Dr Michelle Wong - Lab Muffin Beauty Science
@labmuffin.com
#SciComm and educator, medicinal/supramolecular/synthetic chem PhD, cosmetic chemist, YouTuber
I explain the science behind beauty products and debunk misinformation. I talk a lot about sunscreen and "toxic" ingredients 🌞
labmuffin.com/links
I explain the science behind beauty products and debunk misinformation. I talk a lot about sunscreen and "toxic" ingredients 🌞
labmuffin.com/links
It's ironic that this article perpetuates fear about chemical sunscreens being unsafe. Plus the misconception that dermatologists are experts on product safety (that's toxicologists and safety assessors).
Also the US blanket recommendation on sunscreen use that's not actually based on evidence...
Also the US blanket recommendation on sunscreen use that's not actually based on evidence...
August 19, 2025 at 12:39 PM
It's ironic that this article perpetuates fear about chemical sunscreens being unsafe. Plus the misconception that dermatologists are experts on product safety (that's toxicologists and safety assessors).
Also the US blanket recommendation on sunscreen use that's not actually based on evidence...
Also the US blanket recommendation on sunscreen use that's not actually based on evidence...
The avocado toast to luxury fragrance houseless millennial pipeline
August 6, 2025 at 2:27 AM
The avocado toast to luxury fragrance houseless millennial pipeline
Dear science communicators and scientists,
Can we please be mindful of how we frame our videos?
The vast majority of companies that employ hundreds/thousands of scientists are NOT lying about things you can easily test with household items.
Views shouldn’t be the only metric we care about.
Can we please be mindful of how we frame our videos?
The vast majority of companies that employ hundreds/thousands of scientists are NOT lying about things you can easily test with household items.
Views shouldn’t be the only metric we care about.
August 2, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Dear science communicators and scientists,
Can we please be mindful of how we frame our videos?
The vast majority of companies that employ hundreds/thousands of scientists are NOT lying about things you can easily test with household items.
Views shouldn’t be the only metric we care about.
Can we please be mindful of how we frame our videos?
The vast majority of companies that employ hundreds/thousands of scientists are NOT lying about things you can easily test with household items.
Views shouldn’t be the only metric we care about.
Is your scalp itchy and nothing seems to really work? I got you
July 18, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Is your scalp itchy and nothing seems to really work? I got you
Seeing a lot of people recommending sunscreen mists... unfortunately they're really not that effective for applying to your face, sorry!
See the cloud lingering in the air? That's sunscreen NOT going on your skin - my experiments estimated that 80-95% of the sunscreen doesn't land.
See the cloud lingering in the air? That's sunscreen NOT going on your skin - my experiments estimated that 80-95% of the sunscreen doesn't land.
July 15, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Seeing a lot of people recommending sunscreen mists... unfortunately they're really not that effective for applying to your face, sorry!
See the cloud lingering in the air? That's sunscreen NOT going on your skin - my experiments estimated that 80-95% of the sunscreen doesn't land.
See the cloud lingering in the air? That's sunscreen NOT going on your skin - my experiments estimated that 80-95% of the sunscreen doesn't land.
New safeguards for Australian sunscreens, because specific ingredients "aren't safe"? Here's what that actually means!
July 12, 2025 at 1:41 AM
New safeguards for Australian sunscreens, because specific ingredients "aren't safe"? Here's what that actually means!
No, the data always showed peer pressure was the issue, and that's highly influenced by role modelling from political leaders. Not to mention perceived risk and information gaps.
From @luckytran.com Feb 2023
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
From @luckytran.com Feb 2023
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
July 6, 2025 at 2:18 AM
No, the data always showed peer pressure was the issue, and that's highly influenced by role modelling from political leaders. Not to mention perceived risk and information gaps.
From @luckytran.com Feb 2023
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
From @luckytran.com Feb 2023
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Did you see the Choice sunscreen testing results? Here's an SPF deep dive! Key points:
Sunscreens are very effective, these results do not indicate you should lose faith in them
SPF testing is imprecise - this is an inherent limitation of the test, lots of variation even if nothing's gone "wrong"
Sunscreens are very effective, these results do not indicate you should lose faith in them
SPF testing is imprecise - this is an inherent limitation of the test, lots of variation even if nothing's gone "wrong"
June 13, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Did you see the Choice sunscreen testing results? Here's an SPF deep dive! Key points:
Sunscreens are very effective, these results do not indicate you should lose faith in them
SPF testing is imprecise - this is an inherent limitation of the test, lots of variation even if nothing's gone "wrong"
Sunscreens are very effective, these results do not indicate you should lose faith in them
SPF testing is imprecise - this is an inherent limitation of the test, lots of variation even if nothing's gone "wrong"
Baking matcha cookies right after everyone called matcha "propaganda"
(It's ok, these are for my Asian friends who didn't need propaganda to like matcha... they're not too sweet)
(It's ok, these are for my Asian friends who didn't need propaganda to like matcha... they're not too sweet)
June 1, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Baking matcha cookies right after everyone called matcha "propaganda"
(It's ok, these are for my Asian friends who didn't need propaganda to like matcha... they're not too sweet)
(It's ok, these are for my Asian friends who didn't need propaganda to like matcha... they're not too sweet)
Did this study show that removing parabens and phthalates from your products reverses breast cancer, like Dr Yvonne Burkart claimed on Diary of a CEO? No.
