LÉ Blog

If you’ve got oily skin, you know the struggle is real: that midday shine, the clogged pores, the makeup slide. But before you declare war on your face with every mattifying product you can find, let’s take a beat. Oily skin isn’t the enemy; it just needs a smarter strategy. The truth is, how you cleanse sets the tone for everything that follows. And with the right ingredients, techniques, and routine, you can treat your skin without stripping it or triggering even more oil. So, let’s break d...

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If your skin turns into a slip-and-slide by noon, we hear you. Oily skin needs hydration just as much as dry skin does, but the wrong kind of moisturizer can tip things into greasy territory fast. That’s where water gel moisturizers come in. Lightweight, oil-free, and packed with hydration, these formulas offer a refreshing alternative to thick creams that might leave your pores feeling smothered. In this post, we’re diving into why water gel moisturizers are a smart swap for oily skin and ho...

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Exfoliating skin, sloughing off dead skin cells, buffing out skin roughness, etc. are all concepts that are probably deemed incredibly “old school” and the least glamorous rituals in a skin routine. But experts like us will always give this arena the dedicated spotlight it deserves because it is just that important to skin health. What is Exfoliation? Exfoliation is the act of removing overdue dead skin cells (keratinocytes). Factors like age, climate, and skin diseases can all impact the lev...

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All of us have had to watch a commercial in which a smiling model applies a single product to their already-perfect skin? But you know this. We know this. Skincare commercials can definitely be fake news! There’s no magic cure-all formula that will be perfect for every inch of every single person’s face. More importantly, our skin is a dynamic creature, both person-to-person and zone-to-zone. In fact, most of us will experience skin change and experience different skin types in our lifetime. ...

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In this blog post: How helpful are acne cleansers? Is there such thing as over-washing? Cleanser Formulation for Dry Skin Cleanser Impact on Rosacea Why Personal Cleanser Preference is Valid Chemists' Skin Type & Cleanser Preferences Takeaways References It would be nice if there was some scientific formula that could tell us what cleanser would best suit our skin. Most of us have spent a fair part of our adult (and young adult) lives jumping from one brand to another, hoping to find the magi...

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Glycolic acid and lactic acid have long been the gold standard chemical exfoliants with strong proven track records in anti-aging and hyperpigmentation skincare routines. But a newer option, mandelic acid, can be worth considering. As cosmetic chemists, we cut through the hype to analyze the clinical evidence on this lesser known AHA. In this comprehensive guide, we decode the specific benefits of mandelic acid, compare its efficacy against classics like salicylic and glycolic acid, and expla...

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In the past couple of years, “slugging” has become one of the biggest social media skincare trends that seemingly is here to stay. The term has been coined by the interwebs as the process of masking your entire face with an occlusive balm to seal in your moisturizer step for optimal hydration. While the method of slugging might not be for every skin type, the operative word here is occlusive. Occlusives are a fundamental category of moisturizing ingredients that are an essential component to ...

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Back in the day, St. Ives Apricot scrub was probably the poster child for exfoliation. Even today, most people probably associate exfoliation with those amber scrubby beads. But! Since then, the entire exfoliation category has gotten a glow-up. Now you can choose from a wide range of exfoliating cleansers, serums, masks, sticks, pads, etc all with different strengths and efficacy levels to boot. So let’s take a closer look at why you should exfoliate, how to shop for the right exfoliant, what...

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In our final podcast episode of 2021, we dedicated the meat of the episode on a chemical exfoliants update. That’s the alphabet clan of PHAs, AHAs, and BHA, and it resulted in a lot of curiosity about PHAs. Though PHA research is still relatively new and not as well-studied as classic glycolic acid, there’s still some really exciting data that validates it’s use as an exfoliator. In fact, we like gluconolactone so much we use 30% of it in our Baby Steps exfoliating treatment! So let’s do a de...

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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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