on the blog.
Beauty news, stories and reviews on skin health, ageing, and modern beauty culture.
Retinyl Palmitate and Retinol: The Double Act for Skin Health.
Despite a life of wearing sunscreen, you may get to a time when you discover sun protection alone is not enough, and it’s certainly not foolproof. Sure, it’s helped enormously, and you’re glad you committed all those years ago. But even so, signs of dehydration, lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and changes in skin texture and tone, […]
Are you doing your kegel exercises correctly?
Ah, yes, the muscles of our pelvic floor. I’ve never been able to commit to regularly exercising my pelvic floor muscles. But, of course, menopause happened. Suddenly, my pelvic floor muscles were firmly (no pun intended) on my radar as troubling symptoms started to appear. More than 1 billion women worldwide have pelvic floor disorders like […]
Bathroom Cabinet Confidential : Scrubs
This article is about exfoliants that scrub the skin, and why you should consider your approach to exfoliation. But, before I get to why I constantly crusade against facial scrubs, a story from my youth. When I was 17, I read somewhere, some little tidbit of advice, that I could smooth away wrinkles by 1) […]
A Cleansing Ritual That Will Transforms Your Skin
How you cleanse your skin often gets pushed to the back of a good skincare routine. Serums have become the thing. You must have serums. If you believe the K-Beauty 10-step routine, then you’re likely drowning in them. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a good serum. But seriously, what’s the point if your […]
The Changing Face of Non-Surgical Cosmetic Treatments
When I ponder the case for non-surgical cosmetic treatments like injectables, I often think of celebrities, young and not so young, dissatisfied with their appearance and the less-than-natural results they seem to end up with for all the world to see. When a cosmetic procedure is a little less than subtle, and if you’re a […]
The curse of blotchy hyperpigmentation and brown spots.
Blotchy hyperpigmentation and brown spots — sometimes called age spots or sun spots — are among the most common skin concerns as we age. They’re caused by years of sun exposure, hormonal changes, and skin inflammation. In this article, we’ll explore what triggers them, how to treat them safely, and the best skincare ingredients and […]
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Going to the Max with Spirulina Maxima!
He stood proudly in the arena, slowly turning towards the enthralled spectators and said: “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius…” Who could forget that famous line, immortalised by Russell Crowe in the cinematic masterpiece Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott? Not into Gladiator movies or the rise and fall of the Roman Empire? You’re here for […]
Niacinamide: What Vitamin B3 Really Does for Your Skin
The no so quiet achiever in your bathroom cabinet. This article has been substantially reviewed and updated in 2026 to reflect current research and what we now know about using niacinamide. When I first wrote about niacinamide, it was hardly the ingredient on everyone’s lips. Vitamin C had sparkle. Retinol had status. Niacinamide quietly got […]
Retinyl Palmitate and Retinol: The Double Act for Skin Health.
Despite a life of wearing sunscreen, you may get to a time when you discover sun protection alone is not enough, and it’s certainly not foolproof. Sure, it’s helped enormously, and you’re glad you committed all those years ago. But even so, signs of dehydration, lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and changes in skin texture and tone, […]
Are you doing your kegel exercises correctly?
Ah, yes, the muscles of our pelvic floor. I’ve never been able to commit to regularly exercising my pelvic floor muscles. But, of course, menopause happened. Suddenly, my pelvic floor muscles were firmly (no pun intended) on my radar as troubling symptoms started to appear. More than 1 billion women worldwide have pelvic floor disorders like […]