Mineral Oil Myths Explained: Cancer, Safety, and Skincare Benefits

It's been awhile as life has gotten busy! But I'm back with more skincare geekery - this time on mineral oil! I've wanted to write this post for awhile, because over my years being an amateur skincare nerd, I've noticed lots of fearmongering with respect to mineral oil. Some people believe that 1) mineral oil is bad for you because it prevents your skin from breathing, 2) mineral oil causes cancer, or that 3) you shouldn't use it because it is derived from petrochemicals. I'll be taking a look at these three myths in this post!

First though, a little bit of a primer into mineral oil itself.

What is mineral oil?
Mineral oil is a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons (i.e. molecules comprised only of carbon and hydrogen atoms) obtained from petroleum, and consists of saturated hydrocarbons having carbon numbers predominantly in the range of C15 through C50. As seen in the bottles of baby oil, it is easily recognizable as an oily transparent liquid. It's manufactured by the distillation of petroleum, and then followed by refining of residual fractions to meet the standards for cosmetic grade mineral oil.

Skinceuticals H.A. (Hyaluronic Acid) Intensifier Review and Ingredients Analysis

Skinceuticals recently launched their HA Intensifier, or Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier. As the name suggests, it's a serum/booster product with hyaluronic acid - but more than that, Skinceuticals also claims that the HA Intensifier will also help to boost your skin's ability to make its own hyaluronic acid, beyond just replenishing it. Application-wise, Skinceuticals recommends this go after your toner, but before your other skincare products.

Skinceuticals HA Intensifier - in case you didn't know the HA stands for Hyaluronic Acid

Skinceuticals is one of those brands that's a little niche, but has quite the following among skincare devotees, particularly for its CE Ferulic (which is sometimes considered the gold standard in Vitamin C serums). So I was pretty excited about the HA Intensifier, and was hoping that it would also live up to the brand's reputation for good skincare.


Skinceuticals HA Intensifier: A key claim is that the product helps to boost skin's own hyaluronic acid production
I'm sure at this stage, you're curious about so many things - does this serum live up to Skinceuticals' brand reputation? How exactly does a serum boost your skin's own ability to make its own hyaouronic acid, and does the Skinceuticals product do so? So, let's start our review - at the ingredients list!

Natural and DIY Skincare and Chemicals: You Ask, I Answer

Here's my second "You Ask, I Answer" post, where I consolidate some common (and not so common) reader questions. Reader questions aren't a new thing on my blog, and I've written a bunch of posts based on reader questions over time, including some of my personal favourite science-y posts, like my post on parabens, and my post on talc. But I thought it would be nice if I could share some of my reader Q&As with everyone else too!

Today's question on DIY and natural skincare comes from Chelsi:

Chelsi asks:
I want to ask u something. It's so hard for me to get organic and natural skincare that avoids not using harmful chemicals...the fact is there are lots of brands outside there use chemical ingredients... I want to make DIY skincare but I think i don't have enough time to make it while I have to work and after work I am tired and just wanna take a rest..So , do you think it's okay to still using the skincare which still contains chemical ingredients? thx :)

Your question is quite a big hairy one, so I'll just touch on some key topics that you raised:
1. Are chemicals really a problem in skincare?
2. So when should I avoid "chemical" ingredients?
3. Can you actually DIY your own skincare, and if so, is it actually "better" that what's available out there?

Cetaphil's Regulatory Affairs Manager Talks Skincare Routine and Products!

Yes, more skincare questions are answered in today's post! This is part 2 of the post where Cetaphil's Regulatory Affairs Manager answers some skincare question, and busts some skincare myths along the way. And today, we're going to talk about how to simplify skincare routines, what you should do for different skin types, and answer some product questions, including those pertaining to Cetaphil products. As a skincare geek, I always feel like I already know most of the skincare basics, so knowing more about what makes a brand's products different from the other dozens of products on the market definitely excites me!

My view from the Q&A session: Cetaphil's Tracy is helping to answer some questions!

