Troubleshooting PVA peel off base coat

A lot of people have asked me questions about Essence/PVA base coat since my original post on it – I’ve gathered here some of the most common questions and some solutions that seem to work, after some trial and error. Some of the solutions weren’t thought up by me, but by clever ladies who’ve contacted me on Twitter, or are …

Read more

Ceramides – what the eff are they and why are they in my cream?

Ceramides – where have I heard that before? Ceramides are in lots of moisturisers and serums. Brands which feature ceramides in their skincare range include Elizabeth Arden, L’Oréal, Ultraceuticals and Innoxa. What are ceramides? Ceramides are a family of lipids (fatty molecules) which make up a significant proportion of cell membranes, the “skin” of cells. They are also the main …

Read more

What does benzoyl peroxide do?

Benzoyl peroxide (or BP, as it’s affectionately known) is one of those products that seems to work for everyone. It’s a topical treatment (cream) that’s an essential component of many acne treatment regimens (Dan Kern’s acne.org, ProActiv, Paula Begoun just to name a few). But what does it do, and how is it most effective? Benzoyl peroxide is a peroxide, …

Read more

Answers to some questions from readers about pimples

 A few readers have asked me questions about acne – I thought I’d share my answers here 🙂 What’s the fastest way to get rid of a huge pimple? A cortisone injection from a dermatologist. This will even get rid of those massive hard lumps under the skin that usually take forever to go away on their own! Most pimples …

Read more

What’s wrong with SLS?

(Photo credit: Steve Ford Elliott) Lots of personal care products proudly say they’re “SLS-free”. What was wrong with it in the first place? Sodium lauryl sulfate (also known as sodium dodecyl sulfate, or sodium coco-sulfate) is found in many personal care products, such as shampoo, toothpaste . It looks like this: It has an oil-soluble “tail” (on the left) and …

Read more

Is it ok to add nail polish remover to your nail polish?

I’m sure many of us polishaholics have often come across a gluggy old bottle of polish and wanted to pour a whole bottle of remover in. But does it ruin your polish? Unfortunately, there’s no easy yes or no – the incredibly unsatisfying answer is: it depends. It depends on 2 things: the type of nail polish remover and the …

Read more

Does skin need to breathe?

In short, for humans who are not premature babies, the answer is “no“. Not in the traditional sense of taking in oxygen for the rest of your body, anyway. Your skin’s essential function is to prevent things from the environment from entering your body, and things you need (e.g. water) from leaving the body. It’s very good at its job! …

Read more

Sun Protection Basics

You northern hemisphere girls are heading towards midsummer, and us southern hemisphere girls are missing summer, so I thought I’d remind everyone of the most important thing to remember when going into the sun… sunscreen! During my research I came across this brilliant infographic which presents all the research in a much more interesting and clearer format than I could, …

Read more