Two skincare chemists navigating the confusing world of skincare. The podcast is an extension of their blog where the two have a heart to heart discussion of balancing the science of skincare with real skincare woes.
Toners are there for people who like to complicate the things they are passionate about. The gamble of finding an obscure allergy among the dozens of botanical extracts probably excites a few people too. Another excuse to buy another toner!
What is the significance of the 10 week test period? Is there such thing as an acne cycle, or is that more so hormonal cycle or having to do with the way skin sloughs off and renews itself from the dermis? Is there a relationship to the 10 week acne cycle and the three month cycle often suggested for trying out adapalene in order to see results? If salicylic acid is not a true BHA (beta hydroxy acid) is there an ingredient that is? If much of the the acne fighting research claims relates to 30% salicylic acid peels, at 2%, is salicylic acid about as equal to a similar level of glycolic acid when it comes to reducing mild to moderate acne? If a similar strength glycolic acid was substituted in the Obagi study for example, do you think it would have shown similar results in reducing blackheads and pimples, for example? It sounds as though for you both, that a higher percentage, mini peel strength of AHA (such as the mandelic acid in the specialist) would be sufficient to spot treat with. My next question is, is chemical peels such as with 30% strength salicylic acid or 30% glycolic acid, a must in routines for acne? What about skincare in general? I remember it was shown to be the more effective option for dealing with hyperpigmentation. Does make me consider adding a micro peel each week Why don’t I really hear about it peels with salicylic acid, especially for acne? Is it something only available at the dermatologist? Just wondering
2% salicylic acid cleanser made a significant difference in my mild-to-moderate inflammatory acne, even before I started leaving it on my face, neck, ears, chest, and back for 3-5 minutes before rinsing 👍. After fixing my skin barrier with a super gentle routine and good moisturizers (e.g. Cicaplast), cutting out fragrance, and addressing my Vitamin D deficiency took my acne from 100% to 30% (just an estimate), gradually increasing frequency of a 2% salicylic acid cleanser from 1x weekly to 1x daily took the acne from 30% to 0%. I used La Roche Posay Effaclar 2% salicylic acid cleanser (green package, fragrance-free); I think it's branded as something else in the US
Does using salicylic acid in the same skin care routine as anti-aging peptides, cause any breakdown or dissociation of the peptide/amino acids? Basically am I wasting my money using a sal acid toner after washing my face then a couple steps later having some peptides rich serum on?
Hey I'm also curious, what do you do with all the sunscreen you test? Because if you keep them or share them with friends seeing how you can tell it's expired through different formulas would be great 👍🏻 like if you don't finish it after the suggested time
The application instructions recommend applying only 1.2 cm diameter of product. Which is a lot less than what other manufacturers recommend. I wonder why.
I very much looked forward to this series! I think it could be neat to do 15 sunscreens and do more extended wear tests with them. Such as which is best under makeup? Does the tacky finish of some sunscreens which make it worse as standalone sunscreens make it better as makeup primer?
best under makeup is a good one! we have to brainstorm the best way to test for that though... it can get pretty complex and these pocket uv cams wouldn't really cut it for these tests...
Oh wow interesting about the tip for the astringent toner. Are there ingredients to seek out for when buying an astringent toner? Or is it just any kind of toner that is marketed as cleansing or that removes makeup?
Would be interested in Neutrogena sunscreen test! It’s the only brand that seems to have something consistently to offer to compete with Asian sunscreens. I actually also like coppertone and think some of their formulas are comparable to neutrogena ultra sheer dry touch. By the way I believe coppertone is owned by same company as Nivea and I wonder what comparisons there could be to Japanese Nivea sunscreens. Actually the whole category of Europe vs their Asian counterparts is a good one I don’t see much on. I particularly liked when you tried to segment the episode to talk about the two Biore sunscreen. Here is where I’d definitely appreciate having the application video shorts in one video, in head to head comparisons. I also do recommend putting chapters into the episode for segments such as this which is very sought after by the Asian skincare community. On that note since the application shorts are separate this time, I think it would be helpful to have a playlist of only sunscreen application videos so I can see them all at once, and possibly linking to that playlist from the description of this video. I believe that could help direct traffic and views especially later down the line. Another category I’d be interested in is specifically Australian origin (not Australian gold which is US origin) sunscreens as they typically are said to take their sunscreen seriously and mentioned in the same breath as Asian sunscreens in terms of better sunscreen filters.
Appreciate looking at the sources for collagen supplements. Also the mentions of what is a quality source (way collagen is chopped up) Do recommend going back to the title of the episode and answering such as “are collagen supplements a scam?” It’s clear enough but would be a nice bookend Interested in the mechanism by which collagen supplements actually get into the collagen
honestly, you could have been much, much shadier about the supplement industry and I would have been here for it 😂 I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and have had to explain so many times that no, a collagen supplement won't "fix" me because that's not how they work. weirdly, my skin isn't actually very affected (it's slightly more stretchy than normal skin, but nothing like some of the crazy pictures you can find online of other EDS patients, so I'm guessing most of the collagen is in relatively good shape? my skin is very thin and fragile and i have atopic dermatitis, so I have to religiously patch test everything for a few days), but I still wonder if I'm just throwing away money by using ascorbic acid, retinal, peptides, etc. I guess they do contribute to many other skin health benefits beyond collagen boosting, but still, part of me wonders 🤔
Can you do a video on the efficacy behind gold stabilised Ascorbic Acid. There is a serum that has gold stabilised vitamin C which is also from a brand developed by a chemist called Educated Mess.
