Speckled

Welcome back to Speckled! This week we're exploring the exciting world of snake venom. To help us learn a little more about this mysterious ingredient and the logistics of venom, we first chat with Ed Myers, a postdoc in the Department of Herpetology at the American Museum of Natural History. We then discuss snake venom in beauty with Simply Venom co-founders Dr. Monica Lilore and Dr. Milija Milic. Is this ingredient as dangerous as it sounds, or is it an anti-aging powerhouse changing the future of beauty? Listen to find out! For more information about Simply Venom, check them out on social media @simplyvenom and at simplyvenom.com You can also check out Speckled on Facebook and Instagram @speckledblog Produced by Jorge Estrada Art Illustrated by Leyan Xu

On this episode of Speckled, we’re chatting Superfoods. With the rise of athleisure, fitness blogs and health foods, superfoods are trending in and out of the beauty industry. But what are superfoods, and what makes them inherently super? We dive head first into the world of plant-based skincare with Graydon Moffat, the founder of Canadian beauty brand Graydon Skincare. Graydon shares her expertise on superfoods and the secrets behind her successful “Superfood Mask + Scrub.” For more information about Graydon Skincare, check them out on social media @graydonskincare and at http://graydonskincare.com You can also check out Speckled on Facebook and Instagram @speckledblog Produced by Jorge Estrada Art Illustrated by Leyan Xu

On this episode, we dive into the world of activated charcoal. This very trendy skincare ingredient is used to detoxify the skin and rid it of everyday pollution, sweat and toxins. Unlike other ingredients, the story of activated charcoal can be traced back thousands of years, but recent advancements in science and technology have made skincare products with activated charcoal powerful and effective. We chat with Dr. Linda Miles, Co-Founder and Chief Formulator of DERMA E to get a better understanding of charcoal and the science behind the ingredient. For more information about DERMA E, you can visit http://dermae.com. You can also check out Speckled on Facebook and Instagram @speckledblog Produced by Jorge Estrada Art Illustrated by Leyan Xu

This episode looks at sulfates and their role in haircare, specifically shampoos. Sulfates act as a foaming agent that cleanses away impurities on our hair shaft and scalp, but in the past few years, they have gained a bad rap in the beauty industry for their habit to strip away good oils and color. We sat down with Lorean Cairns, Co-founder and Creative Director of Fox & Jane Salons to hear her experience with sulfates as a salon owner and experienced hair stylist. For more information about Fox & Jane, you can visit foxandjanesalon.com You can also check out Speckled on Facebook and Instagram @speckledblog Produced by Jorge Estrada Art Illustrated by Leyan Xu