8 Blue-Light Blocking Beauty Products You Need in 2021

Spending most of your time in front of a screen? You might be interested in these blue-light blocking beauty products that offer a host of additional benefits, too!

The latest beauty trend is one that, admittedly, sounds a bit gimmicky: Anti blue-light products that are supposed to shield your skin from the dangers of all of that screen time we all have every single day.

Even though this sounds like a scam to get us to spend money on new products, there is a bit of research behind it. Emerging research indicates that increased exposure to blue-spectrum light (the light that comes from our smartphones, laptop screens, monitors, and such) may lead to added stress on the skin cells and signs of aging like wrinkles and sagging.

Dermatologists also say that a lot of blue light exposure can have a similar effect as the sun: It can lead to hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and loss of skin elasticity. It’s especially a concern since the pandemic started, and we started spending so much more time looking at screens. However, this isn’t something you’ll notice after a few weeks or months: It’s a build-up, just like with sun exposure.

This is where blue light protecting beauty products come in. They’re supposed to act almost like SPF, protecting skin from the harmful rays emitted from screens and preventing long-term damage. To be frank, the verdict is still out on the efficacy of blue-light blocking products because the products simply aren’t tested like traditional SPF creams and such.

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth using—we specifically sought out a whole pile of products that, independent of the blue-light blocking component, are just high-quality products. Many have a host of other benefits as well as their blue light claims like containing SPF, which is always a positive, and other ingredients that can lead to hydrated healthy skin and may help prevent aging.

GoodHabit Rescue Me Glow Potion Oil Serum

The brand Goodhabit is completely dedicated to protecting skin from artificial blue light. They have almost a complete skincare line, but in my personal opinion, the Rescue Me Glow Potion Oil Serum is the best.

This is an oil serum, so, obviously, it feels like an oil. But don’t expect your skin to look and feel slick: Once it goes on, it’s super lightweight and absorbs very quickly, making skin look and feel moisturized. It’s packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and essential amino acids to help repair damage, restore elasticity, prevent water loss, strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier, fade dark spots, and plump fine lines.

I love how this gives skin a glow, and I find that it improves texture and makes my skin feel so soft. And even though it’s an oil, it never feels heavy or clogs pores.

One Ocean Blue Light Protection & Hydration Mist

This One Ocean Blue Light Protection & Hydration Mist is probably the most convenient to use: You can just spritz it over your face throughout the day, even on top of makeup. It’s refreshing, hydrating, and may protect skin against blue light, dehydration, and urban pollution.

It’s made with marine ingredients from Northern Spain and the Celtic Sea that stimulate the skin’s natural sensors to protect against blue light, repairs some damage, locks in moisture, and promotes elasticity. The high-performance heptapeptide in there also reinforces skin’s natural biome to fight sensitivity and inflammation.

Reviewers note a noticeable difference in the way their skin looks and feels when they use this. It’s portable and it’s great to have on hand throughout the day.

Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint

You can combine skincare and makeup with Ilia’s Super Serum Skin Tint. The SPF 40 means this is an excellent product to use whether you’re in front of a screen or spending time outside, but it also has a tint for light dewy coverage to conceal skin and make it look its best.

It’s made with non-nano zinc oxide, and while zinc often feels heavy and streaky on the skin, this doesn’t at all. It’s surprisingly weightless and has no white cast, which is kind of a miracle, and yet it protects you from UVA, UVB, UVC, and blue light rays. It’s made with plant-based squalane for hydration and improved elasticity, niacinamide for smoother texture and even skin tone, and hyaluronic acids for lots of moisture.

This is a chemical sunscreen that really works and looks great (which can often feel impossible to find). Non-comedogenic, free of silicones, oil, and fragrance, this is even fit for sensitivty skin.

Eucerin Photoaging Control Sun Fluid

Eucerin Photoaging Control Sun Fluid is basically like a fancy facial sunscreen. It’s made with ingredients like licochalcone A and glycrrhetinic acid, two antioxidants that help protect against oxidative stress, which is one of the negative effects of blue light. So while it may not be branded as blue light protection, it would certainly work—and, with an SPF 50, it would also protect your face from the sun.

It’s made with Eucerin’s Advanced Spectral Technology, which offers high UVA/UVB protection and HEVIS light defense, supports the skin’s own DNA repair mechanism, and helps reduce visible signs of skin aging.

Unlike a lot of sunscreens, this one is lightweight, has no fragrance, and absorbs into skin quickly. It can easily be used with other products and underneath makeup. It’s not oily, doesn’t have a white cast, and feels great.

Chantecaille Blue Light Protection Hyaluronic Serum

The Chantecaille Blue Light Protection Hyaluronic Serum is an intensely hydrating serum that is great for your skin and is meant to offer blue light protection to boot. It’s made with ingredients like fermented algae extract, which can activate the skin’s natural response to repair blue light damage, and nasturtium flower extract, which can help revitalize skin that’s been damaged because of overexposure to blue light.

This serum feels very refreshing and instantly hydrates your skin for a noticeable difference. It has a great light texture, and it’s also oil-free, which can be hard to find with serums. It gives your skin a nice glow has long-lasting hydration.

Murad Environmental Shield City Skin

Like the other mineral sunscreens on this list, the Murad Environmental Shield City Skin is an effective mineral facial sunscreen that protects against the dangers of the sun and blue light at once.

It’s made with zinc oxide and titanium oxide, which offer broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection, iron oxides to protect skin from infrared radiation and color correct to even out the tone, and lutein to defend against blue light. It’s free of sulfates, parabens, formaldehydes, phthalates, oxybenzone, and contains less than one percent of synthetic fragrances.

Not only is this a powerful and effective product, but it’s also very lightweight and feels great on the skin—you’ll easily be able to layer it with makeup and wear it outside or inside without looking like you’re wearing sunscreen.

Dr. Barbara Strum Anti-Pollution Drops

While the Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Pollution Drops are definitely more of a splurge, it’s also a popular and powerful product that really works. It’s meant to be used as you would use a serum, and shields against daily pollution and blue light while also fighting environmental aggressors to prevent signs of aging.

One of the things that makes this serum stand out is that it’s made with purslane, one of the most potent sources of antioxidants in the world with high levels of vitamins A, C, E, and omega-3 fatty acids. Other ingredients include cocoa seeds to combat signs of aging, exopolysaccharides to strengthen the skin’s defense against pollution, and hyaluronic acid to give lots of hydration and leave skin looking radiant.

This serum is great for sensitive skin and leaves your skin feeling and looking plump, hydrated, and protected.

Solara Suncare Time Traveler Ageless Daily Face Sunscreen

Solara Suncare Time Traveler Ageless Daily Face Sunscreen is often out of stock for a reason: it offers an all-natural formula that works at protecting skin against both blue light and sun damage. The zinc oxide it’s made with offers a layer of protection you’ll need whether you’re inside working or outside in the sun.

It’s made with an all-mineral formula and clean ingredients and is designed to be used as an everyday moisturizer. It addresses past photodamage and will visibly plump up fine lines while it helps prevent future damage to the skin. It absorbs surprisingly quickly and doesn’t leave behind that white cast zinc is famous for.