Green tea for skin: what the research supports
Green tea is full of antioxidants, and the lab results are impressive. The human results are smaller and...
Notes on skin, formulation and ritual.
Slow reading on the science, the texture, and the small daily acts that compound into quiet radiance.
Kojic acid for skin: uses, benefits and side effects
Kojic acid slows one step in how skin makes pigment, which is why it turns up in creams,...
Which skincare ingredients fade a tan, and how each one works
Ingredients help a tan fade in two ways: exfoliants move tanned cells off the surface sooner, and pigment-slowing...
Glycolic acid on underarms: what it does and how to use it safely
Glycolic acid can smooth the thickened surface that makes underarms look darker, and it may reduce odour. It...
Panthenol (vitamin B5) for skin: what it does in a formula
Panthenol is on more ingredient lists than almost anything else and gets the least attention. It holds water,...
Shea butter for skin: what it does well and where it is oversold
Shea butter is one of the better plant fats for dry skin, and one of the most over-claimed....
Hyaluronic acid for skin: what it does and how to use it
Hyaluronic acid holds water in the top layers of skin for as long as the product is on....
Licorice root in skincare: mulethi, glabridin and what they do
Licorice is the gentlest of the well-studied tyrosinase inhibitors, and the one where the gap between a standardised...
Azelaic acid: where it fits for marks and redness
Azelaic acid is selective in a way most pigmentation ingredients are not: it acts on overactive pigment cells...