Journal

Evidence, sorted from marketing

Ingredient explainers, the routine mistakes that come up most often, and the occasional myth taken apart. Every entry names its sources and states how strong they are — including when the answer is “not very”.

Ingredient evidence·August 19, 2026·4 min read

Vitamin C: why most serums disappoint before they ever get to work

A 20 percent vitamin C serum that has oxidised is a 0 percent vitamin C serum with a story on the label.

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Ingredient evidence·August 19, 2026·5 min read

Peptides: a real effect, and a small one

Peptides do something measurable. The magnitude is one nobody wants to print, and the word covers dozens of unrelated molecules.

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Ingredient evidence·August 19, 2026·4 min read

Niacinamide: what the evidence actually shows

Solid evidence, modest effects, and a concentration debate that matters far less than the marketing on either side suggests.

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Routine mistakes·August 19, 2026·4 min read

How much sunscreen actually works

SPF is measured at 2 mg per square centimetre. Most people apply a quarter to a half of that, and the protection does not fall politely in proportion.

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Routine mistakes·August 19, 2026·5 min read

Does the order of your routine actually matter?

Layering charts imply a precision the evidence does not support. Three steps genuinely depend on order. The rest is texture.

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Myths·August 19, 2026·4 min read

Collagen in a cream: the molecule problem

Collagen creams are not a scam and they are not doing what the name implies. Both of those are true, and the second one is not controversial.

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