outside activities to reduce sun exposure and avoid indoor tanning booths. According to the CDC, UV rays are its most potent during the daytime from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. With this in mind, the CDC recommends wearing sunglasses that block both UVA/UVB rays to protect your eyes, as well as hats to cover your face and neck. 

 

 

Following these steps will ensure that your skin is in tip-top shape and help you reduce your risk of skin cancer. Stay hydrated and stay safe! For more information on skin health and must-have sunscreens, check out Black Girl Sunscreen’s blog. 

As the need for sun protection continues to gain ground, people are becoming more conscious of sunlight exposure and the havoc it can wreak on the skin- from skin cancer to sunburn and skin darkening to sunspots. But there’s a silent enemy that continues to fly under the radar. What’s more? This element, known as blue light, is right in front of us.

 

Spending hours clicking away on our gadgets is fast becoming a hobby, but this habit leaves telltale signs on our bodies, from physical to mental health. Recently, surveys have shown that the light from our electronic devices penetrates our skin deeper than sunlight.

 

If you’re obsessed with your smart devices, you should continue scrolling through this post as we throw more light on the dangers of blue light.

 

What is Blue Light?

 

Blue light is a form of electromagnetic light that the naked eye can see. It belongs to the class of light waves with short wavelength, high energy, and potent penetration power. It is popularly known as High Energy Visible (HEV) light. 

 

“HEV light is primarily from the sun, but it’s also emitted by smartphones, tablets, televisions and computer screens,” says Dr. Harley King, a board certified dermatologist based in New York.

  

This form of light emission is almost as vicious as the light rays from the sun, going deeper into the dermis of the skin to cause damage over time. 

 

Regular exposure to this light, which travels at a short wavelength, may result in many skincare issues such as premature aging.

 

Does Sunscreen Protect Against Blue Light?

 

Sunscreen can protect your skin from photo damage, but not all sunscreens are equal to the task.

 

Physical sunscreens (which contain ingredients that form a protective film on the skin’s surface to reflect rays of light) are best suited to combat blue light damage. A perfect example of the Make It Hybrid ™ SPF 50 which contains Zinc Oxide.

 

Is Blue Light Aging Your Skin?

You’ve been told to defend your skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays, but you should also shield your skin from the damage in front of you – blue light.

 

This powerful light is a “silent aging agent”  that attacks skin cells by creating free radicals (reactive oxygen species). The attack by the oxygen species results in oxidative stress, which breaks down vital proteins in the skin, such as collagen and elastin. When these proteins are broken down, the skin’s structure is compromised, and you’ll start noticing signs of aging such as wrinkles, sagging skin, fine lines, dark circles, and eye bags.

 

Since this form of light penetrates the skin deeper than ultraviolet light, it affects the skin barrier, resulting in skin irritation and inflammation.

 

In addition, this colored light can affect our sleep cycles by disrupting our circadian rhythm. When light rays from our devices penetrate our eyes, they disrupt melatonin, a hormone responsible for sleep.

 

The more you look into your screen, the more your body produces less melatonin which results in shorter sleep time.

 

With lack of sleep comes an array of skin issues such as dark circles, puffy eyes, wrinkling skin, and fine lines. You may have heard to turn off your smart devices before bedtime to get your beauty sleep- now you know why.

 

How To Protect Skin From Blue Light

According to research, spending as much as 1 hour staring at your device’s screen can affect your skin. It is no news that, on average, an American spends 11 hours on their gadgets daily– this spells disaster if preventive steps are not taken.

 

So, how can you remedy the situation? Halting the use of your gadgets is near impossible, so the best way to keep this challenge under control is to modify your lifestyle habits.

 

 The following lifestyle modification habits will help; 

• Use tinted eyewear to block off the sharp light rays.
• Use eyeglasses with a blue light filter.
• Turn off your phone hours before bedtime.
• Reducing the brightness of your screens and turning your phone to night mode helps a great deal with controlling light exposure.

 

These steps are great but to maximize your efforts against the illumination, you need to stick to a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or more every day.

 

Which Ingredients Protect Against Blue Light?

Mineral ingredients such as zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and iron oxides play an essential role in deflecting light rays by forming a protective barrier on the skin. It is essential to go for products that combine different sun-blocking botanical ingredients for more protection.

 

These are elements that protect against light-induced damage;

 

Antioxidants

The presence of antioxidants in the form of natural extracts and vitamins enhances the ability of sun care products to ward off visible light.

 

Also, antioxidants are known to prevent oxidative stress. Common antioxidants to look out for are Vitamins B3, C, and E. Vitamin C boosts collagen formation and brightens the skin. Vitamin B3 strengthens the skin barrier and slows down melanin formation. Vitamin E prevents oxidation in cells.

 

Natural oils and butter

Plant-based oils such as Green tea oil, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and sunflower oil play pivotal roles in preventing damages caused by high energy visible light. The polyphenol in green tea oil prevents photo-damage and free radical damage, while olive oil, which has a natural SPF of 8, scatters approximately 20% of the light rays from the sun that hits the skin.

 

Sunflower oil has natural sun protection abilities, soothes the skin, and reduces signs of aging.

 

Shea butter is an excellent natural ingredient used in sun moisturizers because it has SPF 3 – 4.

 

Should You Wear Sunscreen Indoors To Protect Against Internal Light Bulbs?

Yes, you should apply a suncare product everywhere. While there’s no escape from blue light – whether you’re indoors or outdoors, the great news is that you can stay protected even while you’re within the confines of your home.

 

Apply sunscreen every two to three hours when you’re having some screen time – TV, smartphone, laptop, or tablets.

 

Best Sunscreens for Blue Light Protection

People with melanin are more prone to developing concerns from light exposure, so getting a sun care product suited for dark skin is highly recommended.

 

These are our choice products:

 

Black Girl Sunscreen Make it Hybrid™ SPF 50

 

This sunscreen should be your top pick if you’re looking for a formula that absorbs quickly without leaving a white cast. 

 

The mineral product with ingredients such as zinc oxide wards off indoor and outdoor stressors. The Make It Hybrid™ sunscreen with SPF 50 bounces off HEV light and UV rays from penetrating the skin.

 

Formulated with natural ingredients such as shea butter, lavender oil, carrot oil, avocado oil, and aloe vera, this sunscreen nourishes and soothes the skin while dealing with discoloration and premature aging.

 

Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30

Opt for this moisturizing formula to shield your skin, thanks to its skin protection complex, which contains avocado oil, jojoba oil, cacao, carrot juice, and sunflower oil.

 

Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 is free of hormone-disrupting chemicals like, Oxybenzone and Octinoxate.

 

Black Girl Sunscreen Kids SPF 50

Since children are exposed to sunlight and illumination from certain gadgets, it is essential to introduce a kid-friendly sunscreen such as the BGS Kids SPF 50 for their daily use.

 

This formula is enriched with natural extracts such as chamomile, shea butter, carrot seed oil, and avocado oil which promise to combat free radicals, hydrate, soothe, and protect against outdoor and indoor elements at same time. In addition to shielding your skin from digital and environmental pollution, the formula is designed to help heal your child’s skin and ease redness.

 

Takeaway

Now that we’ve spotlighted blue light and its impact, you can see that blue-light protection is not just another marketing hype to spread fear and worry but something that should be taken seriously.

 

As remote jobs become more popular, everyone must take precautionary steps to ensure that their skin is well protected from digital pollution. 

 

Want to win the battle against blue light? Grab any of the above-mentioned Black Girl Sunscreen products by shopping on our site.