Skincare for millennials

Our world is changing. Endlessly. Therefore the people that live on this planet change too. Years ago our grandparents learned how to cook their family recipe through cooking books or just through their parents, where today we are making sobanoodles we saw on the internet. Everything is changing, also the way we look at our skin and the way we take care for it.

Also because of the rapid way science has been improving, we learn more and more about the products we use on our skin. This information now also reaches us, the 'normal' citizen. For example, more people nowadays know how harmful sun exposure can actually be (you didn't know? Head over to this blog to read all about it), where years ago this was unknown for the majority of people. Besides this information, there has been a lot of rumors that now even blue light (from screens) can also be harmful to us and our skin. Today I will discuss the things that millennials will have or can face in their skincare.

Screentime wrinkle time

If I would count all the hours I spent behind a screen, I will probably be shocked. It's a lot. Without even realizing, I will literally grab my phone when I just put it down. When I have to make a call I don't want to, have to wait for the oven to preheat or just have other time to kill, I 'Candy Crush' the minutes away or just lose myself in my Facebook feed, without actually even really looking. The internet is huge, there is always something I haven't seen before. This behavior is strangely enough quite normal amongst people my age, but so crazy just to think about it. 

Not only are my plants now screaming for water, I also begin to notice this behavior on myself. My neck sometimes feel stiff from just looking down all the time, my eyes are a little sore after a day of work and there is now a very noticeable frown on my forehead. I am a sunscreen advocate myself and it felt just logic to me to look more beyond. Is it just the sun that is rapidly aging us or are we doing it ourselves?

There are now even products on the market especially designed for the neck area. A while ago we started selling the Neogen Agecure Extra Firming Neck & Decollete Special Cream. This cream has been formulated to keep the delicate neck area moisturized and will also tackle some wrinkles along the way. This can definitely be an option if you want to take care of your neck in a 'luxurious' way or want to adress the wrinkles that are there, maybe from looking on your phone all day. If this is a bit of a hassle, you can also use a 'normal' face cream. Keeping the neck area moisturized can minimize the look of fine lines as well.                                    

Blue light

Our great-grandparents probably never imagined we would be concerned about the way our devices can possibly be harmful. We have never used our phones and laptops more than we do today. On average we are behind our screens up to 8,5 hour a day. If you are a millennial chances are this number is even higher, up to 10 hour a day. That is a lot of time. But what does this time actually do for our skin? Can it be harmful even?

Blue light does contain rays that can penetrate a bit deeper into the skin and can therefore, potentially, cause more harm. This damage has also been known as 'free radicals'; cells are getting damaged and can therefore 'pass on' slightly 'wrong' information to other cells, creating diseases, hyperpigmentation or rapid aging. To prevent this from happening, you want to protect your skin well enough. But how?

One important note to mention: the dose of blue light used in the research has been very high. The rays that we are experiencing when we stalk our ex on Facebook or watch the newest video from James Welsh (right), is, especially in comparison with the research, very minimal. As far as known today, there is no need to worry about this affecting your skin. Blue light can actually have some sort of calming and soothing effect when it is used in low doses. That is also the reason why we see blue light more often in led masks.

If you do feel the need to focus a bit more on protection your skin against blue light, these are some things you can consider:

• Invest in a pair of computer glasses. These will have a special filter that will filter out blue light. They will also give your eyes some rest as well. This can also be something to consider if you suffer from headaches after a day of working behind a screen.
• Use a sunscreen on daily base. Like i mentioned before, I am a sunscreen advocate and will never leave the house without it. Most filters will also protect the skin a fair amount of blue light. Toun28 has even developed a sunscreen that even claims to protect the skin from blue light. The sunscreen of course also protects the skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. 
• Fight the free radicals with antioxidants! Little Wonderland has a great assortiment when it comes to product that are rich in antioxidants. In particular: Vaccinum Angustifolium (blueberry) fruit extract: Rich in antioxidants like polyphenols. Moreover, blueberries contain a good source of Vitamin C and they help keep skin protected against visible and infrared light. You can find this goodie in the Klairs Midnight Blue Youth Activating Drop for example. 
• You can activate your devices on the 'night shift' function. This modus will suppress the blue light with a more warmer and yellow tone. These warmer colors are also calmer for the skin and eyes.                             

I think it is also important not to worry too much. As we grow older, we age, and that is, in my eyes, a beautiful thing. Smile lines represent the most wonderful times with our friends when we drank crafted beers and had a laugh. Our aging is not what defines us. These moments do.

I am aware that a lot of this blog has been focussing on aging, but I think it is also important to mention that wrinkles aren't wrong or ugly. They are just human and they are a sign you are living. Fully.

I like to think that taking care of our skin is a way to show it some respect. To take care of yourself in this way. And if this is you applying an anti-aging cream in the evening, watching your favorite anime on the couch with a crafted beer or scrolling through your Instagram feed endlessly, it is all fine, as long as you are fine doing it.