General - Beauty Questions Answered

Questions about retinol.

browneyedgirl — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:32:22 -0400

Hi everyone- I've been using Neutrogena Anti Wrinkle cream since I read that retinol is good for fighting acne and also fine lines (which I have under my eyes, and I'm only 22! I don't get it). Anyway, I've become a little uneasy about using this stuff under my eyes now because a guest dermatologist wrote on this website in his article about dark under eye circles that prolonged use of retinoids can make dark circles worse because it thins the skin: http://thebeautybrains.com/2007/11/12/deep-dark-secrets-about-under-eye-dark-circles/

Has anyone else heard that this is true? Is this really something I should be concerned about? I have dark enough under eye circles as it is...

I also came across a few less reputable sources which state that retinoids can cause broken capillaries, particularly on people who are prone to them (which I am, I have them around my nose). Does anyone know anything about this as well? Thanks in advance for your help!

Introduction on my new blog

allisaidis — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:02:04 -0400

Hello my name is Alison and I have set up a new blog called All I said Is which contains beauty articles and reviews amongst other general stuff, feel free to check it out at

www.allisaidis.blogspot.co.uk

Thank you.

Chemist

carol_1 — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 20:10:33 -0400

Where can I find a Chemist?

Is Organix Brazilian Keratin Therapy A Safe Way to Straighten Hair?

LeftBrain — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 02:01:53 -0400

CurlyB asks…A couple of months ago, Organix came out with its own formaldehyde-free BKT, the “Organix Brazilian Keratin Therapy 30-Day Smoothing Treatment”. I was thrilled to find a grocery store product at a reasonable price that contains no formaldehyde or other -hyde ingredients. I bought it, tried it, and loved the product. It did a [...]

Tech question about email confirmation

rachelm — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 09:16:51 -0400

This is really strange. I confirmed my email not just once, but still I'm getting that black pop up box at the bottom of my screen asking me to confirm my email address. I keep clicking resend confirmation email, check my email, confirmed it by clicking on link in email, get message saying my email is now confirmed, then I log back in here and once again get confronted by the black pop up box telling me to confirm my email again.

Can someone please let me know what I should do about it? That pop up box actually obscures some parts of the screen so I can't ignore it even...

micro mist steamers etc

Chi9ja — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 16:23:17 -0500

Hello ladies,

I recently heard of this micro mist steamer hair treatment and how its supposedly better than regular steamers or heat hair treatments. can someone anyone please clarify this issue up for me, will sitting under a regular dryer get the same results.

Thanks

I'm Jodie, a 36 year old mom to 3 under 5 and trying to get my crazy skin under control.

moonshyne — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 12:44:11 -0400

Hello all,

I am a 36 yo mom to a 5,4 and 7 month old. I try to take care of my skin and over the past 6 months I've become somewhat of a skin care product junkie. Products I'm using are Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum (fragrance free), Olay Pro-x wrinkle smoothing cream, Roc Multi correction night treatment, Neostrata Level 3 smoothing lotion (10%), and just recently I bought some Awesome Sauce from silk naturals. Like it but have a sneaking suspicion it might be causing some zits. I'm breastfeeding so trying to determine if hormones or the sauce is the culprit.

Anyways, I'm not only very into researching products and how/why they work, I'm also trying to create a "perfect" regimen lol. One that gets rid of my fine lines but also trying to get rid of zits that appear on my chin sporadically. I'm using Neutrogena Stress Free Acne lotion and sore pimple gel for that. I'm on the fence about the stress free acne lotion but love the sore pimple gel. Another product I bought recently that I love is Olays spin brush for cleansing. This awesome little gadget really cleans without being too harsh. I use either Aveeno Skin Brightening Cleanser or Roc Pore minimizing cleanser and love the clean, soft skin I get using it.

I'm happy I stumbled on this site. I'm really getting into learning about ingredients in skin care and what I should look for and avoid. I'm also curious about making sure products I use are compatible and learning how to optimize my routine to get the most bang or my buck. I'd really love to add a good Vit C product and am eyeing Dr Dennis Gross Hydrapure vitamin C skin brightening serum. The price is giving me pause but I'm hoping to get a sample next time I go shopping. I'd surely want to test it out before sinking big bucks on it.

