The science of red light masks

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Red light is everywhere – you’ll see it used by celebrities, skincare influencers, and biohackers (not sure why male wellness influencers get their own special name). What does it do, and which products actually work? Let’s dig into the science behind red light therapy, or photobiomodulation. The video version of this post was part of a 3-way collaboration with Becky …

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Sunscreen safety and the FDA situation: Huberman’s skincare podcast response (Part 2)

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The most controversial topic in Dr Andrew Huberman’s skincare episode is probably sunscreen safety, which is hugely misunderstood even by scientists and medical doctors. Much of the confusion comes from differing sunscreen regulations around the world, and the fact that “not safe” has different meanings in everyday, regulatory and toxicological contexts. This is part 2 of my articles responding to …

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Physical barriers for sun protection? Huberman’s skincare podcast response (Part 1)

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A little while back, Dr Andrew Huberman, a Stanford neuroscientist with a massive podcast, released an episode called “How to Improve Skin Health & Appearance”. It had a bunch of slightly weird recommendations if you’re familiar with skincare science. He mentioned some of his sources, but didn’t have any experts talking. 1.5 months later, he released another skin episode, this …

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How to dry your hair, according to science

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What’s the best way to dry your hair, according to science? Is it hair dryers, hair straighteners, towels, or just leaving it to dry naturally? I have fragile, expensively damaged hair and try a lot of hair products, so I have a special interest in this. Here’s the science of drying your hair. The video is here, keep scrolling for …

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Benzene in your products, Part 2: The story of Valisure

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Here’s Part 2 of our deep dive into benzene contamination in your products. In Part 1, we talked about whether the experiments were “realistic” (no), and whether the cancer risk was described accurately (also no). This time, we’ll be discussing the wider issues around the private lab behind these findings, Valisure. This is adapted from the video version (which works …

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Top Sunscreens 2024, Part 3: Korean Sunscreens

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Here’s Part 3 of my updated sunscreen recommendations – these are the new Korean sunscreens I’m adding to my list.  Part 1: Japanese sunscreens Part 2: European sunscreens Part 3 (this one): Korean sunscreens Part 4: Australian sunscreens The video is here – keep scrolling for the text version.  See Part 1 for the full background information – here’s a …

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Top Sunscreens 2024, Part 2: European Sunscreens

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Part 2 of my 2024 top sunscreen recommendations update! This part covers the new European sunscreens on my list. Part 1: Japanese sunscreens Part 2 (this one): European sunscreens Part 3: Korean sunscreens Part 4: Australian sunscreens The video is here – keep scrolling for the text version.  See Part 1 for the full background information – here’s a very …

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