We’ve always known that looking at our screens for long periods of time is bad for our eyesight, but did you know that the high-energy, short-wavelength light is also bad for our skin?
Research on how blue light affects your skin is ongoing, but what dermatologists know so far doesn’t look good. One study found that blue light caused more pigment, redness, and swelling than when the same person’s skin was exposed to comparable levels of UVA rays; another suggested that exposure to blue light might stimulate the production of free radicals in skin, which can accelerate the appearance of ageing.
As research on the impact of blue light on skin is rather recent, there are many common misconceptions about how it works, the most common one being that blue light only affects the delicate area around your eye. However, the fact is that blue light does not discriminate in that way – it affects every part of your face!
For those who want to make sure that they are fully protected without giving up on screen time, it is important to create a skincare routine that can give comprehensive protection from blue light.
With that in mind, Uriage developed the Age Protect Range of skincare products to help protect our skin from daily aggressors such as blue light at each step of our routine, from serum to night cream. You are encouraged to use the full range of products in order to combat signs of ageing on every part of your face.
It is uncommon for a drugstore brand to be offering skincare products made with aesthetic medical technology, so the Daily Vanity team couldn’t pass up this opportunity to put these products to the test and find out if they can really help to prevent ageing caused by blue light.
We tested the full range for one month – read on to see what we thought of each product!
Age Protect Multi-Action Intensive Serum review
Reviewer: Karin, 22 | Skin type: combination-oily | Skin concerns: dull skin tone, wrinkles and fine lines, huge pores
About this product: This anti-pollution and anti-blue light serum reduces the appearance of fine lines & wrinkles and combats loss of firmness with Uriage Thermal Water that moisturises the skin.
I spend an average of eight hours a day using electronic devices, mainly for work purposes. As I am worried about the effects of environmental aggressors (blue light included) on my skin, I have used anti-pollution products before, such as facial mists.
When I tried the Age Protect Multi-Action Intensive Serum from Uriage, I was very impressed at how lightweight the texture of the serum was and how it was easy to use. A lot of anti-ageing products tend to be heavier in texture and cause my skin to break out, so I appreciated that this serum was lightweight enough to be easily absorbed into my skin. I also liked the hygienic packaging, which dispensed the product via a pump.
I incorporated this serum into my skincare routine for a month, where I would apply it after essence and before moisturiser.
Over time, I noticed that my skin started appearing more radiant and is now more plumped than before! My skin also feels firmer and tighter, which I believe is a good sign that the Age Protect Multi-Action Intensive Serum has been effective in terms of preventing damage from blue light and correcting signs of ageing.
Having seen the effects after one month, I would continue using this serum and I am looking forward to seeing a bigger difference in reducing wrinkles and fine lines. This is really highly recommended for people looking to start on an anti-ageing skincare routine!
In addition, because I am impressed by this serum that works for my whole face, I would also love to try the Eye Contour, as I want to specifically target the fine lines around my eyes.
Uriage Age Protect Multi-Action Intensive Serum retails at SGD79.90.
Age Protect Multi-Action Cream SPF30 review
Reviewer: Mel, 23 | Skin type: combination-oily | Skin concerns: sensitive skin, pigmentation, dull skin tone, huge pores
About this product: This smooth cream is enriched with an SPF 30 UV protection to protect the skin from UV rays and pollution, which in turn prevents spots and wrinkles. It also keeps your skin hydrated so that it can regain its dewy radiance.
I spend around eight hours or more looking at my computer or phone, which is quite a large amount of screen time. Despite knowing that, I have not used anti-blue light and/or anti-pollution products before as the idea of it did not really appeal to me – I did not really think that these could really show visible benefits.
Despite my initial reservations about using anti-blue light skincare products, my first impression of this Age Protect Multi-Action Cream SPF30 was actually pretty good!
For starters, I thought it was rather easy to use with the pump as compared to tubs. The texture was smooth and it absorbed easily into my skin, which was good because I do not like the greasy, oily feeling that comes with certain products. There is a slight fragrance but I think that it was alright for me. It also did not leave a white cast on my face despite its white colour.
I used this as a moisturiser on days that my skin didn’t feel too dry, i.e. the last step of my skincare routine. On days that I did not wear makeup (e.g. weekends), I would reapply it throughout the day, especially if I’m out in the sun.
