This post was originally published on the now sadly defunct awesome website The Toast in 2014. A reader suggested that I repost it on Lab Muffin… which I thought I did, but apparently that was all a fever dream. Here it is! There’s soap in your mayonnaise! As a scientist with a degree in chemistry, the surge in chemophobia over …
There’s been a lot of people testing heat protectants on receipts lately. You spray a heat protectant on a thermal paper receipt, then use a flat iron hair straightener on it. Since receipt paper turns black with heat, the receipts that stay white have the more effective heat protectants… … Or so the logic goes, anyway. But does this test …
Your scalp’s itchy and inflamed – and none of the products you’ve tried seem to be working. And now, maybe your hair’s even thinning. Here’s the problem: Most scalp products aren’t treating the right cause, and no one’s really explaining what that is. And a lot of scalp products actually make things worse. I’m the owner of a problematic scalp, …
I don’t know about you, but over the last few years with existential pandemic and climate change stress, working from home and an ADHD diagnosis, my daily life routine has kind of gone out the window. I keep losing track of when I last changed my sheets, when lunchtime is, when I should go to sleep and whether I’ve taken …
Hi! I’m Dr Michelle Wong, chemistry PhD, science communicator and cosmetic chemist, and I’m here to help you figure out what beauty products are worth buying, and which ones aren’t, using science. I’m 30-something, based in Sydney, Australia. I started Lab Muffin in December 2011, frustrated that there weren’t enough easy-to-understand explanations of the science behind beauty products online. I …
Batiste is one of the most popular dry shampoos, but there are lots of posts on social media warning people not to use it. Is it actually bad for your hair? Here’s the lowdown. What are the claims? Here’s an example of one of these videos, which I debunked recently as part of a YouTube video on haircare myths: Video: …
Haruharu is a Korean brand who have recently released a couple of sunscreens with a lot of hype around them: Moisture Airyfit and Pure Mineral Relief. I recently reviewed these in a sponsored video. Note: Neither of these are approved as sunscreens in Australia. Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airyfit Sunscreen SPF 50+, PA++++ Filters: TDSA (Mexoryl SX), octyl triazone, …
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, …