Sunscreen
Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 40 Sunscreen
This glowscreen SPF 40 is the no 2 bestselling sunscreen on Sephora USA. It has Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid.
Product review
Bioderma Photoderm Aquafluide SPF 50+ tint
This is a product review of Bioderma’s Photoderm tinted sunscreen that is an SPF50+ and is a dry touch formulation for sensitive skin.
Product review
IZIL green tea clarifying mask
THis is a product review of IZIL’s clarifying green tea clay mask for skin brightening. Essentially it detans and lightens the skin
Product review
Forest Essentials Chandan Varnya Lepa
This is a product review of Forest Essentials’ new range of ready to use masks, which are more expensive than dry powder masks.
Product review
Forest Essentials haldi varnya lepa product review
This is a product review of Forest Essentials haldi varnya lepa, which is a pre-made face mask containing 4 types of turmeric.
Erudition
OTT Skyncare Sunny Shield Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA+++
This is a product review of OTT sunscreen, a cheap as chips new entrant to the market. FInd out if its worth your attention.
Skincare
Skin colour – what and why?
This blog is part one in a series around skin colour and how cosmetics seek to regulate skin pigment, melanin, thereby giving lighter skin.
Product review
Ingredient focus: Ascorbyl glucoside
This blog is a deep-dive into Ascorbyl glucoside as an ingredient, and is part of a wider Vitamin C series that I am writing.
Product review
Ingredient focus: THD Ascorbate
This blog is a deep-dive into THD Ascorbate, a Vitamin C derivative that is found in many, many Vitamin C serums.
How the West does not understand South Asian’s need for skin lighteners
I write about skin lightening frequently enough on my blog, because this is a part of our cultural identity, much like cricket.
Skincare
The colorism bandwagon
Today’s topic personally affects me, and I was in two minds about writing this post. However, if I do not speak for myself, companies and two-a-penny social influencers have taken it upon themselves to be my mouthpiece. The falsetto tones
Product review
Yves Rocher White Botanical Moisturizing Lightening cream
I will be applying this test From the product list of ingredients, I’ve identified only Glycyrrhiza Glabra root extract or Licorice extract as a skin lightener. Licorice extract is one of the safest skin lightening agents with few side-effects. (see
Product review
L’Oreal White Perfect Clinical Day Cream
I will be applying this test Q1) Are harmful chemicals present? Yes. This fairness cream contains parabens, which I avoid. Parabens are cheap and effective preservatives that are endocrine system disruptors (estrogen mimickers). (See also Chemicals to Avoid – Parabens). If you
Product review
O3+ Professional White Day Cream SPF 15
This product has to be one of the cleverest products I have reviewed in a while. Find out why.
Product review
Lotus Herbals Whiteglow Skin whitening & Brightening Hand and Body lotion
I will be applying this test: Q1) Are there harmful chemicals contained in this product? Some of the harmful chemicals I look for include parabens and this contains, methyl- and propyl- paraben. Parabens – are cheap and effective preservatives that
Product review
kaya brightening day cream
Review of kaya’s white lumenis skin lightening product
Product review
swiss image Absolute Radiance Whitening Day Cream
Product review of an absolute radiance whitening cream
Vedic Line Natural Fairness Lotion
This product says its designed to “promote fairness & Sun Block.” Today, I won’t hold the appalling grammar against this company. I would only stress to you that there is no chemical or sunscreen that makes you 100% resistant to
Jolen Whitening Cleansing Gel
I will be applying this test to check whether you should purchase this product or not: Harmful chemicals? This contains both methyl- and propyl- paraben. I am not a fan of parabens (see Chemicals to Avoid – Parabens) and therefore,
Product review
Garnier White Complete Fairness Night Cream
This is one of Garnier’s fairness creams that occupies every pharmacy and mom & shop in India. Should you be rushing out to buy it?
Product review
VLCC Skin Whitening Day Cream SPF 25
This is a popular product for skin whitening. Should you be buying it?
Product review
111 Rose Gold Brightening Facial Mask
After the success of the 111 Eye Mask, will a full face mask deliver an excellent result?
Product review
Kiehl’s Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Mask
I have a love-hate relationship with Kiehl’s. Some of their products I really love…at the moment, I am using their Butterstick Lip treatment, a product which I don’t know how I managed to survive without. However, I dislike the fact
Product review
Skin lighteners in your pantry cupboard: turmeric and saffron
In today’s blog, I’ll be considering the skin lightening ability of turmeric and saffron. Unless you have been living in an igloo off Greenland along with a few endangered species, you will have heard of at least one of these.