After testing this for a month, I felt that my skin tone became more even, meaning that this product has helped with my pigmentation, which is especially obvious around my cheek area. It is usually really hard to get rid of pigmentation as not all brightening products work for me – sometimes it may take me several months for my pigmentation to get better. In fact, not only did it help to lighten my existing pigmentation, it also worked to prevent pigmentation from occurring, so you could say I was duly amazed by this cream’s efficacies!
In terms of hydration, I felt that the cream helped to maintain my skin’s moisture level as my skin did not feel drier later in the day.
Overall, I like that this cream is surprisingly lightweight, especially since it’s a cream with SPF. Other brightening creams that help with pigmentation may leave my skin feeling sensitive but I think this one does pretty well. It’s like a 2-in-1 moisturiser with two benefits.
Personally, I think this would work best for someone who has slight pigmentation who also has combi-oily skin, so if you fit that description, you should give this a shot!
Uriage Age Protect Multi-Action Cream SPF30 retails at SGD77.90.
Age Protect Multi-Action Fluid
Reviewer: Wan Kee, 26 | Skin type: combination-oily | Skin concerns: dull skin tone, huge pores
About this product: This light fluid helps to combat aging signs, fatigue, and daily damaging aggressions. It not only prevents premature aging and dark spots as it protects your skin from blue light, but also lifts, softens, and repairs your skin.
I clock at least eight hours of screen time everyday, but I’ve never used anti-blue light products or tried anti-pollution facials before as I never quite saw the need for them.
I would use the Age Protect Multi-Action Fluid every morning, right after my toner and cleanser. It comes with a light texture and a pleasant smell. Although the scent may be too strong initially, it is not so overpowering that it throws you off – you’ll get used to it after a few tries. It is also more hydrating than other lotions I have tried before, which was great!
Despite being a little skeptical about whether anti-blue light products really have anti-ageing properties, I saw that my skin has been looking much brighter after I used this for one month. I found that it has been very effective in terms of preventing damage from blue light and correcting signs of ageing, but I think it will take an extended period of usage in order to reap the full benefits.
That being said, this multi-purpose product really fits very well into my busy lifestyle, offering hydration, anti-pollution protection, brightening, and anti-ageing all in one bottle, so one pump at a time is all I need to keep my skin healthy and radiant!
After my pleasant experience using this anti-blue light product, I would want to try other products in the same range, especially the Age Protect Multi-Action Eye Contour. I believe that although blue light affects our whole face, our eye area shows fatigue and signs of ageing faster as compared to other parts of the face, so I would want to give that area some extra TLC.
Of course, I would also repurchase the Age Protect Multi-Action Fluid to keep up the protection and enjoy anti-ageing benefits across the other parts of my face as well! I would certainly recommend this to anyone who has combi-oily skin as Multi-Action Fluid has a lighter consistency than the creams in the same range, which might be too heavy for your skin.
Uriage Age Protect Multi-Action Fluid retails at SGD59.90.
Age Protect Multi-Action Eye Contour
Reviewer: Alyaa, 21 | Skin type: combination-dry | Skin concerns: dark circles, puffy eyes, fine lines and wrinkles
About this product: Enriched with decongesting and blurring active ingredients, it reduces the appearance of wrinkles and puffiness, it lifts the eyelid for a skin-tensing effect and smooths the eye contour.
My previous experience is that with any kind of eye creams, there is a slight scent, so I was already quite surprised to find that the Uriage Age Protect Multi-Action Eye Contour did not have any. The texture was also an instant hit for me because of how lightweight and easily penetrable it was – it was almost weightless, and my eye area was very comfortable upon first application.
I would apply this liberally around the eye area before bed, and a normal amount during my skincare routine before makeup.
Over the past one month, I realised that the darkness under my eyes had brightened very slightly. The puffiness also improved and the general eye area actually has a more contoured look to it now. I realised that my under eye area is been more moisturised than before as well, giving it a very supple and youthful look – as long as I get enough sleep at night!
I really want to give this eye cream’s texture a shout-out, as I was most impressed by this aspect of the cream. Other eye creams I’ve used before tend to leave my undereye area feeling tacky, making any product, like concealer, which I apply on top of it, not go on smoothly. With this, my concealer sat very nicely and it even gave my under eyes a more airbrushed finish. It sits very well with makeup – especially considering the heat and humidity in Singapore – which is a huge win for me.