Fortunately, Tracy Chean, Regulatory Affairs Manager at Galderma South East Asia, was very kind to answer all of my (and everyone else's) questions! If you've read the previous post you'll already have some idea of who she is, but in short, she ensures that Cetaphil and other Galderma products comply with strict safety and compliance standards, and is also a licensed pharmacist. She was very friendly and helpful in answering questions at the Cetaphil Experience Workshop, and I really appreciated her broad knowledge of everything from cosmetic regulation to skincare science.


Some of the bloggers during the session - everyone is busy taking notes!
As with the previous post, while the content of the answers is reflective of the information conveyed, it might not be the exact word-for-word answer that Tracy gave, just because I was furiously scribbling down notes during the entire session, and couldn't get down every single word said exactly. However, the gist of each of the answers is accurate. I've also added in some editor's notes (aka my own additional thoughts) here and there to provide supplemental information where appropriate.


A quick photo of one of my notes pages - I'm not kidding when I say I was furiously scribbling down notes!
So without further ado, let's take a look at some common questions about building your skincare routine, and Cetaphil products! If you want to learn more skincare facts, and find out what else went on during the Cetaphil Experience, do check out the Cetaphil Singapore Facebook Page!

Cetaphil's Regulatory Affairs Manager Busts Common Skincare Myths!

In August earlier this year, I had the opportunity to go for the Cetaphil Experience - basically a 3-day trip where I got to learn more about the brand, the philosophy behind their products, and their history in Singapore and in the Southeast Asia region. You might have seen some of the updates on my Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram and so on - and now that I've had a bit more time to settle down after the trip, I've decided to share some of the learnings with you guys!

Tracy Chean, Regulatory Affairs Manager for Southeast Asia at Galderma Singapore, answering some of our questions

As a skincare geek, one of my favourite parts of the trip was the ability to get some burning skincare questions answered, and skincare myths busted by Cetaphil's own Tracy Chean, who is the Regulatory Affairs Manager for Southeast Asia at Galderma Singapore. Tracy ensures that Cetaphil and other Galderma products comply with strict safety and compliance standards, and also manages the Galderma National University of Singapore (NUS) Student Internship Programme. She graduated from NUS with a Bachelor of Science, and has also been a Singapore Licensed Pharmacist since 2010. Above that's a photo of Tracy, looking gorgeous in red! She was very friendly and willing to answer a lot of our questions, no matter how basic or esoteric they were.

Yours truly asking a question at the session

The entire session was 1.5 hours long, and there was a lot of information shared during this session. During this session, Tracy helped to bust some skin myths, answer some questions about cosmetic regulations, and offer advice on a good skincare routine. Since there were quite a number of questions, I've arranged them by topic, rather than just in chronological order, so that it makes more sense to the reader. I've split the post into two - today's post will deal with skincare myths, and the next post will deal with questions on skincare routines and specific product questions.

Also, while the content of the answers is reflective of the information conveyed, it might not be the exact word-for-word answer that Tracy gave, just because I was furiously scribbling down notes during the entire session, and couldn't get down every single word said exactly. The photo below is of my notes pages from the session - you can see how much I was trying to write down! Nevertheless, the gist of each of the answers is accurate. I've also added in some editor's notes (aka my own additional thoughts) here and there to provide supplemental information where appropriate.

That's my notes from the session - 1.5 hours of furious scribbling!

Cetaphil has uploaded lots of videos from the session on the Cetaphil Facebook Page. Where the videos of a particular answer is available, I've also embedded it directly below the answer - so you can hear Tracy in the flesh as well! For more of the learnings from the trip, and to see more skincare myths and questions, do check out the Cetaphil Facebook Page.

Kiehl's Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate Review and Ingredients Analysis

Kiehl's Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate has launched earlier this month, and this is probably Kiehl's largest launch for the year! The Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate claims to utilize quinoa seed extract to exfoliate the skin, and it claims to be effective at exfoliating, but at a lower risk than a typical at-home peel product. Obviously, the quinoa is pretty intriguing at first glance - it's been a pretty popular health food as of late, and now it looks like the fad has made its way into our beauty products too!