My experience with ingesting collagen powder is anecdotal only (1 data point) so I ingest.1T of the Vital Proteins (from Costco so easy reach) in the morning with my tea. No idea if its reaching my skin dermis but I have def notice my nails growing faster. I am also hoping it helps my joints long term.
Can you talk about types 17, 4, and 7 and Elastin? It could be supplements are targeting the wrong collagen of 1 and 3. And therefore not yielding sufficient results?. Confusing topic .... Been hearing on videos and podcasts Dr. Abs.
supplments don't really "target" specific types of collagen though since you're taking in the hydrolyzed small chunks of peptides + amino acids that make up of all collagen types rather than full molecules of specific types of collagen. we haven't seen anything that can legitimately claim that they target one type of molecule. we'll check it out!
Thanks for the deep dive. The idea of supplements as supplements to everything else we do makes the most sense as opposed to a one and done. As for collagen supplements, at least one derm, the budget dermatologist has recommended the Sparkle brand which is a verisol one. She's also recommended the vital proteins professional lines (daily foundational support [for men]) and (skin hydration & antioxidant support [for women]). Dr. Mary Claire Haver, ob/gyn who specializes in menopause has a line of collagen supplements also verisol. And go see christy, esty and also post-menopausal has recommended a marine collagen product, sports research marine collagen peptides.
Thanks for specifically addressing the clinical results Verisol published. I found this very helpful. As an aside, collagen supplements can cause stones in individuals with limited kidney function. A reminder why always discussing supplement use with your Dr. is so important.
@lemonz1769, I too have hereditary Dupuytren's. I have it in both hands, started around age 60 when I had been vegan for 7 years. I have wondered about this, but my personal experience is that my hands are better now after going on the Zone Diet to stabilize my blood sugar, and also adding collagen and glycine to my diet. Not a scientifically controlled study of course, but my experience.
Just listened to the audio podcast and thought it was great! One issue that isn’t discussed much with oral collagen supplements is long term safety. I’ve taken collagen for years first because of the potential joint benefits and as I’ve followed the research added different types for skin as well. Collagen seems benign as far as supplements go (as long as you’re getting something that’s manufactured in a safe manner and tested for impurities that is). However one of the proposed mechanisms of the supplements is that they stimulate fibroblasts to start producing endogenous collagen and the supporting matrix. There are a number of conditions that are caused or potentially worsened by inappropriate or overactive fibroblast activity. My family has a history of something called Dupuytren contracture, where excessive amounts of connective tissue (think fibroblasts and collagen) is produced in the palms of the hand and fingers leading to a painful disuse syndrome of the hands in mid to later life. Fibroblasts also may play a role in atherosclerosis. While there are no studies related to the risks of long term collagen supplementation I’ve decided to just make sure I eat adequate collagen in my food without getting excessive amounts in supplements to be on the safe side.
Hello, I have a question! Is it okey to mix a serum containing niacinamide (2%) or alpha arbutin (2%) or azelaic acid (10%) in the same evening with adapalene?:) thank you!
ISDN has some really nice products (I’ve never tried their sunscreens) however they’re all fragranced. Fragrance in body products and wash off, sure, but I just don’t understand the appeal of putting fragrance on your face 🤷🏻♂️. I really like their melatonin products and I think it’s an ingredient with a lot of promise but their fragrance and price point keeps me from repurchasing.
Hi 👋 I have rosacea oily skin (yes oily 😢most people with rosacea have dry skin) and is so difficult to exfoliate my skin I tried lactic acid but my rosacea flare up. So I was wondering if gluconolactone would be suitable for my skin type.
Always interesting to hear about drugstore shampoos. I’ll keep an eye out for the Loreal Elvive one in in the black and gold bottle. I’ve really been wondering about toners. I’m reading Paula Begoun’s book The Best Skincare of Your Life and she’s always been a champion of toners. I don’t know how they fit except perhaps as extra step cleansers, perhaps a hydrator (can the additional water content of toners help serums plump up the skin?). Or skin soothers. In addition her essential routine consists of cleanser, BHA/AHA exfoliant and then moisturizer with sunscreen. This differs from the trifecta of cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen in your book Skincare Decoded. I’ve been puzzling over this and wondered if the fact that Paula’s book may have come out (in 2015) before adapalene became OTC drug (2016) makes her advice outdated. Is an adapalene centric routine superior to a BHA/AHA centric routine?
That's my challenge with tinted sunscreen - I use ISDN which is expensive and I do try to slather it on to get the right coverage but it does leave a mess if one is not careful with one's collars. Not the most ideal experience. I will be giving the DRMTLGY tinted sunscreen a try as it seems more affordable. I do like the idea of UVA protection with the tint and also having it doubling as a foundation. I would just layer on a compact foundation like TirTir or other Korean ones with some SPF over if the shine becomes too much.
I like the Nivea Deep Protect & Care Gel. It feels lightweight and yet gives you a nice film on your face. I use it for work since I work outside all day.
