#6: Rosemary oil for hair loss, how to spot bad science, "safe" sunscreens, tween skincare
February update.
Sorry for the longer-than-usual absence! I wrapped up a big project (hopefully announcing it in the next newsletter) and got married - things are finally settling down again! The whole newsletter archive is here if you’ve missed any.
Shorter content
My latest posts on Instagram and TikTok:
“Edible ingredients” doesn’t mean safe skincare
Why both new and old chemical sunscreens aren’t “safe” in the US
DIY sunscreen is a bad idea
Argirilene isn’t “literally botox in a bottle”
Looking for “water soluble silicones” won’t prevent buildup on hair
Chemical sunscreen doesn’t age you
Rosemary oil for hair loss? How to spot bad science
New video is out! It’s on whether rosemary oil works for hair loss.
Rosemary oil been recommended by a lot of doctors and scientists on social media, but they only really cite one study to back it up… and it’s a pretty terrible study.
I talk about:
Why “peer reviewed” doesn’t necessarily mean high quality
Why you can’t rely solely on a paper’s abstract
Why this study is, frankly, garbage
Why the other evidence for rosemary oil is also unconvincing (and why mechanistic reasoning usually isn’t enough to say something works)
What you should do instead
I thought this would be a nice short video debunking a single study, so I could buy more time for more research-heavy videos… but it turned into a Big Thing (this happens a lot).
You can watch it on YouTube and Nebula.
I’ve also adapted it into four separate blog posts, on peer review, abstracts, “scientific” products not working (mechanistic reasoning), and rosemary oil for hair loss.
Extra bits
Hair stuff
I’ve also posted a few more blog posts since last time!
I went live with Glam Girl Gabi recently, talking about haircare myths. You can watch it here!
Skin stuff
When I was in the US, Esther Olu (The Melanin Chemist) made me and Jen (The Eco Well) pick out an Ulta skincare routine - it was a lot of fun! You can watch us racing around Ulta here.
I was recently on Mama Mia’s You Beauty podcast talking about skincare myths and my skincare routine.
Tweens using skincare has been really making the headlines lately - I talked about it on The Project, Axios, ABC News, Behind the News, and a few other places I can’t find at the moment.
In short: skincare probably won’t hurt younger skin permanently (although the risk of irritation might be higher), sun damage before age 18 is extra bad so sunscreen is warranted if over 6 months, and photosensitising ingredients like glycolic acid should probably be avoided (because they probably aren’t using sunscreen). It’s a good opportunity for parents to talk to their kids about critically consuming social media, and financial responsibility.
Life stuff
I finished my wedding dress successfully - a full 40 hours before the actual wedding! I’m very proud of myself and hope to be never doing that again. It’s the Edith dress by Namaste and Crochet, with a lot of modifications. Here’s a quick snap:
Random recommendations
WATCHING: I was super chuffed to find out that Tom Scott mentioned my haircare misinformation video in his newsletter! He’s a science YouTuber who recently retired after 10 years of weekly videos. I think most of you already know his work, but if you don’t, you’re in for a treat - why microwaves were invented and super pink pigment are two of my favourites.
PRODUCTS: Most of my content these days is on debunking, so I don’t end up doing product reviews as often as I’d like. So here are some short reviews of my recent favourites (note: these are all affiliate links):
Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation - An old favourite that I rediscovered in time for the wedding. This lasted really nicely through the humidity!
Wet Brush Detangler - A lot of you recommended this to me after I talked about the Tangle Teezer, and I love it! It seems to make my hair smoother and softer than the Tangle Teezer - might have something to do with the plastic they use? It’s annoyingly difficult to get the pretty colours in Australia!
Neutrogena Retinol Pro+ Night Cream - This is one of my top retinol picks, for those of you who are still eagerly awaiting my cosmetic retinoid videos (they’re coming soon!).
Polls
Putting out feelers for tentative new topic ideas - which of these would you be most interested in?
I would love to see something on how to treat or get rid of dark eye circles under the eyes.
I’d love to see something regarding actives in shampoos! Are those worth it? Or is it just washing stuff down the drain?