Since one of the chemists is now preggers, we can no longer avoid this can of worms. It’s time to tackle the topic of pregnancy-safe skincare and what that even means! We admit that the main reason for avoiding this topic for as long as we have is because, 1. This discussion is still best decided with your doctor. And 2. The data behind any sort of pregnancy-safe claims is sparse at best. Knowing this, let’s try to go through some of the data and why pregnancy-safe skincare may or may not matter to you during this 9-month period. First! Let’s Manage Expectations If you start googling “pregnanc ..read more

In this blog post: How helpful are acne cleansers? Is there such thing as over-washing? Cleanser Formulation for Dry Skin Cleanser Impact on Rosacea Why Personal Cleanser Preference is Valid Chemists' Skin Type & Cleanser Preferences Takeaways References It would be nice if there was some scientific formula that could tell us what cleanser would best suit our skin. Most of us have spent a fair part of our adult (and young adult) lives jumping from one brand to another, hoping to find the magical product that cures all our skin woes. The truth is a lot of choosing a cleanser is about pe ..read more

Taking care of your “skin barrier” seems like a pretty hot skincare buzzword right now – and it’s actually for good reason! As much as we love our high-efficacy actives like glycolic acid and retinol, our core skincare philosophy is to always first have your skin barrier care down pat before diving into the other more glamorous skin concerns. But what even is skin barrier function and how do you take care of it? The good news is, you’re probably already doing a lot of things that are good for your skin barrier. However, given all the buzz around it, there’s bound to be a lot of new products wi ..read more

We’ve hit sunscreen season again! With summer in full swing, the most important yet basic fundamental for good sunscreen protection is simply applying sunscreen correctly to safeguard skin from sunburns, risks of skin cancer, and premature skin aging. It’s not enough to just remember to use sunscreen here and there. Proper application (and re-application!) is key to ensuring you’re getting the proper, advertised level of sun protection throughout the day. So whether you’re got grandiose travel adventures, you’re lounging by the pool, or busting out your backyard grill, let’s take a look at som ..read more

In celebration of summer, we decided to test 30 different sunscreens over 30 days to see how these applied, how they held up over time, and even how they wash off. Please head to our TikTok and Instagram channel if you want to see the visuals. Otherwise here’s the running list of sunscreens we’ve tried, our rating, and why: *To help readers learn more about products showcased in this challenge, we built out and organized these results in Shop My Shelf. We do receive a small commission for using our affiliate link. Thank you for feeding a chemist! Allie Gel UV EX SPF 50+ PA++++: 7/10 What it ..read more

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 because the data here is depressingly sparse. The few studies that exist in the eye cream category can lack logic or have lackluster results. All in all, not the most scintillating or uplifting of skin concerns for us to talk about. However, we can’t ignore the fact that eye area concerns are a big topic. Plus it happens to be a personal concern of ours too. So it’s finally time to breakdown the eye cream category, chemist style! In this article, we’ll ..read more

Back in fall 2019, we wrote a blog post on CBD in skincare when it was all the rage. During the early days of Covid lockdowns, it really felt like there was a new CBD miracle skincare every other week. Even now in spring of 2023, there are still a lot of questions and mystique around this ingredient. So it’s time to revisit CBD and see do we know anything more about just how CBD works in skincare, if there are any new clinical studies that have come out on topical CBD, and just who might benefit from CBD skincare.  But before we get started…. *disclaimer 1: this is only talking about CBD ..read more

Retinol’s popularity has only continued to grow in the past few years with no signs of slowing down. And for good reason! Of the actives out there, it comes with quite a resume of data behind it for reducing wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and even a little acne assistance. However, with that popularity comes a lot of confusion. Choosing the right retinol product can already be complicated, but on top of that, there’s a whole slew of “retinol alternatives” available on the market. In fact, if you were to do a quick google search, you can find quite a few ingredients on the interwebs linked to bei ..read more

There’s an ingredient that's probbbaaabbbly not quite on your skincare radar yet - but we think it’s worth considering. The ingredient is called Silymarin (sih-lee-mae-rin), and basically comes from the extract of milk thistle seeds. You'll find it on the ingredient list as "Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract", usually in a handful of clinical brands such as Skinceuticals, PCA Skin, and Dr. Dennis Gross…. And most recently our very own Mr. Reliable 2.0! Silymarin is a potent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. And wait! We know what you’re thinking – “hmm…that sounds like just about e ..read more

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're doing celebratory dances over here because we finally completed our first clinical, designed with all the bells & whistles that we wanted. After 12 weeks of testing our Double Play Retinol Eye & Face Treatment, we’re excited to finally share the results. This has truly evolved into one of our more elaborate projects that took 2+ years to formulate, pre-test, re-test, re-formulate, and finally put through this cli ..read more