Did you know that washing your hair increases air pollution?

At least that might be true according to a new study in New Scientist.com that shows greasy hair can absorb ozone from the air, thus reducing the amount of ozone pollution.

The researchers, Lakshmi Pandrangi and Glenn Morrison from the University of Missouri in Rolla, found that dirty hair absorbs about seven times as much ozone as freshly washed hair. According to Morrison this is enough of a difference to significantly lower the ozone concentration around your head.

The hair solution to air pollution

Hmmm, does this mean we can save the planet by slathering on some hair oil like the Body Shop’s Monoi Miracle Oil, Philosophy’s Hair Marinating Oil, or Carol’s Daughter Tui Hair Oil?

Nope, because leaving hair permanently dirty has issues too. The ozone reacts with all those hair oils to produce other chemicals, like 4-oxopentanal, that can be irritating to your lungs. So if we really want to be safe it looks like we’ll all have to shave our heads!

–Mid Brain

We often see the advice from cosmetic marketers and commentors on the Beauty Brains that natural products are better. They say people should avoid synthetic chemicals and stick with natural things. The truth is that such advice is simplistic, unscientific, and often just wrong. Consider the story of Ashleigh Morris.

Allergic to water

Ashleigh is a 19-year-old who has suffered from a skin disorder called Aquagenic Urticaria for the last 5 years. When her skin is exposed to water (like in a shower, pool, or bath) it reacts and forms sore, itchy red lumps that don’t go away for a couple of hours. The type of water doesn’t matter. It can be pure spring water, distilled or even tap water.

Allergic to everything

And how about the story of Laura Weaver. Her skin condition makes her allergic to almost everything. This includes compounds found in fragrances, but also includes natural things like dairy products, some fruits, wheat, and peanuts. The advice to use “natural” ingredients is terrible for Laura. In fact, she only gets relief by using products like Eucerin which are based on Petrolatum and Mineral Oil.

Beauty Brains Bottom Line

While most people are not allergic to any of the chemicals they are normally exposed to in cosmetics, some people are. These allergies can be to synthetic ingredients, but also natural things like fruit extracts, wheat, peanuts, and even water. Blindly following the advice of natural ingredient based cosmetic marketers is not recommended. Everyone is different and only through personal experimentation can you find what works best for you.

Do you have an allergy that makes your skin break out? Leave a comment and let the rest of the Beauty Brains community know. And if you’re not sure, read our previous post on how to tell the difference between irritation and an allergic response.

The response on the latest Beauty Brains Beauty Science or BS poll has been great. Unfortunately, most of you got the answer wrong. Here is the science behind the stories.

Looking at pictures of blond women can make you less smart - TRUE

An overwhelming majority of you thought this was the fake beauty science but in fact, it is real. According to this study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, test subjects scored worse on Trivial-pursuit type questions when they first looked at photos of blond women. Interestingly, the effect was the same on both men and women. Looking at photos of other hair-colored women didn’t have the same negative effect.

Your hair can be used to predict exactly what city you live in - FAKE

Only 14% of you correctly figured out that this one was a little too good to be true. It was actually based on a recent story that said you can identify where a person has been based on the isotopes of water found in their hair. It’s fake because while you can identify where a person was it is not so accurate that you can tell what city they’ve been in. As one researcher said, “You can tell the difference between Utah and Texas, but you may not be able to distinguish between Chicago and Kansas City.”

Thieves steal hair to sell on the black market - TRUE

This story was only chosen by 16% of you but it is true. Unfortunately, a couple of thieves in Brazil recently attacked a woman and cut off her waist length hair with a machete. When sold, this hair could fetch as much as $500. Apparently, this happens every so often in Brazil. So, if you’re traveling there make sure you hide your long hair.

Thanks to everyone who voted. If you didn’t get it this time, don’t fret. We’ll have another quiz coming soon.

Did you know that the new Beauty Brains Book has a whole section devoted to the Beauty Science or BS quiz? Click here to learn more about the Beauty Brains Book.

Jessica’s asking about aging: It seems to me that the best way to keep my skin looking great and wrinkle-free would be to prevent as much aging as possible, as opposed to trying to reverse the process when I’m older. Other than sunscreen, what kinds of products should I be using at this point (I’m 25) to keep my skin looking young?

The Left Brain’s rejuvenating reply:
This is a great beauty question and one that we see asked more and more. The proliferation of anti-aging products has gotten so extensive, you’d think cosmetic marketers want us all to revert to 3-year olds. And with some of the claims made, they certainly treat us like that is the age of our intelligence.

The Anti-Aging Secrets for your Skin

You want to know what’s been proven to work? Here it is…

Sun Protection
First, protect your skin from the sun. This is the number one environmental cause of skin aging. Do this by minimizing your sun exposure and using sunscreen.

