LÉ Blog

*Updated as of 5/17/2022 When you start dabbling in actives, you’ll easily fall into the rabbit hole of what you can and can’t layer. One of the complicated aspects of trying to figure out actives layering and why brands may not even be able to give clear answers is simply the fact it hasn’t gone through enough testing to truly know. Not to mention, the formulas these actives sit in can add another layer of complexity. The good thing is there are some active combinations that have been looked...

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Welcome to the Chemist Confessions Blog! We started this blog back in 2018, what was supposed to be our final hurrah to the industry. (Little did we know…) The blog was started with the hope that we could share our insider knowledge of skincare formulation, helping consumers find better products. As skincare users ourselves, we found the skincare world was overwhelmingly saturated and confusing to navigate. Additionally, everyone has their personal skin quirks that don’t fall within the dry/o...

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So you're ready to tackle some pesky wrinkles eh? Don't worry, the chemists gotchu! The good news is that the skin concern of wrinkles is probably one of the more well-studied aspects in skincare science (even down to the physics and modeling of wrinkle formation!). As a result, more ingredients have been tested in this category than many other areas of skin concern, which is both good and bad. There are a lot of ingredients options to try, but it still requires some sifting through the foo-f...

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It’s sweater weather time! A change in weather means it just might be time your routine needs a couple updates. We’re not huge fans of nuking your entire routine you’ve worked so hard to build every season - but a few mini tweaks here and there can help make that transition into cooler weather a little easier. So read on for some of our chemists’ recommended things to work on this fall. Moisturizer Check-In: Enhance & Fortify! This is the right season to stay on top of your skin barrier healt...

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In this part 2 of our pigmentation guide, we’re going to shed some light on how to shop for the best ingredients & products to target that stubborn hyperpigmentation and build a successful routine. This will mirror a lot of what we talked about in our hyperpigmentation podcast episode, so check out the episode here if it’s easier for you to listen to it. Set Your Expectations Nope! It’s not just your imagination, that dang dark spot is persistent which makes tackling this skin concern pretty ...

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*For severe and cystic acne breakouts, we recommend finding an awesome dermatologist who is willing to help shape and build your acne routine from cleanser to treatment. Dermatologists are the only ones that will be able to prescribe more effective medication. Bring your products in to show your dermatologist so they can get a full understanding of your current regimen and what you’ve already tried. **As a nice supplement, checkout our oily skin guide to build out your skincare routine fundam...

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If you’ve been following us for some time, you’ll often hear about Gloria’s dry dry skin. Being naturally on the dry side means that your skin is probably the subject of everyone’s envy during the hormonal, acne-prone teenage years. However, before you know it, BAM! Fine lines are sadly ahead of schedule. So let’s take a closer look at the biology of dry skin, how to choose the right products to tackle dry skin, and what are some holy grail ingredients. My skin is parched! Just what does it m...

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The Good, the Bad, the So Shiny! To be fair, the label of “dry” and “oily” tend to be pretty broad sweeping statements. There’s a lot of nuances within each that factor in such as the climate, acne or no acne, sensitivity, etc. But this is definitely one of the first angles to look at when you're just starting to shape your routine to your specific skin needs even before getting into tackling skin concerns like acne, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, etc. So let’s take a closer look at the biology...

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One of our most popular articles of Chemist Confessions and the center of a lot of questions is combining actives. In How to Combine Actives Like a Pro Pt. 1 we shared some tips and tricks on how to combine the big 4 actives of retinol, niacinamide, AHAs, and vitamin C. But what about all the other active ingredients? And what does it all really mean when it comes to product layering? It’s finally time for How to Combine Actives like a pro part 2! *Note: We wrote this for individuals that hav...

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We all love that summer sun, but too much of that toasty goodness can make unwanted uneven skin tone, hyperpigmentation rear its ugly head. As summer winds down, it’s the perfect time to tackle those uneven patches, discolored spots, and brighten skin. Check out our book Skincare Decoded for a dedicated chapter on hyperpigmentation and routine building to tackle hyperpigmentation. A Biology Primer on Pigment Formation To tackle hyperpigmentation, let's take a closer look at the biology of ski...

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