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 …
Here’s a pet peeve of mine: SPF drops and boosters. Fellow skincare fanatic Hannah (@ms_hannah_e on Instagram) reminded me about them recently, right when I was in a ranty mood, so it fit right in. What Are SPF Sunscreen Drops? SPF Sunscreen Drops are products that you’re supposed to mix into other products to “turn them into sunscreens”. Some examples …
Are chemical or physical sunscreens better? I touched on this in my Sunscreen and Make-up video, but a lot of people have been asking me to talk more about it, so I’ve expanded on the topic in this post, which comes in video form as well! Click here for the video – scroll down for the blog post “summary” version …
You’ve probably heard that you need 1/4 teaspoon of sunscreen to cover your face. This quantity is calculated from an estimate of people’s face sizes, and the amount of sunscreen they use in SPF testing (2 mg per cm2). Since it’s based on the thickness of sunscreen, a larger face will need more sunscreen, while a smaller face will need …
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 …