I look forward to getting to know you all! And learning a lot too :)

Hello

loveymiller — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:12:32 -0400

Hello Everyone here,
I am Lovey and a Newbie Here. Hope You All are Doing Great.

If you can't "pull toxins" out of the pores, why does the myth still persist?

JamiSings — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:05:30 -0400

Wasn't sure if I should put this under "skin care", "Beauty Science or BS" - so I stuck it in general. Though if the BBs feel like blogging about it they can.

So I'm sitting here with a clay mask on pondering this. The BBs have told us before that masks don't really pull acne causing toxins out. Or any other toxins. However, people still believe they do.

Now I've said before that I've had very stubborn zits form heads or even pop while wearing a clay mask. I've formed a theory that this is because of the pressure that is exerted by the clay as it dries. Like those times I've went against everyone's advice, bought one of those cheap "pore vacuums" - despite everyone claiming it can severely damage the skin - and held it over a large cystic pimple for several minutes - forcing a white head to form. Only clay can do it on a large scale and without my arms getting tired from holding something in on position. (Except when I decide to speed the drying by using a hair dryer....)

So think I'm right? That the gradually increasing pressure is what causes the pimples to surface and even pop, which helps keep the myth that the clay is "pulling toxins" out of the pores to survive?

And then there's epson salts. I've noticed a lot of female celebrities lately saying how they take epson salt baths to "draw toxins from their pores."

I know that when I take a bath with epson salts, especially after doing a lot of physical activity, I hurt a lot less then just a hot bath without epson salts. But can they really "pull toxins" out?

Now not a toxin - but when I was a teenager I stepped on a small piece of broken glass that went deep into my heel. The doctor could not get it out so he told me to soak my feet every day until it came out on it's own. After almost two days of not being able to walk completely on that foot, I went into the bathroom, grabbed the bandages, ointments like Bag Balm, Tiger Balm, and Neosporan, mixed them together with epson salts on a large square of gauze, taped that to my foot, put on an old sock, and went to bed. Next morning when I took it all off there was the glass sitting on the top of the cut.

So was it the poultice that drew the glass out? Did my body force it out and it was all a coincidence? Or does epson salts have some almost magical property that makes it draw out things like broken glass - and also toxins?

Thoughts? Theories? Bueller?

What helps oily skin from looking like you wear baby oil?

Fitz — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:21:49 -0400

I have the most oily skin, I was my face and in about 7 minutes I look like I put baby oil on my face! Then if I put a moisturizer on my face I will glow in about 15 minutes or so. I tried to use the oil control products and they just don't work..any help here? please.

Cavity-proof Teeth NOW (in the U.S.)

SugarCaned — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 01:21:03 -0400

I recently came across this article

Can "Keep 32" chemical keep you cavity-free? - CBS

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/10/cavity-proof-teeth-keep-32-molecule-kills-bacteria_n_1662267.html

"The molecule targets Streptococcus Mutans, the bacteria that turns
sugar into the lactic acid that affects tooth enamel and can lead to
decay"

but was disappointed by the "pending" status. I wanted proven things that are available today. So, the search began.

I decided to look in to other methods of preventing or healing
cavities(caries) by killing this bacteria and found this wonderful
review of new oral care products. Latest developments in non-fluoridated remineralizing technologies. May 2012

1.Trident Xtra-care Sugar-free gum

RECALDENT (Complex of casein phosphopeptides-amorphous
calcium phosphate ) "It can be incorporated into the pellicle in
exchange for albumin, and thus inhibits the adherence of Streptrococcus
mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus, causing both neutralization and
enhancement of remineralization"

Xylitol has also been shown helpful "The use of xylitol
chewing gum by mother and chewable tablets by children, showed
significant reduction of MS (mutans streptococcus) count, plaque score
as well as caries experience.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22327761

2.Dr. Collins - Restore Toothpaste (contains SLS) or Burt's Bees Natural Tooth paste (available with or without fluoride, SLS free)
Calcium Sodium Phosphosilicate

"Novamin adheres to exposed dentin surface and forms a
mineralized layer that is mechanically strong and resistant to acid.
There is continuous release of calcium over time, which maintains the
protective effects on dentin"
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21207916?dopt=Abstract

3.Dr. John's Herbal Lollipops - 20 pcs. (I haven't personally bought anything from this website)

Glycyrrhizol A "effectively kills cariogenic bacteria like
Streptococcus mutans. Further studies showed that these sugar-free
lollipops are safe and their antimicrobial activity is stable. Two pilot
human studies indicate that a brief application of these lollipops
(twice a day for ten days) led to a marked reduction of cariogenic
bacteria in oral cavity among most human subjects tested.

