The Chemists' Blog

Decoding Actives

Bakuchiol - A "Retinol Alternative" Worth Trying?

Good old anti-aging retinol promises so many benefits. Yet for many (Gloria included!), it’s a temperamental little guy that can wreak havoc on you...

Anti-Aging

Retinal - Is it Better Than Retinol?

Retinaldehyde or retinal (with an A!) has become the latest, buzz-worthy retinoid on the market. Many seasoned retinoid users are honing in on the ...

Anti-Aging

Retinol: The Tried-and-True Way to Putting Off Botox

Retinol has been a longtime fan favorite anti-aging molecule. And for good reason! As a cosmetic ingredient, retinol is one of the few that has dec...

Acne

Tretinoin - Is it Bad for Skin Long Term?

Tretinoin is by far the most famous retinoid of the Vitamin A category and for good reason. It has a prevalent history of use plus a long long hist...

Eye Area

Do Eye Creams Actually Work on Dark Circles, Puffiness, or Eye Bags?

We’ve been dragging our feet on this topic for a while! The main reason we have been avoiding the big eye cream question for so long is simply beca...

Anti-Aging

A Chemists' Guide to Navigating "Retinol Alternative" Skincare

It feels like everyone is now launching a "retinol alternative". But wait! Let's do a deep dive to make sure we're actually shopping for an actual ...

Anti-Aging

Our Double Play Retinol Clinical Testing Journey

We always talk a lot about the value of clinical tests in skincare and how helpful they can be in making a purchasing decision. Needless to say, we...

Antioxidant

Actives Pairings With Clinical Testing Behind Them

*Updated as of 5/17/2022 When you start dabbling in actives, you’ll easily fall into the rabbit hole of what you can and can’t layer. One of the co...

ahas

Hyperpigmentation Pt 2: routine guide and shopping tips

In this part 2 of our pigmentation guide, we’re going to shed some light on how to shop for the best ingredients & products to target that stub...

ahas

How to Combine Skincare Actives like a Pro pt 2

One of our most popular articles of Chemist Confessions and the center of a lot of questions is combining actives. In How to Combine Actives Like a...

ahas

Combine Skincare Actives Like a Pro Pt 1

There's so many skincare actives out there, it's hard not to want to add them all to your routine. But not all actives get along and too many can l...