No More Pretty in Pink

Pink Light Bulbs

 

In her famous book Entertaining is Fun, Dorthy Draper recommended switching out your white light bulbs with pink light bulbs when guests come over. Pink bulbs are incredibly flattering to everyone, reducing the look of wrinkles and giving you a healthy rosy glow. So much cheaper and easier than plastic surgery or painting the room pink. 

I have used pink light bulbs in all of my lamps for literally decades and have posted about them several times. Light bulbs have been political footballs for years - the phase out of incandescent bulbs was proposed by the Bush administration, put into law by the Obama administration, rolled back by the Trump administration, and now two new strict standards have been put into effect by the Biden administration.

When the "ban" actually began during the Obama administration, I was delighted to see that pink incandescent light bulbs were exempted as specialty bulbs (as were chandelier bulbs and 3 way bulbs). But nevertheless my favorite Sylvania pink incandescent bulbs were the first to bite the dust and were discontinued several years ago. They were the prettiest pale coral pink like the inside of a conch shell and were available in a three way 50/100/150. I bought up every single one I could find when they were discontinued and had enough for several years. (I still have one left - LOL).

Long Discontinued Sylvania 3 Way Light Bulb

Then I started using the only ones left on the market - the 60 watt G.E. incandescent soft pink bulb pictured at the top of this post. They were not as pretty or as pink as the Sylvania, but beggars can't be choosers. I bought them in large quantities on Amazon and had not ordered any in over a year. When I went to order some the other day, I was horrified to see they are discontinued and sold out everywhere. Trust me, I looked. (Except for a couple of eBay sellers trying to sell them for $25 to $50 per light bulb. One seller has a pair on sale on eBay for $549.99. ) I kid you not.

The light bulb police are really serious this time - all bulbs have to meet standards that incandescent and halogen bulbs cannot realistically meet and it will be illegal to manufacture or sell them this year - 2023.

So my search will begin today for LED bulbs that are warm and flattering - yeah, right. I have starting researching the "best," and will buy several and test them out and post on my findings. If any of you have recommendations, please leave a comment. This is the most upset I have been about a product off the market since Coke Classic was "discontinued" in 1985.

And while LED lighting is more energy efficient, many studies here and abroad have discussed the consequences of light pollution on humans and animals. "Chief among the health consequences of blue light in LED and florescent bulbs is its ability to suppress the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep patterns in humans and other organisms. Numerous scientific studies have warned that increased exposure to artificial blue light can worsen people’s sleeping habits, which in turn can lead to a variety of chronic health conditions over time. The increase in blue light radiation has also reduced the visibility of stars in the night sky, which may have impacts on people’s sense of nature. Blue light can also alter the behavioral patterns of animals including bats and moths, as it can change their movements towards or away from light sources." (The Guardian)

If any of you have pink light bulbs that you don't want, I am accepting care packages.