I thought this was cute and a good reminder that Natural doesn’t always equal Safer. It’s a promotional video for Amy Stewart’s upcoming book ‘Wicked Plants‘.

Amy I know this book is going on my Amazon Wish List!

Left Brain is livid…

Here at the Beauty Brains, we get contacted by lots of PR firms giving us the latest press release for all the new beauty products coming on the market. It’s really a great perk of writing a beauty blog. Of course, we get many silly press releases which border on being funny, but sometimes we get ones that are so outrageous we can’t ignore them. Here’s one that really boiled my blood.

Chemical Fear – Chemicals Be Afraid

First the subject line:

“Carcinogens in baby shampoos”

Talk about scary! You can’t help but open up the message.

Then the press release goes on with the following headline…

LIL RINSER SIMPLIFIES CHILD BATHING AND PROTECTS AGAINST HARMFUL SHAMPOOS

Rinse and Run Technology Keeps Dangerous Carcinogens Found in Children’s Shampoos Away from Face

They go on to quote the chemical fear-mongering Campaign for Safe Cosmetics explaining that CSC found “…many children’s bath products contain chemicals that may cause cancer and skin allergies.”

Finally, they pitch their product (the Lil Rinser) by saying “For parents concerned about the potential risk, Lil Rinser,…can help further prevent exposure to toxins in shampoos.”

Lil Rinser

Before I get into what’s irked me, I’d like to say that this sounds and
looks like a great idea. I don’t have kids myself, but I’ve helped my sisters with their kids enough to know that some kids don’t like soap to get in their face. Tear-free shampoos can help however, they aren’t always effective.

The Lil Rinser looks like it would do a great job of keeping soap out of their eyes, water out of their ears and doesn’t look too hard to use. I LOVE the fact that it was created by small-time inventors who had the gumption to take their ideas and do something with it. Too many people have great ideas then never do anything about them. But I digress…

Awful marketing campaign

There are two big problems I have with the way that Lil Rinser has decided to market their product. First, they spread distorted information about personal care products to scare people and second, their message is hypocritical. If they focused more on the real benefits of the product, like the ones mentioned above, I’d be a much bigger supporter.

Are baby shampoos filled with toxins?

The suggestion that baby products contain carcinogens comes from a recent report that shows 1,4 Dioxane and Formaldehyde were both detected in a variety of baby products tested. Both of these compounds have been characterized as “probable carcinogens” by the EPA.

While we have no reason to doubt the test results, the implication that the presence of tiny amounts of carcinogens makes the product harmful is unfounded. All of the best research maintains that the levels are not dangerous. The dose of exposure matters just as much as the chemical. Pure water will kill you at a high enough dose.

The idea that you should be afraid of the chemicals in baby shampoos is nonsense. Indeed, selling products without preservatives (as formaldehyde is a preservative) is much more dangerous.

Shame on the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics for trying to scare people with distorted science, and shame on Lil Rinser for trying to exploit people’s fear and chemical ignorance for economic gain.

What about toxins in Lil Rinser?

Perhaps the most appalling things about Lil Rinser’s marketing campaign is their own hypocrisy. If you take a look at their lab reports, you might be aghast to find that the Lil Rinser is proven to contain the following toxins

1. Arsenic – a potent human poison
2. Barium – extremely poisonous
3. Cadmium – known to cause cancer
4. Mercury – extremely toxic
5. Antimony – toxic
6. Selenium – toxic

Why are these toxins and carcinogens in the Lil Rinser?

Because they are an unavoidable part of the rubber and plastic making process. And you know over time, these toxins and carcinogens will be leached out into the water that’s your child is soaking in.

Fortunately, these toxins are also in the product at levels that have been determined by reliable, governmental agencies to be safe.

This is also true of the carcinogens that can be detected in your personal care products!

The cosmetic industry has no interest in poisoning people. They do not produce or sell products that are unsafe.

Beauty Brains Bottom Line

Lil Rinser will not make children more safe from their already safe baby shampoos. In our environment we are surrounded by all kinds of chemicals and compounds that are toxic and carcinogenic at high enough doses. Our ability to detect these compounds keeps getting better and better so it’s understandable we’ll find them in more and more every day products. However, presence of a nasty chemical is both unavoidable and should be of little concern if the amount is tiny enough.

