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.

Mid Brain reports:

This story about Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan’s endorsement of a skin lightening product demonstrates just how controversial a cosmetic product can be.  Khan, who’s been described as the Tom Cruise of Bollywood, is being criticized for reinforcing prejudices and stereotypes.  The product he’s pitching is called Fair and Handsome and it’s supposed to make users lighter-skinned and confident.  You can see the video here.

Their website lists the 4 key ingredients as Peptide, Licorice, Vetiver and Aloe Vera.  These aren’t likely to give any skin lightening effect.  It is more likely they are using technology similar to Meladerm since hydroquinone is banned in some EU countries.  They don’t have the same labeling requirements as the US so the actual active ingredients couldn’t be found.

Cosmetic Irony

It’s always seemed ironic that we all seem to want what we don’t have. People who are dark skinned want lighter skin. People who are pale want tanned skin. Women with straight hair get perms, those with curly hair get it relaxed.  For cosmetic companies, this is good.  There will always be a need for products to fix some perceived problem.  Unfortunately, I’m just not sure if reinforcing stereotypes and making people feel bad about their natural beauty is good for humanity.

Mid Brain Declares…

Happy Mole Day!

In case you didn’t realize, today is Mole Day.  It’s a day to celebrate the famous and ever-so-important (to chemists anyway) constant, Avogadro’s Number.  The number, 6.022 * 10 ^ 23, is a basic unit of measure in chemistry and represents the count of particles in a mole of a material.   You can learn more about it at the National Mole Day Foundation’s website.

Here’s how this cosmetic chemist is going to celebrate.  I’m going to put 18 grams* of water in a beaker and say the unofficial Mole Day pledge.

“I pledge allegiance to the mole, and to the science from which it comes, one SI unit, extremely divisible, with micromoles and millimoles for all.”

Mole day is a part of the larger National Chemistry Week celebration by the American Chemical Society.  See their website for activities in your area.

*18 grams of water = 1 mole of water

How are you going to celebrate Mole Day or National Chemistry week?  Leave a comment below.

Mid Brain reports:

In one of the oddest stories I’ve heard in a while, Kate Moss admitted that she thinks gasoline is one of the best scents in the world. According to the report I read at CosmeticsDesign.com (which I have to assume is partially tongue in cheek)  she is considering creating a gasoline-inspired perfume. This started me wondering what perfumes would cost if we bought them like we do gasoline – by the gallon!

Velvet Hour by Kate Moss

Description: With her new fragrance, Kate invites you to be part of her Velvet Hour, a brief, precious moment as dusk settles, when the air is electrified with possibility.  It is all about entering an intimate, almost ritualistic moment of intense sensuality and seduction.

Cost per ounce of fragrance = $40/ounce

Cost if it was a gallon of gasoline = $5,120/gallon

Angel by Thierry Mugler

Description: Evokes the emotion of tender childhood memories together with a sense of dreamlike infinity. (But then again, don’t we all?)

Cost per ounce of fragrance = $90/ounce

Cost if it was a gallon of gasoline = $11,530/gallon

No. 1 by Clive Christian

Description: Does it really matter?

Cost per ounce of fragrance = $2,150/ounce

Cost if it was a gallon of gasoline = $275,200/gallon

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Hmmmm, I think it’ll be cheaper to build the world’s first hydrogen powered car rather than use perfume as gasoline!

What’s the most you’ve ever spent on a bottle of perfume? Leave a comment and embarrass yourself in front of the rest of the Beauty Brains community.