People have an obsession in looking 20-30 years younger and honestly ageing is so complex and wholistic that it is impossible. That does not mean you cannot look great in your 50s and 60s, I have seen people who really aged well. However, they do not look 20 (as a side note, not all 20yo look good)

I've had to go into an argument on why cosmetic brands cannot make therapeutic claims and how cosmetics are regulated differently from medicine. Marketing words such as 'healing' makes me want to ask for clinical evidence and independent studies.

I always wonder how these clean beauty people live their whole life so pure. I mean if they worry about toxins in beauty how do they venture outside. It's all about measures and risks surely. Sure I could put nothing on my skin and hair, but I'd get burnt and feel like a mess then my esteem would probably suffer. So pass the chemicals thanks.

I feel like people who think skincare doesn’t do anything/is frivolous aren’t thinking about folks with acne. Acne can be uncomfortable - even painful - and there’s a lot of stigma around having visible acne/pimples. Obviously acne isn’t the only reason to have a skincare routine, but for me it’s the big reason I care about it

when you said sunscreen costs $2 by you my jaw DROPPED! even the cheapest sunscreens by me are around $10-12 and range from greasy to irritating and are very rarely spf 50 :(

I'm so glad you mentioned you have ADHD since I don't really associate people who went to James Ruse and then pursued a PhD struggling with that sort of thing. It's so inspiring to me, and a reminder that I need to stop getting so distracted!!

I hear you on anything that requires a “regular” appointment to maintain. Gel nails taught me that I don’t care enough about my nails looking good to keep it up. That philosophy has basically generalized to the rest of my life 😏

The biggest issue I've found with getting people in my life to wear sunscreen is the way it feels. As someone who also lives in Australia, applying the correct amount of sunscreen and reapplying is so important to me. I can't bring myself to liberally apply and reapply a cosmetically elegant 75ml tube of sunscreen that cost any more than $18. I just don't have that kind of money.

It’s highly unlikely that parabens were taken out of products to make them go bad faster. Most people dont throw products away because they’ve “gone bad” and will keep products for months or years past their expiration date. Clean beauty marketing seems like a much more plausible explanation.

They just put in a sunscreen dispenser at my local beach. I was so excited to see it. I hope more people use it

Yeah, my reptile brain is pretty resistant to what they call "clean beauty." Clean beauty isn't so clean or beautiful when you break out in a rash from something touted as natural.

Hi Michelle as someone with both rosacea and eczema I miss parabens!!!! I had a lot less reactions to products with parabens than some of the newer preservatives used (looking at you the itchy m's). It seems like everything is "paraben free" now and those of us with impaired barriers are having a tougher time of it. The so called non essential steps in a skincare routine feel really essential to me. I have extremely dry skin that's always also really dehydrated (it doesn't matter how much liquid I consume btw). Having both the rosacea and eczema means my barrier is permanently impaired and I lose water out of the skin incredibly easily - no matter how occlusive my moisturiser is. Replacing that hydration is so much easier and cheaper (150ml plus bottles of toner versus a 30ml serum or 50ml moisturiser) by using toners, mists or essences in layers first and then sealing that hydration in with thicker textures/more occlusive products. My skin soaks in those layers quickly and they make it feel quenched (albeit sometimes more temporarily than I would like) - this makes it feel more comfortable as dry/cracked/irritated skin is really uncomfortable. I can't get that feeling from a few drops of serum on damp skin, or from just a moisturiser on damp skin. I think if you have oily skin you probably don't need all that extra moisture, so the people advocating not using these things don't have the extreme dryness to deal with that I do. I also think environment plays a huge role in this - many of those advocating for not using them live in humid climates where they are always going to have less need for layers of moisture. I can only comment from my perspective of having the skin I have and living where I live, but for me layers of hydrating/moisturising products are extremely helpful and they are an essential for me. Best wishes.

On the other hand, when you have all product that have an expiry dates, people accuse you of making an expiry to sell more because they have to theow out their products.

