You hear about pH balance all the time, but what the heck does it mean anyway? Without getting too technical on you, pH, which stands for potential of hydrogen, measures the acid or alkaline levels of a solution.
The pH scale ranges from 0-14:
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Petrochemicals are chemical products made from the raw materials of petroleum or other hydrocarbons. Whilst it's not been proven that all petrochemicals are carcinogenic (cancer-causing), I think that it's shocking that so many beauty and skincare brands still regularly use petrochemical ingredients in their products when there is such controversy around their safety.
The two main classes of petrochemical raw materials are olefins (including ethylene and propylene) and aromatics (including benzene and xylene isomers), both of which are produced in very large quantities throughout the world. 
Maybe you've heard of glucosamine before — something to do with arthritis, you think. Well, you're right, but there's a bit more to it than that.
Occurring naturally in the body, this little compound is composed of glucose and an amino acid called glutamine.
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Not to be confused with rose oil, rosehip oil is extracted from the seeds or 'hips' of wild grown rosebushes and it is the only vegetable oil which contains natural retinol acid (vitamin A acid).
Rosehip oil is also full of other natural skin-boosting ingredients. It is high in essential fatty acids including linoleic fatty acids which helps reduce the size of pores. 
Cosmeceuticals are beauty products containing pharmaceutical-grade ingredients, which can now be bought over the counter. They claim to give rapid skin-improving results, and are often high-end anti-ageing creams.
The term 'cosmeceuticals' was first used by the American Dr Albert Kligman in the 70s, to describe products in a segment of the facial skincare market that acted like drugs in the way they functioned on the skin. 
Not the most glamorous of topics for this week's glossary, I know, but let's face it (excuse the pun) we've all been there. Sufferers of adult acne, in particular, will know just how upsetting waking up and finding one of these babies nestling on your skin can be.
Blackheads are scientifically known as open comedones. 
My esthetician friend is constantly lecturing me (with only the best intentions in mind, of course) on the perils of over-exfoliating. Here are some common phrases that are typical of our discourse:
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There is quite a lot of confusion over the term antibacterial, in beauty and health products. An antibacterial product is one which contains specific antibacterial ingredients. These chemicals kill bacteria and microbes. 
Parabens are groups of chemicals used as preservatives in a wide variety of beauty products (up to 90 percent of them, from shampoo to toothpaste to self-tanner) and sometimes as food additives. Some parabens are found in nature, like the antimicrobal fruit of the blueberry shrub, but all commercial types are synthetic.
Despite many years of seemingly safe use, studies have begun to suggest that the use of parabens is less than healthy.
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Want something delicious to eat and lovely to smell? 
