The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that hand and body washes containing certain antibacterial ingredients can no longer be widely sold (the final rule can be found here, and the consumer update is here). Why have they been banned? The Banned Antibacterial Ingredients In high enough concentrations, antibacterial ingredients kill bacteria either by rupturing their membranes (their …
I always assumed that the Clarisonic cleansing brush was an attempt to clean the skin via sonic cavitation, which is when sound waves cause tiny jets of water to smash into a surface to clean it, like a thousand tiny power hoses (that’s how sonic jewellery/glasses cleaners work). But for sonic cleaning via cavitation to work, you need a hard …
Biotin, also known as vitamin B7 or vitamin H, pops up in every supplement marketed for strengthening hair and nails. Do biotin supplements actually work for brittle nails? The answer is – it depends. Gah! Read on for the gory details… Are you getting enough biotin in your diet? Nutritional supplements generally only make a difference if you’re not getting …
Dehydrated skin is very common in winter, when cold dry air speeds up water evaporation from skin. It’s also made worse with air conditioning and recirculated aeroplane air. Exfoliants, moisturisers and masks help, but sometimes what your skin really needs is a targeted humectant product that will give a hardcore hydration boost. What is dehydrated skin? Dry skin occurs when …
Note: I made a related video, with some updates! Here it is – scroll down for the written version. For more on working out your skin type and conditions, building a routine, choosing products that fit your skin and lots more, check out The Lab Muffin Guide to Basic Skincare. What’s the difference between dry and dehydrated skin? Now that …
Since writing this post on the influence of pH on exfoliating acid skincare ingredients, I’ve had a lot of questions on how much active free acid there is in specific formulations. The calculation is a bit fiddly to do every time, so I’ve developed an easy spreadsheet to help you predict the free acid content for a product, if you …
You might have noticed that your skin looks plumper and brighter when you wake up in the morning compared to at night. It’s not just that you’ve gotten some rest, and you’re not simply imagining it! Peer-reviewed studies have found that your skin is actually thicker in the morning than at night, and wrinkles are less pronounced in the morning …
A question I get asked a lot is: Does a moisturiser with SPF give your skin the same sun protection as a sunscreen with the same SPF? The short answer is yes! All products with labelled SPF values, including moisturisers and foundations and powders, go through the same testing procedures as sunscreens to determine their sun protection ratings (the exact …