If you follow skincare YouTubers, you probably know of Liah Yoo, who does a lot of in-depth Korean skincare videos. She’s launched a line, KraveBeauty, and sent me their first two products to review! I’ve made a video for these – I haven’t done many product review videos yet, so let me know what you think and whether I should …
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skincare addicts I’ve long thought that the sun was evil and should be avoided at all costs, but it turns out that’s an outdated viewpoint!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 …
Supplements are one of the big new “it” categories in beauty, and collagen supplements are one of the most popular. Oral collagen supplements are supposed to be anti-aging, get rid of wrinkles and plump up skin so it looks younger. What’s the science behind them and do they really work?
I made a video on the topic! In it I talk about the way collagen supplements could theoretically work, and then break down the clinical studies on eating and drinking collagen.
We’ve just gotten out of winter in the Southern Hemisphere, in time for cold weather to hit the Northern Hemisphere, so I thought it would be a good time to talk about dry and dehydrated skin again and how to treat it. I actually have dehydration-prone skin all year round, so this topic is almost always on my mind! I’ve …
Here’s a video where I talk about my favourite acids in skincare: the science behind what they do, and how to use them in your routine. I’ve got some hydroxy acids of course, but I also talk about some vitamins and some others (azelaic acid and linoleic acid). This video is for if you have an established skincare routine, and …
Or at least I hope all your sunscreen and make-up questions are answered! This video took me a bloody long time to research and put together, so I’m hoping I won’t have to revisit this topic again anytime soon. The questions I talk about: Do I need to wear sunscreen every day, even though I’ll be inside most of the …
I’ve uploaded a new video on whether natural beauty products are better or safer. This is a topic that’s close to my heart, as it was the reason I started my blog all the way back in 2011 and it was my first science post! So I donned my best natural-themed jacket and recorded this. Check out the video here. …
Here’s a new video on why DIY sunscreen doesn’t work. It’s a much more detailed version of my post on DIY sunscreen from a while ago. It’s a topic that’s quite important to me, since it’s one of those cases where having the wrong information can cause serious harm!
This video has been a bit delayed due to the rest of my life getting a bit hectic, but I managed to get it out before the Northern Hemisphere summer finished, so go me…
I bought a lapel microphone and some new editing software, so everything is a bit more polished I hope! Check it out here.
Since I know there are a lot of nerds out there who like references and extra information, here are some of the sources for specific things I mention in the video (I got lazy with my citation style, sorry):
Skin cancer stats are sourced from the Cancer Council Australia and the Skin Cancer Foundation, who list the original sources at the bottom of their respective sites.
SPF testing guidelines: FDA (USA), TGA (Australia), EC (EU).
Dangers of UVA: Blog Post: Why You Should Protect Yourself From UVA
More info on sunscreen formulation
Sunscreens are very unlikely to cause endocrine disruption in practice: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (open access – quote: “Mathematic modeling indicated that it would take 277 years using a sunscreen containing 6% oxybenzone used at 2 mg/cm2 (the dose recommended for sun-protection factor [SPF] testing by the FDA) or 1 mg/cm2 (reported real-life use) to achieve the systemic levels of oxybenzone achieved in the study in rats”), Australasian Journal of Dermatology (looks at other filters apart from oxybenzone)
Nanoparticles in sunscreens are safe: TGA Literature Review (very comprehensive)
More (open access!) papers on zinc oxide: Nanotechnology Science and Applications, Science and Technology of Advanced Materials
People stay in the sun for longer when wearing sunscreen: JID paper (open access)
Reporting illegal medicines: FDA report form, TGA report form
This is a topic that I thought deserved a longer write-up.