1. Not reddy
Fire in your face? Aspirin may soothe your skin. Researchers from Ohio State University gave 81mg daily to patients with rosacea, a chronic skin condition that causes redness and inflammation. After 30 days, sufferers experienced fewer, shorter and less intense outbreaks. It's unclear why aspirin can snuff out the flames, but it may be due to its constrictive properties, says researcher Dr Joseph Bikowski. To hush your blush, take a less-is-more approach: have one low-dose "baby" aspirin per day, says Dr Bikowski.

2. Friendly competition
Women choose friends who are their equals in hotness, says a study by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, US. Having a similarly good-looking social network grants women access to men their friends draw in. "This creates competition, but the cost of rivalry isn't as high as the benefit of new mates," says researcher Dr April Bleske-Rechek.

3. Tiny troubles
Scale it down: your skin scrub may be harsh on marine life, say researchers. Tiny plastic exfoliating beads in some shower and facial scrubs (those containing polyethylene and polystyrene) can enter the circulatory systems of sea creatures, says Mark Browne from the University of Sydney. Switch to readily dissolving scrubs, made from things like sugar or salt.

4. Joint protection
We've discovered what they mean by "natural high": clear skin may depend on endocannabinoids, compounds produced by our bodies similar to THC, a component in marijuana, says a study in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Just as THC defends the plant from UV rays and other environmental assaults, our version plays a role in protecting skin against bacteria and viruses. More research may result in creams that keep your complexion from going to pot.

5. Hone in on hair
Bad hair days may become a thing of the past, since scientists at Germany's University of Bayreuth discovered how individual hairs interact with each other. This means they can analyse the chemical and physical properties of soft, silky hair at a microscopic level, says study co-author Eva Max. The technology could yield products that better target specific mane woes.

6. Ease eczema
On top of the rash and itch, sufferers of atopic dermatitis - the most common form of eczema - are more prone to bacterial skin nasties, But scientists at the University of California San Diego, US, have found taking a vitamin D supplement may ward off skin infections associated with the condition. Subjects who took 4000IU of D daily (20 times the NZ RDI) for three weeks boosted their bacteria-fighting skin proteins.

7. Peeling good
Got spots? Time for a face-off: chemical peels may erase your acne, say researchers in the journal Dermatologic Surgery. Salicylic acid and glycolic acid peels given every two weeks for 12 weeks reduced acne lesions in 81 and 75 per cent of subjects, respectively. The chemicals exfoliate pore-clogging cells.

8. Skin-firming fat
A certain type of fat has shown anti-ageing properties, reports a study in the Journal of Lipid Research. Scientists mixed a solution of compounds from a soybean-derived lipid called phosphatidyleserine (PS), applied it to subjects' skin, and then exposed them to UV rays. The result: PS kept collagen proteins from breaking down and stalled the production of wrinkle-causing enzymes. More clinical trials are planned.