You might have heard that “hydration” and “moisture” mean different things in skincare. Today I’m going to make an argument about why this distinction is stupid and we should stop using it. I have lots of strong feelings about terminology. Ideally, I like terminology that’s both intuitive and accurate. Sometimes it doesn’t quite work that way and you need to …
I did my first Instagram Live session earlier this week, where I fielded questions and answered them to the best of my ability – it was basically a pop quiz for me! The questions were mostly about skincare (of course), but there were a few about hair and cats as well. I tried to answer as many questions as I …
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 – …
Here’s a new video that covers what SPF means, and debunks a couple of SPF myths: Why SPF doesn’t mean how many times longer you can stay in the sun Why higher SPF is more effective (and not just 1% more effective) I’ve talked about the first myth before in this post on SPF and UV index, but I haven’t …
I’ve made a new video about antioxidants in skincare – it’s based on this post from a while ago: Antioxidants in Skincare: What Do They Do? In the video, I talk about: What free radicals are How they’re linked to skin damage Where free radicals come from How antioxidants work Which antioxidant ingredients have been studied in clinical trials Tips on …
I’ve been really nervous and excited about this for the last few weeks, and the day is finally here: I’m launching my first eBook, The Lab Muffin Guide to Basic Skincare! As you all probably know I’m a massive skincare nerd, and I love researching and writing about it (in case you couldn’t tell from the last 7 years of …
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 …
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 …