What Does a "Restricted" Ingredient Actually Mean?
A "restricted" cosmetic ingredient almost never means banned — it means a concentration or pH rule, and 2,304 products in our catalog carry one, most for ordinary actives like citric acid.
Evidence & myths
Check popular claims, understand evidence limits, and see why uncertainty is not the same as a verdict.
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Why Does Health Canada Restrict MIT and MCI Preservatives?
Health Canada caps methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone by concentration and product type rather than banning them — a rule built on a documented, multi-country rise in contact allergy that several independent research groups called an "epidemic."
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Does Rice Water Actually Work for Your Skin?
Rice water's K-beauty popularity rides on a real, centuries-old East Asian folk practice — but the clinical evidence behind it is a handful of small studies from 2002 to 2018, plus at least one widely repeated statistic that doesn't trace back to any readable source.
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22 of 22 evidence & myths articles
Evidence & mythsWhat Does a "Restricted" Ingredient Actually Mean?Aug 20, 2026 / 7 min read
Evidence & mythsWhy Does Health Canada Restrict MIT and MCI Preservatives?Aug 20, 2026 / 7 min read
Evidence & mythsDoes Rice Water Actually Work for Your Skin?Aug 20, 2026 / 16 min read
Evidence & mythsIs Witch Hazel Good or Bad for Your Skin?Aug 20, 2026 / 11 min read
Evidence & mythsDoes Gua Sha Actually Work? What the Circulation Studies ShowJul 19, 2026 / 7 min read- Evidence & mythsBeef Tallow for Skin: The Chemistry Is Real, the Retinol Claim Isn'tJul 19, 2026 / 7 min read
- Evidence & mythsHard Water, Hair, and Skin: Why the Studies DisagreeJul 18, 2026 / 5 min read
- Evidence & mythsBiotin for Hair Growth: Deficiency vs. MarketingJul 18, 2026 / 5 min read
- Evidence & mythsThe Silicone "Buildup" Myth: What Actually Happens on Your HairJul 17, 2026 / 5 min read
- Evidence & mythsDIY Skincare: What's Actually Fine, and What Can Really Hurt YouJul 12, 2026 / 6 min read
- Evidence & mythsThe Detox Skincare Myth: What Clay Masks, Charcoal, and Sweat Actually DoJul 12, 2026 / 5 min read
- Evidence & mythsDoes Drinking Water Actually Give You Glowing Skin? Here's What the Studies ShowJul 12, 2026 / 6 min read
- Evidence & mythsThe "Chemical-Free" Myth: Why Every Skincare Product Is ChemistryJul 12, 2026 / 6 min read
- Evidence & mythsWhen Does Skincare Actually Expire? How to Read the PAO Symbol (and What to Toss)Jul 12, 2026 / 5 min read
- Evidence & myths"Non-Comedogenic" Claims: How Much Should You Actually Trust Them?Jul 12, 2026 / 6 min read
- Evidence & mythspH and Your Skin: What Actually Matters (and What's Mostly Hype)Jul 12, 2026 / 6 min read
- Evidence & mythsFragrance in Skincare: What the Evidence Actually SaysJul 12, 2026 / 6 min read
- Evidence & myths"Clean" and "Natural" Beauty Claims: What They Actually MeanJul 12, 2026 / 5 min read
- Evidence & mythsDo Pores Really Open and Close? What Hot and Cold Water Actually DoJul 12, 2026 / 5 min read
- Evidence & mythsGlass skin, honestly: what's achievable and what's lightingJun 29, 2026 / 5 min read
- Evidence & mythsDouble cleansing: evidence or ritual?Jun 28, 2026 / 4 min read
- Evidence & mythsSunscreen myths, checked against the evidenceJun 19, 2026 / 3 min read