Ingredients
Hyaluronic acid, peptides, lactic acid and other AHAs, niacinamide, retinoids, hypochlorous acid: what they do, how strong they are, and how to read the label.
- Combining active ingredients: what layers well, what to alternate, and a weekly schedule
A sourced guide to combining skincare actives: which pairs work well (niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, ceramides), which to alternate (retinoids with AHAs and BHAs), which can degrade each other (some tretinoin with benzoyl peroxide, hypochlorous acid with vitamin C), application order, and a sample weekly schedule.
- How to patch test skincare at home, and when you need a dermatologist's patch test
How to patch test a new skincare product at home, following the American Academy of Dermatology's method (a quarter-sized spot, twice a day for 7 to 10 days), how to read irritation versus allergy, special cases (acids, retinoids, wash-off products, hair dye), and what a dermatologist's patch test involves.
- How to read an INCI list: the order, the 1% line, and what labels don't tell you
A practical guide to reading a cosmetic ingredient list (INCI): the descending-order rule and the 1% line in US and EU law, how US OTC drugs such as sunscreens list active ingredients, what 'fragrance' and 'and other ingredients' hide, EU fragrance allergen labelling, the period-after-opening symbol, and how to check an ingredient in the EU CosIng database.
- Naturium Quadruple Hyaluronic Acid Serum: what's in it and how to use it
An ingredient-led guide to Naturium's Quadruple Hyaluronic Acid Serum 5%: what the published INCI list contains, what the four molecular weights mean, what the research on hyaluronic acid shows, and how to layer it in humid and dry climates.
- Niacinamide explained: what it does, how much you need, and what to pair it with
A sourced guide to niacinamide (vitamin B3) in skincare: what controlled trials show for redness, tone, fine lines and the skin barrier, why 2–5% is usually enough, who may react to higher strengths, and why the warning against pairing it with vitamin C is mostly a myth.
- Peach & Lily Power Cocktail lactic acid serum: what's in it and how to use it
An ingredient-led guide to Peach & Lily's Power Cocktail Lactic Acid Repair Serum: what a 10% lactic acid formula does, why pH matters, who should be careful, how often to use it, and the FDA's sun-sensitivity warning for alpha hydroxy acids.
- Peptides in skincare: the types, the evidence and realistic expectations
A sourced guide to peptides in skincare: signal peptides such as palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, copper tripeptide-1, neurotransmitter-inhibiting peptides such as acetyl hexapeptide-8, what the published research supports, why penetration and concentration are the weak points, and how to fit a peptide product into a routine.
- Retinoids explained: retinol, adapalene and tretinoin, and how to start without irritation
A sourced guide to retinoids in skincare: how retinol, retinal, adapalene and tretinoin differ, what decades of trials show for acne and photoaging, how to start (every other night, in the evening, with moisturizer and sunscreen), who should avoid them, and how to manage the 'retinoid uglies'.
- Rhode skincare: what's worth knowing (peptide lip treatment, glazing milk…)
A neutral, ingredient-led look at four products from the US brand rhode: the Peptide Lip Treatment, Glazing Milk, Peptide Glazing Fluid and Barrier Restore Cream. What the published ingredient lists contain, what peptides and niacinamide can and can't do, and what to check before buying abroad.
- SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray and hypochlorous acid: what a face mist can and can't do
An ingredient-led guide to Tower 28's SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray: what hypochlorous acid is, what the dermatology literature supports, why stability and pH matter, how to use a hypochlorous mist, and what it does not do.
