Amy asks…I was wondering about photofacials. Are they either effective, worth it, or a good idea?

The Right Brain responds:
Effective?
Yes, at least to some extent.

Worth it?
Maybe, if you can afford several thousand dollars and can wait a few months for results.

Good idea?
Read on and decide for yourself.

Lasers have been used for decades to “burn” away upper layers of the skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. They also have had some application in the treatment of acne and spider veins. Click here for a detailed description of the benefits and risks of laser skin resurfacing.

In recent years, the FDA has approved “N-Lite” laser therapy for treatment of crow’s feat. This type of laser uses a specific frequency of light that stimlates collagen production in the deeper layers of skin. Therefore, this method causes much less surface damage than traditional laser therapy. The downside is that this technique is still fairly new and dermatologists and surgeons are still learning how to optimize its application. Smartskincare.com has a great article on this topic if you want more details.

The Beauty Brains bottom line:

Laser therapy appears to be a scientifically valid antiaging treatment. It’s expensive ($1,000 to 2,000 per treatment), and it may take several months for the benefits to become apparent. But if you’re interested you should consult your doctor to find out if it’s a good option for you. Thanks for the question, Amy, we hope this helps.

The next time you’re walking along the beach and come across a grayish, unidentifiable blob, you might not want to ignore it. According to this report, one family in Australia was doing just that when they stumbled across a sample of ambergris worth over $1 million!

So why does this story make the Beauty Brains? Well, it turns out ambergris (or whale vomit) is one of the many natural materials used by perfume companies for creating fragrances. Apparently, one gram of the stuff is worth $20 (US). That’s over $9000 per pound!

The natural material is not used very often anymore because it is extremely rare and it comes from whales (a protected species). Fortunately, crafty chemists have devised suitable synthetic replacements. See, just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s good. Think about that the next time you see advertising telling you differently.

Incidentally, if you are a US citizen and were planning on heading to the beach to seek your blobish fortune, think twice. In the US, possession of ambergris is a violation of the Endangered Species Act of 1978 and could result in significant fines and even some jail time.

There are a number of places on the Internet where you can get recipes for cosmetic products. We haven’t used all of these, but based on the information provided on the website & our vast knowledge about cosmetic chemistry (ok the Right & Left Brain’s knowledge), these are good places for budding young cosmetic chemists to start.

DIY Cosmetic sites

Creative Cosmetic Company – Former science, chemistry, and art teacher, Joan Brindle founded this company to introduce students to science and teach them to create unique bath and body products such as body butters, foaming soaps, lotions, bubble bars, glimmer sticks, etc.

Could make a fun event if you’re near Seattle, Washington but maybe if you’re not, maybe you can get her to travel.

Make Your Own Cosmetics – If you want to try making your own products at home, this site is a great place to start. It gives both the recipes and a place for you to order the needed raw materials.

This site has numerous formulas which are both good and bad. You have to experiment to find out which are which. Avoid formulas that require refrigeration or at least use them immediately and toss the rest.

Making Cosmetics – If you’re more serious about making the kind of products you could buy in a store, then this site is what you want. You can get surfactants, solvents, preservatives, and all the other ingredients that actual cosmetic chemists use.

The formulas page is a pretty good resource.

DIY Cosmetics – This site focuses on “green” cosmetic formulas, so your options of ingredients will be more limited than other sites. The formulas also won’t perform as well as things you can buy in the store. However, if you want to practice formulating while minimizing your exposure to the most harsh chemicals, this site might be for you.

E-Bottles – This is not a site for formulas but once you’re done with your formula, you’ll want somewhere to put it. Check out ebottles.com to find the packaging you need.

Should you make your own?

Routinely making your own cosmetics is not a good idea for most people. It will be more expensive, will likely not work as well, will take a long time and if you are not careful, you can easily create a contaminated products you shouldn’t use.

But if you’re curious and looking for a fun weekend project, then DIY Cosmetics is worth trying.

Are you a DIY Cosmetic maker? Leave a comment if you have any tips and suggestions.

While the Beauty Brains focuses on dispelling myths about beauty products here are some others trying to burst the bogus bubble in other areas.

1. On Nutrition: See Medical News Today – Dispelling the Top 10 Nutrition Myths.

2. On Exercise: See About.com – Fitness Myths.

3. On General Science: See Livescience – Most Popular Myths in Science.

4. On Urban Legends: Try Snopes.com

5. On the Environment: Discover Magazine – Environmental Myths.

And let’s not forget one of our favorite shows on TV. Mythbusters! We love Adam and Jamie.

It’s bad enough that men make more money than women for doing the same job, but this is just ridiculous. According to skin researchers in Germany, women’s skin ages faster than men’s! Life is so unfair.

In their study, the researchers used pulses of laser light to measure the amount of collagen and elastin in the skin. Collagen is responsible for giving skin its strength and elasticity. As you get older your body produces less collagen so skin looks droopy and wrinkled. These researchers found that women lose collagen at faster rates than men. So if it seems like you have to work harder to keep your skin looking good than the men in your life, you’re right.