Kiehl's Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate: Kiehl's largest launch of the year

Kiehl's Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate is supposed to be a gentle exfoliant that can be used everyday, and is safe for sensitive skin. It's meant as a night treatment, rather than a day product. Kiehl's also recommends that the product be used after toner, but before serum. And for those who are familiar with the old Kiehl's Overnight Biological Peel, I was also told that the Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate would be replacing this product, and the Overnight Biological Peel will be discontinued.


Kiehl's Nightly Refining Micro-Peel Concentrate: A gentle but effective peel you can use everyday
Of course, since this is a peel product, we'll have to answer lots of questions: What's the exfoliating agent? Is it really quinoa seed extract? And is this really a gentle but effective peel? And how does it compare to the old Overnight Biological Peel? We'll be answering those questions, and of course, to do that, we'll start at the ingredients list. Of course, this is going to be a pretty long review, so make yourself comfortable while you read this, and off we go!

Talc, Cosmetics, Safety, Cancer: What the Science Says About Talc in Makeup

Is talc in cosmetics dangerous or safe? Does it cause cancer, particularly ovarian cancer? Is it safe to use talc in makeup? With the news about Johnson and Johnson being sued over the talc in their baby powder supposedly causing ovarian cancer, I've been asked a couple of times about talc's safety in makeup. One such question came from my lovely reader Joanna (hello Joanna!) as below:

Hello!! Just wanted to say your blog is very very informative and I've made several purchases following the information on your reviews. Since you're so into looking at ingredients of cosmetics too I was wondering what your thoughts are regarding talc-based products, especially bronzers and loose face powders. With the recent news about Johnson and Johnson's baby powder case it's sort of alerted me a little to think about this. I know that we don't use make up in the genital area hence ovarian cancer risks are unlikely but there's also mixed evidence about chronic inhalation of talc maybe causing lung cancer. What are your views in this area? It has raised my concern as I believe effects are cumulative but I've also realised a lot of big brands such as Bobbi Brown, Benefit and 3CE all have talc based powders and bronzers. Please share your opinion :)

From her question, it's clear that there is concern about talc on multiple fronts - applied on skin, inhalation, and also perineal use (aka, using talc down there in the genital area). Although Joanna was specifically asking about talc with respect to inhalation, I thought, in view of current events, as well as other questions I've been getting, I'll just look at all 3 concern areas of skin, inhalation, and perineal use - that way, I have a neat, more complete summary of what the science says on talc in general that will hopefully be more helpful!

Talc has been in the news lately due to J&J's lawsuits, prompting questions as to talc's safety (Image source)

First though, before I start, I would like to say that this is not in any way meant to detract from the suffering of women who do have ovarian cancer. It is a serious disease with far-reaching effects, and my sympathy goes out to all ovarian cancer sufferers and their families, and they deserve our support. But for the purpose of this blogpost, I am most interested in responding to Joanna’s question, which is specifically about talc in cosmetics. So although this question certainly is prompted by current events, the scope of this blogpost is not to talk about the J&J lawsuit, but just to look at what the science says about the safety of talc in cosmetics. So, I hope that noone takes offense the narrow scope of this blogpost. Trust me, this pretty narrow scope is already quite a lengthy blogpost!

L'Oreal Revitalift Filler HA Essence and Cushion Cream Reviews and Ingredients Analysis

L'Oreal's Revitalift Filler HA Micro Volumizing Essence and Revolumizing Cushion Cream have both hit stores here in Singapore, and these are two new additions to L'Oreal's already-popular anti-aging Revitalift skincare range. The Revitalift Filler HA products contain hyaluronic acid, as you might have guessed from the "HA" in the names. I've had these two products for awhile, so I thought it was about time that I reviewed them properly!

