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Chemistry For Your Life

Chemistry For Your Life

By: Melissa and Jam Bleav
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About this listen

A podcast that helps you understand the fascinating chemistry hidden in your everyday life. Have you ever wondered why onions make you cry? Or how soap gets your hands clean? What really is margarine, or why do trees change colors in the fall? Melissa is a chemist, and to answer these questions she started a podcast, called Chemistry for your life! In each episode Melissa explains the chemistry behind one of life’s mysteries to Jam, who is definitely not a chemist, but she explains it in a way that is easy to understand, and totally fascinating. If you’re someone who loves learning new things, or who wonders about the way the world works, then give us a listen.© For Your Life 2023, All rights reserved. Science
Episodes
  • How do pimple patches save our faces?
    Nov 6 2025

    Melissa and Jam delve into the chemistry behind popular hydrocolloid bandages and pimple patches. They discuss the composition and functionality of these bandages, exploring how polymers and polar groups work to keep wounds moist and free from external contaminants. The episode also highlights the trend of using pimple patches, especially among teens, and addresses the additional features some patches include, such as microneedles with active ingredients. Melissa shares personal anecdotes about dealing with skin issues and Jam reflects on his own experiences with sickness. The episode concludes with a shout-out to their community members and the importance of public support in keeping the show running.

    00:00 The Painful Reality of Pimples
    00:59 Pimple Patches: The New Trend
    04:00 Shingles: A Personal Experience
    07:52 The Science Behind Hydrocolloid Bandages
    22:33 Analogies and Polymers
    24:32 Hydrocolloid Bandages and Wound Care
    26:43 Pimple Patches and Active Ingredients
    30:01 Personal Stories and Sickness
    35:55 Birthdays and Personal Preferences
    40:44 Community and Support

    Support this podcast on Patreon
    Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

    References from the Episode:

      1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11856799/#B9-jcm-14-01345
      2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/hydrocolloid
      3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5788207/

    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Emily Morrison
    • Kyle McCray
    • Emily Hardy
    • Ash
    • Vince W
    • Julie S.
    • Heather Ragusa
    • Autoclave
    • Chelsea Morelos
    • Dorien VD
    • Scott Beyer
    • Jessie Reder
    • Ciara Linville
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Lyn Stubblefield
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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    45 mins
  • How does Benzoyl Peroxide fight acne?
    Oct 30 2025

    #127 Rebroadcast

    If you've ever had acne, you've probably tried some creams or washes with "benzoyl peroxide" somewhere on the label. How is it that this specific ingredient is helpful for fighting acne? What is happening at the molecular level when we apply some benzoyl peroxide to our acne? Let's find out!

    References from this episode

    1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3791156/
    2. https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(81)70004-5/pdf
    3. https://youtu.be/_Mlv2Q_HiM0
    4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537220/
    5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21076800/
    6. https://www-sciencedirect-com.libproxy.library.unt.edu/topics/neuroscience/benzoyl-peroxide
    7. https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/issues/2016-2017/December%202016/chemmatters-dec2016-acne.pdf
    8. https://youtu.be/KrMbwDil1hc
    9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC171487/pdf/aac00071-0086.pdf
    10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5697687/#jde13996-bib-0006
    11. https://youtu.be/IyxTc0iZ6V8?t=1066s
    12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5697687/#jde13996-bib-0006

    Support this podcast on Patreon
    Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Emily Morrison
    • Kyle McCray
    • Emily Hardy
    • Ash
    • Vince W
    • Julie S.
    • Heather Ragusa
    • Autoclave
    • Chelsea Morelos
    • Dorien VD
    • Scott Beyer
    • Jessie Reder
    • Ciara Linville
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Lyn Stubblefield
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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    29 mins
  • What sparks the mystery of static electricity?
    Oct 23 2025

    Melissa and Jam delve into the intricate phenomenon of static electricity. They discuss their own experiences with static shocks and static cling, particularly in the winter months. They explain the concept of contact electrification and the tribal electric effect, providing basic explanations along with why these do not fully account for everything we observe. They highlight recent scientific research, revealing that much about static electricity remains a mystery, including why it occurs more in some materials than others and how friction affects it. The podcast also explores practical examples and ways static electricity impacts everyday life, such as in winter clothing, camp blankets, coffee grinding, and even industrial settings.

    00:00 Introduction and Winter Talk
    00:24 Static Shock Experiences
    01:39 Welcome to Chemistry for Your Life
    03:49 Understanding Static Electricity
    06:06 Static Electricity in Everyday Life
    12:14 Recent Research on Static Electricity
    18:44 Understanding Static Electricity
    19:26 Challenges in Studying Static
    20:19 Experiments and Observations
    22:58 Static in Everyday Life
    24:28 Water and Static Electricity
    25:58 Personal Experiences with Static
    28:52 Conclusion and Community Engagement

    Support this podcast on Patreon
    Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife

    Thanks to our monthly supporters

    • Emily Morrison
    • Kyle McCray
    • Emily Hardy
    • Ash
    • Vince W
    • Julie S.
    • Heather Ragusa
    • Autoclave
    • Chelsea Morelos
    • Dorien VD
    • Scott Beyer
    • Jessie Reder
    • Ciara Linville
    • J0HNTR0Y
    • Jeannette Napoleon
    • Cullyn R
    • Erica Bee
    • Elizabeth P
    • Rachel Reina
    • Letila
    • Katrina Barnum-Huckins
    • Suzanne Phillips
    • Venus Rebholz
    • Lyn Stubblefield
    • Jacob Taber
    • Brian Kimball
    • Kristina Gotfredsen
    • Timothy Parker
    • Steven Boyles
    • Chris Skupien
    • Chelsea B
    • Avishai Barnoy
    • Hunter Reardon
    Support this podcast on Patreon Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel

    Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com

    Watch our episodes on YouTube

    Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
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