LÉ Blog

In celebration of summer, we decided to test 30 different sunscreens over 30 days to see how these applied, how they held up over time, and even how they wash off. Please head to our TikTok and Instagram channel if you want to see the visuals. Otherwise here’s the running list of sunscreens we’ve tried, our rating, and why: *To help readers learn more about products showcased in this challenge, we built out and organized these results in Shop My Shelf. We do receive a small commission for usi...

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We have talked about the science behind vitamin C skincare, we have even tested a bunch of CE Ferulic dupes - yet there’s still more for us to cover in the vitamin C serum landscape. Vitamin C is actually a whole family of related molecules that all behave slightly differently. The OG vitamin C with the glitzy skin benefits that you often hear of is L-ascorbic acid. But since ascorbic acid is notoriously unstable in the presence of light, water, and air, many have turned to derivative compoun...

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Retinaldehyde or retinal (with an A!) has become the latest, buzz-worthy retinoid on the market. Many seasoned retinoid users are honing in on the fact that in the process of retinoic acid synthesis, retinal would be the more efficient (aka more potent) cosmetic retinoid compared to retinol in getting those sweet anti-aging benefits. You might even hear retinal claims such as “10x more effective than retinol” or even “tretinoin strength without the tretinoin irritation.” Bold claims! While re...

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Uneven skin tone, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, dark spots, sun spots, acne scars, melasma… it doesn’t matter what type of hyperpigmentation concern you have, this is one of THE most stubborn skin concerns to tackle. This is an arena where you don’t just need one single BEST ingredient, but a whole family of clinically validated hyperpigmentation-busting ingredients. So let’s go through some of the ingredients you’ll likely come across in your quest to brighten, even skin tone, and tac...

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If you’re unfamiliar with the term “Vitamin C Dupe”, it’s a category of ascorbic acid serums that sprouted from the painful price point of the original ascorbic acid serum, Skinceuticals CE Ferulic. As a result, a whole new category of ascorbic acid serums popped up on the market and these products come in all sorts of packaging, price points, and ascorbic acid percentages. For a while, we were holding out on looking at this category because it felt messy. Let’s just say, we knew how much of ...

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We’ve hit sunscreen season again! With summer in full swing, the most important yet basic fundamental for good sunscreen protection is simply applying sunscreen correctly to safeguard skin from sunburns, risks of skin cancer, and premature skin aging. It’s not enough to just remember to use sunscreen here and there. Proper application (and re-application!) is key to ensuring you’re getting the proper, advertised level of sun protection throughout the day. So whether you’re got grandiose trave...

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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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Head over to How to Combine Actives Like a Pro Pt 2 for more. Shopping for a "big 4" product? Checkout community-favorite products here. Finding that first effective ingredient that makes a visible difference to your skin is a bit like opening pandora’s box. Encouraged, you probably can’t wait to get your hands on all the top of the line actives on the market. But wait! Not every combination works and turns out the relationship can be complicated. So let’s figure out how to combine and handle...

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