One of our favorite websites, InventorSpot, brought a new product to our attention: GlamGLow’s tingling face mask.  According to GlamGlow’s website the tagline for this product is “Tingle effect + exfoliation = sexy!” So it is an exfoliationg mask? Or is it a masking exfoliant? And why the heck does it tingle?  Let’s look at the label to find out.

GlamGlow Tingling Mud Mask Ingredients

Purified Water, Montmorillonite, Kaolin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Polyethylene, Pumice, Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Hedera Helix Plant Extract, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Aroma, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Diazolidinyl Urea.

Contrary to what you might think, there are no menthol-type ingredients like you would find in a scalp tingling product. Instead, the tingling effect most likely comes from the abrasivity of the pumice and polyethylene beads combined with the skin tightening effect of the kaolin and Montmorillonite clays.

Ingredient inaccuracies

It’s also interesting to note (at least for those of you who care about such things) that a few of these ingredients are not listed accurately. (Hey, this is a Look at the Label post, so we get to nitpick stuff like that.) Anyway, “purified water” is not the officially allowed name since any water used in cosmetics is purified to some extent. Usually it’s deionized. I also think it’s entertaining that my spell checker wants to change “deionized” to “demonized.” But I digress… Another error is “Vegetable Glycerin.” The correct name is just glycerin. And finally “fragrance” is the proper name for any kind of scent, not “aroma.”
Image credit: GlamGlow.com

If you’re inclined to want your face to tingle while you’re scraping off its upper layers, you can buy GlamGlow by clicking the link below. You’ll also be supporting the Beauty Brains and that makes our insides all tingly.

The Beauty Brains were recently featured in a TODAY.com post telling you how to get the best hairspray performance for the lowest cost.  Below are the complete ingredient lists for all the products referenced in that article. But first….

If you like this kind of stuff and
want to learn how to save $500 per year on cosmetics,
download the Beauty Brains FREE report now! 

Hairspray ingredients

Tresemme Tres II Extra Hold Hairspray
Alcohol Denatured, Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, VA/Crotonates/Vinyl Neodecanoate Copolymer, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl/Methacrylate Copolymer, Amino Methyl Propanol, Dimethyl Stearamide, Fragrance (Parfum), Hexylcinnamal, Butylphenyl Methlyproprional, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Hydroxycitronellal, Geraniol, Hydroxyisohexl 3 Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde

Glo Radiant Fix Hairspray
SD Alcohol 40-B, Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, VA/Crotonates/Vinyl Neodecanoate Copolymer, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Triethyl Citrate, Fragrance/Parfum, Panthenol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Polyquaternium-59, Butylene Glycol

Scruples High Definition Shaping Spray
Alcohol denat., Hydroflurocarbon 152a, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, VA/Crotonates/Vinyl Neodecanoate Copolymer, PBX (Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans [Mycopolysaccharides], Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Benzophenone-4, Dimethicone Copolyol), aminomethyl Propanol, Fragrance (Parfum), BCC12-Base.

Paves Professional FLAWless Convertible-Proof Firm Hold Spray
SD Alcohol 40-B, Hydrofluorocarbon 152A, VA, Crotonates, Vinyl Neodecanoate Copolymer, Octylacrylamide, Acrylates, Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil Lavender, Geranium Maculatum Oil Geranium, Citrus Medica Oil Lemon, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil Orange, Citrus Clementina Oil Clementine, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil Roman Chamomile, Phytantriol, Polyquaternium-11, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Arginine, Acetyl Tyrosine, Arctium Majus Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Calcium Pantothenate, Zinc Gluconate, Niacinamide, Ornithine HCL, Citrulline, Glucosamine HCL, Biotin, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxan, Amino

Ion Mega Hold Freezing Spray
Alcohol 40-B (Alcohol Denat.), Hydrofluorocarbon 152a, Water (Aqua), Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/ Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, VA/Crotonates/Vinyl Neodecanoate Copolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Triethyl Citrate, Phenyl Trimethicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone, AMP-Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Fragrance (Parfum), Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool, Geraniol, Geraniol

Image credit: www.glamour.com

Continuing our look at the top-selling products on Amazon.com…

Even though they are technically Over the Counter (OTC) drugs and not cosmetics, dandruff shampoos are big sellers in the beauty section of Amazon.com. Specifically, two versions of Head & Shoulders dominate the 6th and 7th top selling spots. Who would have thought that SO MANY people have dandruff!! What can we learn by looking at the label?

Head & Shoulders Ocean Lift Shampoo Ingredients

Active Ingredients: Pyrithione Zinc (1%)
This is one of the most common drug ingredients approved to treat dandruff.

Water
Solvent.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Primary surfactants.  Excellent foaming/cleansing agents although some people find them too drying.

