Have you ever tried a new skincare product, only to discover that it makes your skin flare up with pimples? This could be your skin purging, or it could be your skin reacting to the product and having a regular breakout. Purging is when your skin is adjusting to the new product. Persevering with the product will eventually make your skin …
I talked about my terrible teenage skincare routine before (check it out here if you want all the gory details). I have oily, acne-prone and dehydration-prone skin, and that skincare routine made everything so much worse. It took me about 15 years to figure out a good skincare routine (we didn’t have as much skincare info on the internet back …
You’ve probably seen hundreds of these sorts of videos and infographics giving you lists of foods to stop eating to cure your acne. Is there any truth to this? Are all these foods actually giving us acne? Here’s a deep dive into the science behind food and acne. A quick warning: I’ve had a lot of requests for this topic, …
The Inkey List are a brand that I generally quite like (well not anymore, now that I’ve seen their response to me raising this issue, and some of their other practices). They’re probably the main competitor to The Ordinary, which I also quite like. Both brands have lots of products, and many of them work well on my skin. They’re …
Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives, and they’re some of the most popular ingredients in skincare. They’re anti-aging, anti-pigmentation and anti-acne, plus their effectiveness is backed by lots of studies. But like everything else in skincare, there are lots of myths and half-truths about how they work and how you’re meant to use them. Here’s the video on YouTube – keep scrolling for …
If you’re wondering what the difference is between all of the different acne patches around, and whether they even work, you’re not alone – I get asked this a lot, so I made a video about them! I was also itching for an excuse to use my microscope again, so there are some fun(?) closeups of microneedle patches. I was …
This post is sponsored by Azclear. Here’s a breakdown of the science behind a cult Australian skincare nerd favourite: Azclear Medicated Lotion. What Is Azelaic Acid? Azelaic acid is an active skincare ingredient that’s great for a range of skin conditions, including mild to moderate acne and papulopustular rosacea. You’ll mostly find it in creams and gels, at concentrations between …
This video was sponsored by Bioderma. Bioderma are one of my favourite “sciencey” brands. Not only do they use science-backed ingredients, but they also conduct their own skin research in association with research institutes and dermatologists, and it’s been published in some pretty prestigious peer-reviewed journals (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, Journal of the European Academy …