It’s impossible to avoid all traces of toxic/carcinogenic compounds. Fear-mongering consumer groups & marketing people who suggest it is are wrong.

If you’re interested in trying the Lil Rinser because it’s a cool gadget (not because it will protect you from cancer) you can see more about it by clicking here.

Paulaboub is perplexed…I recently came across a new ( to me) product line called Yes To Carrots. It lists mostly natural ingredients. I bought the moisturizing day cream and shower gel/body wash. Smells nice, the cream doesn’t bother my eyes as alot of creams do these days. Just wondering what you thought.

The Left Brain doesn’t care for carrots:

If you like Yes To Carrots because it smells nice and it doesn’t irritate your eyes, then then by all means you should buy it. But if you’re asking my professional opinion, I have to tell you that I’m not very impressed by this faux natural brand.

Yes To Carrots?

According to their website: 

All of our Yes To products combine the fresh, unadulterated goodness of organic fruits and vegetables with the purifying and moisturizing properties of 26 minerals harvested from the ancient world’s most renowned spa- the Dead Sea.

Come on! While it’s true that their formulas contain lots of natural goodies, they don’t bother to mention that the functional ingredients in their products are the same tried and true chemicals used in other mass market beauty products. For example, their shower gel is based on sodium coceth sulfate (a cleanser) and cocamide DEA (a foam booster/thickener).  While I have no problem with brands that like to convey a certain look, feel, and scent by using natural ingredients, I don’t like being mislead to by companies that claim to use the “unadulterated goodness of organic fruits and vegetables” but don’t tell you they include chemicals like propanediol and benzyl alcohol in their formulations. 

Perilous Parabens?

Another issue I have with this brand is their stance on parabens. Their website also gives an explanation for why their products are paraben-free. 

Parabens are a group of chemicals that have been widely used as preservatives in many cosmetics to ensure the products remain free of bacteria, fungus and other microbes. They also help extend the shelf life of cosmetic products. In 1998, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released a report stating that parabens – butyl, ethyl, methyl and propyl varieties – demonstrated “estrogenic activity.”

Sounds like a mouthful, but it means that these chemicals could possibly imitate hormones found in the human body and have an adverse effect on our endocrine system when absorbed by the skin or flushed into our drinking supply. Studies conducted in Europe found similar results and we’ve found better alternatives to ensure your products stay clean while ensuring your safety when using Yes To Carrots^TM products.

The problem is, this is only half truth because subsequent studies have shown that the methyl and propyl parabens have no cause for concern. (You can read the details about parabens here.)  

The Beauty Brains bottom line

In my opinion, Yes To Carrots is just another brand trying to capitalize on the naturals/organics trend by hiding standard cosmetics ingredients behind an over-hyped soup of fruit and vegetable extracts. The products may work perfectly fine but, personally, that kind of hypocrisy turns me off.

Melia muses….There is alot of hype going on about snail creams where I live. I have friends who have used them for scar reduction/healing for acne and thought that they really did work (they got the tip from their dermatologist). I’ve just watched the millionth infomercial about one of these creams and am wondering if they really live up to the claims.

The Left Brain leaves a slimy trail: 

When I initially heard about snail extract being used in cosmetics my BS detector kicked into over drive. After doing a little bit of research I’m still skeptical but at least I was able to find SOME scientific basis for using this ingredient in cosmetics.  

What is snail extract? 

The technical name for snail slime is “Helix Aspersa Müller Glycoconjugates.” It’s described as a thick  fluid gathered by stimulating live snails. (Sounds like a job Sarah Bellum would enjoy.) Chemically speaking, snail slime is a complex mixture of proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans, glycoprotein enzymes, hyaluronic acid, copper peptides, antimicrobial peptides and trace elements including copper, zinc, and iron. 

