Sunlight is a natural mood-booster, influencing body chemistry (e.g. melatonin and serotonin levels). If you’re not getting enough exposure to daylight, bright light therapy with Vitamin L is the next best thing, putting you in a better mood, boosting energy and helping you to feel more alert. It can also help relieve the symptoms of winter blues. Position Vitamin L at arm's length (about 50 cm) with the light angled towards your face. Although you don't need to stare at the light source, the light must reach your eyes to have any effect. This means you can use Vitamin L whilst reading, working on your laptop, crafting etc.

Your body’s natural rhythms, which influence mood, sleep and general wellbeing, are governed by how much light (natural and artificial) you’re exposed to. Vitamin L mimics the brightness and intensity of natural light, so if you’re indoors, a bright light therapy session works quickly to improve mood, energy, focus and daytime alertness. Used daily, Vitamin L can encourage a more regular sleep/wake pattern, making it easier to get to sleep and wake up feeling more refreshed.

Look out for early signs of winter blues in Sept/Oct and if you start feeling more tired, anxious or irritable, start using Vitamin L. As spring comes around, you can cut back on your bright light sessions. If symptoms return, simply use Vitamin L again for a few days.

Most people find that bright light therapy works best in the mornings so if you are just starting out, we recommend that you try this first. If you find it difficult to get going in the morning, switch on Vitamin L as soon as you can. If you don't have time in the mornings, you can aim for a top-up or full session in the afternoon but try to avoid exposure to bright late in the evening as you may find it difficult to get to sleep.

Position Vitamin L at arm's length (approx. 50 cm) and start with 30 minutes of exposure per day. You may find this is enough but if you don’t notice much of an effect, increase your exposure each day until you find something that works for you. If you're more comfortable with Vitamin L positioned further away, then less light will reach your eyes and you'll need to use it for longer. There's no harm in using the light for longer than suggested. You can get your bright light therapy all in one go or use Vitamin L on-and-off throughout the day for a cumulative effect. If you find your eyes ache slightly, try using it further away or switch it off for a while. Whether you’re using Vitamin L for winter blues, or for general wellbeing, once you’ve found a pattern that’s right for you try to use it around the same time every day.

We do not recommend staring directly into the light as you may experience discomfort due to the brightness. Instead, we recommend that you place Vitamin L at around arm’s length and continue with your usual daily activities. This is the best and most comfortable way to use the light.

Wearing clear glasses or clear contact lenses will not reduce the effects of Vitamin L. However, wearing sunglasses, photo-sensitive or tinted lenses reduces the effectiveness of light therapy as less light reaches the all-important receptors at the back of your eyes.