L'Oreal Revitalift Filler HA Essence and Cushion Cream: The latest additions to the Revitalift line

Obviously, hyaluronic acid is a big selling point for the Revitalift Filler HA line, and also the "volumizing" or "filler" aspect. Basically, these claim to "fill up lines" and "restore skin plumpness" (I'm quoting those two claims directly from the packaging there). The idea is that it's not just wrinkles that make a person's skin look old, but also a lack of facial volume and plumpness, and the Revitalift Filler HA line is supposed to address both these concerns. We're already familiar with hyaluronic acid as a humectant, so in this sense it could be useful in skincare to help hydrate the skin. In addition to the "micrometic hyaluronic acid", there is also Fibroxyl, which L'Oreal explains is a derived from rye seed and is an anti-wrinkle and firming ingredient.


L'Oreal Revitalift Filler HA Essence and Cushion Cream: Advertised as containing hyaluronic acid, and Fibroxyl
Well, that's a whole lot of claims for two products, so let's get down to the review! We'll take a look at the Essence first, and then the Cushion Cream. And of course, we're going to start right at the ingredients lists, to see if the products really live up to their claims. But first, let's talk about Fibroxyl, which appears in the products as Secale Cereale/Rye Seed Extract, and what that actually does in skin!

The Face Shop Character Mask Review and Ingredients Analysis

The Face Shop's Character Mask is a new launch from the Kbeauty brand, and it is a sheet mask with cute animal face designs printed onto it. As the name indicates, when you wear the sheet mask, you are also wearing a "character mask" of sorts, and The Face Shop has 5 masks for you to choose from - panda, fox, sheep, dragon, and tiger.

The Face Shop Character Masks: A pretty good example of "skincaretainment", where your skincare is fun to use

Of course, the benefit is more aesthetic than functional. After all, a sheet mask is a sheet mask, whether it has a cute animal face printed on it or not, and the fact that it has a panda face printed on it doesn't change its function. Still though, in the vein of "skincarentainment" (a term I've seen thrown around with respect to Asian beauty, particularly Kbeauty products), this is pretty novel to use - you put on the sheet mask, and boom! instant panda face! It does inject some fun into your skincare routine, which I guess is the concept behind "skincarentainment": it's not just about the product, but also the experience, fun, and novelty of using it.


The Face Shop Character Mask: A new launch from the Kbeauty brand, with cute animal designs on the mask
That does sound pretty cool, right? And The Face Shop is certainly not the only brand catching on - there are a few other Japanese and Korean brands having such sheet masks too. Nevertheless, as an old fogey of a beauty blogger (more than 5 years, which is sort of like forever in internetz time), I'm really more concerned with how the product works, than whether it entertains me or not. I mean, I go to the movies to be entertained, but when I choose my skincare, I'm not looking to have a good time, I just want to know if it works, and if it's within my budget. If it does happen to be fun to use, then that's a bonus, but evidently I'm a cranky old grandma who doesn't bother too much about whether my mask looks cute or not. And does The Face Shop Character Mask work? The only way to find out is to start by looking at what exactly is in the product, and take a trip to the ingredient list!

Biotherm Life Plankton Essence Review, Ingredients Analysis and Q&A

Biotherm's Life Plankton Essence was launched last year, and is billed on the Biotherm website as a "Fundamental Skin Treatment". The description for the product goes on to say, "For the first time, Life Plankton is infused at its highest concentration within Life Plankton Essence (5% for anyone wondering). In 8 days, see and feel a new-born skin: more radiant, more even, smoother, hydrated, with greater resilience and fine lines faded. Immediately, the skin is soothed and softened." So essentially, this is a lotion-style essence product, with a high concentration of Life Plankton. This is meant to be used before other skincare products, like moisturizer.

Biotherm Life Plankton Essence: A lotion that claims to improve skin in 8 days

The Biotherm Life Plankton Essence was launched end of last year to much fanfare and raves, and this year has continued to get a steady stream of attention from both mainstream press and bloggers. So I figured it's probably a good time for me to finally get around to reviewing it! How does this product work, and what is inside the product? What is this Life Plankton, anyway?


