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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

Will Blue Light from Computers and Phones Damage Your Skin?

Will Blue Light from Computers and Phones Damage Your Skin?

A lot of our lives now involves staring at phone and computer screens. I recently posted an article about how visible light can damage your skin, and how to prevent it from happening. The key takeaways: Visible light can theoretically damage your skin Higher energy blue wavelengths is the harmful portion of the spectrum It causes pigmentation in dark skinned …

Read more

Testing Fake Tan Remover: How Does It Work?

Testing Fake Tan Remover: How Does It Work?

If you’ve ever used fake tan, you’ll know that after a few days it can start to flake off, and if you’ve applied it unevenly you’ll want to buff out the stain ASAP. I was pretty excited when I saw Bondi Sands Self Tan Eraser ($19.99 AUD for 200 mL). It’s a product that claims to remove fake tan – …

Read more

What Are Propylene and Butylene Glycol, and Are They Safe?

What are propylene and butylene glycol, and are they safe?

One of the common reader requests I get is for “toxic” ingredient breakdowns, so today I’m looking at two ingredients that are commonly on “avoid” lists: propylene and butylene glycol. What are propylene and butylene glycol? Glycols in chemistry are ingredients that contain two OH (alcohol) groups. Propylene glycol contains 3 carbon atoms, while butylene glycol is a little larger …

Read more