Mandy Writes To Us:
Hi! LOVE YOU! I also love Paula Begoun. I read her reviews whenever I’m looking for a new product to try. I have two questions:
1.) Isn’t it possible for products to work wonderfully even though the ingredients are less than fabulous? It could be the way they put them all together, or the quantity. If it doesn’t have anything bad for you ( e.g. causes build up in your hair, clogs your pores, etc…) and it it’s the “best” you’ve ever tried, as so many have claimed, then MAYBE the formulation makes up for the lackluster ingredients, right?
2.) Since Paula is an expert and she knows how formulas should be put together, shouldn’t her products be the best in the whole world? I haven’t tried them, but it seems like if they were the absolute best, as they should be, then why hasn’t the world caught on? Word would surely spread fast!
The Left Brain Writes Back:
Thanks so much for the kind words. We love all our Beauty Brainiacs too. Here’s a quick answer to your question.
1. Yes, products can work fine even if the ingredients are “less than fabulous”. Although, this is highly dependent on the ingredients. For example, Petrolatum by itself is sticky and mess and not too pleasant. However, in the context of a formula it can feel quite nice. Proper formulation can make up for unpleasant materials however, a low quality ingredient will never make a good product.
2. Paula. She is actually NOT a cosmetic scientist. She is a journalist. She started her career on TV doing stories about beauty products. After a while she knew enough from the scientists she talked to, to form strong opinions about products. I wouldn’t say she knows how formulas should be put together, she just knows people who know how formulas should be put together.
The truth is her products are probably quite good. But there are LOTS of products that are quite good and most people would have a hard time telling any difference. For example, if you took equivalent Olay and Neutragena lotions and made the smell and look the same, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell a difference. So then people buy products not because of how good they work, but because of things like how they smell, what they look like, the packaging and the advertising.
It’s like Ice Cubes. There are lots of different companies that make ice cubes but really, can you tell a difference? Probably not.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Ok, Left Brain, I have NO idea why you’re talking about ice cubes! And if it made no sense to me, I’m betting our readers didn’t get it either.
Respectfully yours,
Right Brain
Right,
remember the wetness of water is not a function of water molecules. How many times do I have to tell you that? Now where are my Crazy Cubes?
Left Brain
I totally got the ice cubes comparison. If you prefer a certain brand of lotion it could be because you prefer the feel or smell of it, even though the end result in how it moisturizes is the same as you’d get with another. Same way you could prefer round ice cubes over square ones cause you think you can fit more of them in your cup, but in the end, they all cool your drink.