Ep 8: Intro to Potions Class

Welcome to potions class!

Last week, I really left you guys on a cliffhanger, showing my incredible results from my pumpkin face mask, but not giving you any suggestions or DIY tips. We mentioned we would be back in 2 weeks to give you all that info, but I knew we just couldn’t wait that long, so we're doing it in Episode 8.

Before we get into any DIYs, we first need to be able to spot a bad recipe.

I Love Chemicals & I Love the Cosmetic Industry

I am a chemist, and I love chemicals. Hopefully all of you do too, if not, I have some bad news… everything is a chemical!

I am by no means anti cosmetic industry. I think there are a lot of companies out there putting out great products that are safe and effective. So by giving you some DIYs, I am not saying this should be normal for people. I think it’s fun to do, but for DIY skincare to be safe and effective, in its present form, it isn’t always the most practical.

Why DIY Skincare Isn’t Like Making Dinner (Yet)

Think of it like cooking.

Cooking at home is great: you can get fresh food and you know what goes into it. But it's also a lot of work, and it can be expensive. Unless you are Nara Smith, most of us supplement with pre-made foods like bread, cheese, precut meat, etc. The food industry has made it easier to have food at home, and even with refrigeration, this is made possible by preservatives.

The cosmetic industry isn’t quiiiitte like that yet. The average person doesn’t have the same access to cosmetic ingredients and safe formulation information as they do with food. So we are still in the “primitive” stages of cosmetic DIY. Many recipes online use fresh or food ingredients. Like we mentioned in the preservative episode, food and lotion have a lot in common. If you make ANY DIY cosmetic, you should give it the same level of safety protocol that you would food. I can almost guarantee that any recipe you find online will not be preserved. If you are making anything with water in it, it is subject to bacterial contamination, and you don’t want that on your skin.

Potions Class Lesson 1: Spotting Good (and Bad) Information

Lesson 1 of potions class is identifying good sources of information.

A good source is one that has credibility and evidence to back it up. A “good source” can, and should, change depending on the subject being discussed.

With the rise of social media, people often look to anyone with influence as a source. People want musicians to make statements on politics, for example, just because they have reach. But we can't expect anyone with a following to be a credible source for everything. Instead of pressuring random people to distribute information, we need to learn how to identify trustworthy sources for specific topics.

Bias, Misinformation, and Easy Answers (Sunscreen Example)

Why would people intentionally spread misinformation?

Overall, intentional misinformation is spread due to bias. This could mean selling a product or promoting an idea. Sometimes misinformation is attractive because it’s easier to “solve” than real issues. A great example is sunscreen.

A 2016 study claimed chemical sunscreens were causing coral bleaching. After further research, this was thrown out, and the main cause of coral bleaching was shown to be increasing ocean temperatures. But one government can’t singlehandedly solve climate change. They can ban chemical sunscreen. So amplifying the idea that chemical sunscreen is dangerous makes it look like there’s a neat solution to a huge problem.

The Attention Economy & Ragebait

We are in the attention economy. Human attention is treated like a valuable resource.

People make it their job to get your attention and hold it.Minutes watched = dollars earned.

Now we see things like ragebait: content that is so wrong it exists just to enrage people.

Sadie explains this really well in the influencer episode, when she talks about the difference between misinformation and disinformation.

We play into the attention economy too. That’s part of why we started a video podcast. It’s a more entertaining way to deliver science, and the more attention we can hold, the more we can compete with misinformation.

Why It’s Hard to Tell Who to Trust Online: Enter MUDCAPS

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram blur the lines. It isn’t weird for a chiropractor or dermatologist to have a TikTok account, but they’re also selling services and products.

Jen of The Eco Well shared a very helpful guide to spotting credible people when consuming media. To keep your brain safe from misinformation, we need to put on our

MUDCAPS:

• Misleading Credentials

• Undisclosed Everything

• Defensive

• Credit

• Authority

• Peers

• Spotty Track Record

Misleading Credentials

Trying to trick you into trusting them more: Using a PhD with little relevance to the field, non-medical doctors looking like medical doctors, trainees pretending to be fully trained, or pretending to have more / fancier education.

Undisclosed Everything

Bending the truth, undisclosed ads, heavy filters on before-and-after photos, and conflicts of interest.

Defensive

Hostile responses to polite questions or requests for clarification.

Credit

Do they care about the source? Do they give proper credit or try to claim everything themselves?

Authority

Relying on status instead of information. Not citing evidence but saying they have “experience.”

Peers

Associating with “dodgy” people, promoting bad products, tolerating reckless behavior.

Spotty Track Record

Inconsistent overall message, following trends just for attention, constantly declaring everything “the best,” and oversharing incorrect info.

Since we’re talking about spotting good information, it’s the perfect time to highlight The Eco Well. She’s a great source for cosmetic science. Her podcast is focused on science communication and features guests with specific expertise. Here is a link to her show, I highly recommend checking it out!

So, potions class Lesson 1: know how to spot bad information. This keeps us from getting led down a misinformation corridor that leads to bad decisions.

Potions Class – Lesson 2: Identifying Your “Why” for DIY

Lesson #2 of potions class: Identify your “why.”

Before making any cosmetic DIYs, pause and ask: “Why do I feel the need to do this?”

If your answer is “because I’ve been told this DIY is better than anything at the store,” then STOP. Go back to Lesson 1.If a recipe suggests DIY is automatically better, or that “big cosmetic” is trying to hurt you – that just isn’t true.