Eat Well
Next, eat a balanced diet. While everyone is different, this meta-review study on skin health and diet concluded that people who had higher intake of Vitamin C and linoleic acid and lower intakes of fats and carbohydrates had younger looking skin. You get linoleic acid by eating vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains and seeds.

Exercise
Finally, exercise. Nothing keeps you looking and feeling young like regular exercise. Thousands of studies have shown that physical exercise is a highly effective way to treat all all signs of aging.

Anti-aging Treatments

Most scientists are skeptical of anti-aging treatments. This is because there is little published evidence from controlled clinical trials to show most anti-aging products have any benefit. You could say this is because private companies don’t want to make their research public, but if they did have meaningful, positive results you can be sure the PR arm of the company would crow about this where ever they could.

We’ve seen previously that price is not indicative of the effectiveness of an anti-aging skin treatment. The conclusion was that none of the products were as effective as claimed.

Does any treatment work?
The only thing that scientists and reputable dermatologists agree on is that application of topical retinoids can repair sun damaged skin and prevent future collagen damage. Oh yeah, and they all say using sunscreen is a good thing.

Beyond that, forget about it. Yes, that includes the $95 Perricone Restorative Cream. Vitamin C works when you eat it, not when you slather it on your skin.

Lasers for your skin?
Recently, lasers and LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) have been shown to effectively rejuvenate photoaged skin. Cosmetic surgeons have been making lots of money from these treatments and the big cosmetic manufacturers like P&G and L’Oreal are trying to bring you this same treatment at home. But the technology isn’t quite ready. Products you can buy right now like the Beurer Softlaser will likely disappoint.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Scientists in the anti-aging field (who are not trying to sell you products) agree, anti-aging products are over-priced and under-deliver. For a 20-something, the best thing you can do is eat right, exercise and avoid long sun exposure. If you’re a bit older, start using skin products that contain vitamin A derivatives. They’re the only thing that has yet been proven to be effective.

Have you ever considered joining the Beauty Brains forum?

Well, one member of the forum just won a free copy of the soon-to-be-published Beauty Brains book. We asked for some feedback about the design of the book and she was one of the generous members who responded.

Congratulations to forum member Akurah!

When she gets her book, she’ll learn what real cosmetic chemists working in the beauty industry have to say about…

Hair care products
Skin care products
Make-up
Perfumes
Nail care products
Cosmetic surgery

and even reveal some of the Scandals and Secrets of the Beauty Industry

Join the Beauty Brains forum

If free giveaways are not enough for you to join the forum, just read this post about the 10 reasons to join the Beauty Brains forum.   There are already over 600 members. Why don’t you become one too? It’s free!  Join now.

Who knows, we might even be giving away another copy of the Beauty Brains book.

Incidentally, if you don’t want to leave it to chance, you can reserve your copy of the Beauty Brains book by clicking the following button.

The printing process will take 3-4 weeks to complete but if you order now, you’ll have a copy of the Beauty Brains book in your hands in time for spring break.

It’s time to put your beauty thinking cap on again with another Beauty Brains beauty science or BS poll. Can you figure out which of the beauty science headlines is the FAKE? Just check out the poll on the right side of the blog and put your vote in now.

If you are using Internet Explorer, you may have to scroll down pretty far to see the poll. (We’re working on fixing that bug).

Good luck

Girlawhirl’s spring 08 fashion trend collage helps her shop for the season!

SheFinds tracks down the top 5 newest classic pieces that belong in every wardrobe.

Smarter Fashion Blog takes a look at the Oscar Nomination’s for Best Costume Design. And some past winners.

StyleBakery.com went on the hunt for cheap, chic black sweaters.

The Beauty Brains talk about the science of stilettos: why women wear high heels.

Michele’s mystery: Recent articles in the news claim Mercury in mascaras eyeliners, and other beauty products cause neurological damage. What is the Beauty Brains take on this? Do you know which brands are the offenders?

Left Brain’s metallic remarks:
With all the chemical scares propagated by fear-mongering, non-science based groups like the Environmental Working Group and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, it’s a wonder anyone still buys cosmetics. It’s also not surprising that legislators react by creating useless laws that are not likely to have a real impact on our health.

Last month’s scare chemical was lead in your lipstick. This month, it’s mercury in your mascara. Lawmakers in the great state of Minnesota banned it from mascara, skin-lightening creams and eye liners . Great news right? No news really. Read on.

What are the mercury regulations

I say no news because mercury was banned in cosmetics in the US back in 1974. According to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) written and enforced by the FDA, mercury is not allowed in cosmetics in levels of more than 1 part per million except for products used around the eye. For these, the limit is 65 part per million and only if it’s used

…as a preservative, and there is no effective and safe nonmercurial substitute preservative available for use in such cosmetic.

Back in 1974 there were no alternative preservatives against pseudomonas (a little microbe that can wreak havoc on your health), but now there are mercury-free preservatives. No legitimate cosmetic manufacturer would use a mercury based one.