May 30, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Did this study show that removing parabens and phthalates from your products reverses breast cancer, like Dr Yvonne Burkart claimed on Diary of a CEO? No.
This dermatologist has 1.8 million followers on TikTok.
I suspect most dermatologists know the evidence doesn't support taking 2.5 mg biotin a day, or hypochlorous acid for acne... but this kind of thing is now the public face of dermatology 🙃 #dermsky
I suspect most dermatologists know the evidence doesn't support taking 2.5 mg biotin a day, or hypochlorous acid for acne... but this kind of thing is now the public face of dermatology 🙃 #dermsky
May 7, 2025 at 3:36 PM
This dermatologist has 1.8 million followers on TikTok.
I suspect most dermatologists know the evidence doesn't support taking 2.5 mg biotin a day, or hypochlorous acid for acne... but this kind of thing is now the public face of dermatology 🙃 #dermsky
I suspect most dermatologists know the evidence doesn't support taking 2.5 mg biotin a day, or hypochlorous acid for acne... but this kind of thing is now the public face of dermatology 🙃 #dermsky
This is democracy manifest
May 3, 2025 at 3:25 AM
This is democracy manifest
I can't believe I made this?? With some string and two sticks??? 😍
May 1, 2025 at 2:18 AM
I can't believe I made this?? With some string and two sticks??? 😍
American Academy of Dermatology - they also keep featuring dermfluencers who promote random hair oils...
April 29, 2025 at 11:54 PM
American Academy of Dermatology - they also keep featuring dermfluencers who promote random hair oils...
This is very funny framing because Lenin was famously into lifting
April 29, 2025 at 1:19 AM
This is very funny framing because Lenin was famously into lifting
Dear fellow scientists,
Please stop doing these smug unhelpful dunks.
Don't pretend you don't know what they mean. It's a lazy strawman argument, and this kind of thing confirms all the worst stereotypes of scientists.
Keep it in the group chat!
Sincerely, PhD chemist and science communicator
Please stop doing these smug unhelpful dunks.
Don't pretend you don't know what they mean. It's a lazy strawman argument, and this kind of thing confirms all the worst stereotypes of scientists.
Keep it in the group chat!
Sincerely, PhD chemist and science communicator
April 25, 2025 at 2:36 AM
Dear fellow scientists,
Please stop doing these smug unhelpful dunks.
Don't pretend you don't know what they mean. It's a lazy strawman argument, and this kind of thing confirms all the worst stereotypes of scientists.
Keep it in the group chat!
Sincerely, PhD chemist and science communicator
Please stop doing these smug unhelpful dunks.
Don't pretend you don't know what they mean. It's a lazy strawman argument, and this kind of thing confirms all the worst stereotypes of scientists.
Keep it in the group chat!
Sincerely, PhD chemist and science communicator
Article version is here labmuffin.com/factcheck-lo...
April 21, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Article version is here labmuffin.com/factcheck-lo...
More of my reply to a post about "low tox swaps" that managed to cover most of the myths around sunscreens!
April 21, 2025 at 10:59 PM
More of my reply to a post about "low tox swaps" that managed to cover most of the myths around sunscreens!
There's a new video going around on sunscreens being toxic, from a toxicologist who's no longer board certified...
Reminder: sunscreens are very safe products, but the research on any "unnatural" substance can look very scary when taken out of context.
Reminder: sunscreens are very safe products, but the research on any "unnatural" substance can look very scary when taken out of context.
April 21, 2025 at 10:59 PM
There's a new video going around on sunscreens being toxic, from a toxicologist who's no longer board certified...
Reminder: sunscreens are very safe products, but the research on any "unnatural" substance can look very scary when taken out of context.
Reminder: sunscreens are very safe products, but the research on any "unnatural" substance can look very scary when taken out of context.
Did you hear that there's enough microplastics in your brain to make a plastic spoon?
Turns out... there isn't.
Turns out... there isn't.
April 17, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Did you hear that there's enough microplastics in your brain to make a plastic spoon?
Turns out... there isn't.
Turns out... there isn't.
Almost none of this is true - the only phthalates found in cosmetics (outside of DEP which has a very different risk profile from other phthalates) are trace amounts leached from plastic packaging, which would be minimal exposure compared to every other plastic in your life
April 13, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Almost none of this is true - the only phthalates found in cosmetics (outside of DEP which has a very different risk profile from other phthalates) are trace amounts leached from plastic packaging, which would be minimal exposure compared to every other plastic in your life
Almost none of this is true - the only phthalates found in cosmetics (outside of DEP which has a very different risk profile from other phthalates) are trace amounts leached from plastic packaging, which would be minimal exposure compared to every other plastic in your life
April 13, 2025 at 3:33 AM
Almost none of this is true - the only phthalates found in cosmetics (outside of DEP which has a very different risk profile from other phthalates) are trace amounts leached from plastic packaging, which would be minimal exposure compared to every other plastic in your life
He also ignored the other article I linked that was written by a political scientist. Not to mention that if you ask the people behind actual successful movements, they talk about the importance of violence, such as MLK...
April 6, 2025 at 8:11 AM
He also ignored the other article I linked that was written by a political scientist. Not to mention that if you ask the people behind actual successful movements, they talk about the importance of violence, such as MLK...