The FDA requires that cosmetics sold in the US be safe and “unadulterated.” Brands and manufacturers are responsible for providing that evidence. Bigger brands have more eyes on them, so they tend to take fewer risks. No one is regulating DIY cosmetic recipes online. If you make products at home, you are the manufacturer. From the FDA’s perspective, if you make an unsafe product, you’re doing something illegal, regardless of who told you to do it.

Potions Class Lesson 3: How Real Cosmetic Science Works

Lesson 3: Scientific studies build on existing information to grow our knowledge.

When formulators make products, they research each ingredient and its function. Cosmetic materials are repeatedly tested, refined, and improved. Formulators have access to safety and technical data and work with ingredient manufacturers to ensure ingredients are used correctly. They often start by learning existing formulas before creating new ones.

For me, it’s like cookies. I can evaluate a lotion and give good feedback. But with baking cookies, I only recently realized I didn’t actually know what baking soda does.

There are bakers who can create their own recipes because they’ve practiced and studied ingredients. Formulators are like that, but with emulsifiers and surfactants instead of flour and sugar.

When I worked in contract manufacturing, I had to make many different types of products. I didn’t “specialize” in anything, so I turned to other scientists when I needed deeper expertise on certain product types or ingredients. Many products also go through testing like HRIPT (Human Repeat Insult Patch Test) to check for allergic reactions before going on the market.

Potions Class Lesson 4: Why Ingredients Are Refined

There is a reason cosmetic ingredients are refined. Plants make a lot of great compounds we use medicinally. But they also make things that are not ideal for humans, especially allergens.

The phytochemical composition of plants changes with processing: cutting, drying, heating, freezing.That’s why cooked vs raw fruits and veggies smell and taste different.

Without background knowledge on the phytochemicals in your DIY ingredients, you might not be getting the benefit you think you are. Scientists consider all of this when formulating. The ingredients they use are often backed by scientific studies.

The insides of us and the outsides of us are very different. In general, there aren’t DIY recipes that will come close to well-formulated products on the market.

So if your intention is to have something “better,” that probably isn’t going to happen.

But if you’ve made it this far and still want to make your own cosmetics, I applaud your creative spirit. You and I have a lot in common.

Where to Start if You’re Serious About Formulating

If you are actually interested in understanding cosmetic formulas, there are some good starting points.

INCI Decoder – INCI stands for International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients. It’s the agreed name that goes on cosmetic ingredient lists (like “water” vs “H₂O”).

INCI Decoder is beginner friendly and helps explain what each ingredient is. It’s kind of like Yuka or EWG… except those are my enemies.

Cosmetic ingredients should NOT be given a simple rating. INCI Decoder does have a light rating system, but it also provides context and explanations, unlike EWG.

There are raw material distributors that sell small amounts of ingredients, like Lotion Crafter and Making Cosmetics.They also offer sample formulas and educational resources.

If anyone is interested in this, I’d be happy to answer questions. Seriously, send me a DM and we can chat.

The Pumpkin Mask Recipe You’ve Been Waiting For

BUT YOU WANT A PUMPKIN RECIPE.

I know I know.

Last week I mentioned I put pumpkin puree on my face and felt like it was brighter. I still think that’s possible. This week I tried another DIY recipe so you don’t have to. I got this from “Simply Dermatology”:

• 2 tbsp pumpkin puree

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp Greek yogurt

• A dash of cinnamon

Pumpkin is very rich in antioxidants. Honey is a humectant and natural antibacterial. Greek yogurt is high in lactic acid, claims to moisturize. Cinnamon is an antiseptic / antioxidant.

Before I go further, please don’t do anything dumb. I mentioned that when I carve pumpkins, my skin burns. That is a sign that you probably shouldn’t put this straight on your face.

I made the mask, left it on for 20 minutes. I smelled like pumpkin pie, and it burned a bit.

It stained my face a little orange. Maybe it helped with brightness, or maybe I was just… orange.

After washing it off, I moisturized with coconut oil to really round out the edibility of it all. My face didn’t feel great – a bit dry and tight. And my first concern, of course, was preservation.

Conclusion

So, today’s potions class we learned 4 lessons:

• Lesson 1: Learn to spot bad information (MUDCAPS!).

• Lesson 2: Ask yourself why you’re DIY-ing, and be wary of “better than store-bought” claims.

• Lesson 3: Real products come from layers of testing, data, and collaboration.

• Lesson 4: Ingredients are refined for a reason; plants are not automatically safe just because they’re “natural.”

If you’re here just to live your pumpkin mask fantasy, no judgment. You’re my people. But I want you to go into it with your eyes open, your brain in MUDCAPS mode, and your expectations realistic.

Next time we revisit potions class, we can dive deeper into preservation, microbiology, and how to make DIY skincare a little more safe. Until then, don’t trust every pumpkin on your “For You” page, and definitely don’t eat your face mask.

Bibliography

1. U.S. FDA – Homemade Cosmetics Fact Sheet “Small Businesses & Homemade Cosmetics: Fact Sheet” https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/resources-industry-cosmetics/small-businesses-homemade-cosmetics-fact-sheet

2. Simply Dermatology – Pumpkin Face Mask Recipe “DIY Derm: Pumpkin Skincare Face Mask for a Halloween Glow” https://www.simplyderm.com/diy-derm-pumpkin-skincare-face-mask-for-a-halloween-glow/ Papantoniou Dermatology

3. The Eco Well – Podcast Science communication podcast focused on cosmetic chemistry and related topics https://open.spotify.com/show/3NDj26qKGtUhZHuHPbp1dX?si=4e0a94be0fb04322

4. MUDCAPS – How to Spot Credible People Online https://www.instagram.com/p/DNVmai-xmjt/?igsh=bWRwZTR3MGN0MXlh