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OM Botanical Releases Analysis of Skin Barrier Health and Simplified Skincare

APEX, N.C.New analysis from molecular biologist and Ayurvedic researcher Sudhir Shah examines cosmetic formulation, skin-barrier health and the case for simpler skincare routines

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New analysis from molecular biologist and Ayurvedic researcher Sudhir Shah examines cosmetic formulation, skin-barrier health and the case for simpler skincare routines

OM Botanical has released a new analysis examining the relationship between multi-step skincare routines, cosmetic formulation and skin-barrier health, according to the company.

The analysis was developed by OM Botanical founder Sudhir Shah, a molecular biologist and Ayurvedic researcher. It examines the stratum corneum, skin-surface pH and skin microbiome and considers how certain cosmetic ingredients and intensive product routines may affect these systems.

The release comes as consumers continue to adopt increasingly complex skincare routines involving cleansers, exfoliants, serums, moisturizers and other active products. OM Botanical’s analysis argues that consumers should consider how multiple products interact with the skin rather than evaluating individual products separately.

Skin Barrier at the Center of the Analysis

The stratum corneum, the outermost layer of the epidermis, helps maintain hydration and protect the skin from environmental exposure. It contains corneocytes and an intercellular lipid matrix that includes ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids.

The skin surface also maintains an acidic environment and supports a diverse microbial ecosystem that interacts with the skin barrier and immune system.

Shah said repeated use of products containing cleansing agents, exfoliating acids, preservatives and other active ingredients can place additional demands on these systems.

“The cosmetic industry has created a self-perpetuating cycle of damage and temporary repair,” said Shah. “By bombarding the skin with harsh surfactants, synthetic emulsifiers, chemical preservatives and excessive concentrations of isolated actives, mainstream skincare disrupts the skin’s innate biological equilibrium.”

OM Botanical’s analysis notes that the effects of individual cosmetic ingredients can vary depending on their formulation, concentration and how they are used.

Rethinking Cosmetic Formulation

The analysis examines several components commonly found in skincare products, including surfactants, emulsifiers, preservatives and concentrated active ingredients.

According to OM Botanical, cleansing agents can remove surface oils, while certain formulation choices may influence the skin’s lipid environment. The company also discusses the relationship between cosmetic products and the skin microbiome.

The analysis addresses “inflammaging,” a term used to describe the relationship between chronic inflammation and age-related changes in tissue. Shah argues that combinations of active ingredients that are poorly tolerated by an individual may contribute to irritation and inflammation.

The company presents these observations as part of its formulation philosophy rather than as an independent clinical assessment of all cosmetic ingredients or skincare routines.

Combining Molecular Biology and Ayurveda

Shah’s approach to skincare draws on his background in molecular biology and his interest in traditional Ayurvedic practices.

OM Botanical says its formulation philosophy emphasizes whole-plant ingredients and botanical combinations rather than relying exclusively on isolated synthetic active ingredients.

“Modern pharmaceutical and cosmetic science focuses heavily on isolation—isolating a single molecule, synthesizing it in a lab, and applying it at extreme concentrations,” said Shah. “A plant extract contains hundreds of co-factors, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals that evolved together over millions of years.”

The company says this approach informs its development of products intended to support the skin while reducing reliance on complex product layering.

A Three Step Skincare Approach

OM Botanical recommends a three-step routine based on its formulation philosophy:

  1. Cleansing — botanical-focused cleansers intended to remove dirt, excess sebum and environmental residue.
  2. Hydration and botanical ingredients — botanical serums, plant extracts and other ingredients intended to support hydration and the skin’s surface environment.
  3. Barrier protection — botanical oils and mineral-based sun protection incorporated into a routine focused on maintaining the skin barrier.

 

The company says the approach is intended to simplify daily skincare and reduce unnecessary product layering.

Formulation and Environmental Considerations

OM Botanical also incorporates environmental considerations into its product-development approach, according to the company.

The company uses sugarcane-based packaging materials and recyclable glass containers. It also says its mineral sunscreen products are formulated without oxybenzone and octinoxate.

OM Botanical further states that it plants one tree for every product sold through its environmental partnerships.

