Just a fun fact for all my fellow science nerds out there, but from a chemist's perspective, salicylic acid is not a true beta-hydroxy acid. Every chemist that I worked with knew this, but we all sorta just accepted that this is how the cosmetics industry markets it. 

BHAs are low molecular weight organic acids having an -OH group at the β site relative to the -COOH group (i.e. β-hydroxybutanoic acid). Salicylic acid is a derivative of benzoic acid which exhibits different behaviour from a BHA. It's actually considered an aromatic hydroxy acid (AMA) 😝

Did you know salicylic acid is not a BHA?

KEEP COOL has released a statement on their Instagram that the beloved Bamboo Sun Essence does not meet the SPF 50 claims from the manufacturer. 

I wanted to know what those of you who bought the Bamboo Sun Essence will do with it now. Will you layer another sunscreen on top of it? Use it as a hand cream?

KEEP COOL Soothe Fails SPF Testing. What will you do with the rest of your sunscreen?

Rouge: shop 20% off from 11/5-11/15
VIB: shop 15% off from 11/9-11/15
Insider: shop 10% off from 11/11-11/15

Share what you've been eyeing at Sephora! I've listed a few things that I'm considering picking up.

The Sephora Holiday Savings Event is on! What are you buying?

Hey everyone,

I'm a huge mugwort fan. I've run out of the Missha Time Revolution Artemisia Treatment Essence and am considering if I should buy another product instead of a refill. 

I've heard good things about the I'm from Mugwort Essence. Those of you who have tried the essences from both Missha and I'm from, which did you prefer? Why?

Which mugwort essence?

I used this for 2 months but I will not be repurchasing
❌ Provides virtually no hydration even though it has such a thick consistency
❌ Has the smell of school glue
❌ You really have to rub it into your skin
❌ Left my face feeling greasy
❌ Hard to squeeze out of tube
❌ Lack of soothing or barrier-repairing ingredients such as ceramides

✅ Contains 11 amino acids 
✅ Decent hand cream
✅ Only $7.70 CAD for 100 ml
✅ Inexpensive way to buffer other actives
✅ Silicone-free makes it easy to layer underneath most sunscreens. I like silicones, but I find that moisturizers with a high concentration of silicones can pill underneath sunscreens that also contain silicones

Old formulation was better. Benton has a tendency to reformulate their products without warning. Previously, alpha arbutin and azelaic acid were present. These ingredients are much less common in skincare products compared to the new addition of niacinamide. I would go so far as to say that I noticed more of a redness reduction with the old product. 

I also wouldn&#39;t rely on this product for anti-aging or skin soothing purposes. I didn&#39;t notice any long-term difference in my forehead wrinkles. 

If you&#39;re looking to get the most out of snail mucin, there are better products out there. The exact amount of snail mucin isn&#39;t listed on here, but it&#39;s only the second highest listed ingredient. Even Benton&#39;s own Snail Bee Ultimate Serum has snail secretion filtrate as its top ingredient and it&#39;s also been fermented to increase efficacy.

This essence was my gateway to snail products. 
🐌 Snail mucin is a natural source of glycoproteins, hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid, zinc and allantoin, so it can allegedly soothe irritation, bring moisture to your skin and reduce signs of aging. These benefits are further amplified by other ingredients in the formulation like glycerin, niacinamide, aloe vera and willow bark extract. 

Here&#39;s my experience: 

✅ Long-lasting hydration
✅ Immediate skin plumping effect
✅ Makes skin feel softer
✅ Mildly soothed irritation
✅ Gel-like texture makes it easy to layer with other products

All-in-all, this is a good buy for anyone who needs a product which can hydrate and add a dewy finish to the skin. There&#39;s also no sensitizing ingredients like fragrance or essential oils, so this should work on any skin type.

🚨 FAILED SPF TESTING. DO NOT BUY TO USE AS A SUNSCREEN 🚨

KEEP COOL released a statement on their Instagram that testing shows it does not meet the SPF claimed by the manufacturer. They did not specify the true SPF of the product. 

I was a bit skeptical before the testing was even done as none of the first few listed ingredients provide sun protection. 

Use it as a hand cream or layer another sunscreen on top of this, but I cannot recommend buying this if you intend to use it as your only face sunscreen.

Good as a lightweight moisturizer in your morning routine

✅ Doesn&#39;t leave a white cast
✅ Soothing ingredients like centella asiatica
✅ Provides enough hydration that I wouldn&#39;t even use a another moisturizer in the summer

L-ascorbic acid is better to use long term
❌ Slow-acting. Took 2 months to see any noticeable difference in my hyperpigmentation. It didn&#39;t seem to do anything from then on
❌ Ascorbyl glucoside is a water-based suspension meaning it runs a higher risk of oxidation compared to other vitamin C derivatives
❌ No other superstar ingredients in the formulation like vitamin F which works synergistically with vitamin C
❌ Less fussy products like The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% did a better job at fading hyperpigmentation for me

One of the best introductory vitamin C products at this price
✅ Mildly faded some hyperpigmentation
✅ Watery texture makes it feel very lightweight on the skin
✅ Gives a temporary smooth, plump appearance after applying
✅ Seldom caused irritation (except for a slight burning a few times when it was on my eyelids)
✅ It&#39;s only $12.90 CAD at the time of this review
✅ Comes in a dark glass bottle to help reduce light exposure

❌ Not fragrance-free. Eucalyptus oil is in the middle of the ingredients list. However, I have rosacea and never experienced any irritation
❌ The occlusive nature of this product from all the silicones causes it to pill underneath most sunscreens and other silicone-rich products
❌ Don&#39;t expect this to provide a lot of hydration on its own. Treat it as a final step in your night routine

Sadly it appears iHerb has discontinued this product so obtaining this could prove difficult.

Underrated moisturizer from an underrated brand. I bought this on a whim and I&#39;m so glad that I did. 
✅ 70% centella asiatica extract makes for a soothing experience
✅ Brightening ingredients like niacinamide and soy bean ferment extract
✅ Creates a nice seal over top of other products
✅ Immediate plumping and smoothing effect
✅ Pleasant herbal smell of eucalyptus
✅ Glass packaging and comes with a spatula
✅ Managed to get it off iHerb for $16 CAD

Jeremy