I would love a video on ANTI-INFLAMATORY skincare/ingredients: what is it and how does it work and is it worth pursuing?

About sunscreens - I think many would wear them daily even if they weren't free, just if they looked good, especially on dark, oily, textured or acne-prone skin. I struggle to follow the 2mg/cm³ rule because no sunscreen looks good with that amount - even expensive ones. I'm not a specialist so I don't know why this particular amount is the industry standard for getting the labeled SPF, but it's really a lot! Also I can't find a convenient reapplication method: even on bare skin reapplication clogs my pores (oily and acne-prone skin, ugh) because I can't properly cleanse beforehand, and when I wear makeup it's nearly impossible to reapply, especially on the eyes. I want to protect my health, but not at the cost of my favorite self-expression medium.

I love the idea of doing more studies giving people a variety of opportunities to access spf. Free is not always the answer. Having dispensers in strategic locations would definitely help. I think in certain places it could be “complimentary” and others could be a minimal fee. I think the pain points are throwing products away without finishing the bottle, spending too much money on one bottle, & forgetting said bottle altogether. Maybe incentivizing finishing the bottle before the expiration date? Thanks for sharing and answering questions.

As a daily use product, sunscreen can get expensive, especially if one uses them in the appropriate amounts. And it’s disappointing and frustrating to have sunscreens that don’t protect from UVA as well as those in other countries do. I live in the US, and despite using sunscreen daily, I still experience some tanning on my hands and arms, along with the damage that has come with it. It wasn’t until about 3-4 yrs ago that I learned about the poor UVA protection in US sunscreens. I feel sort of betrayed, lied to by the sunscreen companies and the government here. :-/

If they made cosmetically elegant sunscreens (face ones too) for free, I would be all over that!

I keep a sharpie and dry erase marker on my bathroom counter. I sharpie the date I opened the product on the bottom, and use the dry erase to write things like my AM/PM routine, order of products, the last time I used retinol so I don’t forget and use it two days in a row, etc.

'Because I live in a country with real numbers' - you summed up everything I never realised I felt about Fahrenheit

Do you think brands will ever go back to using parabens or are we stuck with ethylhexylglycerin and phenoxyethanol forever now? I still remember when they reformulated CeraVe PM and it's never been quite the same. 😭

Totally agree, when I was younger I only used sunscreen when hiking or at the beach. Now that I have a bit more coin in my pocket I will wear it whenever the sun is up! The hard thing is to fine one even the chemical ones that don't pill, dry quickly and are not shiny.

omg I love the volumetric flask with fairy lights in your background (just in general, as a former chemist, your background makes me really happy)

I'm always down to listening to a rant by you 😅 I know it's awful that some of the skincare public and brands make you this angry. But thanks for combating information and educating us in skincare science :)

I get Botox in my jaws for TMJ disorder - it’s the only TMJ treatment I’ve ever had that helped reduce my neck pain and headaches. I may also have ADHD because I can’t remember to use my night guard to save my life, but I can’t forget my Botox! I got some Botox on my forehead because I was already there so why not. But if I wasn’t getting Botox for pain relief, I would never have gotten any period. I’m completely transparent about my Botox with anyone who wants to know.

Thank you for having proper subtitles on this video! And for putting all the text etc up top so it doesn't fight with the subtitles. I really appreciate it. 💘

Very relatable ADHD decision making! I’ve accepted the same qualities in myself and life is easier for it

I literally jumped from my chair to watch and listen to Michelle!!!... 👍👍😃.... greetings from the Netherlands!!!

Please never ever ever stop uploading, I love your content I take notes like I’m back in uni

9:46. lolol. I wish we would switch to metric! Skincare is actually one of the products that helps me think in metric since most products have imperial and metric on the front.

