Dr Belal Chami

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Sydney, NSW
Dr Belal Chami

🧫 Translating science to skincare
👨‍🔬 Founder of Re-Dox Skin Lab
📚 PhD, 33+ publications, 500+ citations
🧬 Expert in inflammation & redox biology

25/03/2026

Quercetin has some of the strongest scientific merit of any antioxidant in skincare.

So why isn't it more widely used at meaningful concentrations?

Two formulation problems worth understanding.

Problem 1: Getting it into the formula. Quercetin is notoriously difficult to stabilise at therapeutic levels. Solubility is a real challenge - and at low concentrations, the biological impact is limited.

Problem 2: The yellowing effect. Apply a high-concentration quercetin serum, then layer a zinc-based sunscreen or mineral makeup on top, and your skin turns yellow. Not a reaction to worry about, but a visible cosmetic issue that makes it impractical for daytime use.

Which is why highly concentrated quercetin belongs in your evening routine.

Timing an ingredient correctly isn't a minor detail. It's the difference between a formula that works and one that doesn't.

23/03/2026

Not all breakouts are acne.

I see this a lot. Someone's dealing with persistent breakouts, doing everything right with their routine, and their skin just isn't responding the way they'd expect.

There's a decent chance it's not acne at all. Malassezia folliculitis is caused by a yeast that already lives on your skin. It looks like acne on the surface, but it has nothing to do with C. acnes bacteria and it behaves differently.

This is one of the more common misidentifications I come across. And it matters because the biology behind each condition is different, which means the approach needs to be different too.

If your skin isn't responding the way you'd expect, it's worth asking whether the breakout has been correctly identified before changing anything else.

24/02/2026

Hydration and glow are easy to see. They’re visible, immediate, and Instagram-friendly.

But "glow" is actually just the outcome of having healthy skin cells.

When your skin cells are stressed, it shows up on the surface as dullness, uneven tone, or sensitivity.

That's the importance of taking care of your cellular health, because overtime cells become less efficient.

So next time you choose skincare, don’t just ask, “Will this product make my skin glow?”

Ask, “Is this supporting my skin at the cellular level?”

Start choosing products that strengthen your skin at a cellular level.

16/02/2026

If you’re over 30, your skin probably isn’t renewing itself every 28 days anymore.

That number gets repeated a lot, but it really applies to younger skin.

When you’re in your teens or early 20s, cells divide, move up, and shed in a fairly steady rhythm.

As you get older, that rhythm slows down and the cycle can stretch well beyond a month.

That’s because cells don’t produce energy as efficiently as they used to.

This is why dullness lasts longer and recovery takes more time than it used to.

You can’t correct that by exfoliating harder or adding another resurfacing step.

So the next time your skin feels “slower,” don’t reach for something stronger.

Look for ingredients that protect cellular energy and help manage oxidative stress.

Because renewal improves when the cells underneath are supported properly.

12/02/2026

Why do I formulate vitamin C serums at a low pH?

Because without the right pH, antioxidants simply don’t work properly.

There are two reasons I choose a low pH:

First, absorption.

Ingredients like L-ascorbic acid pe*****te the skin more effectively when formulated at a lower pH.

If it cannot enter the skin, it cannot protect it.

Second, stability.

The more powerful an antioxidant is, the more unstable it tends to be.

Lowering the pH helps preserve it in the bottle, so it doesn’t oxidise before you even apply it.

Once on your skin, the pH gradually shifts back toward its natural range (around 4.5–5.5).

That means we protect the molecule first, then allow it to function where it matters.

So if you’re choosing a vitamin C serum, don’t just look at the percentage. Look at the formulation.

06/02/2026

Sun damage is often discussed as an event (a day at the beach, a burn, or a mistake).

In reality, most damage happens during normal days where you're exposed to sunlight or you're spending your time near the windows.

Daily UV exposure continuously produces free radicals in skin.

If they’re not neutralised, they accumulate and gradually compromise your skin.

That’s why antioxidants are built into my day formulations.

So if you’re thinking about skin long-term, this is the part that matters.

03/02/2026

wasn't built by choosing formulas from a catalogue.

We built it by having our own lab.

I learned early on that you can’t truly innovate if you don’t control your own research and development.

You can adjust, repackage, or relabel, but you can’t ask deeper questions.

I can test ideas, challenge assumptions, and study how skin actually behaves under stress, inflammation, and ageing before turning anything into a product.

Innovation only happens when research, formulation, and testing live in the same space.

It’s the only way innovation in skincare can happen.

28/01/2026

When you start an active, acne can appear for two very different reasons.

Purging happens when cellular turnover increases.

Congestion that was already forming reaches the surface faster.

That’s why it usually shows up where you normally break out and improves if the product is used consistently.

Breaking out is different. That’s irritation or incompatibility.

It can appear in new areas, feel itchy or sore, and doesn’t settle while you keep using the product.

One is a timing issue, while the other is inflammation.

Understanding the difference prevents unnecessary damage and helps you choose formulations that work with skin biology.

26/01/2026

Our skin is a unique organ because it faces two directions at once.

It is constantly exposed to the external environment while also managing complex internal biological processes.

From the outside, skin is exposed to environmental stressors that accelerate skin ageing and cellular damage.

From the inside, normal cellular metabolism produces free radicals and oxidative stress every day.

When oxidative stress accumulates faster than the skin can regulate it, DNA repair slows and inflammation persists.

Over time, this reduces overall skin function long before visible signs of ageing appear.

That is why antioxidants are important in skincare.

Antioxidants help regulate oxidative stress from both external and internal sources, supporting cellular balance and long-term skin health.

When choosing skincare products, look beyond surface-level claims.

Focus on whether the formulation supports how skin functions biologically, not just short-term results.

24/01/2026

Most people think the difference between physical and chemical sunscreen is about texture, finish, or skin type.

But the real difference is where UV damage is intercepted.

When UV slips past filters, which it inevitably does, antioxidants become the second line of defence.

Ingredients like L-ascorbic acid and tocopherol help neutralise oxidative stress inside the skin, beyond the reach of sunscreens.

Sunscreens reduce exposure.

Antioxidants reduce damage.

That is the logic behind modern photoprotection.

So think beyond the label on your sunscreen.

Daily protection works best when filters and antioxidants are designed to work together.

21/01/2026

Pigmentation in our skin actually happens quietly.

But this is a response to UV exposure because it tries to protect you from further damage.

And the more often that signal is triggered, the more stubborn those dark patches become.

This is why sunscreen is important.

It’s to stop the biological cascade that creates pigmentation in the first place.

Consider this your reminder to wear it daily. ☀️

Address

Sydney, NSW

Website

http://www.redoxskinlab.com/

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