Snail Slime Skincare Science

snail-slime-cosmetics

Snail slime is the current It Girl in skincare. It’s been used since ancient times, and was revived in South American about 20 years ago as creme or gel de caracol, with brands such as Elicina. It really took off a few years when East Asian beauty companies caught wind of it and started jamming it into everything, from eye …

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Should I buy 3-free, 5-free, 6-free or 7-free nail polish?

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Too many numbers! What’s going on? 3-free polish does not contain dibutyl phthalate, toluene or formaldehyde. 4-free polish does not contain dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin. 5-free polish does not contain dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin or camphor. 6-free polish does not contain dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor or parabens. 7-free polish does not contain …

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Non-Vegan Beauty Ingredients

non-vegan-beauty-ingredients

I’m not a vegan myself, but I have a lot of friends who are, and since I’m an ingredients geek I decided to make a list of ingredients that vegans should watch out for if you decide to branch away from certified vegan products. This list isn’t completely comprehensive, but I intend to keep adding to it!  

Natural vs. Chemical – Which Is Better?

SAS-Natural-vs-man-made

Do these sorts of images look familiar? The general gist of the message is this: Natural = safe, healthy, normal and the way things are supposed to be Chemical = unnatural, cancer-causing, poisonous, dangerous, untested and unsafe This logic really appeals on a gut level, doesn’t it? But in reality, it’s untrue and misleading. Here’s why: “Chemical-free” is not a …

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Why Linoleic Acid and Rosehip Oil Might Fix Your Skin

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It’s time for me to gush about rosehip oil again! It’s my favourite skincare oil, and it’s my SOS beauty saviour – whenever my skin is looking dull or pimply or otherwise subpar, I give it a break from all my other treatments and just slap on rosehip oil. Today I’m focusing on one of its components: linoleic acid, also …

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How to Mix an Aztec Clay Mask Without the Smell

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Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay makes a great mask, but it’s alkaline so you need to mix it with apple cider vinegar to bring the clay to a skin-friendly pH. But then you slap it on your face and try to relax, but you can’t because all you can smell is vinegar. What can you do? I was stuck with …

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Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Review and Price Comparison

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It’s hard to think of a more formidable figure in science-based skincare than Paula Begoun. She’s been breaking through beauty marketing bullshit for 30 years, and while I don’t necessarily agree with all of her conclusions about skincare ingredients, it’s impossible to deny her positive influence. She launched her brand Paula’s Choice in 1995, featuring affordable and science-backed products, and …

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How Do You Say… Nail Edition

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So you’ve learnt how to pronounce skincare words, but what about nail polish? Here’s a handy guide to help you sound like even more of a pro when you flaunt your nail polish vocabulary…