Cocamide MEA
An old-school foam booster.

Zinc Carbonate
Added to help stabilize the preservatives in the formula. (The anti-dandruff active can deactivate preservatives leaving the product vulnerable to microbial contamination.)

Glycol Distearate
Opacifying agent. Forms little crystals that make the product look creamy.

Dimethicone
Conditioning agent.

Fragrance
Smells like the sea.

Cetyl Alcohol
Helps provide the creamy look and texture.

Magnesium Sulfate, Magnesium Carbonate Hydroxide
Most likely part of the preservative boosting system.

Sodium Benzoate
Preservative

Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
Secondary surfactant.

Benzyl Alcohol
Supposedly reduces eye sting.

Sodium Chloride
Salt for thickening.

Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone
Preservatives.

Sodium Xylenesulfonate
Additional surfactant that’s probably carried in with one of the other ingredients. Sometimes this is added as a coupling agent to help clarify formulations but this product is opacified so it wouldn’t matter.

PEG 7M
Thickening/viscosity control polymer.

Sea Salt, Fucus Vesiculosus (Bladderwrack), Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) Extract
Marine extracts that don’t do anything except make the formula look more “Ocean Lift-y.”

Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Yellow 5
Colorants, presumably providing a sea-shade.

Image credit: Drugstore.com

If you have an itchy, flakey scalp and you want to support the Beauty Brains, this is your lucky day! Just click the link below to buy Head & Shoulders and you’ll really be helping us out. Thanks!

Name Your Link

Sarahb asks…Is there a place that i can view a list of ingredients in hair products that could dry out the hair?

The Left Brain replies:
I’ve never seen a comprehensive list of which ingredients could dry out hair.  It would be very difficult to create an accurate list because the effect of ingredients on hair partially depends on the formulas the ingredients are delivered from.

Ingredient effect depends on context

For example, in the Forum we recently discussed a hair conditioning mask that contains a relatively high level of Lauramide MEA, a surfactant. Lauramide MEA  would typically not dry out hair because it’s most commonly used in lower amounts in shampoos to boost foam and viscosity.  But if left on the hair in mask form it could cause drying.

Similarly a little alcohol is fine on your hair from an aerosolized product like a hairspray because the droplets are very small and will evaporate quickly. But you wouldn’t want alcohol in a leave-in conditioner where it could saturate your hair and scalp  and potentially cause dryness. (I’m talking about ethanol, not cetyl or stearyl alcohol)

The Beauty Brains bottom line

You have to look at each ingredient in the context of the formula it is in to understand what the ingredient function it serves and whether or not it will dry out your hair.

Image credit: Thespokesman.com

Even though the Beauty Brains don’t do traditional reviews, from time to time we like to share new products that we’re trying. We want you to know that we received free samples in exchange for a mention on our blog and that we’re not necessarily recommending you buy anything. We’re just sharing new product news; please do your own research before you buy. This week we have one product to share.

AG Smooth Sulfate Free Argan Oil Shampoo

Here’s what the manufacturer says: “Sumptuous lathering and sulfate-free, Smoooth is infused with argan oil to make your mane velvety smooth and silky soft. It’s ideal for use on medium to thick hair.”

Technical commentary: This is one of the most interesting shampoo formulas we’ve seen. It uses Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, a very mild surfactant that used in the top ten mildest body washes, along with no less than eight (!) other foaming/cleaning agents. Surprisingly, even with this much surfactant the lather does not strip the hair. In fact, hair is left feeling highly conditioned. It reminds us a little of the old Pureology sulfate free shampoo formula.

Ingredients

Water/aqua/eau, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium lauryl sulfoacetate, disodium laureth sulfosuccinate, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, laureth-5 carboxylic acid, cocamidopropyl betaine, cocamidopropylamine oxide, disodium lauroamphodiacetate, sodium c14-16 olefin sulfonate, peg/ppg-120/10-trimethylopropane trioleat, lauret-2, cocadimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed keratin, argania spinosa kernel oil, peg 40 hydrogenated castor oil, polyquaternium 10, melissa officinalis leaf extract, calendula officinalis flower extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, prunus serotina (wild cherry) bark extract, humulus lupulus (hops) extract, cymbopogon schoenanthus extract, urtica dioica (nettle) extract, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, salvia officinalis (sage) leaf extract, achillea millefolium extract, panthenol, linoleamidopropyl pg-dimonium chloride linoleamidopropyl pg-dimonium chloride phosphate, peg-8 amodimethicone, silicone quaternium-16, undeceth-11, butyloctanol, undeceth-5, polyquaternium-47, sodium pca, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, styrene/acrylates,copolymer, fragrance/ parfum, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, red 40 (ci 16035), yellow 5 (ci 19140).