Intelligent Skincare Blog

Woman holding a wide-brimmed hat in front of her face
The Topical Series, Part 3: Which Ingredients Can You Actually Use to Get Smoother Facial Skin, based on science?
Rough, uneven facial texture has a few overlapping causes. Here are four topical ingredients with real clinical evidence for smoother skin: glycolic acid, lactic acid, niacinamide, and retinoids. Read more...
The Topical Series, Part 2: Which Science-backed Ingredient Can You Actually Put on Your Skin to Reduce Dark Spots and Sun Damage?
The Topical Series, Part 2: Which Science-backed Ingredient Can You Actually Put on Your Skin to Reduce Dark Spots and Sun Damage?
Hyperpigmentation has one root cause: pigment cells making too much melanin. Here are five topical ingredients with real clinical evidence for fading dark spots and sun damage, from vitamin C... Read more...
The Topical Series, Part 1: What Actually Maintains and Rebuilds Your Skin Barrier, According to Real Science
The Topical Series, Part 1: What Actually Maintains and Rebuilds Your Skin Barrier, According to Real Science
Today we are starting a new series about what you apply to the surface — the topical ingredients with genuine scientific evidence behind them. And we are starting at the... Read more...
Does Exercise Actually Change Your Skin? Here Is What the Research Found When It Looked Properly
Does Exercise Actually Change Your Skin? Here Is What the Research Found When It Looked Properly
Exercise is another input into the same biological system as sleep, hydration, and nutrition — and the mechanism by which it works on skin is more precise and better characterised... Read more...
Your Diet and Your Skin Are Not Separate Systems. Here Is the Biology That Connects Them.
Your Diet and Your Skin Are Not Separate Systems. Here Is the Biology That Connects Them.
This series has already covered why the timing of your sleep affects your skin's repair cycle and how systemic hydration connects to skin elasticity and barrier function. If those posts... Read more...
Does Drinking More Water Actually Give You Better Skin? Here Is What the Science Says
Does Drinking More Water Actually Give You Better Skin? Here Is What the Science Says
In our last Intelligent Skincare post, we looked at why sleep is one of the most powerful skincare tools you have, and how your skin runs a timed biological repair... Read more...
Why Sleep Is One of the Most Powerful Skincare Tools You Have
Why Sleep Is One of the Most Powerful Skincare Tools You Have
If you have ever had a rough night and woken up to dry, dull, slightly puffy skin with dark circles that were not there the day before, you have already... Read more...
Peptides for Firmer Skin: What They Actually Are, How They Work, and Why Concentration Is Everything
Peptides for Firmer Skin: What They Actually Are, How They Work, and Why Concentration Is Everything
Peptides seem to be everywhere in skincare. They are presented as a kind of catch-all solution for firming, lifting, wrinkle reduction, and collagen rebuilding. Some of those claims are well... Read more...
Image of niacinamide 10% dropper bottle
Niacinamide: Why the Dose on the Label Matters More Than You Think
Niacinamide can reduce dark spots, strengthen the skin barrier, calm redness, tighten the appearance of pores, and improve skin texture. However, the 10% concentrations now flooding the market were not... Read more...
Image of sheet mask on woman's face
Collagen Creams for Firmness: Marketing Myth or Meaningful Science?
Many traditional collagen creams rely on intact collagen or large collagen fragments that mostly sit on top of the skin. While ingested hydrolyzed collagen peptides can measurably improve skin hydration... Read more...
Disrupted skin barrier after an aggressive skincare routine
How Overdoing Skincare Actives Can Damage Our Facial Skin Barrier and How We Can Repair It
Clinical evidence shows that layering too many strong skincare products too frequently can damage our skin barrier. The key to barrier repair and maintaining a healthy skincare barrier is using... Read more...