Popular streamer Valkyrae recently responded to criticism surrounding her skincare label RFLCT. The content creator co-founded the brand and product line, which has little to no scientific evidence to support its dermatological claims.
Valkyrae is a streamer who isn't a stranger to high visibility. She made a few headlines last year for moving away from Twitch and signing an exclusivity deal with YouTube. Her popularity has given her a large audience which she recently leveraged to promote the RFLCT skincare brand. The formulas under the RFLCT banner are designed to protect the skin from "blue light pollution," making it an ostensibly good match for gamers. Unfortunately, not much has been made available in the way of hard evidence when it comes to how much skin damage, if any, is caused by blue light emitted from screens.
Following coverage of the controversy from sources like Eurogamer, the streamer has now offered an official response. In a one-minute voice recording uploaded to Twitter on Thursday, Valkyrae voiced her thoughts on the controversy. She commented that she sympathized with those concerned about RFLCT being a scam, and said that she was "upset and confused" to see that the RFLCT website did not cite studies regarding blue light's effect on the skin. She also promised to go into more detail on this topic in the future.
The dangers of blue light created by computer screens is a common fear among dedicated gamers. Gaming glasses like the Razer Anzu have become popular in recent years owing to their blue-light filtering lenses that can reduce eye strain and long-term damage. There is a greater wealth of evidence supporting the claim that blue light can have a harmful effect on the eyes, and it seems like brands such as RFLCT might be attempting to capitalize on this. If the general public has a negative perception of blue light, it's conceivable that many people would easily believe that its negative effects are broader than they really are. When coupled with the unambiguous support of a popular content creator like Valkyrae, RFLCT could have been a big success. After all, the market for gaming peripherals and accessories is huge, with bizarre products like Razer's futuristic gaming chair concept gaining popularity.
It's worth noting Valyrae's allusions to more uncited evidence in her statement. She spoke in vague terms, but she doesn't seem to be admitting that RFLCT's claims are unproven, just that someone in the pipeline slipped up and didn't include the sources where they should have. How the brand adjusts its messaging in response to this controversy remains to be seen.
Source: Eurogamer, Valkyrae/Twitter
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