Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) is an ingredient found in lots of skincare products. Here’s the lowdown on what it is, and what it does for your skin. What Is Coenzyme Q10? Coenzyme Q10 (also known as ubiquinone or CoQ10) is a fat-soluble substance found in almost every tissue in your body. Your body naturally produces a lot of it. Its main …
I’ve made a new video about antioxidants in skincare – it’s based on this post from a while ago: Antioxidants in Skincare: What Do They Do? In the video, I talk about: What free radicals are How they’re linked to skin damage Where free radicals come from How antioxidants work Which antioxidant ingredients have been studied in clinical trials Tips on …
I’ve posted a new video on vitamin D and sun exposure. Like most skincare addicts I’ve long thought that the sun was evil and should be avoided at all costs, but it turns out that’s an outdated viewpoint! Vitamin D is important for pretty much everything in your body, and a lot of people are deficient in vitamin D. Does sunscreen …
I’ve been asked a lot for my opinion on a recent article on whether vitamin C serums are bad for your skin. In the article, Wendy explains why Oumere will never have a vitamin C serum in their line. She outlines that vitamin C can: Act as a pro-oxidant when it reacts with iron in the air (or iron and …
I’ve been a little frustrated with what scientific concepts I can get through in words and crudely drawn illustrations on this here blog. When I teach at my day job, I do a lot of hand-waving, emphatic underlining, symbolic gesturing and smashing together of whiteboard markers, and not having the ability to show movement sometimes feels a bit like I …
Unless you’ve been living under a rock or just aren’t that into skincare, you’d have heard of The Ordinary by now. The newest brand from Deciem (parent company of NIOD and Hylamide) aims to bring effective skincare to the market at affordable prices. As a skincare science nerd, it’s very exciting because many evidence-backed ingredients are very cheap, but skincare …
Vitamin D is a vital nutrient in your body, and one of the main sources of vitamin D for humans is exposure to UVB radiation from the sun. However, UV also causes skin cancer and skin aging, so sun protection (sunscreen, protective hats, protective clothing) is important. How should we balance the two? This is a very controversial topic and …
In my last post I reviewed some water-based vitamin C serums containing ascorbic acid (Paula’s Choice, Ultraceuticals and Ausceuticals). Today, I’m looking at some oil-based serums containing a slightly modified version of vitamin C: ascorbyl isotetrapalmitate. There are a few reasons to use a modified version of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) instead of the real thing. Since ascorbic acid isn’t …