Also interesting about diet and dental diseases : http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/03/reversing-tooth-decay.html

The science- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21034880 n-3 fatty acids and periodontitis in US adults.

But, I'm not quite sure how to process the information in here in to
daily life... avoid grains, eat grass-fed butter and aside from that,
perhaps taking supplements like Green Pasture Blue Ice Royal Butter Oil/Fermented Cod Liver Oil Blend which seem a little expensive to my taste...

So those are the conclusions for today...

Strange, ain't it??

Need to change my username or delete my account and start over

Kat44 — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 05:37:15 -0400

Can someone help me change my username? Or delete my profile?

Ever used a cosmetic product where it wasn't intended for?

Aurelie — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:00:36 -0400

I love the smell of Palmer's cocoa butter ( even in my no synthetic chemical phase I'd go to Palmer's for comfort) and in England you can't get their full range I saw on the internet that you can get shampoo ans stuff from the states, but it don't know if I want to pay as much for postage as I would for the actual product) so I used their body moisturiser on my hair before washing, and I used to have very nice and conditioned hair.

I have read on here that some people use hair conditioner instead of shaving cream, and so I was wondering if any of you had ever used a cosmetic on a part of the body it wasn't for?

Deactivating my Account

[Deleted User] — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:17:29 -0400

I would like to deactivate my account as I simply have not been using it. I have looked everywhere and cannot find a means to delete my account. Can someone help me with that please?

Enlarged Pores

ebony — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 05:59:38 -0400

Is there anything that can reduce the size of enlarged pores on the face?

I was wondering....

Penyep — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 18:34:30 -0400

if a dress and jeans look good together. Like jeans under a dress. I have a ton of leggings but my mom won't let me wear my leggings under dresses that are above the knee. I don't even know why it's not like I have thunder thighs or anything my legs are actually pretty toned they don't jiggle or stick together or anything. I'm only 16 so I still have to listen to everything my mom says plus I always have my mom approve of my clothes and what I wear. I'm about 5'5 or 5'6 and 140-145 pounds and the circumference of my thighs are about 21-25 inches. So would a dress and jeans look good on me. Oh and one more question has or does anyone else wear jeans under a dress?

Rembrandt Rampage: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

LeftBrain — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 16:00:13 -0400

Continuing our bathroom product reverie… Rembrandt has been extremely innovative in the teeth whitening space lately. A few months ago we blogged about their 2 Hour Whitening Kit and now they’re back with Rembrandt Intense Stain Paste, Deeply White Paste, and Stain Dissolving Strips. Is it just me or does the migration of products into strip form [...] Read more: Rembrandt Rampage: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

Sunscreen or primer first?

ebony — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:10:20 -0400

In which order do you apply makeup? Moisturizer; Sunscreen, Primer, Foundation or MPSF?

Kittenesque Perfume: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

LeftBrain — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:01:47 -0400

Spoiler alert: You won’t find any useful science info in today’s post. Have you smelled Flirt’s new Kittenesque fragrance? I got a sample in the mail this weekend and it smells great! I love the hints of vanilla, but I’d like it a bit more if it had more of a fruity smell. Besides the [...] Read more: Kittenesque Perfume: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

Professional Blow Dryer

Anne — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:21:19 -0400

I'm looking for a new blow dryer. I want to get a professional grade so it will hopefully last longer. Do any of you have a blow dryer you love?

Are Easter Eggs Good For Hair And Skin?

LeftBrain — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 02:01:27 -0400

Today is Easter so we’re re-running one of our favorite Easter posts. Spring is here and today is the day the Easter Bunny leaves a little surprise on your doorstep. No, we don’t mean rabbit pellets, silly, we’re talking about Easter eggs! To commemorate the occasion, here are our top 5 favorite facts about eggs [...] Read more: http://thebeautybrains.com/2012/04/08/are-easter-eggs-good-for-hair-and-skin/

A Bit Of A Beauty Adventure

JamiSings — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 23:11:25 -0400

So let me tell you what I did this week.

