Despite what your mother may have told you about the dangers of sitting too close to the television, there is really no conclusive evidence that the radiation from VDTs (video display terminals) causes our bodies any harm, especially if you're using an LCD. Good, good, because I as I write, with my face less than two feet from my laptop screen, there's also a television a few feet away so I can pretend the voices coming from CNN are my "co-workers." And a second LCD, attached to my desktop, is displaying a screen saver which scrolls through my digital photo albums, soothing me with the proof that I do, in fact, have real friends and family outside my lonely 2-D digital existence.

Other than fact that I probably need to get out more, and that I'm a bit of an electricity hog, I don't worry too much about what my life boxed in by electronic devices does to me. Cancer, cataracts, birth defects of my unborn children- no, no, I'm not worried- I bask in a warm radioactive glow. But now, after a trip to the department store, I'm worried about something much more important- premature wrinkling from all those electromagnetic waves. Clarins (yes the cosmetic company) has conducted studies which show that our computer screens are like little tiny suns that unleash free radicals that can damage our skin.

Expertise 3P is a lightweight spray-on mist that contains plant extracts like white tea and succory dock cress that create an invisible "magnetic shield" against your screen's radiation. Topical anti-oxidants have been proven to help prevent damage from UV rays, so this does make some sense, although you're much more likely to be getting photo damage from windows. A powerful sunblock is probably a better bet against evil rays of any kind, but 3P is very light, refreshing, and moisturizing without a hint of heaviness. I was sold, but the price, $40 for a small 3.5 oz. bottle of something that doesn't actually replace any other skincare item, and with a very debatable purpose, seemed quite high. Still, I slow down to give myself another spray every time I pass the Clarins counter.

Available at Gloss.