About this episode

This episode explores the historical and modern significance of retinol in skin care and its unexpected connections to birth control research.

In this episode, hosts David Anderson and Gina Vitale travel as far back as ancient Egypt to unearth the wide-ranging uses of retinol. They also bring in C&EN reporter Craig Bettenhausen to discuss why retinol is such a powerhouse molecule for skin care, and they hear from a contraceptives researcher about how an early candidate for a birth control pill for men affected the retinol pathway. C&EN's award-winning podcast Inflection Point leans on our 100-year archive to trace headline topics in science today back to their disparate and surprising roots. In each episode, we explore three lesser-known moments in science history that ultimately led us to current-day breakthroughs. With help from expert C&EN reporters, this show examines how discoveries from our past have shaped our present and will change our future. Subscribe to Inflection Point now on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you get your podcasts.

People in this episode

Hosts: David Anderson, Gina Vitale

Guest: Craig Bettenhausen

Topics covered

• retinol
• skin care
• science history
• birth control
• molecule uses

Keywords

• retinol
• skin care
• ancient Egypt
• birth control
• science history
• C&EN

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: C&EN

Places: ancient Egypt

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