​Your phone and your skin

Your phone and your skin… oh, you’re gonna love this one…

Remember the brain cancer scare? You know that one—the claim that using your cell phone would give you brain cancer? No, it won’t (but you might lose your hearing with those loud ear buds…)

But there is a different worry now about your cell phone—and your computer, and your iPad, and any tech screen you put in front of your face: They can be damaging your skin.

The blue light emitted by smartphones, TVs, computers and other lights can penetrate the skin even more than the sun’s UV rays. This can damage collagen and worsen pigmentation problems (melasma).

No need to get crazy about this, but it is worth considering if you spend a lot of time around light-emitting screens.

So what to do? Easy: You need to wear sunscreen during the day even if you are inside, even if it is winter, even if it is cloudy outside. Because it isn’t only your tech products; research the past few years has shown that all kinds of light—not just sunlight—can damage your skin (although not as dramatically or quickly as the sun will). You wonder why that skin discoloration won’t fade, or keeps coming back?—maybe it’s the exposure to indoor and indirect sunlight that is the problem.

**Watch this video on SPF and where the UV rays are coming from. You will be surprised!

Holding the phone against your face can aggravate acne and block pores, too. Our phone screens are covered with bacteria and when held against the face the bacteria is rubbed onto our skin and mixes with our natural oils and makeup, and nothing good can come of that. Solution? Headphones or holding the phone away from touching your face, and using screen cleaners regularly.

Check out the Cotz products—great sunscreen that won’t clog your pores (the official word for that is noncomedogenic). At the very least, find a daily moisturizer that you put on in the morning that already has sunscreen in it, like CeraVe A.M.

And if you already have damage, consider getting with a good repair plan for your skin: you CAN do this easily and inexpensively at home with at-home peels and creams that slowly and gently reverse the effects of light damage and aging. Check out Platinum Skincare’s info and research page to get started on your program, or contact us to set up a FREE consultation.

As long as we are on the subject of protecting your skin, let’s note that it is COLD in most places, or at least for those in warmer climates--colder. During winter, we all need to re-assess skin treatments because skin changes noticeably during cold weather.

For one thing—skin becomes dryer in winter. That’s because natural humidity in the air is a lot lower and the skin, being the exposed, sensitive organ that it is (yes, your skin is an organ in case you forgot that fact from middle-school science class), reacts to temperature changes. Once skin becomes dry and irritated, it is at risk for more breakouts, rosacea, and infections.

HYDRATION is the solution (as well as sun protection, of course). In addition to your usual moisturizer (if you don’t have a usual moisturizer, try the B Complex cream) consider adding in the Apple Stem Cell Caviar Extract Hydration Mask.

I get dry skin all over during winter and one of my favorite self-treatments is filling a tub and dropping in a 3 or 4 tablespoons of coconut oil; I emerge feeling soft and moisturized head to toe (coconut oil is good for your hair, too!)

Winter isn’t over, but Spring is just around the corner (and then we’ll have other skin issues to consider!)

Where can I buy Dana's Book?

The Skin Regime; Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin, available as a Kindle download or Buy paperback to buy your paperback copy from Platinum Skin Care. You can also read the first chapter--FREE--by click here to read 1st chapter.