I like to experiment with different products - I was in Sally Beauty Supply to get some of my No Tweeze and they were having a "buy two get one free" special on hair care products with Argan oil. At mom's urging I decided to go ahead and try it.

I got this shampoo, a hair mask, and this leave in oil. (Linking them so you can check out the ingredients.)

Oh my God was my hair ever heavy! Even though I only put the oil on the last two inches of my hair, my entire head felt weighed down. Mom set my hair on curlers, commenting that my hair looked greasy but didn't feel greasy. I sat under my hairdryer, worried what I would find. Then put my hair in sponge rollers for sleeping.

In the morning my curls kept separating as if my hair was nothing but a grease pit. Again, it didn't feel greasy. It just acted like it was greasy. No matter how much I brushed the curls just would not stay together. Not even when I went with my old standby for when my hair really is greasy and used talcum powder on it.

I got loads of compliments, oddly enough, but my hair felt like it gained 5 pounds over night and pulled on the back of my head all day.

So came home and washed it - and it took about five shampoos before it finally started to feel halfway normal - and went through the process of setting and drying it again. It's better behaved now.

From now on I'm only using this stuff when I'm not going to set my hair or leave the house. Like right after coloring. I always like to give my hair two days and two big washings after coloring because the funky smell of the color.

Now before I washed my hair last night, I had something else to experiment about. Namely the Aztec Secret clay the Brains had blogged about. I didn't use the clay by itself, I mixed it with another powdered clay, Moroccan red clay , and of course apple cider. I mixed up WAY too much - but since it was just mom and I home and I was breaking out not just on my face but my neck and in the cleavage area of my chest I figured I could use it all in those areas too.

I know that clay doesn't really remove impurities but I still think the pressure of the drying must do something as I've had really stubborn zits form heads and some even pop on their own while using a clay mask.

I spread it on then go to play computer games. Oh dear Lord, the way it felt while it dried and tightened. Soon I couldn't close my mouth as it was pulling my lips apart, my head kept getting lower and more to the left. By the time it was done drying I felt like if I was playing Quasimodo in a gender-bending version of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame.

As for washing it off - well, now remember I had made too much so it was very thick, it took forever. I had to stop every little bit to rinse the entire shower down as little bits of mud flew everywhere, and the chunks that came off didn't want to dissolve in the water right away. I'd have to break them up repeatedly as the clogged the drain.

Once I could I looked in the mirror. I've had four zits on the left side of my face between my cheek and jawline that I just could not get to go away. They looked even bigger than before, and raw as if freshly popped. Plus when I ran my hand along my jawline I could feel tons of tiny zits that weren't there before.

Again, while clay might not actually remove impurities as they claim, it must do something, as this morning all four of those stubborn zits were finally gone. (And keep in mind they've been there for weeks already.) And while my skin isn't smooth, about 3/4ths of the tiny zits are gone as of this morning. Plus several others lurking below the surface came up fully and formed heads so they could be expelled.

I wish I could find a safe sulfur powder I could mix with this stuff. I've found the best masks for me have always contained a bit of sulfur. Why, I don't know, but something about sulfur dries up a lot of my pimples.

Anyway, I thought I'd share this. I think after I use up the hair stuff, I won't be buying anything else with Argan oil. I've experimented and didn't like it.

KM Fantasy Massage Oil Candle: In The Beauty Brains Bathroom

LeftBrain — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 02:01:32 -0400

One of our favorite type of product is the kind that magically transforms when you use it. This product from KM Fantasy transforms from a candle into massage oil! According to the directions you burn the candle and let the scent relax you. Then you snuff out the wick and drizzle the warm, melted oil [...] Read more: km-fantasy-massage-oil-candle-in-the-beauty-brains-bathroom

