Kimmi is careful: Is it true that tub-style skincare packaging can become contaminated with bacteria? If so, then why don’t more companies package their products in tubes or bottles?

The Right Brain responds:
Yes Kimmi, it’s true that any product packed in a tub is more prone to bacterial contamination. To a large extent, that’s because you dip your fingers into the tub so any bug living on your skin can be transferred to the product. That doesn’t happen with tubes.

The good news is that the preservatives used in most cosmetics will keep bacteria from growing. Of course, that means more “chemicals” like parabens must be added to the formula. But then again, preservatives need to be added to the product whether it’s sold in a tube or not (to provide protection during manufacturing.) Whew! Instead of talking in circles, let’s just give you three things to watch out if you’re worried about contamination in tub products.

Keep your top on

In addition to contamination from your fingers, airborne bacteria, mold and fungi can easily colonize an uncovered jar of product. Keep the cap on when you’re not using the product.

Shameful shower

Tub products that are meant to be used in the shower are REALLY asking for trouble. That’s because the extra water that splashes into the tub can dilute the product’s preservative system. And even if you’re really really careful, the warm moist air in the shower is a good breeding ground for mold. (Have you seen the Left Brain’s shower? YUCK!)

Watch for water

The shower isn’t the only place you should watch for water. Look for it on the ingredient list on the back of the package. Or rather, look for products that DON’T have water. Think of oil-based sugar or salt scrubs. Those products are sold in tubs but since they don’t typically contain any water there’s very little chance that bacteria will grow in them.

Tubs vs Tubes

So why don’t more companies pack their products in tubes for better protection? It’s really just a marketing decision by the company based on which type of packaging will make the product more appealing and on the cost of the product. (In general, tubs are cheaper to make and to fill than tubes.) Every company makes this decision differently: for example, Clinique is a brand that’s fairly inconsistent with their approach to packaging. Their Repairwear SPF Cream and Super Defense Triple Action Moisturizer are packaged in tubs, while Repairwear Deep Wrinkle Concentrate and Deep Cleansing Emergency Mask are sold in tubes. Go figure.

What do YOU think? Do you take packaging into consideration when decide which cosmetics to buy? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

Jill is perturbed about pumps: When the pump dispenser for a product (Olay eye lifting serum, for instance) no longer dispenses, I usually take the pump cap off and extract the rest by hand. My husband calls this depression-era mentality, but there is often about a third of the volume still remaining, especially in small bottles, that the dispenser can’t reach. Why throw it away? Why do cosmetic manufacturers use the pump dispensers? Do they expect us to toss their product into landfills? Do the same products ever get sold in multiple containers?

The Left Brain squeezes out this reply:
I understand your frustration with some products that are dispensed with pumps. However, cosmetic companies are not necessarily trying to get you to waste product. In fact, most companies want you to perceive their products as being a good value so you’ll buy them again. While it may not make sense for every product, there are several legitimate reasons to use a pump as a dispenser. Here are the Beauty Brains top 5 reasons a pump can be your pal.

1. Improve ease of dispensing

Large bottles, especially in the shower, can be awkward to handle. A pump makes one handed dispensing much easier. That big bottle of Tresemme shampoo could use a pump as far as I’m concerned.

2. Control product purity

Sticking your fingers in an open jar of product can transfer bacteria that can cause the product to spoil. A pump is one way to ensure that a product like Skinceuticals Eye Cream stays pure.

3. Measure dosage

Sometimes too much of a good thing is not good. Pumps can help control the amount of product that is dispensed and prevent you from using too much. This is especially important on expensive products like B. Kamins Cream.

4. Protect active ingredients

Some products, like Mentadent toothpaste, have active ingredients that need to kept separated until they are ready to be mixed. A pump is able to mix products in a way that a tube can’t. Other products, like Hylexin, have active ingredients that deteriorate when exposed to air. A pump protects these ingredients because it doesn’t allow air into the package.

5. Maintain product integrity

Have you seen Olay’s Illuminating Eye gel? There’s an ingredient swirled through the product that gives it an unusual pearlescent appearance. Scooping the product out would destroy the swirl – a pump dispenser keeps the product’s appearance consistent as you use it.

These are a few reasons why companies would want to use pumps on their products. Now, it’s YOUR turn. Tell us the reasons why you DON’T like pumps. Leave your gripes in the comment section and we’ll compile a top 10 list for a future Beauty Brains post.

Our friends at Real Simple magazine have a great online series about how to fix broken beauty products. They describes the cause of each problem, how to fix it, and how to take steps to prevent it from happening again. Nicely done, Real Simple!

Here are the links to each of their suggestions along with a few comments of our own. We recommend clicking the links and reading the Real Simple tips, then come back here to read our comments:

1. Broken Lipstick
After you make the repairs they suggest, you can make your lipstick shine like new by VERY CAREFULLY passing it over a candle flame. Kids don’t try this at home!

2. Clogged Hairspray Pump
In addition to what Real Simple says, you should also know that a clogged hairspray can also be caused by a poorly designed formula. The resin that holds your hair in place can separate out if it’s not properly neutralized. If this is the case you’ll see little white specks floating in the product. Throw it away, it can’t be fixed!

3. Jammed Lotion Pump
Of course you can also switch a pump from another skin lotion product.

4. Broken Perfume Pump
They didn’t mention that the heat can cause the diptube (the thin plastic straw that carries the product up to the pump) to swell up and become sealed shut. Store perfume in a cool place.

5. Shattered Powder Eye Shadow or Blush
If you’re following their tip and you apply alcohol to the eye shadow compact, make sure you let it dry completely. Alcohol might carry in enough water to let bacteria grow in the powder cake.

6. Missing or Broken Aerosol Cap
They say aerosol “cap” but they’re really talking about the button or the actuator, as it is technically known. The cap is the piece that covers the entire top of the can.

7. Stuck Nail-Polish Lid
We agree with their comments. You might also try rubbing a little nail polish remover under the edge of the lid before trying to loosen it. You won’t get much under there, but it might help.

Get your geek on for today’s post - it’s about a new kind of diptube (the plastic tube that your perfume sprays through.) “What’s this got to do with beauty science,” you ask? Listen and learn, loyal Beauty Brainiacs. (Ok, technically you’re not listening, you’re reading, but I liked the alliteration.)

• Discount Perfume
• Jennifer Lopez Perfume
• DKNY Perfume
• Versace Perfume
• Men`s Cologne
• Fendi Cologne

I don’t know about you, but I’m always annoyed when I buy a new bottle of expensive perfume and I can see the stupid plastic tube in the bottle. It just makes it look cheaper somehow. Yeah, I know this is only a problem for perfumes that come in clear bottles, but stay with me on this one I’m on a rant.

Enter the geeky solution - a plastic tube that turns INVISIBLE in the perfume! How is this miracle possible? We quote from Cosmeticnews:

US-based MeadWestvaco Calmar is set to introduce NoC, a dip-tube that becomes invisible when immersed in the fragrance formula, thanks to the combination of a specific material, the perfume solution itself and light refraction, at Luxe Pack, Monaco this week. It is available on the Melodie low profile pump. “Fragrance companies are asking for invisible dip tubes. For instance, when they take pictures of their products for advertising, they always retouch the dip tube out of the bottle image,” MeadWestvaco Calmar fragrance division marketing manager Sandy Gregory tells CosmeticNews.

Another advantage is that brands are able to identify counterfeit fragrances if the dip-tube does not disappear, as “counterfeiters do not have access to this technology”, Gregory adds.

Ahh. Better beauty products through refractive index matching. Ain’t science grand?!?