INDUSTRY INSIDER | LIGHT-BASED DEVICES | are out of sync. In a non-clinical
environment, visible light could be used to improve both the sleep and wellbeing of a category of the population whose lifestyle is disrupting their biological clocks, such as night workers, frequent flyers who cross time zones, and the growing portion of the population who have sleep issues. The right wavelength can help night workers going to sleep during the day and help regulate their circadian rhythms. And light therapies could help to fight our jetlag more efficiently. Brainard is also applying his research to
parameters (wavelength, power, power
density, pulse parameters) must be within certain ranges, but many of the devices on the market today simply do not get those parameters right. And as a result, they donÕt work. In the next 5 years, however, it is expected that more research will be carried out in this area and we will know more about the right parameters for a device to be effective.
Phototherapy in a jar? Do we really need an actual device? The skincare industry is getting smarter with regard to its use of light and bringing light therapies into a jar. A new generation of actives are using the power of light to rejuvenate our skin. In the case of UV light exposure to the skin, this radiation is often thought to have too much energy, which can lead to the chemical breakdown of DNA and ultimately, to skin damage. However, in the case of the lower
If youÕre chronically
sleep-deprived, you donÕt perform as well. You are moody and you donÕt have as good coping mechanisms.
electromagnetic radiation; these molecules are called fluorophores. By absorbing this energy, fluorophores can change the high energy of UV radiation to a different form of energy called fluorescence. Fluorescence is the emission of visible light by a substance that has absorbed light of a different wavelength.
In
this technology, a noni extract is bound to a tricalcium phosphate substrate and subsequently dried into a powder.
REN ® a UK brand ® has just launched
Photoactive Sun Veil, a new sunscreen product using the BioLumen active. It says that 'fluorophores from noni extract absorbs UV light and boosts elastin and revitalizes'. Sulwhasoo ® a South Korean brand ® uses a similar active across its range; one of
its best-selling products,
Snowise Brightening BB cream SPF 50, promotes the technology by explaining that
'invisible UV rays are converted to
energy visible red light (LLLT), it has been shown that certain exposures can lead to improvements in the appearance and structure of the skin. The mechanisms are currently not proven, but theorised to involve absorption of visible light by specific chromophores within or on the skin, which leads to cosmetic benefits in the form of the reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Lonza launched BioLumen in 2011,
which it says turns UV rays into a healing light. It uses a technology based on fluorescence. There are molecules other than sunscreens that can absorb
16 ❚
visible pink light and promote a clear and bright complexion'.
Beyond the skin Visible light can also be used to make us healthier. George C. Brainard, Director of the Light Research Program and Professor of Neurology at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, has been working on using light to keep our circadian genes in sync. In laymen's terms, he is trying to use light to help us sleep. Visible light has been used clinically since the 1980s to treat SAD, also known as winter depression, but itÕs also being used to treat some elective sleep disorders when the circadian genes
January/February 2013 |
prime-journal.com
astronauts. On the International Space Station, astronauts average as little as 6 hours sleep over a 24-hour period, even though they are allotted 8.5 hours. And 45% of drugs taken by astronauts are sleeping pills. A new non-drug intervention programme using only light is supposed to help astronauts sleep better, and also to work better. 'If youÕ re chronically sleep-deprived,
you donÕ t perform as well. You are moody and you donÕt have as good coping mechanisms,' said NASA flight surgeon Smith Johnston. The project is to replace the 7-by-26-
inch rectangular sockets now occupied by fluorescent bulbs with 100 brand-new LED lamps which will delivered to NASA by 2015. The lights will have three 'on' settings: one to boost alertness in the morning by using blue light tones, one to help astronauts relax before bed by using warmer and more reddish hues, and a regular mode for midday. (Blue light was discovered more than a decade ago to suppress the hormone melatonin, which helps regulate sleep. Although we need to remember that melatonin by itself is not a sleep-inducer, it does play a role in regulating the circadian rhythm.) This project is not alone, and the
home-care industry is coming up with a new generation of lights for our home to help us relax, sleep, and wake-up more alert. It is not a huge leap to imagine new light fixtures in the bathroom that will rejuvenate our skin. Light therapies will be one of the most exciting segments in the next 5 years to protect us from ageing and to cure serious illnesses.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92