La Roche-Posay UVMune 400: Science and Review

La Roche-Posay UVMune 400

The La Roche-Posay UVMune 400 range has been super hyped up because it contains a brand new sunscreen ingredient: Methoxypropylamino Cyclohexenylidene Ethoxyethylcyanoacetate (MCE), or Mexoryl 400. It’s currently exclusive to L’Oreal, and was developed in conjunction with BASF. I’ve mentioned in passing that I don’t think it’s as much of a game changing “must have” for everyone that some people have …

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Benzene in your products, Part 1: Bad science

valisure benzene video

It’s now Round 5 of “benzene in your products is giving you cancer” – over the last three years, this “known human carcinogen” been found in hand sanitiser, sunscreen, deodorant, dry shampoo, and now benzoyl peroxide acne products.  I previously talked about benzene in sunscreen and dry shampoo, but it’s time for a deeper dive into these findings, and the …

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Amodimethicone: The Science of My Favourite Hair Ingredient

Amodimethicone: My New Favourite Hair Ingredient

Since I bleached my hair and dyed it purple (and am now slowly shifting to pink), my hair care needs have changed massively. Related Post: My Asian Hair Bleaching Experience (Video) Related Post: What to Expect After You Bleach Your Asian Hair Typical straight, black East Asian, hair naturally has low porosity, with the outside cuticle lying very flat. This means that …

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DMDM hydantoin and formaldehyde in haircare

Tony Youn dmdm hydantoin

DMDM hydantoin is a preservative commonly found in shampoos. It started getting a lot of attention in 2021, thanks to a number of lawsuits surrounding hair loss. Let’s talk about the science behind DMDM hydantoin, and whether it’s safe. (This post is partly based off a longer video about haircare misinformation on TikTok, which also covers sulfates, silicones, testing heat …

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The “Everything” Serum: Olay Super Serum

olay super serum

I’ve been reviewing beauty products for more than 10 years, so not a lot of things excite me – but some things did in 2023. The Olay Super Serum was one of them! The video version of this review is here, keep scrolling for the text version…. Olay Super Serum is the best new skincare product I’ve tried in a …

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How to find transfer-proof eyeliner pencils

smudgeproof eyeliner seal

Something that made a big difference to me in 2023: I worked out how to find eyeliner pencils that were transfer-proof even on my oily skin!  My eyelids are super oily, so eyeliners always smudge or start transferring after a few hours. Transfer-proof pencils aren’t really that new an innovation, but for the longest time I didn’t really know what …

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