Hey Beauty Brainiacs,

It’s that time again! Answer time to the Beauty Science or BS poll. Nearly 400 of you responded, but only 34 actually came up with the right answer. This one must have been tough.

People can get contact dermatitis by using body wash as a skin moisturizing cream - TRUE

27% of you thought that this was the fake one but no, it actually has happened. According to this report from The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, two cases of this exact problem were recently caused by Dove Body Wash. It seems they do such a good job of making their body washes look creamy that people think it’s skin lotion. Whoops!

Tattoos, ear piercing, makeup, and skin treatments have existed for the past 50,000 years - FALSE

Only 9% of you figured out that this one wasn’t true. The tip-off should have been that human societies haven’t been around for 50,000. The real story comes from a review of the origins of cosmetics in the journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. They say cosmetics have only existed for about 5000 years. Still a long time considering the study of chemistry didn’t start until the 1600s. (Bonus points: Can you figure out what the tattoo in the picture shows?)

In the US, over 100,000 people have been hospitalized in the last 5 years due to a hair care product-related injury - TRUE

23% of you were tricked by this startling headline. Yes, over 100,000 people have had hair care product related injuries in the last 5 years. What kind of injuries? Mostly the kind related to curling-irons. According to this study published in the Academic Emergency Medicine journal, >80,000 people have been rushed to the hospital due to burns from curling irons. Mostly, they were little kids who grabbed or touched hot devices. Remember to keep those things out of the reach of children!

Gravity is not the main cause of sagging facial skin - TRUE

42% of you found this one too hard to believe but according to an article in Dermatology Times, it’s true. The doctors at Duke Eye Center who studied this phenomena say that it is primarily caused by changes in bone structure not gravity. They discovered through CT scans that contrary to common belief, the skull continues to grow as we age. This moves the skin and muscle below and results in sagging facial features. So much for those skin tightening lotions.

Were you a Beauty Brainiac this time? Leave a comment and tell us which one you picked and why.