New results demonstrate HEV blocking power in specialty skin care products formulated with iron oxides.

Iron oxides provide enhanced protection against HEV or blue light, especially when combined with zinc oxide, according to results of a new study in The Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

HEV light contributes to premature skin aging by impeding normal cellular functions.  HEV light exposure has increased with use of consumer electronics. Electronics have a peak emission in the 400‐490 nm range and there is a need to identify solutions to shield against these exposures. Prolonged exposure to HEV light has been demonstrated to stimulate melanogenesis and contribute to increased and persistent hyperpigmentation.  Sunscreens containing only titanium dioxide and zinc oxide protect against UVA and UVB radiation, but are limited in their ability to protect against HEV light.

“Visible blue light is the most energetic, and therefore the most damaging light, to reach our skin and penetrates more deeply than ultraviolet rays. I have been interested, for many years, in ways to protect skin against all wavelengths of light,”  says study author and Philadelphia dermatologist Eric Bernstein, MD,  in a news release. “This research is important because it shows that skin care products formulated with iron oxides, combined with mineral sunscreen actives and other ingredients, effectively shield skin against harmful, high-energy, visible wavelengths.” 

In the study, Colorescience’s All Calm Clinical Redness Corrector SPF 50, Even Up Clinical Pigment Perfector SPF50, and Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy SPF 35, which are formulated with zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and iron oxides, demonstrated 71.9 percent to 85.6 percent HEV light attenuation across the tested wavelengths of 415‐465 nm. 

“Our test method allows us to directly measure the amount of blue light protection each product provides across the entire HEV spectrum, so we can share actual and not theoretical data,” says Patricia Boland,Colorescience VP of Research and Development.