Product review
Skin lightening ingredient: Azelaic Acid
Azelaic Acid has been used as a prescription grade treatment mainly for melasama, acne and roseacea. However, recently you may have noticed the plethora of products that contain Azelaic Acid ranging from The Ordinary’s 10% Azelaic Acid to Paula’s Choice
Product review
Skin lightener: sandalwood oil
Before I started researching this blog, I wrote out everything I knew about sandalwood. As you can see, it would neatly fit onto a matchbook: Grows in Australia and India Possibly the plant equivalent of an endangered species (?) Used
Product review
Skin lightening ingredient: Kojic Acid
The trade names “Dermawhite HS”, “Vegewhite” or my favourite, “Melarrest” are all trade name mixtures where the principal skin lightener is kojic acid. Kojic Acid is a natural agent that’s obtained from koji malt, which has been used for the
Product review
Skin lightening agent: Licorice
How is licorice extract – what we know as a sweet – a skin lightener?
Product review
Skin lightening agent: Aloe vera
The origin of the words Aloe Vera is majestic. Aloe vera derives from “Allaeh” (an Arabic word that means “shining bitter substances”) and “Vera” (Latin word that means “true”) (Sánchez et al). If you live in a hot and dry
Product review
Skin lightener: Mulberry
Mulberry or Morus Alba extract is an exceedingly common ingredient that’s used in skin lightening products.
Product review
Skin Lightening Agent: Vitamin C
I have written endlessly about the benefits of Vitamin C. I am a fan. Is it also a skin lightener?
Product review
FARMACY Bright On Massage-Activated Vitamin C Mask
This is a lavender to green colour changing Vitamin C mask. I am excited to try this sustainable science experiment in a tube.
Product review
Ingredient focus: Niacinamide
This is Part Two on Niacinamide. In Part One, (LINK attached here), I outlined why Niacinamide is important to energy storage in our bodies and how it is a skin lightener. Today’s blog outlines the functions of Niacinamide There is
Product review
Skin lightening ingredient: Niacinamide
Niacinamide is not an ingredient that you would associate with skin lightening, so find out why its so prevalent in products.
Product review
How is skin pigment melanin made?
Understanding how melanin is made in our bodies forms the foundation of figuring out how good the ingredients are in your skin lightening product. But it starts with this super-geeky blog
Product review
What gives our skin its colour?
The foundation of any skin lightening or brightening product is the reduction of melanin in our skin. Does melanin play a photoprotective effect on our skin?
Product review
Shiseido Vital Perfection Product Review
This is a 30 day product review of Shiseido’s Vital Perfection skin brightening and anti-aging product line.
Product review
Garnier SkinActive Fairness Cream
It’s not always easy figuring out why certain products contain sunscreen filters, when evidently they are not sunscreens…
Product review
Shiseido 30 day product road test
I am road-testing Shiseido’s Vital Perfection skincare range over a 30 day period.
Product review
fresh Vitamin Nectar Vibrancy Boosting face mask
This is the first “natural” product that I’ve used outside Forest Essential’s range. You’ll be pleased to hear that I paid the full retail price of GBP 21 for 30ml for this product. I purchased it from Space NK (and
Product review
skyn ICELAND Arctic Hydration Rubberizing Mask
I unashamedly bought this in the winter sale at a discount – US$ 20 for 3 masks or US$ 7/mask. It retails at US$ 12/mask. This is a DIY rubber mask – its not literally made of rubber (because that’d
Product review
Glamglow Powermud dualcleanse treatment
Find out if you should donate your money to charity or like me, buy this cleanser/face wash in the sale
Product review
Sarah Chapman – Radiance Skin Recharge system – verdict
I have used all 10 ampoules of the Sarah Chapman’s Skinesis Radiance Skin Recharge system. Expectations are high and find out if the product delivered or not.
Product review
Skin whitening ingredient: Arbutin
Arbutin is a skin whitener /lightener/brightener, depending on your political sensibilities. It comes in three forms: Beta, Alpa and Deoxy (the latter is not used in cosmetics). Beta Arbutin is found naturally in leaves and barks of plants and is
Skincare
Skin lightening – are we deeper trouble than we thought?
I am about to tackle skin lightening products and this is a controversial area. Here is my twopence.
Skincare
The beginners guide to Vitamin C
This is a hands on guide to buying and using your FIRST Vitamin C serum.
Product review
Where the streets are only named after Vitamin C derivatives
I present to you in the simplest manner that I know how, the 101 of Vitamin C derivatives. Not all the derivatives, just the most prevalent ones