The painful relating sis on not goin to the haird dressers or forgetting ur skincare 😅😂😭 omg

2 dollar sunscreen!!! That is amazing. I would bathe in it. 🌼

Think we'll ever get a part 2 on your Vitamin C video? I would love to know if there are any useful Vitamin C derivatives

From my p.o.v. I can see why some ppl find particular packaging, and marketing etc irritating. It can be annoying knowing that a particular product is expensive because of marketing or licensing, this affects their price. If you cannot afford or even try some skincare, and know that the elegant package is part of that whole issue, it can be annoying. I have chronic illness, and disability, lots of us are poorer as a result, and lots of us have skin issues due to stress/discomfort/illness/environmental factors. It can be irritating.

I wish more people can see your videos. Especially about the fear mongering about ingredients. Some of my friends are going "all naturals" and even stopped using sunscreen. Even if I told them that UV can be harmful to the skin, not just for aged care, but for skin cancer prevention (they're in Australia). They're Asians too, so they have hard boiled egg skin, and that made it even harder to persuade them :(

It's interesting how you mention adhd and soylent this video because soylent is the only way my adhd, sleep disordered, science student, ass manages to get a proper amount of calories and nutrients in everyday T_T

I love this kind of video and I’m happy to see that you did another one. Keep them coming!

Your last point was really interesting and simultaneously frustrating. I don't think sunscreen (like tampons, dental hygiene products, and bar soap) should be free, but they should definitely be tax free. I've always thought this, and your loss aversion point is really apt

🙌👏 Yeahhh chatty video tx once again for all that you bring and 'do'.

I totally agree with you on the Botox point. I do think most celebrities probably have it at this point or have had some kind of injectable, but not all of us normal folk. I am so terrified of needles so I’ll probably never be able to take the plunge into anything like that but I’ll use my retinol‘s and SPF every day and hope for the best.

I've heard a couple supermarkets in the UK are taking best before dates off some foods to help with food waste. I would love to know your thoughts on this concept in the skincare industry, and what products or ingredients would be high risk. Would it be more of a matter of a less potent product or loss of safety with preservative breakdown? Always love how informative your videos are!!

Lots of mentions here of writing expiry dates on bottles with marker, but when I've tried that I find that the writing often gets smudged over the course of handling a product regularly for several months to a year. Instead I keep a note on my phone with all expiry dates. Arranged in order from soonest to furthest, so that I can quickly see what items I need to prioritize using. It's not foolproof, as I occasionally forget to note a product. And may not be suitable for people like Michelle whose job involves using a lot of different products. But it's worked pretty well for me!

I miss parabens! My reactive sensitive skin can’t deal with all these preservatives now days that is to make up for parabens. Need parabens back into my products asap lol. What I do find weird is that why does the majority of skincare products marketed towards people with sensitive skin like my self, contain fragrance/perfume, and alcohol? Just find that very contradicting knowing what we know when it comes to what irritates our skin, and potential aggressors in terms of developing allergies and even Rosacea and contact dermatitis. Happened to me… never had any issues growing up, never used sunscreen, moisturizers or cleaners. But 3 years ago I did, and now I have Rosacea and fungal acne. Never had acne prone skin or issues with acne, now it’s my new reality😭😭😭

Oooh I'm early to this one! I love your videos, Michelle! So educational and you are legitimately so funny!

Would it be possible to make more videos about haircare? Yours are so informative and helpful.

No disagreement here!! As an older woman, I think I’d look like a freak if I tried to look too young. I do a lot to take care of my skin, but that is because my father has not an inch of healthy skin in sun exposed areas, and has skin cancer removed every 4-6 months. I’m desperate to avoid that.

I'm the same way about not remembering when I opened a product. A couple months ago I started labeling new products with open dates. I slap on a price of skinny masking tape and use a marker to wrote "opened on [date]"... That's if I remember to do that, lol

i would be really interested in hearing about your masseter botox journey if you‘re comfortable!! it‘s something i‘ve considered doing

I d love to hear your thoughts on red and infrared face masks.

thank you so much for your videos, so honest and rational and straight fowrard! queen!

