The forms of vitamin C, and why the label matters
A vitamin C serum can contain any of half a dozen different molecules, and they behave nothing alike....
Notes on skin, formulation and ritual.
Slow reading on the science, the texture, and the small daily acts that compound into quiet radiance.
Turmeric for skin: what haldi can and cannot do
Curcumin has a genuine research record, almost all of it in a form that never reaches the face....
Retinol, retinal, retinoid: what the names actually mean
Every one of these is vitamin A at a different point on the same conversion ladder. Where a...
Centella asiatica: what cica actually does in a formula
Centella is the rare traditional ingredient with a modern evidence base, and it earned it in wound care...
AHA and BHA: which acid does what
The difference comes down to one property: whether the acid dissolves in water or in oil. That single...
Aloe vera on the face: what it helps and what it cannot
Aloe is genuinely good at two things and credited with about fifteen. It is also one of the...
Can you use salicylic acid and niacinamide together?
Yes, and the objection people raise about pH comes from a misreading of a study that was not...
Tranexamic acid: what it does for pigmentation
Tranexamic acid came to skincare from haematology, where it is used to slow bleeding. The reason it turned...
Fragrance in skincare: when it actually matters
Fragrance is the most common cause of allergic contact reactions in cosmetics and also the reason most people...