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THE MASK OF VANITY™

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Examining the cellular changes in skin from using OUMERE Skin Care

Examining the cellular changes in skin from using OUMERE Skin Care

The results from my experiment on the effects No. 9 had on human skin in just one week were surprising. If you note from my earlier post, this first round of the experiment was mostly to make sure my embedding techniques were proper for this kind of test. However, upon looking at the difference between the experimental and the control,... More
3 skin "brightening" ingredients that damage and age the skin and body

3 skin "brightening" ingredients that damage and age the skin and body

Last week I needed to clean out my glass knifemaker in preparation for examining my specimens I wrote about last week.  Its an LKB knifemaker which was made in the 1980's so its all mechanical and no computers. So when it needs servicing, I just do it myself. With any methods in electron microscopy, its all done in house. So... More
For my best skin I don't take vitamin supplements. Except for one.

For my best skin I don't take vitamin supplements. Except for one.

You can't fool mother nature and there is no tricking a billion years of evolution. Despite advances in medicine and technology, your biology hasn't changed much and biology doesn't know what year it is. That means that you can't substitute a pill for a healthy lifestyle, and that also means that vitamin/mineral supplements are ineffective and can make you unhealthy in the long term. ... More
10 foods I eat and 10 foods I avoid for my best skin

10 foods I eat and 10 foods I avoid for my best skin

A common thread amongst those with good skin is a good diet. And a bad diet will beget bad skin. The problem most people have is that they are not aware that their diet is bad because a lot of foods that are unhealthy are not obvious.  When studying the biology of cancer while earning my degree, we learned quite a... More
Why Skin Care Cannot Remove Eye Bags

Why Skin Care Cannot Remove Eye Bags

99% of skin care products on the market today are bad products. They either do nothing for the skin or they cause damage. What makes matters worse is that they are marketed in a convincing way by a reputable company, and this causes customers to believe they are doing something healthy when they are actually doing something destructive. Selling a... More
6 Reasons why your skin is red and how to fix it

6 Reasons why your skin is red and how to fix it

Skin redness is among the top skin concerns those who read the Mask of Vanity blog write in about, and for OUMERE customers, it is one of the top issues they want fixed with their skin.  The reason why skin gets red is because you have blood in your body, and blood is red. But what causes the blood to... More
Ten million labels, one formula.

Ten million labels, one formula.

From celebrity skin care brands, doctor skin care brands, influencer skin care brands and everything in between, the label may be different but it is all the same formula. Welcome to the world of private label skin care. More
Sheet masks are unsanitary and unsustainable

Sheet masks are unsanitary and unsustainable

    The skin care industry is hypocritical. Brands claim their products are "non-toxic" yet contain cytotoxic essential oils. Brands claim that they are "clean beauty", yet house their skin care in unwashed, unsanitary, plastic-leeching bottles. And brands now claim that they are eco-friendly and sustainable yet create metric tons of plastic waste, environmental toxins and pollutants from the mass production... More
How fillers make you look older and cause you to age faster

How fillers make you look older and cause you to age faster

People don't look the same anymore. And I am not referring to how people who live today don't look like people who lived in the 1500s. I am referring to how different people look now compared to 10 years ago. There is a disturbing trend of body mutilation that is seeping into our population and it is becoming accepted as... More

The Truth About Clinical Testing

Skin care clinical testing is unscientific.   In the early days of commercial skin care, the skin care product was sold largely in part to the pretty packaging, the elegant store it was sold in, and through ad campaigns with big logos and beautiful models showing off the product.   Today’s commercial skin care is sold much in the same... More
A Quick Word of Caution About Those Jade Rollers

A Quick Word of Caution About Those Jade Rollers

There isn't much new in the world of skin care, so when something different arises that allows us to "spice up" our routine, we need to have the discerning ability to delineate between helpful product and marketing gimmick. Jade rollers are an applicator tool to help spread skin care products without tugging on your face, or transferring the bacteria from... More
Hyaluronic acid does not hold 1000 times its weight in water. Not even close.

Hyaluronic acid does not hold 1000 times its weight in water. Not even close.

How do you know if someone is a vegan, a runner, or bought a house in Malibu in 1970 for $15 and it's now worth $40 million? Because they'll tell you. You can also count that if a skin care company uses hyaluronic acid they will tell you that it holds 1000x its weight in water.             ... More
IS WATER IRRITATING TO THE SKIN? IS BACTERIA-INFUSED SKIN CARE BENEFICIAL? AND DOES THE SUNSCREEN IN YOUR MAKEUP PROVIDE ENOUGH SUN PROTECTION?

IS WATER IRRITATING TO THE SKIN? IS BACTERIA-INFUSED SKIN CARE BENEFICIAL? AND DOES THE SUNSCREEN IN YOUR MAKEUP PROVIDE ENOUGH SUN PROTECTION?