The part when you talk about the aging process, and how wanting to look that younger can be very unhealthy, I totally agree with you. I believe that consistency in a good skincare routine that you adapt during your life, is one of the best way to age beautifully. The purpose isn't to stop the aging process, because it depends on a lot more factors than just the skin like you said, but if we can turn this process into a beautiful process, through the mean of skincare, this can't hurt ^^

Ha! I was just at the Minnesota State Fair a couple weeks ago (one of the greatest fairs of the world - BTW)! And while I didn't see any of these dispensers, you would be proud of me, because I wore my sunscreen on a very hot sunny day and didn't even remotely get a tan. ;) Love your videos!

I started putting labels on my products with the date I opened them which has helped me with actually using the stuff, which surprised me really lol

14:51 I had to go back and make sure I heard it correctly. There are free sunscreen dispensers in Australian beaches? That sounds amazing

Best moments of my life is when i see a Lab Muffin notification!

As for upkeep with beauty treatments: in most cases, say filler, Botox, it's no problem at all, if you increase the time span until you next visit. Getting it too often is a problem (because of ummune reactions and build-up), not getting it less often. I am trying to think of a single treatment, where you desperately have to get the next one at a certain time and can't wait, and I can't think of one. Except maybe if it's a series of treatments that is just split up, because you can't do the whole face in o e go. But even then there is wriggle room. So it really is the same situation as with the hair dresser I guess. If you don't go back to top up filler after the recommended, say, 6 months, nothing will happen except for your face slowly returning to where it started.

I'm 45, almost 46, and since age 29 (after very bad acne) I was prescribed tretinoin. Well, I should thank my acne forever because, without it, I would have never discovered it and started to use sunscreen (I was a sun worshipper). As for the aging gracefully thing... it's right what you say, but I can attest that it's easier to believe in it when you are in your 30s than in your 40s. In my 30, I was still super young (although my skin is better now), so of course, I wasn't even thinking about having procedures done or wanting to look young. Now at 46, although I didn't do anything crazy (TCA peels mainly and some units of botox once per year on the corner of my eyes), I get why some people became obsessed with their appearance. Most of the time is not even vanity. It's so depressing to feel inside the energy and mind of a 30-year-old and then look in the mirror to see a face that looks sad or angry while you are none of these. I am for preserving as much as possible what nature gave you, with skincare and some subtle procedures. I'm well aware that I won't look 20 or 30 anymore, no matter what, but I won't have the grumpy face when I feel cheerful in my 50s. Hopefully :) PS love your channel!

For expiry dates: when I open a product I look at the period after opening, write down the expiry date, then tape it to the product. It's a hassle but it satisfies my inner geek and makes me focus on using up products rather than letting them go bad.

When it comes to expiration dates I worry most about mascara. I know it should be replaced after 3 months of use. But I've often wondered how long can you keep an "unopened" tube?

I loved this video!!!

About sunscreens I think most of the people don't know they even should use it. In Australia people are probably more aware of sun protection than in Poland, where I live. Sunscreen here is by most of the people treated as a cream for the beach and only used when on vacation in some hotter country. If this experiment was carried out here, I would assume that most of the people on the street would laugh at it, especially during cloudy day.

Ooh, I love Soylent, but it is a convenient replacement for other processed foods

The point about expiry date is so good. I am thinking of writing the best till after opening date by permanent marker on the bottles/jars by myself.

I label most of my products with the opening date. Then I can easily see how old my products are. Gives me a little bit peace of mind.

The preservatives thing! My skin reacts to sodium benzoate. My face gets red and starts stinging seconds or minutes after applying.

Thanks Michelle. You have a great weekend.

Would you ever consider making a reaction video on “green” “chemical-free” cleaning products or “hacks”? I know it’s not skincare but if I hear one more person call vinegar “an all surface, chemical-free, disinfectant” I might implode..