Announcing the Winner of the NovoSerum Giveaway

LeftBrain — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:01:28 -0500

We’re excited to announce that Debbie C is the winner of our NovoSerum give away! (Click here in case you missed the original post on Novoserum. Congratulations, Debbie, you’ve won a sample kit valued at $99 that includes Absolute Face Cleanser, Brilliant Face Exfoliant, Cellactive Face Serum, Advanced Eye Serum, Moisturizing Renewal Cream and Moisturizing Renewal Cream [...] Read more: http://thebeautybrains.com/2012/02/16/announcing-the-winner-of-the-novoserum-giveaway/

In a fragrance, can "parfum" be natural?

bluecatbaby — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:32:52 -0500

I was looking at the Burt's Bees website, reading about a solid perfume called "Naturally Fresh," and another called "Naturally Happy." They helpfully list the ingredients. All but one seeem to be some kind of plant wax or oil or something. It also lists "fragrance (parfum)."

What does fragrance (parfum) mean? I am interested in knowing if it is synthetic or not. Is there a way, looking at a product or ingredient list, to tell if fragrance (parfum) is synthetic or natural?

And, does anyone have an opinion about these Burt's Bees solid perfumes?

Labeling question Formulated In VS Made In

JamiSings — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:42:40 -0500

Brains, I know you're busy so I'm just sticking this in general cause I know other forum members often know the answer too.

So gang, here's a question about labeling language. What's the difference between "Formulated In" and "Made In"? Can something be formulated in one country but actually made in another?

Reason I ask it I was thinking about getting some of that Plaque Blast for Minnie. However when I was in one of those "As seen on TV" stores I noticed it didn't say it was made in America, but that it was formulated in America. As people are STILL losing their pets to deadly pet food and treats made in China I'm insanely paranoid about where Minnie's stuff comes from. I only trust things made in the USA, Israel, the UK, Canada, etc - basically, the only thing I trust that's made in China is Jackie Chan.

For those that don't know, Minnie is a miniature maltipoo and a former puppy mill breeder dog. She only has seven teeth and trying to brush them is extremely difficult. Plus her gums bleed badly when I try to brush them. So I tend for the sprays and the stuff you add to water. However her breath is still terrible. What few teeth she has, I want her to keep for the rest of her life. That's why I'm tempted to try the Plaque Blast. But not if there's the slightlest chance it might be made in China.

On a side note, has anyone heard anything more about that baby that died recently? Was it the formula that the baby drank that killed them? And where was the formula that was recalled after the baby's death made?

Is Tend Skin Good For Razor Bumps?

LeftBrain — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:01:21 -0500

Reiray asks…Are the ingredients in Tend Skin useful and does it work like it claims? The Right Brain responds: Tend Skin is a product designed to treat razor bumps and ingrown hairs (technically known as Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) when they occur on the face and Pseudofolliculitis pubis (PFP) when they occur in the genital area.) [...] Read more: http://thebeautybrains.com/2011/11/10/is-tend-skin-good-for-razor-bumps/

Rhamnose: Anti-Aging Miracle Or Marketing Ploy?

LeftBrain — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:01:41 -0500

ElenaMilano asks…Vichy has created a much publicized rhamnose based anti aging line, called Liftactiv. They claim rhamnose is a very important patented discovery and that it stimulates the papillary dermis, causing it to produce new skin cells, collagen etc. Is it true or is it the usual marketing ruse? The Left Brain responds: Vichy, for [...] Read more: Rhamnose: Anti-Aging Miracle Or Marketing Ploy?

Heat Styling Damage Versus Relaxer Damage – Part 2

LeftBrain — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:01:06 -0400

NOLA Darling says…As Denise pointed out [in recent comment on this post], a chemical relaxer “rearranges” the hair bonds, permanently smoothing the cuticle so that the hair remains straight. While the hair may be permanently altered, it is not damaged in the sense of split ends and breakage one gets with regular use of a [...] Read more: http://thebeautybrains.com/2011/11/06/heat-styling-damage-versus-relaxer-damage-part-2/#comments

The Pros and Cons of Laser Hair Removal

LeftBrain — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 02:01:49 -0400

Today’s guest post is on the pros and cons of laser hair removal. Laser hair removal is the latest and most advanced method designed to permanently reduce and eliminate unwanted hair on your face and body. It harnesses advanced technology to cut down on procedure time, expedite recovery and minimize adverse side effects. Yes, there [...] Read more: The Pros and Cons of Laser Hair Removal