Journeying into the more controversial ingredients, we first have to talk about petrolatum. One common question that we haven’t answered yet is, “Will petrolatum clog my pores?” There’s a surprising amount of data to discuss on this subject and after, we share best practices on using petrolatum in your skincare routine.

Taking a break from plant stuff and antioxidants, let’s talk about the newer exfoliator on the block, gluconolactone. Uniquely, gluconolactone has been tied to many skin benefits, being called hydrating, brightening, exfoliating, to maybe even…acne fighting? Ultimately we dissect the data to discuss what exactly gluconolactone does for skin and how it compares to the classic AHAs. Tune in to learn if gluconolactone deserves a place in your routine and how to best shop for this category!

In this episode, we’re continuing our Vitamin C series and are focusing on actives layering. Most of the questions we get are on whether or not you can layer certain actives with the very fussy ascorbic acid. We first review guidelines on the concept of layering, go through any evidence on ascorbic acid layering combinations, and finally discuss which pairings you should and shouldn’t worry about.

We’ve dedicated many episodes to Vitamin C, but there’s still more to cover! Recently, there have been a lot of Vitamin C launches and they are specifically for tackling hyperpigmentation. What makes this arena slightly confusing is that many of these products use Vitamin C derivatives. But, how helpful is Vitamin C in helping to tackle this very stubborn skin concern? And which Vitamin C molecule is best? We discuss all this and more. It’s time to go down the rabbit hole again!

We’ve encountered many skincare users who have discovered that the Vitamin C realm is just not their cup of tea and neither is it for their skin. Enter resveratrol! We discuss what resveratrol is, its antioxidant capabilities, and why despite the amount of data, we consider this a solid option as a non-Vitamin C antioxidant replacement. You’ve been warned, we get nerdy here, but lets go down the rabbit hole shall we?

There’s a lot of rice-based ingredients and rice-adjacent ingredients in skincare. They can span from functional ingredients such as waxes and thickeners to exotic actives like the very famous Pitera. Amongst all of these ingredients, there’s one isolated active compound that we believe deserves some attention and that is kojic acid. This ingredient is a byproduct of the sake fermentation process and happens to have some solid data as a hyperpigmentation-fighting active. So let’s dive in!

Centella Asiatica (aka cica) has continued to reign as a trendy plant-based active. For good reason! With origins as a wound healing ingredient, the research behind centella asiatica as a skincare ingredient has really grown. We go through the research update and talk about its benefits as a skin soother and possible anti-aging ingredient. Finally, we walk through how to shop for centella asiatica and ultimately how to hunt for the good stuff: madecassoside & asiaticoside.

In the world of AHAs, mandelic acid feels like that forgotten child. We always talk about the golden child, glycolic acid, as well as the more gentle exfoliator, lactic acid. So when would a person need mandelic acid in their life? We go through the data and discuss who it’s good for, how much you should be using, and how to shop for this unique AHA.

Ginseng is definitely one of those alluring, almost magical ingredients that not only gets touted as a cure-all but almost as a skin cure-all as well. This root has been linked to a wide array of skincare benefits such as being an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging. But is there any merit to these claims? We discuss the science and just how helpful ginseng can be to your skincare routine.

Niacinamide is EVERYWHERE in the skincare world, but for good reasons. It’s a jack-of-all-trades type of molecule that has actual clinical evidence that ranges from improving skin barrier function, reducing sebum production, to brightening hyperpigmentation. But in recent years products now have way more niacinamide than ever before. So let's review some of niacinamide’s most famous clinical tests and answer the question “is there such thing as too much niacinamide?”

Urea has surprisingly been creeping up the ranks in skincare ingredient awareness. This oldie but a goodie has actually been looked at for some time and been compared to some of the greats like glycerin. Uniquely, urea at lower percentages serves as a hydration ingredient but at higher concentrations acts as a keratolytic similar to AHAs. So you have to wonder, can urea replace our AHAs?

