Don’t waste money on expensive beauty brands
According to this study, when a product’s price goes up, it increases “blood-oxygen-level-dependent activity in medial orbitofrontal cortex, an area that is widely thought to encode for experienced pleasantness during experiential tasks.” So by purchasing a more expensive product, your brain physically changes and tells you that the product is better. But if spending more actually gives you more pleasure then shouldn’t you buy the more expensive one?
Does sunscreen make you infertile?
A new study claims certain sunscreen ingredients can make men less fertile. The researchers studied 500 couples that wer...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - January 20, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Randy SchuellerThe Beauty Brains Tags: Podcast Source Type: blogs
Is Bare Minerals 100% Natural lipstick worth the hype?
Bandana asks…Since I’ve been trying to get pregnant over the last year, I’ve become more concerned about toxicity. I probably eat a sizeable amount of lipstick. I am not your usual “organic” type, but I was surprised to see the list of ingredients for my favorite lipstick, Avon’s Beyond Color Plumping Lipstick. Are organic lipsticks worth the hype?? I’ve seen that Bare Minerals has a natural lipstick, but I’m not feeling $25 per tube. I’m more of a drugstore type girl. I’m not loaded with money and don’t want to be more paranoid than I should be.
The Beauty Brains responds
“Regular” lipstick like...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - January 18, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Randy Schueller Tags: Natural Safety Source Type: blogs
Does 3 day deodorant really work?
QM’s query…The boyfriend and I were watching tv and there was an ad about a drugstore-brand deodorant that touted “3-day efficiency”.
Me : “3-day efficiency ? Does it means that you’re supposed to go 3 days without washing your armpits ? Ewwww !”
Him : “Well, deodorant crawls into the sweat thingies on your skin and block odors from inside. So it can be efficient for 3 days even if you wash the skin in between”.
(OK, none of us are cosmetic scientists, as you can guess from all these technical terms) Which one of us is right ? I thought that OTC skin products can’t legally seep into the skin, but mayb...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - January 15, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Randy Schueller Tags: Beauty Biz Claims Problems Source Type: blogs
Don’t be duped by drugstore doubles
Learn how to tell if a drugstore double is really the same as your favorite brand.
Click below to play Episode 65 or click “download” to save the MP3 file to your computer.
Show notes
Review us on iTunes!
Thanks to the following fans for reviewing us on iTunes this week!
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PLEASE take a few seconds to write a review of our show. It helps us get sponsors and attract new listeners. Here’s the link to the Beauty Brains on iTunes.
Question of the week: Are drugstore doubles really the same?
Veronica asks…In the drug store there are the name brands and the drug store brand equivalents t...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - January 13, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Perry RomanowskiThe Beauty Brains Tags: Beauty Biz Podcast Source Type: blogs
Can I get a mole from popping pimples?
Afrogal asks…Recently I popped one of my pimples and a big lump formed on my forehead. I’m starting to wonder whether it is going to go away. Are moles genetic or can they appear when you pop pimples or have bad skincare routine?
The Beauty Brains responds
Moles are not caused by popping pimples or by by anything you’re doing with your skin care routine. Cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing the skin only affects the upper layer of skin called the stratum corneum.
What causes moles?
Moles are formed in the deeper layers of skin, where the epidermis meets the dermis. There, cells called melanocytes produce the mel...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - January 12, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Perry Romanowski Tags: Problems Source Type: blogs
Why can’t I put my foot product on my face?
Miniature muses…Skin Laboratory has a Salicylic Acid Peel (okay to put on your face). Dr. Scholl’s has a Liquid Corn and Callus Remover (not okay to put on your face). Obviously, both have a high amount of Salicylic Acid, but other than that, I was curious to know which ingredients make the first alright to put on your face, and the second a serious mistake. Any ideas?
The Beauty Brains respond
Here are the ingredients for the two products in question:
Skin Laboratory Salicylic Acid Peel ingredients
Salicylic Acid (20%), Propylene Glycol, Denatured alcohol, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth 7.
Dr. Scholl’s...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - January 10, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Randy Schueller Tags: Problems Source Type: blogs
Can OFF insect repellant dissolve tights?
NataliaP says…A friend of mine put on OFF (repellant) all over her legs, she was using the aerosol form. And then she put in black tights. A while later we noticed that her tights/stockings were super blotchy. It was complelty ruined. What happened?
The Beauty Brains respond
The active ingredient in OFF is a chemical known as DEET which is an effective solvent that can dissolve rayon, spandex, other synthetic fabrics. Her tights are probably made from some combination of natural and synthetic fibers like nylon or acetate. She should switch to all cotton tights or a non-DEET containing product. Or else she should just st...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - January 8, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Perry Romanowski Tags: Problems Source Type: blogs
Science says high heels are sexy
This week Perry and I reminisce about 2014 before sharing the first beauty science news stories of 2015.
Click below to play Episode 64 or click “download” to save the MP3 file to your computer.
