Hello, Internet friends! Thanks for visiting My Dad the Chemist. This blog was inspired by my dad, a cosmetic chemist who has decades of experience in formulating personal care products and aerosol technology.
The idea for this blog took root many years ago, when I was browsing the beauty products aisle at Trader Joe’s. I was trying to decide if I should buy the face wash and/or the serum. My dad came over, squinted at the ingredient labels over his glasses, and declared that the serum (this one) contained more quality ingredients than the face wash.
Now that I don’t live in the same place as my dad, I don’t have many opportunities to shop with him anymore—so I read reviews and Google ingredients. But more often than not, it comes down to simple trial and error. This blog will combine my personal research efforts with my dad’s perspective as a (now retired) chemist, to provide reviews of beauty/personal care products. I hope others find this research as helpful and interesting as I do!
Want to collaborate? You can reach me at mydadthechemist (at) gmail (dot) com!
Here are a few of my favorite blog posts to get you started:
- Q&A with My Dad the Chemist: What companies and ‘dream products’ excite him today
- Skin care tips from a dermatologist: Q&A with Aegean Chan, MD, FAAD
- How to choose a vitamin C serum
- Physical sunscreen vs. chemical sunscreen: What’s the diff?
- Sunscreen active ingredient percentages: How much do they matter?
- Can you use expired skincare products?
- Best products for hand eczema
- CeraVe vs. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream
Some more background about me (the daughter of the chemist)
While I was growing up, I got to try all the samples and products my dad brought home from work—I remember a lot of Neutrogena, Dermologica, Paul Mitchell, and Bed Head by TIGI. Sometimes he even whipped up some samples in the lab at his work, like Vitamin E cream and 10% benzoyl peroxide acne spot treatment. Over the years, I’ve learned that more expensive products are not necessarily better (even if they’re free!).
Since I have acne, Post Inflammatory Erythema (PIE), eczema (mostly on my hands), and an (un?)healthy obsession with sunscreen, this blog will primarily on those topics, but we’ll also explore and investigate other topics that apply to everyone who has an interest in learning more about personal care products (from both a consumer and industry perspective). I also love to travel the globe, so I may also write about hotels (and hotel toiletries, of course) from time to time in the travel section.
P.S. My dad and I both enjoy starting off the day with a nice bowl of oats. I’ll never forget this one time when he scooped some freshly cooked oatmeal into his bowl and said, “The viscosity is good today.” And you know what? It really was.
This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Occasionally, I will add affiliate links to products that you can purchase on Amazon. At no cost to you, I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