About OM Botanical

Founded in 2011 by molecular biologist and Ayurvedic researcher Sudhir Shah, OM Botanical develops plant-based personal care products focused on skincare, hair care and sun protection. The company is headquartered in Apex, North Carolina, and says its formulations are based on botanical ingredients and its approach to skin-barrier and microbiome support.

For more information, visit OM Botanical.

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Sudhir Shah
OM Botanical
Email: Send Email
Phone: (919) 629-8389
Website: ombotanical.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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Nonprofit Organization, Citizens Academy US, Makes Official Public Release of Guide to Complete Understanding of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution

Washington, DCCitizens Academy U.S., a nonprofit dedicated to helping Americans understand the U.S. Constitution’s Preamble, has officially released The Guide to Complete Understanding of the Preamble to the United States Constitution in celebration of Constitution Day, September 17. The organization is hosting a free online event, “The Day ‘We the People’ Appeared,” on September 13, 2026, […]

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Citizens Academy U.S., a nonprofit dedicated to helping Americans understand the U.S. Constitution’s Preamble, has officially released The Guide to Complete Understanding of the Preamble to the United States Constitution in celebration of Constitution Day, September 17. The organization is hosting a free online event, “The Day ‘We the People’ Appeared,” on September 13, 2026, exploring the Preamble and its six purposes.

The Preamble Guide Simplifies Understanding of the Six Purposes of the U.S. Constitution

In celebration of Constitution Day, September 17th, the Citizens Academy U.S., a nonprofit organization with the goal to help hundreds of millions of Americans understand the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, just made their official public release of The Guide to Complete Understanding of the Preamble to the United States Constitution.

 

max 1 Nonprofit Organization, Citizens Academy US, Makes Official Public Release of Guide to Complete Understanding of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution
Citizens Academy US is making the official public release of their Preamble Guide, a free download on their website with hardcover and softcover editions available

As noted on their website, the Preamble lays out all six purposes of the U.S. Constitution, and they are working to restore clarity and shared understanding of the Preamble and thus these six purposes. They do not explain or interpret what it means, they provide an enjoyable and easy way to completely understand it, so people can make up their own mind as to what it means.

Constitution Day is celebrated annually across the U.S. every September 17th as it is the day when 39 delegates signed the United States Constitution at Independence Hall in Philadelphia in 1787. In addition to the official release of their Guide, Citizens Academy US is hosting a free online event on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at 11am PT/2pm ET, entitled, The Day “We the People” Appeared. The event is expected to run for 1.5 hours and is open to free public registration at this link.

Academy officials have observed that many Americans who have attempted to read the Constitution have difficulty in understanding it. They attribute this to the fact that languages change over time, and many words do not mean what they meant when the Constitution was drafted. “Definitions from the late 1700s vary drastically from today’s definitions,” said Academy spokesperson Steven Ferry, “and it is vitally important that the Constitution is read with reference to the original definitions in use at the time it was written.”

To help people overcome this challenge, Citizens Academy US provides definitions in their Guide based on those from Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. This early dictionary reveals what the words meant to the Founders and the people at the time the Constitution was written.

As an example, the definition of “welfare” in the Guide, based on Webster’s 1828 dictionary is: “the enjoyment of peace and prosperity, and other benefits of society, such as protection of rights, public safety, justice, and liberty.” Today’s Oxford Learner’s Dictionary includes an additional definition which people often refer to: “practical or financial help that is provided, often by the government, for people or animals that need it.”

Academy officials have also observed that when the Preamble is read with the original definitions in mind, understanding the six purposes of the Constitution becomes simple and the results are profound. The principle that forms the basis of the Guide is a quote by best-selling author L. Ron Hubbard, who wrote, “Complete understanding depends upon freedom from misunderstood words.”

By visiting the Citizens Academy US website, you can view the Guide and download it for free or purchase the hardcover or softcover in their bookstore.

 

max 2 Nonprofit Organization, Citizens Academy US, Makes Official Public Release of Guide to Complete Understanding of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution

In honor of Constitution Day, Citizens Academy US is hosting a free online event, titled “The Day ‘We the People’ Appeared” on September 13, 2026, at 11am PT/2pm ET

 

The Citizens Academy US is a fully IRS recognized 501 (c)(3) charitable organization with the mission to bring about a greater understanding in America. The goal of the Citizens Academy US is to have 100’s of millions of Americans understand the first sentence of the United States Constitution, which is called the Preamble. The Preamble contains the six purposes of the Constitution and understanding the Preamble enables Americans to grasp what the Constitution is meant to achieve.

