Chemist Confessions

Let’s decode the mysterious world of cleansers! One of the most personal skincare product categories around where the science doesn’t quite link as well to product success. So how helpful are cleanser claims? And how well do they lead to your next holy grail cleanser? Let’s get into the bubbly, soapy, madness!

Let’s get into acne and how to build a solid acne routine. We discuss the research side where groups are looking into the microbiome, bacne, and even acne for people of color! We discuss how to assess your breakouts and how to build a proper acne routine. These are all critical pieces of knowledge to have as many of us tackle this stubborn and what feels like never-ending skin concern!

It’s time for our annual recap on acne. A ~$9 billion dollar industry with thousands of touted acne products. Unfortunately this category sometimes gets a pass when it comes to proper claims because everyone rides the OTC salicylic acid claim. That means it’ll take a little decoding to really know what claims are legitimately helpful for post acne marks (and not just hyperpigmentation). Let’s do this!

The sun is here! This means it’s time for us all to brush up on our sunscreen habits and make sure we all know what to look for when shopping for sunscreens. But the sunscreen landscape is vast and there are so many types to choose from: fluids, lotions, droppers, sprays, sticks, and foams?! Does this mean we have to apply these differently? How well does the touted “2-finger rule” hold up? So much to get into!

Sunny days ahead! That means it’s time to roll out the sunscreen content and we definitely had to start with sunscreen claims. The category has exploded into all sorts of formats and now we’re seeing brands get fancy with them by adding actives as well. So what does this mean? Is this how we decide which sunscreen is better? Let’s get into it!

It’s time to get into the Eye Cream Meatz! A topic we’ve been avoiding for far too long. The main struggle is that the biology is complex and the research is sparse, ultimately leading to a confusing product landscape. We’ll walk through the eye cream category and help assess what makes for a better/best eye cream or…an eye cream that needs a whole lot of faith!

We’ve been avoiding it too long, but it’s time to tackle eye creams! In this episode, we break down the three types of eye claims you’ll come across: the faux clinical claim, the “not so clinical” clinical claim, and the legit clinical claim!

Exotic plant extracts are making their way back into the skincare spotlight. Let's go through them shall we? The chemists stumble on a few with some eyebrow-raising claims. 

We. are. finally. back! Sorry about this long hiatus. We were working hard to gear up for this new season. The podcast will be sliiiggghhtly different - but this season, we'll be doing WEEKLY episodes. So let's jump right into episode 1 where we take a closer look at the ever-evolving retinol claims landscape!

Annnnddd that's a wrap everyone! Thanks for the love and support throughout 2022. Happy New Year!