ESSILOR OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES launch of ESSENTIAL BLUE SERIES™ lenses
New offering gives eye care professionals the option to offer all patients Harmful Blue Light protection
DALLAS – MAY 1, 2018 – Essilor of America announces the launch of its new Essential Blue Series™ brand of blue light filtering lenses which provide a combination of Harmful Blue Light protection and clarity all in one lens. Essential Blue Series lenses deliver up to three times more protection from Harmful Blue Light than standard clear lenses.1 With this launch, eye care professionals will now have the option to offer Harmful Blue Light protection to all of their patients.
Harmful Blue Light is the blue-violet wavelengths between 415-455 nm on the light spectrum believed to be most toxic to retinal cells. Emerging research has pointed to a possible link between exposure to these wavelengths and long-term vision issues such as age-related macular degeneration.2 While Essential Blue Series lenses help protect from Harmful Blue Light, they do allow for exposure to Beneficial Blue Light (465- 495 nm on the light spectrum), which has been shown to play an important role in the sleep/wake cycle, memory, cognitive performance, and other factors that contribute to general wellness.
“As an industry leader, and as part of our mission of improving lives by improving sight, Essilor is committed to vision correction and protection for everyone,” says Sherianne James, Chief Marketing Officer, Essilor of America. “A survey³ found that 35 percent of consumers are already aware of the dangers of Harmful Blue Light, and many are actively seeking protection as evidenced by recent online search trends. We believe ECPs should have the choice to protect patients from Harmful Blue Light, and consumers should have the option for Harmful Blue Light protection in a clear lens. With the launch of Essential Blue Series, ECPs have the opportunity to offer additional value to every patients’ lens purchase.”
Before the launch of Essential Blue Series, Harmful Blue Light protection was available with Varilux® digital lenses, Eyezen™+ single vision lenses, and Crizal® Prevencia® lenses, making up approximately 15 percent of Essilor’s core product portfolio. With Essential Blue Series, blue light protection in a clear lens will be available in all Essilor progressive and single vision lenses, comprising 100 percent of the company’s core product portfolio. For more information, visit www.essilorusa.com/essentialblue.
1. Standard clear lenses filter approximately 5% of Harmful Blue Light.
2. Dillon, James, et al., Transmission of light to the aging human retina: possible implications for age related macular degeneration, Experimental Eye Research Volume 79, Issue 6, December 2004, Pages 753–75. doi:10.1016/j.exer.2004.06.025
3. BCT2 Offer Take Rate Consumer Topline Report, Dec 2015.
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About Essilor of America, Inc.
Essilor, the leading manufacturer of optical lenses in the United States, is driven by the company's mission of improving lives by improving sight. A pioneer in the development and production of ophthalmic lenses, Essilor employs more than 10,000 people throughout North America. Essilor manufactures optical lenses under the VARILUX® , CRIZAL® , TRANSITIONS® , XPERIO UV™, EYEZEN™, and other Essilor brand names. Essilor Laboratories of America, Inc. is the largest and most trusted optical lab network in the U.S. and offers a wide choice of products and services to eyecare professionals across the nation. Essilor of America, Inc. (Essilor) is a subsidiary of Paris-based Essilor International, a publicly held company traded on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (Reuters: ESSI.PA).
