active ingredients – Lab Muffin Beauty Science

La Roche-Posay UVMune 400: Science and Review

Michelle Wong — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 14:31:37 +0000

The La Roche-Posay UVMune 400 range has been super hyped up because it contains a brand new sunscreen ingredient: Methoxypropylamino Cyclohexenylidene Ethoxyethylcyanoacetate (MCE), or Mexoryl 400. It’s currently exclusive to L’Oreal, and was developed in conjunction with BASF. I’ve mentioned in passing that I don’t think it’s as much of a game changing “must have” for everyone that some people have ...

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Ultimate Guide to Drug Retinoids

Michelle Wong — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 21:00:50 +0000

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 ...

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Drug, cosmetic or compounded retinoid: Which one should you use?

Michelle Wong — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 20:30:20 +0000

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 ...

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Debunking Science Vs Skin Care Podcast: Vitamin C doesn’t work?

Michelle Wong — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 13:30:05 +0000

The Science Vs podcast episode on Skin Care: Is Anti-Aging a Scam? in part inspired my recent post on whether retinol in cosmetic skincare products worked. I’ve had some questions about some of the other parts of the podcast, especially about vitamin C and whether it actually penetrates skin. As I’ve discussed before, vitamin C in L-ascorbic acid form is ...

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Is Retinol a Scam? The Science

Michelle Wong — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 09:33:27 +0000

If there’s one skincare ingredient that works, it’s retinol. Pretty much everyone agrees – whatever skin concern you have, it’s one of your best bets. But is it all a scam? Let’s dive into the science behind retinol, and the bigger question of why skincare science looks so different from what academic scientists are used to. The video is here, ...

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Is Your Sunscreen Killing Coral Reefs? The Science

Michelle Wong — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 21:30:28 +0000

You might have seen that Hawaii has banned certain sunscreens that have been linked to coral bleaching. In particular, it’s the organic “chemical” sunscreen ingredients oxybenzone and octinoxate that have been banned. It sounds like a great victory for the environment, right? But if you search a little past the headlines, you’ll find that there are actually a lot of ...

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Fact-check: What is micellar water and how does it work? An Update

Michelle Wong — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 15:12:52 +0000

Over the past two years, my post on the chemistry of micellar water with dodgy photographed scrawlings has become one of the most popular, so I thought it was high time to update it with nicer drawings and finetune the explanation of the science. This also comes in video form – check it out here! There are tons of micellar ...

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Why Vitamin C Can Stain Your Skin (and How to Avoid It!)

Michelle Wong — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 09:55:34 +0000

Vitamin C is one of the few skincare ingredients with a decent amount of independent research to back up its properties, like its brightening and anti-wrinkle benefits. Related Post: Vitamin C – what does it do for your skin? But those of you who are vitamin C enthusiasts may have noticed that with some vitamin C serums that contain ascorbic acid, ...

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Easy (5 Minute) DIY Vitamin C Serum Recipe

Michelle Wong — Sat, 10 Dec 2022 02:21:35 +0000

I’ve mentioned my super-easy DIY vitamin C serum a few times before on social media, and some of you have been asking me for the recipe… but I’ve been so distracted with other things I never got around to posting it until now. I’m sorry! Please forgive me. I hope the results make up for my tardiness! Here’s the video ...

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How to Choose a Moisturizer: The Science

Michelle Wong — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 22:22:00 +0000

Choosing your moisturizer can be a difficult process. The beauty section is full of moisturizers for different skin types, and you’d think you’d be fine picking one that matches your skin type. But I’m sure many of you have had the annoying experience of taking a moisturizer home that’s supposed to be right for you, then finding that it’s just… ...

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