Biotherm Life Plankton Essence: Contains the highest concentration of Life Plankton at 5%
To answer those questions and more, there's only one place to start looking - the ingredients list! Biotherm has also very kindly helped to answer a few of my questions on the product, to fill in some of the gaps and questions I had when analysing the ingredients list, and I'm really happy that they did - I mean, I'm just a random blogger, not Anna Wintour or anything, and I'm sure the PR people have lots on their plate, so I really appreciate it when I get to ask questions and they get answered! For this review though, I've incorporated some of the answers into my review, rather than having them as a separate standalone section, in order to keep the length of the review shorter and the flow less disjointed, but where the information has been provided by Biotherm, you'll see me mention it (e.g. "Biotherm/the company/the brand informed me that" or something similar). So, without further ado, let's jump right into the review!

Face Roller and Cooler Review: Pros, Cons and Science!

Yes, another post on more face equipment! This is the last such post for the time being, and this time I'll be looking at a face roller, which seems to be pretty popular lately, as well as a face cooler. I have with me the Panasonic Warming Facial and Body Roller EH-SP32-S, and the Panasonic Facial Cool Putter DH-SQ10-W. This is also part of the Singapore Blog Awards, so basically I'm given a loan set of these to review. (And again - if you guys want to vote for me, you can do so here! Once a day! Every day! Until July 6!)

If you've read my previous review on the Panasonic Face Steamer, then you'll know that 1) it's a pretty science-based post, and 2) although Panasonic is the sponsor of the Singapore Blog Awards, the review wasn't a "OMG THIS IS SO GOOD GUYS 10/10 WOULD RECOMMEND", pandering kind of review. And like that previous post, I'm also abiding the same principles - rely on the science, and don't pander. So, I'll be looking at the science behind both face rolling, as well as face cooling, and assessing the pros and cons of each of them, in addition to my own experience with the product.



Alright, since I have not one but two products to go through, this post is going to be quite heavy in terms of content. So I hope you've got yourself a nice cup of coffee to accompany you as we get through this post!

Vichy Ideal White Review: Essence and Emulsion (with lots of Ingredients Analysis!)

Vichy's Ideal White range of skincare is quite possibly the brand's biggest launch this year, and, as the name "Ideal White" suggests, this is a range that aims to brighten and even out the skintone. Vichy claims that Ideal White is a "holistic whitening range with exclusive whitening complex to correct melanin dysfunction for spotless skin with healthy rosy glow", and the range is indeed holistic - they do have an impressive array of products, from sunscreens, to essences, emulsions, eye creams, and spot products. So whether you're looking for something targeted, or whether you want to build your entire regime out of a single range, I guess there's something for everyone!

Vichy Ideal White Essence and Emulsion: The brand's biggest launch this year

Vichy's Ideal White range apparently also comes with some novel technology behind it that gives the product its whitening and brightening properties. The featured ingredients in the range are resourcinol, which I'm told is supposed to be more effective than Vitamin C at whitening, Ellagic acid for exfoliating, and Adenosine for anti-wrinkle properties. I'm told that you would need about 1-2 months to show some effect on the skin. That does sound pretty exciting, doesn't it?


Vichy Ideal White Essence and Emulsion: With Ellagic Acid, Resourcinnol and Adenosine
I've got the Ideal White Meta Whitening Essence and Meta Whitening Emulsion to review, and of course we'll start off with the ingredients list for both products! Vichy has also been very kind to answer some of my burning questions about the formulation and the ingredients of the products, so for those looking for a more in-depth exploration of the product, I hope this post will be what you are looking for!

Creme De La Mer Dupes: Ingredients Analysis and Similar Products!

