The term ‘pH balance’ is bandied around all the time, but what does it even mean? pH stands for potential of hydrogen and it measures the acid or alkaline levels of a solution. The pH scale ranges from 0-14 with 0-6.9 being an acid, like lemon juice, 7 being neutral like pure water, and 7.1-14 [...]

Have you ever noticed that one perfume can smell great on one person and terrible on another? It’s all to do with drydown. This term describes the last stage in the changing scent of a fragrance. After the top notes of perfume have faded, the middle and base notes remain, merging and creating the body [...]

Not many people realise it, but the term “laser” is an acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. There are two different lasers which are used on facial skin: ablative and non-ablative. The ablative laser uses a fast burst of light, heating up the water in the most superficial layers of the [...]

Stippling is best known in the art industry as a  painting technique – creating a series of small dots to paint texture and depth. In the beauty industry stippling is used to blend out creamy or fluid makeup products, like concealers, foundations, and lipsticks, to create a seamlessly blended, airbrushed finish. To create the look, [...]

A noncomedogenic product means that it won’t clog pores. There are no rules or regulations to follow when claiming a product as noncomodogenic, which means there’s no guarantee thast it wont cause pores to become blocked and congested. Keep these tips in mind to choose the right product for you. Products with heavy oils or [...]

Monoi Oil is a traditional Tahitian coconut oil. It is often used as a base product in luxury massage oils and skin balms, as well as being a key ingredient due to its gorgeous scent. Monoi gets its signature fragrance from Tahitian gardenias, which are saturated in the pure oil and left there to soak. [...]

We’ve mentioned that there are two types of melanin which create distinct hair colourings. We’ve already defined one of them – pheomelanin, which creates red and yellowish hair. The second is eumelanin. Eumelanin creates skin and hair with black or brown shades to it. Those with darker skin therefore have more of eumelanin than others. [...]

Most of us have heard of melanin. It is a pigment, but there are actually two types of melanin which give hair and skin its colour. One of these is pheomelanin, which gives the body pink and red tones. Pheomelanin can be found in both light and dark-skinned people although females usually have more than [...]

Coconut isn’t just a tasty ingredient for pina coladas, bounty bars and Indian curries. It is a tropical oil that has many uses in beauty. Coconut oil is an emollient which smoothes and softens the skin. It smells sweet and is extracted from the flesh of a coconut. The oil contains antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral [...]

Retinol is a pure derivative of the active molecular form of Vitamin A. It increases cell turnover and stimulates collagen production, leading to healthier, smoother, and younger-looking skin. It is also commonly used for the treatment of acne, as the stimulation of cell regeneration helps to clear clogged pores. It is available in low concentrations [...]