ASK A SKIN CARE BIOLOGIST Ask a Skin Care Biologist is a recurring Bioluminescence post where OUMERE's CEO and CSO, Wendy Ouriel, M.S., answers your skin care questions. Wendy is a cellular biologist with expertise in cellular aging, extracellular matrix biology and the biology of skin care. QUESTION: WHY IS WATER IRRITATING TO THE SKIN? - Carrie L. It’s a... More
The Ultimate Skin Care Credibility Guide

The Ultimate Skin Care Credibility Guide

Part 1: Consider the Source Marie and Pierre Curie. The Ultimate Skin Care Credibility Guide is going to be a multi-part series on the Bioluminescence Blog where I will explore, discuss and investigate the legitimacy of skin care information. I know that the root and propagation of most modern skin disease originated from an ocean of misinformation freely available on... More
The McDonald's Effect: Skin Care Trickery

The McDonald's Effect: Skin Care Trickery

The skin care industry can be summed up in a metaphor: It is 1970, and you live in a house that was built 50+ years ago. The house has asbestos in the drywall and walls coated in lead paint. You read an article in the Times written by a scientist who founded a company that sells asbestos-free drywall. He states that from... More
How to Pick Out and Apply Sunscreen for your Face

How to Pick Out and Apply Sunscreen for your Face

Picking out the right sunscreen for your face is not only important for preventing sunburns, it is also one of your most powerful tools against sun-induced aging. Wearing sunscreen everyday is one of the most effective anti-aging measures in your skin care regimen, therefore it is imperative that you pick out the right sunscreen, and apply it properly. Step 1:... More

The 10 Ways Microneedling Destroyed Your Skin, As Reported By You

Microneedling is among the most dangerous skin care fad I have seen in a long time. By far. There is nothing safe, scientific or sane about stabbing needles into your skin for the sake of skin improvement. It is neither sanitary or smart and it is completely devoid of scientific merit.   When I wrote of the dangers of microneedling/ dermarolling some... More

The 10 Ways Vitamin C Serums Destroyed Your Skin, as Reported by You

OUMERE doesn’t make a vitamin C serum because I have found through my own research and observation, that vitamin C serums are destructive to the skin. Vitamin C serums are commonplace in skin care, yet they are a product whose foundation is based upon scientific illiteracy and marketing gimmick.   I believe that only those who do not understand biology, and who... More
DIY Skin Care: A Recipe for Disaster

DIY Skin Care: A Recipe for Disaster

by Wendy Ouriel   Aspirin is easy to make. The ingredients are cheap and everything you need to make aspirin can be bought online. If you're one of the millions who take it everyday you can save thousands by making it yourself. And if you make your own aspirin you are going to do it wrong and make yourself sick.  The... More
The OUMERE Sunscreen is Coming: Part 1

The OUMERE Sunscreen is Coming: Part 1

We get a lot of requests for the next product to add to the OUMERE line: lip balm, body wash, shampoo. But there is one request that stands out above them all, and that is for a sunscreen. And it is no surprise that there is a need for a new sunscreen on the market, chemical sunscreens are destroying the environment,... More
Part 2: Hyaluronic Acid vs. Vaseline. One hydrated the skin, the other dried it out. Can you guess which one?

Part 2: Hyaluronic Acid vs. Vaseline. One hydrated the skin, the other dried it out. Can you guess which one?

Introduction  In this study I looked at the effects of hyaluronic acid serums on skin dryness. The inspiration for this study were the following observations: Hyaluronic acid forms a gel when in contact with water because it pulls water from its environment Hyaluronic acid is not able to penetrate the epidermis once this gel is formed, and therefore sits on the... More
Part 1: Hyaluronic Acid vs. Vaseline. One hydrated the skin, the other dried it out. Can you guess which one?

Part 1: Hyaluronic Acid vs. Vaseline. One hydrated the skin, the other dried it out. Can you guess which one?

A Formula Correction   When Serum Bioluminelle was first released it contained every ingredient that it has now, except for one: Hyaluronic acid.   Bioluminelle’s nascent formula included hyaluronic acid because I wanted to mimic the skin’s extracellular matrix components into a serum. The ECM contains many components needed for youthful skin. Among them are  elastin protein, which is included... More
FRAGRANCE IS THE USELESS DIVERSIONARY SPECIAL EFFECT IN YOUR SKIN CARE

FRAGRANCE IS THE USELESS DIVERSIONARY SPECIAL EFFECT IN YOUR SKIN CARE

I watch a movie every day, but I haven’t seen a new movie in close to a year. It takes a substantial mental effort for me to devote 2 hours to a movie that I haven’t seen before because I don’t like giving new things a chance, especially something that requires my undivided attention for a prolonged period (and may... More

The Biological Nonsense Which is Vampire Facials, 7 Rules for Your Makeup, and Whether or Not a Serum Can Cause a Skin Purge. Ask A Skin Care Biologist

Ask a Skin Care Biologist is a recurring Bioluminescence post where OUMERE's CEO and CSO, Wendy Ouriel, M.S., answers your skin care questions. Wendy is a cellular biologist with expertise in cellular aging, extracellular matrix biology and the biology of skin care.       Question: I work in an esthetician's office and a lot of people have been asking about... More

We are going green. This is how we are doing it. And how you can make a change too.

There is no denying it: There is a global pollution crisis. It began during the Industrial Revolution with toxic emissions released into the air. Then it moved onto the carbon emissions from motor vehicles in cities. Now, it is plastics.  Plastics are everywhere: From the ocean to our food. Every day at least one million tons (2,000,000,000lbs ) of plastic is produced,... More

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Wendy Ouriel

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