Creme De La Mer is one of those iconic products in the beauty industry everyone's heard of. It is legendary, and the very definition of a cult product, and is often claimed to be a "miracle broth" that miraculously somehow helps in anti-aging. Despite its outrageously high price, or perhaps because of it, the buzz around this product is high - celebrities are said to use it, lots of blog reviews can be found raving about it, and those who spend the money on it claim that it definitely does work. It is the one and only Creme De La Mer, after all, and it is so unique that nothing can come close to it, and there aren't any products like it - or are there?

Creme De La Mer: A legendary product, with legendary hype (Source)

You guys know that I get pretty skeptical of such claims. It has been said that the humble ol' Nivea Creme is a dupe for Creme De La Mer - but of course, if you search the Internets, you'll find people saying that they don't see a difference between the two, and you'll also find tons of people who say that the La Mer version is still much better, and the plain ol' Nivea can't compare.

So with that said and done, let’s examine the Creme de La Mer more closely, and find out what exactly is in this "miracle broth". From there, we can figure out how the product works, and then, see if there are any dupes for it, or if not dupes, perhaps similar products. And the only way to begin this process is to get down and dirty with the Creme De La Mer ingredients list!

CNP Laboratory Propolis Energy Ampule Review and Ingredients Analysis

CNP Laboratory is a Korean skincare brand that boasts that it is started by doctors, and has an emphasis on skincare science - now, doesn't this sound like the kind of skincare brand I would like? So of course, as a beauty blogger who's into the science and geeky stuff behind skincare, I felt like I just had to review at least one of their products! CNP Lab's most famous product is their Propolis Energy Ampule (yes it is spelled "Ampule" not "Ampoule" - apparently "Ampule" is an acceptable spelling of the word, but the lack of an "o" in the word just throws me off when I'm reading it visually), so naturally I figured I'd start with this!

CNP Laboratory Propolis Energy Ampule: CNP Labs' bestselling product

The CNP Labs website claims that this prooduct "contains Propolis extract also known as Honey Essence, it is well known for its antioxidant and moisturizing benefits". Interestingly, though, although CNP Labs calls propolis "honey essence", propolis is actually not a component of honey - it is instead "a natural resin produced by honeybees" that is used to build their nests. The product also contains Hyaluronic Acid too, "to maintain firm healthy glowing skin". Looking up some online retailers, I found out that the product has 10% propolis extract.

So now that we know what we're looking at, let's start dissecting this product, and taking a look at its ingredients! But first, I thought we should take a closer look at propolis, because, after all, it comprises 10% of the product and is the advertised ingredient. In particular, does propolis have a use in skincare? Is it beneficial to the skin? What effects does it have?

SKII Facial Treatment Essence, Clear Lotion, Mask Review and Ingredients Analysis (on Pitera)

SKII (also written SK-II) is a Japanese brand of skincare and beauty products, and is famous for incorporating the ingredient "Pitera" into its products. In particular, its star product, the Facial Treatment Essence, has been massively popular in Asia. As a result, SKII has become something of a cult brand, with lots of fans swearing that it gives them skin that looks everything from younger, to fairer, to bouncier (I'm not making any of these up, by the way - I actually have real-life friends and colleagues who really swear by this). So, I was pretty excited to try this out for myself, and review it!

SKII has something of a cult following, particularly with its Facial Treatment Essence

The products I have are SKII's Facial Treatment Essence, the famous cult product, as well as SKII's Facial Treatment Clear Lotion, which is something akin to a toner (you also apply it with a cotton pad and swipe it on your face like a toner). Also, I have the SKII Facial Treatment Mask. You're supposed to apply the Facial Treatment Clear Lotion, and then the Facial Treatment Essence, as part of your daily routine, with the Facial Treatment Mask being more of a periodic treatment as opposed to part of your everyday routine.


One of SKII's claims to fame is their use of "Pitera" in all their products
Even before I began this review, I had multiple people asking me about "Pitera", and whether it really worked or not. I had been contemplating a review of the science on Pitera for awhile, and I figured this would be the perfect way to start the post!

