GLOWLAB

Beauty & Wellness Science

Guides

The science behind beauty and wellness — what actually works, what's myth, and what's genuinely new. Earn Glow Points for reading and passing the knowledge check.

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⭐ Featured guides

  • Skincare Science Sponsored

    What Skin Actually Needs (And What's Just Marketing)

    Your skin barrier needs four things to function well. Almost everything else in a 12-step routine is optional, or actively unnecessary.

    6 min✨ +50 GP
  • Skincare Science Sponsored

    Retinoids: The One Active With the Most Evidence

    Retinol, tretinoin, retinaldehyde — they're all vitamin A derivatives, but they're not interchangeable. Here's what actually differs.

    5 min✨ +50 GP
  • Wellness Science Sponsored

    The Gut-Skin Connection: What's Real and What's Overhyped

    Your gut microbiome genuinely influences inflammation, which shows up on your skin — but the relationship is more nuanced than wellness influencers suggest.

    6 min✨ +60 GP

All guides

  • Skincare Science The Ordinary

    What Skin Actually Needs (And What's Just Marketing)

    Your skin barrier needs four things to function well. Almost everything else in a 12-step routine is optional, or actively unnecessary.

    6 min✨ +50 GP total
  • Hair Science Liz Earle

    What Hair Actually Needs at a Vitamin Level

    Hair is dead tissue — you can't 'feed' it directly. But the follicle that grows it absolutely responds to your nutritional status.

    5 min✨ +50 GP total
  • Skincare Science Beauty Pie

    Retinoids: The One Active With the Most Evidence

    Retinol, tretinoin, retinaldehyde — they're all vitamin A derivatives, but they're not interchangeable. Here's what actually differs.

    5 min✨ +50 GP total
  • Skincare Science ELEMIS

    SPF: The Most Misunderstood Product in Beauty

    More SPF questions get asked wrong than almost any other beauty topic. Here’s what the number actually means.

    5 min✨ +40 GP total
  • Wellness Science ZOE

    The Gut-Skin Connection: What's Real and What's Overhyped

    Your gut microbiome genuinely influences inflammation, which shows up on your skin — but the relationship is more nuanced than wellness influencers suggest.

    6 min✨ +60 GP total
  • Skincare Science The Ordinary

    Which Skincare Actives Actually Clash (And Which Don’t)

    The internet is full of conflicting advice about which ingredients you can't combine. Most of the 'rules' are outdated or were never true.

    5 min✨ +40 GP total