Which brands are offenders? None that I know about. If you are buying your product from reputable distributors then this will never be a problem.

Are mascaras safer?

In the AP article, the reporter makes the claim that

“the quest for thicker lashes…should get safer in Minnesota…”

Really? I’m not sure how. Mercury preservatives haven’t been used in mascaras for over 15 years. Additionally, there is no evidence that the trace amount that used to be used was ever dangerous in the first place. The original FDA guidelines were established after years of testing. Nothing has changed that would invalidate that testing.

The end of the news report is most telling about the motivation of the legislation.

The new law is intended as a warning to cosmetics manufacturers not to use mercury, said John Gilkeson, with the state Pollution Control Agency’s toxics reduction program. Enforcement will happen mainly when consumers complain.

How exactly is a consumer going to know if there is mercury in their mascara?
How many of you have mass spectrometers in your home or office?

And I wonder why Minnesota hasn’t banned mercury from fish. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, edible fish are allowed to have 1 part per million of mercury. If legislators were really concerned about people’s health, why haven’t they moved to ban mercury from food? This is a much more significant problem.

Beauty Brains bottom line

Mercury exposure is clearly bad and you should avoid it wherever you can. Gone are the days when high school students could break thermometers and roll little blobs of shiny mercury in their hands.

However, laws like these will not make you safer and could actually make you less safe as manufacturers try other, less tested chemicals to preserve your cosmetics. For most people, this is a non-issue because legitimate cosmetic makers don’t use mercury preservatives.

Kudos to the Minnesota legislature. They’ve passed a law that addresses a non-existent problem and provides no practical process for enforcing it. Way to go! I feel safer already. How about you?

*For more on chemicals that are banned in cosmetics by the FDA see the statement on their webpage. Who says the FDA doesn’t regulate the cosmetic industry?

After having their eyelash product seized by federal marshals in the US, Jan Marini now has European agencies to worry about. According to this story, the company is now under investigation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK. Apparently, they are still selling some of the product in Europe despite their legal problems at home.

Like the FDA, the MHRA is concerned that the company is selling an unregulated, untested drug for cosmetic purposes.

This may be the final straw that scares Jan Marini out of the eyelash lengthening business forever. According to Jan Marini herself, “We believe it makes sense to suspend these products while we strategically review our options.”

This means that they will focus on skin care products like their Bioglycolic Facial Cleanser and likely let these eyelash lengthening products go the way of the dinosaur. But don’t worry. If there really is some effect by these bimatoprost containing eyelash lengthening products some big company will do the proper testing and relaunch a similar product in a few years. If this doesn’t happen, you can bet your Beauty Brain the testing didn’t show a sufficient effect.

There are sites all over the internet suggesting that animal testing is an abomination and should be halted immediately. They make all sorts of claims that implying that science is a lot further along than it really is.

For example, this site called “Cosmetic Testing Facts” says…

“…the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require animal testing for cosmetics, and alternative testing methods are widely available and lead to more reliable results.”

Are alternatives really better?

But according to the scientists who are actually working on the problem, finding alternatives for animal testing is proving difficult. We’ve previously written about 5 new methods for reducing animal testing, but these tests just can’t completely replace animal testing. For example, there are no alternatives to animal testing for determining whether allergens are absorbed through the lungs.

So, if you are creating a product that will be sprayed from an aerosol, they have to do animal testing to prove that it’s safe.

Also, interesting in this article is that the scientists conclude

“…the end goal of developing tests without animals remains distant as the process of understanding how chemicals interact with human tissue, developing testing alternatives for new chemicals and then validating them is both slow and complex.”

This is certainly different than the claims made by anti-animal testing sites.

Does the FDA require animal testing?

We see this claim fairly frequently. But is it true? According to the FDA, “no but yes.” No, the Food, Drug and Cosmetic act does not specifically require animal testing to establish the safety of cosmetics. However, it does require that you only sell products that are proven to be safe. Unfortunately, the only data that the FDA accepts as proof that your product is safe is …animal testing!

So, while it’s true they don’t specifically say you have to do animal tests to prove safety, it’s the only data they accept as proof.

If the FDA didn’t require animal testing of cosmetics, no one would continue to do it.

The Cruelty Free Cosmetic Con

These days, you’ll find hundreds of companies, big and small, touting their products as being “cruelty free” or “not tested on animals”. But the truth is, this is not the whole truth. While it is perfectly legal to make claims that your whole product is not tested on animals (if it’s not), these same companies are using raw materials that were tested on animals by the raw material suppliers. No, the products weren’t tested on animals, but all the component materials were.

Beauty Brains bottom line

We here at the Beauty Brains can’t wait for the day when cosmetics and personal care products are no longer tested on animals. Hopefully, researchers will find useful alternatives. It’s just incredibly troubling that many companies are out there misleading consumers, tricking them into believing some products are more “ethical” than others because they aren’t tested on animals. All the products you use were at some point tested on animals.