I'm always a little wary when people strongly advocate natural products... arsenic is natural, and I think about how well that turned out cosmetically and historically 😬

I didn't realise you were a cosmetic chemist. If that's a recent development then congrats! (I've been offline for a while). Are there any dry skin 'influencers' you can recommend?

Hi Michelle, I didn’t realise you had adhd. How did you stay on track, focus, plan and complete the enormous amount of work required for your degrees abd PhD? Thanks

Hey Michelle, thanks for another informative video. Have you tried My.Organics hair care range? If you have done so or would consider trying hair products from My.Organics, what are your takes of their approach to ‘clean’ and ‘organic’ ingredients or overall effectiveness?

I have a young face as well. It sometimes affects my job in being taken seriously as I'm a doctor where the image is a middle aged man while I look like an apparently 20 year old student girl, when I'm actually 30 and finished uni 5 years ago.

Hi Michelle. Thanks for your content. Question: Can a sunscreen with only 4.5% zinc oxide and 2.8% titanium dioxide provide SPF 50? Background: After watching rave reviews on BEA Solar Defense sunscreen SPF 50 I ordered it (from the UK and I live in the US, so expensive shipping!). I really liked it-no grey cast, feels nice on the face, and doesn’t irritate my eyes. Then I read the ingredients more carefully and thought, oh this probably really is too good to be true. Because the sunscreen is targeted at people with deep skin tones, who don’t burn or have any rapid indicator to show us that it’s not effective, they can get away with it?? Or has this brand somehow cracked the formulation code? I’d love love your educated opinion!

Definitely have been taken less seriously as a young-looking person. My mom was very good about keeping me out of the sun as a kid and I'm obsessive about skincare but maybe I could get treated like an adult if I looked more like a leather bag idk. 🙄

I'm also not good about the consistent appointments situation. I have to keep up with so much regular medical care that worrying I'll need my roots touched up or my hair trimmed is just annoying for me. I've managed to reach 55 looking pretty young, and no gray hair so I've become lazy about hair coloring. 😅 I love skin care, not as much putting on make-up... people are all different both physiologically and psychologically so people need to get over standards, labels, and putting people in boxes.

Energy crisis 🤣🤣 touché!!!

Thank you so much for talking about how some asian women are not taken seriously because they age differently!!

My unpopular opinion is that I don't like double cleansing. I've tried it and even though my oily combination skin is pretty resilient, it really irritated my face every time I cleansed like this. A good oil cleanser that leaves no film works way better for me. I personally love the cleansing balm from banila

I'm ND/chronic illness and anything with constant maintenance becomes a chore. I even have to get used to new meds added into my routine. I need the basics but unfortunately I got overwhelmed by going to dermatologist because I have rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, breakouts, dehydration and more. My ENT debated on botox...but as a medical procedure for rare tinnitus. It's too risky, so I need a jaw surgery. 😩 I also need laser for my rosacea and hair because I get ingrown hair. Can't afford any of it. I also get autoimmune hives and I can react to strong scents. I never know if I buy something new if it's gonna make me break out so Im pretty boring with the Cetaphil, cerave, green tea OTC and metronidazole.

You are the only one I'll click like before watching, and I hope you roast some more myths

"That's all in Celsius because I live in a country that uses real numbers." YES!! SLAY!

Damn I'm in Minnesota, I go to the fair every year and I never heard about this. I'm not sure this is the best way to test public health measures though, it's very inconvenient to get somewhere in the MN state fair, it's one of the biggest in the world, and in terms of daily attendance its the largest in the country, and there's so many people that it's not good to count on waiting in line for something free

I understand that expiration dates are estimate at best, but I wish it was mandatory to put a production date on all the products where it's hard to estimate correctly (cosmetics, makeup, etc). A lot of products I have only have a meaningless code (for customers) which, if lucky, you can find somehow listed on some of the checking sites, but not everyone has knowledge how to do that and not all codes are available or correct.