For more information about Citizens Academy US, please visit: www.CitizensAcademy.us

Media Contact Details
Steven Ferry
Citizens Academy US
Email: Send Email
Phone: 727-492-4082
Website: citizensacademy.us

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Ángela Rodríguez Expands REFLEJO™ Method and Inclusive Beauty Education Initiatives

NEW YORK, USAAuthor, Beauty Educator, and founder of Divina Makeup advances international education, accessibility, and community-focused programs centered on makeup, autonomy, and women’s empowerment.

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Author, Beauty Educator, and founder of Divina Makeup advances international education, accessibility, and community-focused programs centered on makeup, autonomy, and women’s empowerment.

Colombian-born author, Beauty Educator, and entrepreneur Ángela Rodríguez is expanding her work around the REFLEJO™ Method, an educational self-makeup methodology designed to help women better understand their individual features, needs, and personal approach to beauty.

 

1000494238 Ángela Rodríguez Expands REFLEJO™ Method and Inclusive Beauty Education Initiatives

 

Ángela, founder of Divina Makeup and author of Maquíllate en 6 Pasos (Make Yourself Up in 6 Steps), is developing the next stage of her educational platform through an updated edition of her book, digital learning resources, accessibility initiatives, international outreach, and community programs focused on women’s confidence, autonomy, and inclusion.

At the center of the initiative is the REFLEJO™ Method, which is based on the principle that every woman is unique and should learn to understand her own face rather than simply reproduce makeup techniques created for someone else.

For Ángela, makeup education extends beyond teaching the application of foundation, concealer, or eyeshadow. Her approach focuses on providing women with practical knowledge that can help them make informed decisions about their appearance while developing greater confidence in their own skills.

“True transformation begins when a woman learns to see herself differently,” Ángela said.

Expanding the REFLEJO™ Method

Ángela is currently developing a new edition of Maquíllate en 6 Pasos that will incorporate the REFLEJO™ Method and expand the educational resources available to readers.

The new edition is planned to include QR codes connecting readers with complementary audiovisual learning materials. The project is also being developed with accessibility resources intended to make makeup education more inclusive for people with hearing disabilities, including sign language interpretation and subtitled content.

The initiative reflects Ángela’s broader objective of making beauty education more accessible to women with different backgrounds, ages, cultures, and life experiences.

She also intends to expand the REFLEJO™ Method internationally as an educational framework that can be used across workshops, community programs, and other learning environments.

From New York Fashion Platforms to Education

Since arriving in New York in 2020, Ángela has worked across several areas of the beauty industry while establishing herself as an educator, author, professional makeup artist, and entrepreneur.

 

1000494239 Ángela Rodríguez Expands REFLEJO™ Method and Inclusive Beauty Education Initiatives

 

Her professional experience has included participation in major New York fashion platforms, including New York Fashion Week, where she has held leadership roles within makeup teams.

Alongside her work as a makeup artist, Ángela has focused on creating professional development opportunities for emerging artists. She has supported initiatives that allow aspiring makeup professionals to gain experience at fashion shows, develop portfolios, strengthen practical skills, and gain exposure to professional working environments.

Her makeup artistry has also appeared in publications and magazine covers connected with New York and France.

As an educator and entrepreneur, Ángela has participated in events throughout the Latino community in the United States, using those opportunities to discuss makeup education, entrepreneurship, confidence, and professional development.

Bogotá International Book Fair Milestone

In 2026, Ángela participated in the Bogotá International Book Fair (FILBo), where she presented her work as an author and discussed her approach to connecting makeup education with women’s empowerment.

The appearance represented another step in Ángela’s effort to expand her work beyond traditional beauty services and develop a broader educational platform.

Her current work builds on that experience by integrating her published material with the REFLEJO™ Method, digital education, accessibility, and community engagement.

Bringing Beauty Education to Communities

Ángela is also strengthening partnerships and developing social initiatives aimed at providing free workshops focused on self-makeup, self-esteem, and empowerment.