The science of snail slime

There are a number of brands that claim to harness the power of snail trails. For example, there’s Bioskincare, who says their product “protects, deeply moisturizes, renews and triggers the regeneration of skin damaged by acne, injuries, overstretching, photo-aging or dermatological/medical treatments.” Is there any real science that supports the benefits of  snail extract? Sort of. There are certainly plenty of references in the scientific literature. First of all, there a number of patents related to how to gather the secretion and process it for use in cosmetics. One Chilean doctor, for example, patented a procedure for gathering the secretions by agitating snails in warm water and then filtering the mucin. (I wonder how you can tell when the snails are sufficiently agitated?)  Another patent, credited to a Spanish Oncologist, involves stressing the snails mechanically to induce the production of their mucin. I wish I could be sure that no snails were harmed in the production of this skin cream, but based on these patents, it doesn’t look good!  But just because there are patents on snail slime, that doesn’t mean it actually DOES anything. If you’ll notice the patents are related to how to collect the slime, which has nothing to do with proving it really works on your skin.

Will snail slime make wrinkles Es-car-go-away?

So does it really work? A quick Pubmed search reveals a variety of papers describing the effect of snail slime on cell cultures. In these studies a variety of effects where seen including the proliferation of fibroblasts, stimulation of new collagen and elastin fibers, and increased production of fibronectin proteins just to name a few.  But since these effects were demonstrated on cell cultures I have a hard time understanding how they relate to a topical cosmetic product. I did find a few other studies, though, that indicate snail extract improves skin condition by increasing the dermis’ natural ability to take up and hold water. And perhaps most interesting were the studies suggesting that the slime might have topical wound healing properties. There’s enough legitimate science here to make me think that snail extract may be a beneficial ingredient.

However, I didn’t see any data that indicates that any specific cosmetic snail cream has any special efficacy. Until I see some controlled studies of these products, I remain skeptical. 

The Beauty Brains bottom line

As ridiculous as this sounds at first, snail slime may be a powerful bioactive material. But translating that efficacy to a cosmetic product is another story entirely. In any given product it’s impossible to predict efficacy because it depends on the quality of the snail extract that was used, the amount in the product, and how it’s formulated and processed. Until a marketer of these products can demonstrate they have data on their specific product, I would avoid spending a lot of money on snail creams. 

What do YOU think? Would you use snail snot to keep your skin looking younger? Or is it just too gross? Leave a comment and share your snail-ish story with the rest of the Beauty Brains community. 

Mo wants to know… I came across an excellent brand called Biotique and all their facial cleansers are soap and surfactant free. The primary ingredient in all their products is “Sapindus / Soapberry/ Soapnut.” Is Soapnut a good cleanser?

The Right Brain is nuts about soapnut:

Actually, Mo, soapnut is one of those natural ingredients that may really be worth the hype. So before we talk about Biotique we’ll give you some background on non-soapy soapnut.

Soap to nuts

Soapnut, also known as soapberry, is a plant belonging to the genus Sapindus. You can extract a chemical called saponin from the plant’s berries which is a natural, low-foaming detergent. Saponin belongs to a class of chemical compounds known as amphipathic glycosides, for those of you keeping score at home. They can be found in may parts of plants including leaves, stems, roots, bulbs, blossoms, and even fruit.  

Are saponins good for skin?

Although they don’t foam much, saponins are good, gentle cleansers. So while they may not be powerful enough to remove waterproof mascara, they are very good at gently cleansing skin to remove excess oils. And, the benefits of this natural extract may extend far beyond mild cleansing. There are numerous studies on the medicinal properties of saponins; for example, according to this article on saponins from Pubmed, certain types of saponins from red ginseng can counteract the effects of ultraviolet B-induced skin aging in hairless mice and have a positive effect on skin thickness, elasticity, and wrinkle formation. Interesting! 

Baffled by Biotique

Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any specific list of ingredients for any Biotique products. Without that crucial information we can only speculate about how they use soapnut. One possibility is that they really do use soapnut as their primary cleansing agent leaving out any soaps or synthetic detergents. In that case, it may be a very mild cleanser (although probably low foaming). Another possibility is that Biotique uses soapnut as more of a marketing ploy to differentiate their products in which case they may be adding small amounts of soapnut to formulas that contain typical cleansing agents. A quick review of a Biotique ingredient list, if we can find one, will make the answer obvious.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Soapnut (also known as soapberry) is a valid, gentle, natural cleanser but we don’t know how Biotique is using it. We’ll keep our eyes open and if we find an ingredient list we’ll update this post.

Has anyone bought Biotique or any other soapnut based products? Leave a comment and share your experiences with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.