Podcast

After listening to this podcast long enough, you’ll probably get a sense that good testing data is sparse so we inevitably have to work with what we have! With the recent US ban of OTC hydroquinone products, it's worth noting that a notable few actives have done testing in direct comparison to hydroquinone. Though more testing is always needed, direct comparison studies are considered rare and top-tier in our books. In this episode, let’s review why hydroquinone is so prolific and discuss act...

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This is a bit overdue! Arbutin is a hyperpigmentation active with a reputation as a hydroquinone alternative. So today we’re tackling all the major questions around arbutin: Does it convert to hydroquinone on skin? Is it even a good hyperpigmentation active? 1:15 | What is Arbutin? Does it convert to hydroquinone on skin? 7:25 | Is arbutin actually helpful? How does it stack up against hydroquinone? 18:10 | Animal Fun Fact: Aye-Ayes! 21:45 | How to Shop for Arbutin: Inkey List vs. Naturium vs...

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It’s time for another wet blanket type episode - dark circles Just why are dark circles so hard to deal with? Do eye creams even work? We go through the data and discuss what you can actually do to treat this stubborn and complex skin concern. Timestamps: 0:30 | Biology and some “fun” stats on dark circles 13:57 | Can dark circles actually be treated using eye creams? 26:57 | Animal Corner: Proboscis monkeys! 29:38 | How to treat dark circles - let’s talk products!

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We're wrapping up our acne series with a deep dive on acne patches. These face stickers often get tied to some pretty enticing claims like absorbing excess sebum and rapidly healing pimples. We discuss the science behind these mystical patches, what they actually do to acne lesions, and what are their real benefits. Finally, we end on our experiences trying 5 different acne patches on the market. Enjoy! 2:00 | What are acne patches? 6:08 | How helpful are acne patches? Spoiler alert! Probably...

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Continuing our acne series, we’ve been able to delve into some solid actives with pretty juicy data behind it, but there are quite a few less validated ingredients that are pretty popular and worth a look. In this episode, we look at succinic acid, mugwort, witch hazel, and tea tree oil. Four popular plant-ish actives that have gained some traction as magical home remedies for acne breakouts. Let’s see if the data holds up shall we? 1:08 | Succinic Acid, Mugwort, & Witch Hazel for Acne 20:09 ...

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When it comes to fighting acne, benzoyl peroxide has been around for so long it almost seems like it’s old-fashioned. However, because of its long history, BPO has a lot of great data and of the ingredients out there we actually have a very good understanding how it works to reduce breakouts. But are we actually using the right concentration? We dive into the research and discuss what concentrations we should all be trying to target and why. 1:32 | What is benzoyl peroxide? 13:51 | How much B...

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Salicylic acid is probably the most common active ingredient you’ll run into when putting together your acne routine. But is it actually a must have? What kind of acne can it actually treat? In this episode, we dive into a few key clinical studies that look at just what 2% salicylic acid really bring to your routine.

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One of the more popular questions we get is about collagen supplements and whether or not it’s a scam. We’d be lying if we said we haven’t been avoiding this one, but no longer! In this episode, we go through the clinical data. We discuss why it’s so hard to shop for good collagen supplements. Finally, we list our shopping tips and things to consider if you’re thinking of adding this to your beauty routine. 0:43 | What is Collagen? 6:21 | Are Collagen Supplements Actually Helpful for Skin? 34...

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After testing 30 sunscreens in 30 days, we’re finally going through our favorites! There was so much to discuss that this ended up turning into a 2 part segment. In part 2, we talked about our thoughts on baby sunscreens, international sunscreens, things we’d do differently in the future, and… pangolins? Let’s wrap the sunscreen series! 0:30 | Our thoughts on the best baby sunscreen 4:50 | The struggle with sunscreen sticks and sprays 7:20 | Top International (Asia & EU) Formulas 19:30 | Anim...

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After testing 30 sunscreens in 30 days, we’re finally going through our favorites! There was so much to discuss that this ended up turning into a 2 part segment. In part 1, we discuss what factored into our ratings and why. We then go through our “0 star” ratings and why they were so painful. Finally, we discuss our favorites for the mineral and tinted category! Hope you enjoy as we tell all in our journey to trialing another 30 sunscreens for 2024. 2:11 | How We Rated the Sunscreens 11:50 | ...

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