I also liked that the eye cream was fragrance-free since I applied this around my eye area (where the skin is much thinner) and did not want to run the risk of irritation from a potential skin allergen.
Although there are slight improvements to my eye area, I am hoping that continuous usage will help yield more significant results.
I’d recommend this to people whom I know suffer from puffy or aged eyes. If you are one of those people who spend a lot of time in the office typing away, you should certainly give this a go before wrinkles and puffiness become a serious problem for you.
Uriage Age Protect Multi-Action Eye Contour retails at SGD49.90.
Age Protect Multi-Action Detox Night Cream
Reviewer: Eleanor, 26 | Skin type: combination-oily | Skin concerns: acne, sensitive skin, pigmentation, wrinkles and fine lines
About this product: This velvety cream is the first night care that acts on both signs of ageing and protects skin from pollutants by boosting its detoxification system.
Spending at least eight hours a day staring at screens, I had already realised the need to protect my skin from blue light, so I started using skincare products that could protect my skin from such pollutants and combat early signs of ageing.
As I am used to using fragrance-free products, I found that the smell of the Age Protect Multi-Action Detox Night Cream was quite strong – much stronger than my usual night creams, and it tended to stay for very long. The texture of the product was also on the heavier side for me, as I have oilier skin.
Despite this, I did see a good improvement in my skin after using this once every alternate night for one month. My skin complexion became even and brighter, and even more commendable was the fact that my fine lines were reduced as well! The frown lines on my forehead became less obvious, which I was really happy with.
I would say that this night cream is definitely on par with other anti-blue light and/or anti-pollution products, and it is fantastic that this comes at only a fraction of the price.
Have normal to dry skin and suffer from frown/laugh lines? Then this night cream from Uriage is definitely for you. If you are used to fragrance-free products, you may want to take note that this comes with fragrance as well.
Uriage Age Protect Multi-Action Detox Night Cream retails at SGD70.90.
Age Protect Multi-Action Peeling Night Cream
Reviewer: Juliet, 34 | Skin type: combination-dry | Skin concerns: dull skin tone
About this product: This smooth cream acts during the night for a peeling effect that reveals radiance. Its resurfacing action diminishes the appearance of wrinkles, illuminates the complexion refines the skin’s texture and reduces blemishes.
As I clock 14 hours of screen time per day, I have started using anti-blue light products, in particular, sunscreens.
This night cream felt luxurious and enveloped the skin comfortably. It managed to hydrate my skin and smoothen it instantly – coupled with the fact that it came with a pleasant and subtle scent, it certainly created a good first impression!
I used the Uriage Age Protect Multi-Action Peeling Night Cream as the last step of my night routine and would wake up to hydrated skin the next day, even if I slept in an air-conditioned room. Over the four weeks where I used this almost every night, I noticed that my skin looked less fatigued, brighter, and actually bouncier as well!
Although blue light prevention is something we can only tell in the long run, I think that this is something that I’d like to invest in now – because signs of ageing can’t be removed easily, so the best thing to do for your skin is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Considering how I spend most of my waking time in front of a screen for work and entertainment, the threat of blue light damaging my skin may be higher than that of UV rays, so I definitely want to invest in products that can prevent the damage from blue light.
While I wouldn’t say that this worked significantly better than my other night creams, it would certainly be superior with the prevention of blue light damage since other night creams generally only help with hydration. That being said, I felt that this one from Uriage has a more luxurious texture to it, which makes it quite pampering to use.
In addition to continuing usage of this night cream, I’d like to try the Age Protect Multi-Action Cream SPF30 as well so that I can get blue light protection in the day and at night.
I would recommend this night cream, considering that there aren’t a lot of products in the market dedicated to blue light damage prevention. It is also not too expensive, so if someone I know is looking for an affordable solution for blue light damage prevention, the Uriage Age Protect range will be it.
Uriage Age Protect Multi-Action Peeling Night Cream retails at SGD77.90
All Uriage products reviewed in this article can be purchased at selected Watsons, Guardian, Unity, OG, as well as online at Betime, Redmart, Shopee, Lazada, Qoo10, and Prime Now.
P.S. Get 25% off when you shop on Uriage Lazada Flagship store!
