Chemist Confessions

Which Vitamin C Derivative is Better? | CC Podcast Episode S4E20

There’s a whole world of Vitamin C molecules outside of ascorbic acid, but they all get lumped under the “Vitamin C” serum category. The difficulty here is that not every molecule has been validated to give the same benefits of ascorbic acid. So let’s get into a few of the major players, what they’ve been tested for, and how to go about shopping for these Vitamin C alternatives.

Decoding Vitamin C? Body Products | CC Podcast S4E19

Vitamin C seems to be entering all sorts of skincare arenas, including body care. But is Vitamin C actually helpful in the category? Let’s take a look at a couple products to understand what’s really going on here. 

Which Vitamin C Dupe Reigns Supreme? | CC Podcast S4E18

You’ve probably wondered, “Out of all the Skinceuticals CE Ferulic Dupes out there, which one should I buy?” Well we’ve decided to put a few dupes to the test. After some surprising results, we go over which serums we would avoid. We also discuss what clues to look for to help you decide whether or not its time to let that Vitamin C serum go. Let’s get into it!

Decoding Body Products | CC Podcast S4E17

Have you wondered if your body needs a skincare routine too? You’re definitely not the only one. Despite this arena getting a lot of attention, there isn’t a ton of research or data to go off of. Instead, let’s go through a few common body products that would have some sort of testing behind them..and no it’s definitely not caffeine.

Skincare changes for summer? | CC Podcast S4E16

Summer is in full swing now! In addition to the gazillion sunscreen articles, this is also the time of year when all these jazzy “summer skincare routine guides” come out. But do you really need to change up your routine just for summer? Is skin actually different during this time of year? Should you continue with retinol usage? What about your hyperpigmentation routine?

Decoding Vitamin C Products | CC Podcast S4E15

Vitamin C is definitely a must-have active during summer because of its excellent antioxidant properties to help prevent and combat photodamage. Because of its benefits, this category has expanded in the last couple of years into different formats outside of the classic: water-based, suspension, and powder formats. In this episode, let’s decode a wash-off mask, a stick, and an AOX sunscreen to see if these alternative formats hold any merit.

How’s Your Skin Barrier Doing? | CC Podcast S4E14

There’s been a big focus on “Skin Barrier Health”, but what does that even mean? Many don’t realize that dabbling in things like anti-aging and hyperpigmentation is a moot point, if your skin barrier isn’t in tip-top shape! In this episode, the chemists do a deep dive into the biology behind good skin barrier health, what ingredients can help, and how to shop for your skin barrier!

Decode that Moisturizer | CC Podcast S4E13

It’s time to give our skin barrier some spotlight. But wait! When you start going down the rabbit hole of moisturizers, you stumble on some very odd formulation. So let’s go through some recent product launches and see if we can figure out what exactly we want in a moisturizer and how to make sense of the wild ingredients and claims.

30 Sunscreens in 30 Days - The Results! | CC Podcast S4 E12

For 30 days, the chemists decided to trial 30 different sunscreens for texture, wear, and wash-off using a UV camera. We ended up learning a lot through this journey so let's discuss! Who were the winners? losers? and what new sunscreen habits did we pick up? Let's talk about it!

Decoding ”pregnancy safe” skincare | CC Podcast S4 E11

Since one of the chemists reached a major life change, it’s finally time to dabble in the world of “pregnancy-safe” skincare. It’s not a surprise that this is a realm that doesn’t have a lot of regulation and not a lot of testing. So let’s go through what data IS available and how the chemists would navigate skincare during this more delicate time of life.