The planned initiatives are intended to reach women in Afro-descendant, rural, and Indigenous communities in Colombia, as well as other populations that may have limited access to beauty education and related professional-development opportunities.

Through these programs, Ángela aims to apply the experience she has developed in the beauty industry to educational and community-based settings.

She has also begun collaborating with organizations and foundations that support women while developing a broader social-impact platform centered on education, leadership, inclusion, and dignity.

Connecting Beauty Education With Women’s Rights

Ángela recently participated in an event held within the context of the United Nations focused on education for peace and human rights.

She describes the experience as an important development in her work and one that strengthened her interest in participating in initiatives involving women’s rights, education, dignity, and access to opportunity.

Her long-term vision is to connect beauty education with wider social-impact initiatives and establish strategic partnerships capable of bringing those programs to additional communities.

For Ángela, women’s empowerment encompasses more than personal appearance. Her work increasingly addresses education, autonomy, inclusion, professional opportunity, dignity, and women’s ability to make informed decisions about their own lives.

An Immigrant Entrepreneur Building From New York

Ángela’s professional development also reflects her experience as a Colombian immigrant establishing a career in the United States.

Since moving to New York in 2020, she has worked to build her professional identity across makeup artistry, education, publishing, and entrepreneurship while developing Divina Makeup and the REFLEJO™ Method.

Her focus has gradually shifted from applying makeup for clients toward teaching women how to understand their individual features, develop practical skills, and approach their personal image with greater independence.

Through fashion, education, publishing, community initiatives, and international outreach, Ángela is continuing to develop a platform that brings together beauty education and social purpose.

About Ángela Rodríguez

Ángela Rodríguez is a Colombian-born author, professional makeup artist, Beauty Educator, entrepreneur, and creator of the REFLEJO™ Method. She is the founder of Divina Makeup and author of Maquíllate en 6 Pasos. Based in New York, her work focuses on self-makeup education, professional development, inclusion, accessibility, women’s empowerment, and community-focused initiatives.

Instagram: @divina.make.up

Media Contact

Ángela Rodríguez
Author | Beauty Educator | Creator of the REFLEJO™ Method
Founder, Divina Makeup
New York, United States
Instagram: @divina.make.up

Photo Credit: Photos accompanying this release were taken by New York-based photographer Dong Yang.

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BTI, Cornell Develop AI Tool to Map Hidden Universe of Small Molecules

Ithaca, NYResearchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute and Cornell University have developed AIMe (AI Molecule Explorer), a neuro-symbolic AI tool that predicts, organizes, and searches mass spectra for more than 100 million known small organic molecules—creating a searchable map of chemical space roughly a thousand times larger than existing experimental libraries. Applying AIMe to gut microbiome data, the team identified a previously unknown, ring-shaped polyamine compound also found in human fecal samples, and used the tool to annotate millions of unidentified spectra in a major public mass spectrometry database.

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Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute and Cornell University have developed AIMe (AI Molecule Explorer), a neuro-symbolic AI tool that predicts, organizes, and searches mass spectra for more than 100 million known small organic molecules—creating a searchable map of chemical space roughly a thousand times larger than existing experimental libraries. Applying AIMe to gut microbiome data, the team identified a previously unknown, ring-shaped polyamine compound also found in human fecal samples, and used the tool to annotate millions of unidentified spectra in a major public mass spectrometry database.

Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) and Cornell University unveiled AIMe (AI Molecule Explorer), a neuro-symbolic artificial intelligence tool that predicts and maps the mass spectra of more than 100 million known small organic molecules. The tool tackles a long-standing bottleneck in biomedical science—more than 80% of small molecules detected in a typical biological sample cannot be matched to a known structure—a gap that has stalled discoveries linking the gut microbiome, immunity, and metabolism.

 

Screenshot of AIMe results BTI, Cornell Develop AI Tool to Map Hidden Universe of Small Molecules

 

The work is a collaboration between Frank Schroeder, Professor at BTI and in Cornell’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and Carla Gomes, Professor of Computing and Information Science and director of Cornell’s AI for Science Institute.