Finding Skincare Dupes by Ingredients Analysis, and My SCA Post on Creme De La Mer Dupes!

Edited to Add: Due to shady dealings by the skincare-addiction.com website owners and previous subreddit owners, I can no longer recommend the skincare-addiction.com website. I've edited this post to remove all SCA links, and have republished the Creme De La Mer Dupes post here on my own blog instead.

I've recently been asked to contribute an article (or a few articles, depending on what I feel like) to the Skincare Addiction blog, which in turn is a blog written by and for the /r/SkincareAddiction subreddit. My guest post, "Skincare Dupes and Analysis: Creme De La Mer" is up on the SkincareAddiction blog. It's got my usual ingredients analysis, and some skincare science thrown in! So my skincare geekery is hanging out on that post in full force!

My first SCA blogpost is on skincare dupes for Creme de La Mer (Image source)

When the SkincareAddiction people approached me to write a post, I readily agreed, because skincare science was right up my alley, and I always love exchanging views and interacting with such people. (Coincidentally, I had just gotten a Reddit account at the time and was a lurker on the SkincareAddiction subreddit, as well as a few other beauty-related subreddits - because I'm creative like that, my Reddit username is also musicalhouses.) They were open to whatever I wanted to write, and stylistically, their blog accommodated quite a few different writing styles. In fact, other than standardizing things like formatting, my blog post was published as-is.

For this post though, rather than just do a "go read my post! XOXOXOXO" and a link and that's it, I thought I'd explain how we can find skincare dupes through ingredients analysis. I've been getting some questions from real-life friends and acquaintances on how you can find skincare dupes (or if not dupes, similar products) through ingredients analysis and ingredients comparisons of skincare products, so I thought I'd just outline what exactly we're doing when we do ingredients analysis below. So read on if you're interested, or if not, go ahead and find out what La Mer dupes there are. (You can also view the accompanying thread on Reddit with more comments from readers and responses from yours truly.)

La Roche Posay Serozinc Ingredients Review and Analysis: What Does the Science Say About Zinc Sulphate?

La Roche Posay Serozinc has been making quite the waves on the blogosphere, and many bloggers seem to be raving about this product, and following a twitter conversation with Ling, who has her own blog, I got the idea that, in light of all the raves Serozinc has been getting, it would be good for me to take a more analytical approach to the product. La Roche Posay claims that the product "cleanses superficial skin irritations" on their website, and the product is promoted as an anti-blemish toner. You apply it to cleansed skin, wait for a while, and then continue on with the rest of your regime.

La Roche Posay's Serozinc is highly anticipated and highly raved (Source)

Escentual's site promotes Serozinc as "created with just three ingredients: La Roche-Posay’s ultra-soothing thermal spring water, healing zinc sulphate (0.10%) and astringent sodium chloride (0.75%). Together, these three ingredients target blemishes, marks and excess oiliness, ensuring your complexion feels fresh and comfortable at any time of day." So I guess we already know what the product is made of, and what the claims are. A lot of the rave reviews for Serozinc seem to have come from the fact that it is so simply formulated, which I suppose must be refreshing in a sea of products making complicated ingredient claims.

Serozinc is really getting a lot of hype despite the simple formulation (Source)

But before I start, I must clarify that I have never actually tried this product myself personally. Although ideally a more complete "review" (in the sense of a blog review) would have my own personal experience with the product woven in (as I do with my normal reviews), for the purposes of this post, we are looking at what the science says about the usefulness of Zinc Sulphate, which will in turn help consumers (like you and me!) decide whether it's really worth spending your hard-earned money on the product. So just take this as me doing your science homework for you, to help you make an educated decision before you buy the product! So, without further ado, let's take a look at the ingredients in the product!

Erabelle Skin Softening Refiner Review and Ingredients Analysis

Erabelle is chain of beauty salons that are pretty famous for their brow grooming services (which I've reviewed before a long time ago in 2012), and now they've also launched a skincare product - the Erabelle Skin Softening Refiner! I was curious, since of course beauty grooming services and skincare, while related, aren't exactly alike, so I was interested in seeing how the foray into skincare would turn out to be.

