In a recent post by our friends over at Yahoo Beauty, yeast is reported to be a surprisingly beneficial new skincare ingredient. That makes this the perfect time to talk about Uniglucan G-51 – the INCI name for Butylene Glycol (and) Yeast Polysaccharides. Yeast...

Are you happy in your skin? Unfortunately, the odds are not in your favor. It may come as a surprise, or not, that 97 percent of us have had at least one “I hate my body” moment. Even a 1997 study stated 56 percent of women are dissatisfied with their overall...

Ask your phone We did. Unfortunately, Siri and Cortana were unavailable for comment. Did you know the average American spends 162 minutes looking at their mobile device per day. That's almost 60,000 minutes a year – That's a lot of screen time! Screen fatigue Most of...

Millions vs. billions The big day is almost here. All eyes are on Las Vegas. Every year boxing contributes over $100 million to Nevada's economy. A study conducted by Oxford Economics reports the gaming industry in Nevada was responsible for almost $7.9 billion in...

April 15th, a day most of us dread, comes every year; it’s no surprise. It should also not be a surprise that one-third of individual tax returns are filed within two weeks of the deadline. Are you one of these procrastinators? Unfortunately, time is more unforgiving...

April Fools' Day is all about practical joking and playing a good trick on someone. You may think this blog is an April Fools' joke, but it's not. Peptides can "trick" your skin into protecting and building collagen. Peptides are part of the skin's inter-cell...

Synthetic Colors are ingredients used to dye or add color to personal care products. Synthetic Colors are tightly regulated by the FDA and a significant portion of them have been banned over the years due to various heath related concerns. Some Synthetic Colors are...

Ethanolamines, also known as MEA, DEA and TEA (Monoethanolamine, Diethanolamine and Triethanolamine), are cosmetic emulsifiers and foaming agents with the combined properties of alcohols and amines. They are found in many common products such as make-up, hair dye,...

Nanoparticles are ultra-tiny particles. So tiny in fact, they can measure 1,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. The use of Nanoparticles in skincare has become controversial for several reasons: Because of their small size, it’s generally accepted...

St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of all things green and Irish culture. That got us thinking about our own ExPürtise products. We were feeling lucky and decided to highlight some of our favorite green colored skincare ingredients – the Certified Organic variety, of...

The third Monday of every February is dedicated to remembering some of the greatest leaders in American history. We call this Presidents' Day. Since this is the day we regularly use to honor the legacy of great presidents, we were thinking of three great presidential...

According to a recent study by CNN, 51 percent of Americans buy red roses for Valentine's Day and spend a mind-bending $1.9 billion on flowers alone. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, not only is ExPürtise professing our undying love for roses, but also for the little...

Today is the day of the big game. The Seattle Seahawks vs the New England Patriots. People want to know are the footballs properly inflated? Are the players well prepared? Did they eat their Wheaties? But everyone really wants to know who has the best skin? The people...

Mineral oil is a petroleum derived ingredient frequently used in skincare products to protect and moisturize dry skin. It is an occlusive hydrator (a substance that physically blocks water loss in the Stratum corneum). Although the thought of petroleum based...

Synthetic Fragrances or parfums as they’re sometimes called are fragrances created in a lab usually from petroleum and natural gas byproducts. As noted in our post on phthalates, the individual components of fragrance are considered a trade secret so manufacturers are...

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (or SLES) is a Surfactant from the same family of chemicals as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. In cosmetics it’s used as detergent and foaming agent (to produce bubbles). You’ll find SLES in shampoos, shower-gels, facial cleansers and even dish soap....

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a detergent and foaming agent. It’s also in the same family as Sodium Laureth Sulfate (Surfactants). Both are common in soaps, shampoos, toothpaste and skincare products.SLS is a known skin irritant. In higher concentrations it’s an...

Phthalates (pronounced f-THAL-lates) are chemicals mainly used as plasticizers – additives used to increase flexibility, longevity, durability and transparency in otherwise rigid plastics.Phthalates are found in many products ranging from pharmaceuticals, fragrances,...

Peptides are small chains of amino acids and are the building blocks of large proteins like collagen and elastin. Peptides occur naturally in the body and in nature, however, most peptides found in skincare preparations are synthetic (lab created) as they give...

Parabens are preservatives. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, parabens are among the most commonly used preservatives in the cosmetic industry. The most common parabens used are methylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben. Parabens are low-cost,...

Originally printed in DERMASCOPE Every business comes with its challenges. Owning a spa or salon is no different. Your selection of staff, policies and services offered all impact your clientele and reputation. However, there are important decisions that affect all of...