Ultimate Guide to Drug Retinoids

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Drug retinoids – tretinoin, adapalene, tazarotene and trifarotene – are some of the most powerful ingredients in skincare. They can help with issues like acne, uneven texture and hyperpigmentation. But what are the differences between them? Here’s the guide for you! My PhD is in medicinal chemistry, so I’m going to be diving into the differences at a drug structure …

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Vitamin C doesn’t work? Debunking Science Vs Skin Care Podcast

Science Vs Skincare Podcast

The Science Vs podcast episode on Skin Care: Is Anti-Aging a Scam? in part inspired my recent post on whether retinol in cosmetic skincare products worked. I’ve had some questions about some of the other parts of the podcast, especially about vitamin C and whether it actually penetrates skin. As I’ve discussed before, vitamin C in L-ascorbic acid form is …

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Is Retinol a Scam? The Science

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If there’s one skincare ingredient that works, it’s retinol. Pretty much everyone agrees – whatever skin concern you have, it’s one of your best bets. But is it all a scam? Let’s dive into the science behind retinol, and the bigger question of why skincare science looks so different from what academic scientists are used to. The video is here, …

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DIY sunscreen test? Reacting to Style Theorists’ video

style theorists sunscreen reaction video

The Style Theorists recently did a video where they tried to test sunscreen “scientifically”, including… in a tanning bed. A lot of people sent it to me, so I filmed a video reacting to it! You can watch it here. Some of the topics covered: People should wear more sunscreen Sunscreen absorbing into blood Coral reefs and science by press …

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Is Your Sunscreen Killing Coral Reefs? The Science

Is Your Sunscreen Killing Coral? The Science (with Video)

You might have seen that Hawaii has banned certain sunscreens that have been linked to coral bleaching. In particular, it’s the organic “chemical” sunscreen ingredients oxybenzone and octinoxate that have been banned. It sounds like a great victory for the environment, right? But if you search a little past the headlines, you’ll find that there are actually a lot of …

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Why your hair products stop working

So you found the hair routine of your dreams and your hair is just magnificent…  But then it just stops working. What’s going on? Here’s the science behind why your products just suddenly stop working, and what can you do about it. The video is here, keep scrolling for the text version. You might need to change shampoos First off, …

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Sunscreen myths in the media

myths in sunscreen articles

It’s sunscreen season, and as you’d expect, there are lots of sunscreen articles coming out, full of common myths.  I’ve debunked a lot of myths about sunscreens before – sunscreens are toxic, you can make your own sunscreen – but this time I’m going to focus on incorrect advice from trusted media sources. These myths tend to be a bit …

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