There’s a troubling pattern with a lot of “science-based” cosmetic products. Many of them make claims solely based on mechanistic reasoning, rather than any actual measured effects on humans. This is a big problem because mechanistic reasoning often doesn’t predict what happens on actual humans – and it’s especially the case with the ways these claims are often used for …
There are a lot of myths in beauty, and over the years, I’ve noticed that a lot of them come from misunderstanding how science and scientific evidence works. Here’s one big misconception: the idea that if a source is “peer reviewed”, it’s automatically higher quality than a source that isn’t. Unfortunately, it isn’t any sort of guarantee, especially for a …
Batiste is one of the most popular dry shampoos, but there are lots of posts on social media warning people not to use it. Is it actually bad for your hair? Here’s the lowdown. What are the claims? Here’s an example of one of these videos, which I debunked recently as part of a YouTube video on haircare myths: Video: …
DMDM hydantoin is a preservative commonly found in shampoos. It started getting a lot of attention in 2021, thanks to a number of lawsuits surrounding hair loss – so let’s talk about the science behind it and whether it’s safe. (This post is partly based off a longer video about haircare misinformation on TikTok, which also covers sulfates, silicones, testing …
Something that made a big difference to me in 2023: I worked out how to find eyeliner pencils that were transfer-proof even on my oily skin! My eyelids are super oily, so eyeliners always smudge or start transferring after a few hours. Transfer-proof pencils aren’t really that new an innovation, but for the longest time I didn’t really know what …
Have you seen colour-changing lipsticks and blushes online? A lot of these claim to “adjust” to your skin’s pH to give a personalised shade… but is it just a gimmick? Here’s the chemistry behind these products. Colour-changing ingredients Red 27 Most colour-changing products – whether lipsticks or blushes – contain an ingredient called Red 27, also listed as CI 45410 …
Drug retinoids – tretinoin, adapalene, tazarotene and trifarotene – are some of the most powerful ingredients in skincare. They can help with issues like acne, uneven texture and hyperpigmentation. But what are the differences between them? Here’s the guide for you! My PhD is in medicinal chemistry, so I’m going to be diving into the differences at a drug structure …
Retinoids are the gold standard skincare ingredients. They’re the next essential product after sunscreen, because they can help with so many skin issues, and there’s scientific evidence to back them up. But there are a lot of options, so it’s tricky to work out which one you should use – and it doesn’t help that there’s so much incorrect info …