Category
Scientific Guides
45 entries
- How Inflammation Drives Skin Damageinflammation is the skin's immune response to injury, irritants, or stress, and while short-term it aids healing, chronic low-grade inflammation releases enzymes and free...
- How Collagen Is Made and Lostthe process by which specialized skin cells build the protein that gives skin its structure and firmness, and the gradual decline in that production...
- How Wrinkles Formcreases that develop as the skin's supportive network of collagen and elastin weakens and as repeated facial movements etch lines into the surface over...
- How Blue Light Affects Skinhigh-energy visible light emitted by the sun and, in much smaller amounts, by screens, that can generate free radicals in the skin and, in...
- How UVA and UVB Differtwo bands of ultraviolet light that reach the skin in different ways, with UVA penetrating deeper and driving aging while UVB acts more on...
- How UV Radiation Damages Skininvisible energy from the sun that harms skin both directly, by altering DNA in skin cells, and indirectly, by generating free radicals that break...
- How Antioxidants Neutralize Free Radicalsmolecules that protect skin by donating electrons to unstable free radicals, stabilizing them before they can damage cells. This interrupts the chain reactions that...
- How Alpha Arbutin Inhibits Tyrosinasea stable, naturally derived skin-brightening molecule that reduces dark spots by blocking tyrosinase, the enzyme that controls the first steps of melanin production. Because...
- How Tranexamic Acid Reduces Pigmenta synthetic derivative of the amino acid lysine that lightens discoloration by interrupting the signals that drive excess pigment production, rather than by bleaching...
- How Benzoyl Peroxide Kills Acne Bacteriaan oxidizing agent that reduces acne largely by releasing oxygen into the follicle, creating an environment that acne-causing bacteria cannot easily survive in. Because...
- How Azelaic Acid Worksa naturally occurring dicarboxylic acid that works through several pathways at once, calming inflammation, normalizing the shedding of cells that clog pores, and gently...
- How Peptides Signal the Skinshort chains of amino acids that act as messengers, cueing skin cells to carry out processes such as producing collagen or calming certain signals....
- How PHAs Differ Mechanisticallypolyhydroxy acids, such as gluconolactone and lactobionic acid, that exfoliate much like AHAs but carry larger molecules with multiple hydroxyl groups. Their bigger size...
- How BHAs Work in Poresoil-soluble beta hydroxy acids, most commonly salicylic acid, that can penetrate through sebum and into the pore lining to loosen debris and dead cells....
- How AHAs Exfoliatewater-soluble alpha hydroxy acids, such as glycolic and lactic acid, that loosen the bonds holding dead cells together at the skin's surface so they...
- How Hyaluronic Acid Hydrates Skina naturally occurring humectant in the skin that can bind and hold a large volume of water relative to its weight, helping keep the...
- How Ceramides Repair the Barrierlipid molecules that make up a large share of the skin's outermost layer, where they pack together with cholesterol and fatty acids to form...
- How Niacinamide Worksa form of vitamin B3 that the skin converts into coenzymes central to cellular energy and repair, helping support the barrier and regulate several...
- How Vitamin C Worksa water-soluble antioxidant, most studied as L-ascorbic acid, that neutralizes free radicals generated by UV exposure and pollution while supporting the skin's natural collagen...
- How Sunscreen Protects the Skinthe mechanism by which SPF shields skin from ultraviolet radiation. Mineral filters (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) largely reflect and absorb UV, while organic (chemical)...
- How Retinol Works in the Skinthe biological process by which vitamin A derivatives improve skin. Once applied, retinol is converted to retinaldehyde and then to retinoic acid, which binds...
