Scientism or “Science-Washing” in Beauty

Scientism or "Science-Washing" in Beauty

This is an amended version of a series originally published on my Instagram account @labmuffinbeautyscience. As science has gotten more trendy, scientism is starting to show up more in beauty marketing and the beauty community. Scientism, which I call “science-washing” (although apparently no one says that except me, but I’m vainly trying to make it happen) is science used in …

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Foundation Clumping Science, and How to Fix It

Foundation Compatibility (with Video)

You might’ve had the experience where you apply your foundation over primer/moisturiser/sunscreen etc., and then a little while later your foundation’s gone clumpy. This is foundation incompatilibility. What’s happening, and what can you do to avoid it? Let’s talk about the science behind foundation! [Note: I would recommend watching the video in addition to reading the post, if you’re usually …

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Reviewing Pharrell Williams’ Skincare Routine

Pharrell Williams' Skincare Routine

This week’s video is about musician and producer extraordinaire Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes, NERD and “Happy” fame. He’s well known for never seeing to age (often attributed to the fact that he may be a vampire). Here he is at 43: He’s revealed bits of his skincare routine in dribs and drabs in interviews throughout the years, so I …

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Why you should protect your skin from UVA (and how)

You already know about SPF, UVB, sunburn and its relationship with skin cancer… but what about UVA protection? Newer research has really highlighted the important of UVA protection, so this post will tell you all about what UVA is, what it does and how to protect your skin against it (i.e. lots of nerdy sunscreen talk). The video version is …

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Why You Shouldn’t Use Lemon Juice on Your Skin

There are more DIY skincare recipes on the internet than you can shake a stick at, and most of them really, really like lemon juice. According to these DIY tips you should be slathering it all over your face and hair. Lemon juice smells nice, and it’s pretty cheap. But is it effective? And is it safe? Let’s talk about …

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Skincare Chemistry: How to pick out humectants

humectant

I recently posted an excerpt from The Lab Muffin Guide to Basic Skincare on my Instagram and Facebook (which is one of many useful tables in my eBook by the way, and it’s packed full of information on the super important fundamentals of science-based skincare – although I’m obviously biased since I wrote it and put all my best tips …

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Ion Boosted Skincare? Panasonic Skincare Tools

Ion Boosted Skincare? Panasonic Skincare Tools (video)

This video is sponsored by Panasonic. I’ve been really curious about all the microcurrent devices for skincare that have been popping up on the market recently. So when Panasonic approached me to try theirs out and make a video on the science behind it, of course I jumped at the opportunity (those devices aren’t cheap!). I talk about two different …

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Skincare Layering: Not Actually About Molecular Size

Skincare Layering: Not Actually About Molecular Size

I ran into this myth twice today. The first time I saw it I thought there was no way anyone could believe it, because it was so damn ridiculous. The second time I saw it I realised maybe I knew a lot more about molecules than your average skincare expert (and I really should, given how much time I spent …

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