Erabelle Skin Softening Refiner: A new skincare product from a company known for their brow grooming services

As the name suggests, the Skin Softening Refiner is an exfoliating mask. It's a moisturizing mask, with some exfoliating beads from peach seed powder. The natural angle of this product also appears to be played up, with the description touting its "vegetal proteins" (which is just proteins, but derived from vegetable sources), so I imagine this product would also be interesting to those who are looking for such products. The product also has really pretty packaging, with a very cute and girly box (my box unfortunately kind of got squished in the mail, which is why it looks a little crumpled), and even comes with a little plastic spatula for a more hygienic application.


Erabelle Skin Softening Refiner: A face mask and exfoliant all in one product
As a big skincare nerd, reviewing this product was a pretty exciting venture for me, because there are so many areas to explore. First, we want to take a look at the "vegetal proteins" in the product, because those are featured in some of the descriptions of the product. And of course, we'll also want to take a look at the peach seed powder in the product, which is the main exfoliant. And then, on top of that, there is also my usual ingredients analysis that I love to do. So there's a lot to do for this review! So without further ado, let's start with my favourite part of the product, which is the ingredients list! Yay, skincare science!

Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Eye-Opening Serum Review and Ingredients Analysis

Kiehl's latest skincare product is the Super Multi-Corrective Eye-Opening Serum, part of the "Super Multi-Corrective" range. Kiehl's claims that this product is "formulated with botanically-derived Rhamnose and Sodium Hyaluronate to lift, firm, smooth, hydrate, and restore youthful shape of the eye", so I guess that's what Kiehl's is referring to when they call this an "eye-opening" product.

Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Eye-Opening Serum: It claims to open your eyes and give you a youthful-looking eye

Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Eye-Opening Serum is an accompaniment to its Super Multi-Corrective Cream, and both are packaged in little purple-and-silver packaging. Kiehl's also recommends that you can use the two together, if you want. For some reason I thought I had a review of the Kiehl's Multi-Corrective Cream up on my blog (I mean, I do have quite a few Kiehl's skincare reviews up), but it turns out I don't, much to my chagrin, so I'll definitely be reviewing that further down the road. But in any case, first things first, and I'll just look at the Super Multi-Corrective Eye-Opening Serum for this post.


Kiehl's Super Multi-Corrective Eye-Opening Serum: The two key ingredients advertised are Rhamnose and Sodium Hyaluronate
And as you might know, first things first with a skincare review always means going straight to the ingredients list! Let's take a look at the ingredients list, and see what it tells us about the formulation (with all the fancy Rhamnose and Sodium Hyaluronate in it).

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial Review and Ingredients Analysis

Elizabeth Arden's Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial is a two-step skincare product, that is supposed to give you glowing skin (like a facial) in just five minutes! This is a really interesting product, and one that is pretty interesting, too, owing to its two-step process. I was pretty excited to try it when it was first introduced in the first half of this year, but I just never got around to writing about this until now - well, good thing skincare is evergreen so better late than never, right?

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial: A two-step product to give you glowing skin

The first step is a Ceramide Self-Foaming Mask, which you apply on your face and let it sit for five minutes while it foams and exfoliates your skin. I'm told that it also works as cleanser, so you don't even have to take your makeup off before use if you're lazy! You just apply it, leave it on for five minutes, and then rinse it off. The second step is a Ceramide Replenishing Serum, which you apply to your skin after you have rinsed off the Mask. The instructions tell you to leave the Mask on for 2-3 minutes, so including rinse-off time and serum-application time, the whole time you need for this facial is really just five minutes!


Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Boosting 5-Minute Facial: It really does only take 5 minutes from start to finish!
Now I know what you're thinking - will this work? How does it work? And how effective are these ingredients, anyway? In order to do that, let's start off with my favourite place in skincare products - the ingredients list!