Show notes
NOTE: The audio file for this week’s show developed a glitch that I couldn’t fix so portions of the show are missing and you’ll hear a “skip” every once in a while. I spent so much time trying to repair the audio that I couldn’t type up all the show notes. Sorry!
Favorite moments from 2014
Here are a few of our fave moments of the year:
Our discussions of the Kligman ...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - January 6, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Randy SchuellerThe Beauty Brains Tags: Beauty Biz Podcast Source Type: blogs
Nancy Boy may be the most honest beauty product in the world
NoahJenda asks…I’m very curious to know what the Beauty Brains think about Nancy Boy’s Ultramarine Night Cream. It’s also sold as an eye cream. I find their descriptions of the product unusually frank. For example, when discussing eye creams, they say “None, including ours, do anything for dark circles or puffiness (even though some of them claim to) because no product can…The only under-eye problem that can be addressed with an over-the-counter product is fine lines and wrinkles.” I also find it interesting that they claim their cream has the same ingredients as other products costing ten times as much. What...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - January 3, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Randy Schueller Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Happy New Year from the Beauty Brains
No new questions today, just a quick look back at some of the top beauty science stories of 2014 courtesy of Chemists Corner.
Will EU allergy ban radically change the fragrance industry?
Sunscreen bill signed in the US
Bioprinted skin developed for cosmetic testing
FDA cracking down on improper cosmetic claims
Algae could be the basis for cosmetic raw materials in the future
Finally, just a great big THANK YOU to all of the great people in the Beauty Brains community. Whether you’re a podcast listener, an active commentator, forum poster, RSS feed reader, emailer, newsletter subscriber, or FaceBook fan, thank you ...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - January 1, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Randy Schueller Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
How to pick the perfect makeup remover
Makeup can be tough to remove so it’s important to pick the right kind of cleanser. Tune in to this week’s show to learn everything you need to know about the perfect product to clean your face.
Click below to play Episode 63 or click “download” to save the MP3 file to your computer.
Show notes
The Beauty Brains on Dr.Oz
I just returned from New York where I not only attended the annual Society of Cosmetic Chemists meeting but I also appeared on the Dr. Oz show! I talked about beauty myth busting and I’ll post a link to the video as soon as I know when the episode airs.
Question of the week: How...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - December 30, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Perry RomanowskiThe Beauty Brains Tags: Best Podcast Problems Source Type: blogs
Does Farmaesthetics make greener products?
Amy asks…I’m looking for natural products just as many other people are. I read about Farmaesthetics new Almond Blossom Organic Body Wash and it sounds fantastic (and expensive!) Is this product green or not and is it worth the money?
The Beauty Brains respond
Farmaesthetics bills themselves as the “creators of 100% natural fine herbal skincare preparations.” They claim that their products are “100% natural; there are no chemicals, fillers, dyes, fragrances, natural identicals or petroleum products.” A 16 ounce bottle of their new Almond body wash will set you back $45 which makes it one of the more expensive ...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - December 27, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Perry Romanowski Tags: Natural Source Type: blogs
Can gene therapy diagnose your anti-aging needs?
In this Christmas Eve eve episode Perry and I talk about several new anti-aging trends and technologies. Plus a special prison-themed edition of Improbable Products!
Click below to play Episode 62 or click “download” to save the MP3 file to your computer.
Show notes
Improbable Products
I read an article about fake makeup in prison which inspired me to create an Improbable Products game – you have to guess which of these is not a real fake up recipe for prison cosmetics? In other words, two of these are real prison DIY recipes and one is made up. You have to guess which is the fake fakeup.
Dissolve the candy-co...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - December 23, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Randy SchuellerThe Beauty Brains Tags: Podcast Source Type: blogs
Are there really crab shells in my cosmetics?
Cynthia is feeling crabby…I heard a rumor that many cosmetic products use crab shells as an ingredient. This sounds a little bit ridiculous to me but if it’s true I wonder why it’s so hush-hush. Is it because the cosmetic companies are worried that the animal-rights activists will find out?
The Beauty Brains respond:
Actually, Cynthia, crab shells are a legitimate ingredient in many cosmetics.
What is chitin?
You’ll never see “crab shells” listed as an ingredient. Instead you’ll see some version of a chemical called “chitin.” Chitin is a polysaccharide which means it’s sort of like cellulose and it com...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - December 19, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Randy Schueller Tags: Bizarre Natural Source Type: blogs
Do night creams work better at night? The Beauty Brains Show episode 61
We’ve all heard that night creams work better because your skin absorbs ingredients while you sleep. Is this true? Tune into to this week’s show to find out. Also, Randy and I talk about how beauty companies cut costs on cosmetic formulas.
Click below to play Episode 61 or click “download” to save the MP3 file to your computer.
Show notes
Please review our show on iTunes!
Randy and I are asking our listeners to review our show on iTunes. Here’s the link to the Beauty Brains on iTunes.
Your feedback is super important because it…
helps new listeners find out about us
demonstrates that w...
Source: thebeautybrains.com - December 16, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Perry RomanowskiThe Beauty Brains Tags: Myths Podcast Source Type: blogs
