Apple cider vinegar and Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay are two budget-friendly, cult status beauty products that work beautifully together. Why are they such perfect partners? Well… it’s got something to do with the magic known as pH. What is pH? pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity – the amount of hydrogen ions (H+) in something. It’s a …
Recently we looked closely at the most famous of the whitening agents, hydroquinone – it’s the most studied and very effective, but has some serious (though often overstated) side effects, is irritating to the skin, and has been heavily restricted in some countries as well. Today let’s have a look at some of the other whitening agents on the market …
This week’s Fact-check (it’s late, I know, sorry!) looks at another controversial skincare ingredient, hydroquinone. What is hydroquinone, what benefits does it have in skincare, why do people say it’s harmful, and is it actually bad? Let’s find out… What is hydroquinone? Hydroquinone (sometimes referred to as “HQ”) is a chemical with the structure shown below: It occurs naturally in …
Sorry for the delayed Fact-check Friday this week! We’re looking at something more hardcore today – not quite surgery, but not something you want to attempt blindly either: chemical peels. What is a chemical peel? Photo credit A chemical peel is a procedure for treating certain skin disorders, or simply improving the texture and appearance of the skin. It involves …
Today’s Fact-check Friday is on nail polish, keeping in theme with the Nail Blogger Secrets series. In particular, how can adding something on top of your mani make it dry faster? Science knows the answer. Science always knows. (Not really, otherwise science would stop.) Don’t forget – send me your beauty science questions and I’ll answer them if I can! …
Retinol is one of the most highly hyped anti-aging skincare ingredients. But what is it, and what exactly does it do? That’s the focus of this Fact-check Friday! What does retinol do? Retinol is a form of vitamin A. Other forms of vitamin A in skincare that you may be familiar with include isotretinoin (better known as Accutane) and …
Fact-check Feature is a new series here on Lab Muffin, where I’ll be answering beauty questions and busting beauty myths. Got a question? Email me, or leave me a comment. I’ve heard a lot about sun exposure and chemical exfoliants. What precautions do I need to take? Chemical exfoliants, unlike physical exfoliants, are products that you leave on your skin. …
After my original concealer creasing comparison here, I did some digging around to see if there were other concealers that could compare to MAC Pro Longwear. I’ve had a terrible run with MAC breaking me out (and my skin is pretty hardy), so I wanted to try my luck with other brands. I also disliked the packaging of MAC Pro …