Podcast

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! 1:08 | What is Retinal? 9:59 | Is Retinal Better Than Retinol? 21:53 | How to Use Retinal in Your Routine?

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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! 1:28 | What is retinol? 13:20 | Can retinol be...

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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? 2:15 | What is Adapalene? 5:25 | Can Adapalene be Used for Anti-Aging? 22:10 | How to Use Adapalene in Your Routine

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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? Notable Moments: 0:58 | What is Tretinoin? A Review! 9:26 | Is Using Tretinoin Bad for Skin? 24:55 | How to use tretinoin in your skincare routine - Tips & Tricks

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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!

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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!

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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! 1:01 | Brand Update: Chemist Confessions Holiday Kits and Our Winter Haitus! 3:54 | In the News: Shiseido enters the wellness category and the death of celebrity brands 11:43 | Decode t...

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Skincare for sensitive skin sometimes feels like an open-ended category. It can feel like there are too many random products out there and yet too few that really answer sensitive skin needs. In this very dense episode, we talk about what defines sensitive skin, what labels could help, the skin redness conundrum, and how to build a routine for sensitive skin. Settle in! We’re going down the rabbit hole!

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If you have sensitive skin you may find that this realm of skincare just doesn’t speak to your skin needs that well. What’s worse is that if you try shopping for your sensitive skin, you’ll be bombarded with the widest array of skincare products and skincare actives. To help, the chemists break down this category into three groups of “could be better”, “better”, and “best” based on their product testing! Through these examples, the hope is that you’ll be able to research and find a more tailo...

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Tackling hyperpigmentation already feels like you need a whole team of products to get any meaningful improvement. But, some of the most popular hyperpigmentation treatments seem to come with the biggest price tags. The chemists give their analysis on this group, run through the testing, and see if these truly live up to their price tag. For once, these frugal chemists might actually be swayed by these luxury serums.

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