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Are Vitamins Good For Nails?

by Left Brain on February 9, 2010 · 1 comment

Melissa’s question…From what I understand, nails, like hair, are dead cells. Except for the cuticles. I asked a manicurist once and she told me OPI Nail Envy works because it has vitamins in it. This makes no sense to me because, even if it does have vitamins on it, how would putting vitamins on a dead cell, make any difference?

The Left Brain’s answer:
Yes, vitamins in nail products = Marketing BS.

Vitamin vitriol

However, it is worth noting that oil soluble vitamins like Vitamin E & A could help keep the nails less brittle because they would have a plasticizing effect. However, this would be true of many oils.

And, as Dano pointed out in our Forum, Dano “nails are made up of keratinized cells – dead cells jam-packed full of hard keratin protein. The same thing in the dead surface skin cells that allows them to be protective and help keep bad things out of us and good things in us. We can’t put a topical cream containing vitamins on our nails, and actually have it sink down to the cells lower down the nail, or even under the nail bed, just like we can’t spread food on our skin and get our nutrients that way.” (In the Forum thread you’ll also see Melissa’s hilarious comment about a Clinique sales person telling her to buy a certain foundation because it had “more technology.” Funny stuff!)

What do YOU think? Do you buy beauty products with vitamins because you think they’re better for your skin and hair? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

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Beauty Science For Valentines Day

8 February 2010

Today’s post is a shout out for anyone looking for a good Valentines Day present for their beauty-obsessed, science-geeky gal pals.
Flowers and candy are always nice on Valentines Day, but, being chemists, the Beauty Brains also like presents that combine two of our favorite hobbies (beauty science and kissing.) Like this “Make Your Own [...]

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Are Ceramic and Ionic Hair Dryers Different?

7 February 2010

Lux would like to learn…What is the benefit to using an ionic hair dryer or a ceramic hair dryer? I’ve heard that you can blow dry more quickly by using an ionic or ceramic dryer. Is this true? How does it work?
The Right Brain accommodates:
The quick answer is that “ionic” doesn’t [...]

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How Can I Treat Back Acne?

6 February 2010

Pam Ponders…I have a persistent back acne problem and my dermatologist recommended Clindamycin solution and Ketoderm cream to treat it. Do they really work? How? (By the way my back acne has not improved at all).

The Right Brain responds:
Clindamycin is an antibiotic cream that is frequently prescribed for severe acne. Why? Because one of [...]

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The Beauty Brains Blog Blast

5 February 2010

Our Friday faves from around the web:
A Girl’s Gotta Spa is worried that Beyonce’s new fragrance may make her fall out of her dress.
A Mom in Red High Heels shares her ultimate dating tool.
Afrobella is all over the fiercest Barbi ever. (Check out the pics.)
All About the Pretty is feasting pretty with Pioneer Women Cooks.
The [...]

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The Puffery Plan: How Cosmetic Advertising Tricks Your Brain

4 February 2010

We often use the phrase “puffery” to describe some of the claims made by cosmetic companies.  To help understand what we mean by that term, we’ve found an excellent reference from the Journal of Consumer Research. (Via ScienceDaily)
Puffery claims explained
Authors Alison Jing Xu and Robert S. Wyer, Jr. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [...]

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Is Essential Damage Care Essentially Different?

3 February 2010

Dazzlegloss dares to ask…A friend of mine swears by a Japanese hair care line called Essential Damage-Care.  The product claims that it can “care even for the most damage-prone last 15cm of hair”! My hair is damaged from the hell I put it through over the past 10 years (perms, dye jobs–though not platinum!) and [...]

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How Eyeliner Can Save Your Life

2 February 2010

Did you know that wearing eye liner can actually make you healthier. Well, it could if  you had lived in ancient Egypt.
Love for lead
Scientists have long known that ancient Egyptians used lead based compounds in their cosmetics but they weren’t aware of the long term health risks associated with lead poisoning (such as brain damage [...]

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Is No Poo Nonsense?

1 February 2010

Indigo inquires… I’ve been reading a lot of positive stories online from people who have stopped using shampoo, and am wondering if I should try it. The people who seem to have the most positive experiences doing this have curly, dry, or frizzy hair, none of which are true for me. However, some people also [...]

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