Glycerin is probably one of the first ingredients that chemists learn to work with in formulation. In fact, we happen to call this the Frank’s Red Hot of skincare because the industry really puts that sh** in everything! But despite its economical, functional status, this ingredient has really risen in the ranks in terms of trendy ingredients! In this episode, we review glycerin’s benefits and discuss whether or not glycerin deserves the title of best hydrating ingredient in skincare.

It’s great to see awareness grow around maintaining skin barrier health. In caring for your skin barrier, ceramides would probably be the first ingredient that would be suggested. However, there are a lot of questions on who and what skin types should be using ceramides. Based on the data, are ceramides only good for those with compromised skin barriers? We dive into the research to see what the data says and how to use ceramide in your routine for your skin scenario!

Hyaluronic Acid has consistently been a trendy ingredient in skincare for better or worse. There’s so much confusion with this ingredient because it’s been touted as a miracle anti-aging ingredient but also gets flagged as a potential irritant that may even cause skin dehydration. Not to fear! In this episode, we go through the science, and talk about when and how to incorporate hyaluronic acid in your routine.

Bakuchiol was put on the map as soon as results came out that bakuchiol seemingly performed on par with retinol in treating anti-aging concerns. But does this hold true? The chemists’ review what bakuchiol even is, the actual study that made this ingredient famous, and discuss who would benefit from using this ingredient! Let’s talk babchi stuff!

Retinal (aka retinaldehyde) is definitely a hot ingredient in skincare right now! You might have heard that retinal is more potent than retinol because it only needs one step to convert into retinoic acid vs. retinol’s two. But is retinal truly better than retinol? We go through the data and give you the inside scoop on the state of retinal skincare!

We talk about retinol a lot. That’s because it’s the most popular retinoid that can be used in cosmetics. Most are well aware of the anti-aging and hyperpigmentation benefits but there are still a lot of questions on how to properly use retinol. In fact, one of the most common questions we get is, “Can I use retinol in the daytime? Does the sun destabilize retinol and thus what I’ve applied on my face is now useless?” Let’s dive into the science!

Adapalene is the one retinoid that’s available to us as an over the counter topical for acne. This third generation retinoid has become a popular alternative to tretinoin and for good reason! It’s found to be more stable and has less irritation. So naturally, you’re probably wondering…if tretinoin is great for anti-aging, can adapalene work too?

A New Year! A New Theme! 2024 is all about skincare ingredients and in this episode, we’re focusing on the OG of retinoids, tretinoin. We review what it is, why it’s so prevalent, and answer one of the most common questions we get on this ingredient: Is using tretinoin long-term bad for skin?

It’s the last episode of the 2023! It’s time to lookback on all the skincare science we discussed, all the animals we shared, all the skincare goodness (and craziness) that happened this year. It’s been a great year and we can’t wait for what’s in store for 2024! Happy Holidays!

How is it already end of year?! Well it’s gifting season again, so let’s go through skincare gifting! We decode gift sets, what might be worth it and what we would pass on. We also discuss skincare we would gift as well as skincare we would want gifted to us! TIme to get into the Christmas spirit!

We’ve talked a lot about tackling your active breakouts, but what about post acne marks & scars? They can seem so frustratingly persistent. But the good news is, things that tackle your breakouts like tretinoin and adapalene can also help tackle the healing phase to minimize acne scarring. Another active ingredient that can be helpful is glycolic acid… butttt that comes with a lot of caveats. So let’s dive into the science of post acne care!

With acne breakouts being the stubborn, complicated creature that it is, it’s no wonder the world of acne treatment options is a billion-dollar industry. Today we’re walking through some of the recently trendy acne favorites. Are they worth the hype? How important are they to your acne strategy? Let’s dive in!

We can’t believe we haven’t done a dedicated podcast episode to anti-aging superstar retinol. This skincare active has been clinically tested (again and again) to effectively improve fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation… you name it! But with thousands of retinol serums to choose from, and even countless different “retinoids” to shop for, it can get confusing fast. So let’s get into the retinoid landscape, interesting retinol clinical tests, and all your retinol questions answered.