Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic there’s a hand sanitizer shortage… and a ton of DIY hand sanitizer recipes. Will they actually work? (Spoiler: Most of them won’t.) I’ve made a video breaking down some of the good bad DIY hand sanitizer recipes out there. Check out the video on YouTube here. Key points: COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2 (novel coronavirus …
You’ve probably seen the recent influx of articles about the new FDA sunscreen study, usually titled something like “sunscreens can make it to your bloodstream!” The study itself is fine and good and necessary as a first step in the FDA’s new zeal for sunscreen regulation. But the more I read the coverage around it, the more annoyed I get, …
I ran into this myth twice today. The first time I saw it I thought there was no way anyone could believe it, because it was so damn ridiculous. The second time I saw it I realised maybe I knew a lot more about molecules than your average skincare expert (and I really should, given how much time I spent …
You might have heard that “hydration” and “moisture” mean different things in skincare. Today I’m going to make an argument about why this distinction is stupid and we should stop using it. I have lots of strong feelings about terminology. Ideally, I like terminology that’s both intuitive and accurate. Sometimes it doesn’t quite work that way and you need to …
This post was originally published on the now sadly defunct awesome website The Toast in 2014. A reader suggested that I repost it on Lab Muffin… which I thought I did, but apparently that was all a fever dream. Here it is! There’s soap in your mayonnaise! As a scientist with a degree in chemistry, the surge in chemophobia over …
Here’s a pet peeve of mine: SPF drops and boosters. Fellow skincare fanatic Hannah (@ms_hannah_e on Instagram) reminded me about them recently, right when I was in a ranty mood, so it fit right in. What Are SPF Sunscreen Drops? SPF Sunscreen Drops are products that you’re supposed to mix into other products to “turn them into sunscreens”. Some examples …
I’ve uploaded a new video on whether natural beauty products are better or safer. This is a topic that’s close to my heart, as it was the reason I started my blog all the way back in 2011 and it was my first science post! So I donned my best natural-themed jacket and recorded this. Check out the video here. …
I’ve done a lot of posts on skincare products I love… now, for something a bit different, here are some that I really hate and would only recommend to people I don’t like. So if I ever recommend these to you… it’s not me, it’s you. I just don’t see our relationship working out. Coffee Scrubs Coffee scrubs are made …