A different approach to an old problem

Mass spectrometry is the workhorse for small molecule identification used in a wide range of applications from toxicology to food analysis. When a compound is analyzed, the instrument fragments it and records the masses of the resulting pieces. That pattern of fragments, the tandem mass spectrum (or MS2 spectrum), functions as a molecular fingerprint. To identify an unknown compound, researchers compare its spectrum against a reference library of spectra from known compounds or develop hypotheses as to what the structure of a compound may be based on manual analysis of the fragmentation pattern.

The problem is that experimental reference libraries remain sparse, while expert, one-by-one interpretation is labor-intensive and slow. Collectively, available libraries cover fewer than 1% of known compounds, and resolving the structure of a single unknown can take days to months of iterative analysis and experimental validation. As a result, spectra without close library matches usually remain unannotated.

AIMe takes a different approach. Rather than waiting for experimental spectra to accumulate in libraries, it predicts spectra computationally—then organizes those predictions into a searchable resource called MS2KOSMOS. AIMe generated more than 800 million predicted spectra covering essentially all known small organic molecules in PubChem, the largest publicly available chemical database. That represents roughly a thousandfold expansion of searchable chemical space relative to existing experimental libraries.

“At the core of AIMe is DeepMS2Reasoner, a model that simulates how molecules fragment inside a mass spectrometer,” explained Gomes. “It builds fragmentation pathways step by step, using symbolic chemical rules to enumerate physically plausible fragmentation steps and a neural network to assign likelihoods to each step. The result is a predicted spectrum and an annotated map of how a molecule came apart—a feature that makes AIMe’s outputs interpretable in chemical terms, not just computationally useful.”

From mouse gut to human biology

To demonstrate what AIMe can do in practice, the researchers applied it to a comparative metabolomics dataset from mice. The experiment compared germ-free mice, animals raised without any gut microbiota, against mice with a normal complement of gut bacteria. Several thousand chemical features differed between the two groups, and most of the abundant ones could not be identified using standard methods.

The team used AIMe to query MS2KOSMOS with spectra from the 111 most abundant unidentified microbiota-dependent compounds. For roughly a third, AIMe retrieved close predicted spectral matches and related structural candidates, providing chemically interpretable leads for follow-up. For the rest, AIMe mapped the unknown spectra to molecular neighborhoods—sets of structurally related compounds whose shared fragmentation patterns could inform hypotheses about what the unknowns might be.

“Two compounds in particular became a case study in what AI-guided structure elucidation can accomplish,” said Schroeder. “Both produced spectra that suggested they were polyamine derivatives, a well-studied class of molecules, but the fragment patterns didn’t match anything previously described. Using AIMe’s output as a guide, our team assembled candidate structures combinatorially, predicted spectra for each candidate, and used the comparison to narrow the field.”

For the first compound, the best candidate was a linear putrescine derivative, which was then easily verified by synthesizing an authentic standard. For the second, the predicted spectra of potential candidates consistently failed to explain two prominent peaks—until the team expanded the search to include cyclized variants.

Synthesis confirmed what the predictions suggested. The second compound turned out to be a structurally unusual macrocyclic polyamine—a ring-shaped variant unlike any previously reported from mouse or human biology. Searches of a large public mass spectrometry database subsequently found the same compound in samples of human origin, detected in 57 of 99 human fecal samples examined.

Polyamines occupy an important position in biology. They sit at the intersection of diet, the gut microbiome, and immune function—and these findings suggest that the catalog of microbiota-dependent polyamines is far less complete than scientists assumed.

Annotation at scale

The researchers also tested AIMe at repository scale, applying it to more than 7 million spectral clusters from the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking database, one of the largest publicly available repositories of mass spectrometry data. Prior annotation efforts had annotated roughly 416,000 of those clusters. AIMe returned putative annotations for approximately 2.69 million, using the same similarity threshold applied in that earlier effort.

AIMe is accessible at https://www.cs.cornell.edu/gomes/udiscoverit/kosmos/ and the source code will be made publicly available upon publication of the study. The preprint is available on bioRxiv (DOI: 10.64898/2026.08.05.743095).

About the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI)

As an independent nonprofit research institute affiliated with Cornell University, our scientists are committed to advancing solutions for global food security, agricultural sustainability, and human health. Through groundbreaking research, transformative education, and rapid translation of discoveries into real-world applications, BTI bridges fundamental plant and molecular science with practical impact. Discovery inspired by plants since 1924. Learn more at BTIscience.org.

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