Chemist Confessions

#123: Estriol & Estradiol Skincare - Do They Work?

As a follow-up on last week’s episode on skincare for certain age groups, this week, let’s dive into estrogen-based skincare, in particular creams with estradiol or estriol. This prescription skincare realm aimed to treat peri and post-menopausal skin issues like irritation, redness, and dryness. So! Do they work? Are there other benefits beyond skin barrier care?

#122: Skincare Tips by Age Group: Teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50+

We all know that skin changes with father time, but how should you best skincare for your specific age? We discuss the science, what major timepoints to consider and what skincare you should be using in your teens, 20s, 30-40s, and 50s+.

#121: Neck care! Can topical neck creams help with … well.. anything?

Neck aging can be so difficult to address because of its complex biology. But can topicals do anything to help? Let’s take a closer look at 3 neck cream clincals done by Replenix, Skinceuticals, and Revision skincare to see if you really need a dedicated product just for your neck area.

#120: Skincare Holiday Gifting Guide

The holiday season is just looming around the corner. So whether you’re taking advantage of the discounts for yourself, or on the market for loved ones, here are some of thoughts on on the beauty holiday deals. Join us for some shopping inspirations or just some laughs!

#119: Which SPF Lip Balm is Best?

After a nice break from sunscreens, we had some time to dabble in lip SPF products. It turns out our lip skin actually has a lot less natural protection from both sun and dryness than the rest of our body. Thus, it only makes sense that having a good lip SPF (or two) is important to have handy. We tried 12 lip SPFS of various types and various price points and share all of our findings! The taste of some of these left quite a lasting impression.

#118: Are Peptides in Skincare Worth It?

Today we’re going to attempt to tackle the vast landscape of peptides! It’s a big topic but sadly without a lot of clarity. So let’s nerd out with us on just what peptides are, how they work on skin, what skin concerns they’re good for, and decode a few top peptide products. 

#117: Hydroquinone and Some Comparison Actives

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 actives that have actually been tested in direct comparison to hydroquinone.

#116: Is Arbutin A Good Hydroquinone Alternative?

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?

#115: Can You Actually Treat Dark Circles With Skincare?

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.

#114: What's the Deal With Exosomes in Skincare?

We’ve put it off for long enough, today we’re jumping into the very new, very hot realm of exosomes. These vesicle structures are getting a lot of attention because they’ve been tied to: stem cells, growth factors, fibroblasts…essentially all the juicy anti-aging good stuff. In this episode, the chemists attempt to make sense of exosomes’ true purpose in skincare, share what benefits they can bring, and explain the current exosome landscape. Strap in because we get pretty nerdy here, but hopefully this episode gives you a good idea of “hot tech” and how it evolves in the skincare world.