Hi Michelle, this is unrelated, but what do you think about nail salon lamps leading to skin damage/cancer? My salon uses LED lamps, but I just learnt that these emit UV too. At the least, even if skin cancer is not a significant risk, I’m scared of accelerating aging and skin damage on my hands.

Who else clicked for the free sunscreen?? 🤣🙈 The investments thing is true, are you still work in aid/development, and there was also the study that said that if you give 100% free education that beneficiaries sometimes don't show up to class because they don't feel like they missed out on anything, whereas if you made them pay a very affordable/meagre fee, they're more likely to be consistent with their education, because they feel like they've already paid for something. So although organizations can often afford to make education free, sometimes they make beneficiaries pay a teeny-tiny amount just to ensure that they show up. So I totally get what you said about making sunscreen maybe not free, but dispensers are an awesome idea. I've never heard of those or were even aware they exist (I live in equatorial Indonesia). I have to Google that just to see what they look like. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙏🏼🙏🏼 Have a beautiful rest of your week~ ❤️🧡💛✨⚡

‘That’s all Celsius because I live in a country that has…real numbers’ 😂🙌🏼

Not sure how I'm always so early entirely by coincidence but I'm happy to be here regardless 😌

I don't remember where I've read it but once I came across a blog post interview of a comercial skincare chemist - brigaded from a reddit post - and they develop products with what's buzzing in the market, sometimes they go to another route of it being commercially alluring than developing the best possible product. In my experience, it justifies why the dermatologists I've been to don't care about the products itself, often they don't know what's good to target cosmetic skin issues - and neither I have confronted about it. It's just to note that dermatologists target a much larger variety of skin diseases, and the clean beauty industry focuses on our insecurities and a lot more on superficial concerns, even though there's a veil of health concerns, it's not grounded in scientific facts. The chemists for those companies are just doing their job but I'd hope everyone would contribute to advance skincare, to help mend skincare and health to actually help all of us who want to get the best results and have the most effective products.

I work from home. Do I have to use sunscreen at home with drapes closed?

Another unpopular opinion, I don't think skin cycling is necessary for me. I can get away with alternating between gentle exfoliants (mandelic acid and bha) and retinol every other night. But that might change when I use stronger retinol products, since I started very low

Yeah ageing isn't just about "smooth skin". Like yeah, damn, my skin is amazing for 33yo but it's obvious I am older. I've lost facial fat due to losing baby fat, I've noticed the slightest amount of jowling, and I still have the hint of fine lines. Sure there are 20 year olds with worse skin than me, but the overall - I mean I think there's training in eyeing people properly - they are younger, but not necessarily better lol. Its about looking good FOR YOUR AGE not trying to look like an actual 20yo at the age of 60

I usually have an issue with sunscreen because they burn my eyes. Not so pleasant since I already have eyes that tear up as soon as I leave the house. I'm still trying to find the one that doesn't burn and I can use as a moisturizer. So I am known to skip SPF on cloudy days or if I'm just going to the store. I have also seen a reduction in skin irritation and redness since I started making my own skincare and I can decide what ingredients and preservatives I use and in what percentages

Where are you finding $2 sunscreen? I don't think I've ever seen that in the US.

Sunscreens are really expensive in Turkey, especially the ones formulated for face only...

I get Botox injections in my head from my neurologist for migraines…a little jab around my eyes if I beg 😂

I agree with switching to the Metric system!! & I live in USA.

For me, who has horrible skin sensitivity issues, who either gets acne or dermatitis for practically all products on the market, paraben free products are a boon. But I'm the exception, not the rule and most people can use products available without suffering the way I did. My choices are way too limited and way too expensive... 😭 It's only recentlt that i found a local brand that caters to the needs of people like me without being overly expensive

Could you please comment on the oil mattifier,OC8.The manufacturer recommends applying it on top of sunscreen.Does this affect the efficacy of sunscreen?

is fair skin foundations and primer 80% protects from blue light?

I love your frankness as well as your attitude. I see no shame in "procedures. " It's your face; do as you please with it!