The Beauty Brains

It’s that time of the week again to see how well the Beauty Brains community can figure out the science versus the nonsense. Head on over to the blog and enter your answer to this week’s beauty science or BS poll. We’ve picked 3 headlines ripped from the pages of our favorite science feeds and made one up. Can you figure out which of the following stories is FAKE?

Beauty Science or BS Headlines

1. Women in their 40s report more issues with their skin than any other group.

2. Data suggests the smell of rotten eggs can increase human lifespan.

3. Male interviewers are more biased in favor of attractive interviewees than female interviewers.

4. Eating tomatoes can protect skin from sun damage

Good luck and feel free to leave a comment below to say why you picked the way you did.

Even though we lost half the data due to a recent software upgrade, we had a great response to the Beauty Brains quiz this week and 31% of you were actually able to sense the BS. This is slightly better than random chance. I might have to make the next one a little harder. Read on and see how you did.

People who wear glasses have been shown to be more introverted and geeky - FALSE

31% of you thought glasses wearers were geeks but science says otherwise. According to this study by psychologists from the University of Melbourne, there is no link between myopia and introversion. In fact, the study showed a slight correlation suggesting people with glasses are more agreeable. Maybe we should get a pair for the argumentative Right Brain.

Skin cells can tell whether you are a night person or morning person - TRUE

Not many were fooled by this one. Only 13% of you couldn’t believe this one. Scientists studying the effect of light on sleep discovered that each skin cell has its own internal clock. Someone who is a self-reported “morning person” actually has skin cells that match up to this personality. People with Seasonal Affect Disorder (a kind of winter depression) have skin cells that don’t match up with their personality.

You can reduce air pollution by not washing your hair - TRUE

22% of you thought this one was dirty but it’s not. Scientists from the University of Missouri found that unwashed hair absorbs around seven times more ozone than washed hair. Who knew Collin Farrel and the other Hollywood hotties with greasy hair were actually helping clean up smog in Los Angeles?

Women with college degrees are more likely to get married than those without - TRUE

34% of you thought this couldn’t be true but it is. Women with college degrees have a better chance of being married than those without. It turns out men really do like women with brains. In a reversal of trend, a review of census data found that in 2006, 61% of women aged 30-34 with degrees were married, while only 53% of those without post-high school degrees were. It warms my heart to know that Sarah still has a chance.

How did you do? Were you able to sniff out the beauty BS? Leave a comment and let us know.

Hey Beauty Brainiacs,

It’s that time again! Answer time to the Beauty Science or BS poll. Nearly 400 of you responded, but only 34 actually came up with the right answer. This one must have been tough.

People can get contact dermatitis by using body wash as a skin moisturizing cream - TRUE

27% of you thought that this was the fake one but no, it actually has happened. According to this report from The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, two cases of this exact problem were recently caused by Dove Body Wash. It seems they do such a good job of making their body washes look creamy that people think it’s skin lotion. Whoops!

Tattoos, ear piercing, makeup, and skin treatments have existed for the past 50,000 years - FALSE

Only 9% of you figured out that this one wasn’t true. The tip-off should have been that human societies haven’t been around for 50,000. The real story comes from a review of the origins of cosmetics in the journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. They say cosmetics have only existed for about 5000 years. Still a long time considering the study of chemistry didn’t start until the 1600s.  (Bonus points:  Can you figure out what the tattoo in the picture shows?)

In the US, over 100,000 people have been hospitalized in the last 5 years due to a hair care product-related injury - TRUE

23% of you were tricked by this startling headline. Yes, over 100,000 people have had hair care product related injuries in the last 5 years. What kind of injuries? Mostly the kind related to curling-irons. According to this study published in the Academic Emergency Medicine journal, >80,000 people have been rushed to the hospital due to burns from curling irons. Mostly, they were little kids who grabbed or touched hot devices. Remember to keep those things out of the reach of children!

Gravity is not the main cause of sagging facial skin - TRUE

42% of you found this one too hard to believe but according to an article in Dermatology Times, it’s true. The doctors at Duke Eye Center who studied this phenomena say that it is primarily caused by changes in bone structure not gravity. They discovered through CT scans that contrary to common belief, the skull continues to grow as we age. This moves the skin and muscle below and results in sagging facial features. So much for those skin tightening lotions.

Were you a Beauty Brainiac this time? Leave a comment and tell us which one you picked and why.

We asked you which ingredient was NOT currently said to provide anti-aging benefits and your responses were all over the place. Here’s the answers. Were you right?

1. Frog Skin - True

27% of you thought that scientists were not using frog skin for anti-aging properties but unfortunately, you were wrong. This article about bullfrog skin containing antioxidants suggests that it may have an anti-aging effect. I’m not a big fan of harvesting amphibians for cosmetics so I can’t encourage it’s use.

2. Cactus Spines - Fake

Only 17% of you thought this was the fake but it was. There is no raw material company selling cactus spines as a natural, anti-aging ingredient. However, based on the Beauty Brains community of poll answerers, maybe they should. Most people believe that this is a reasonable ingredient to give an anti-aging effect.

3. Apple Stem Cells - True

This one tricked the most people. 34% of you thought this was the fake but it’s real. A company name Mibelle Biochemistry has introduced an anti-aging ingredient based on apple stem cells. Who knew apples had stem cells too?

4. Snake Venom - True

22% of you thought this one was fake but you were mistaken. Indeed, one cosmetic raw material company is marketing Syn-ake, a peptide derived from snake venom. I remain skeptical about this one as it is too conveniently similar to botox.

So how did you do? Leave a comment and let everyone know whether you were right and why you picked the answer you did. Come back soon for an all new Beauty Brains Beauty Science or BS.

Hey everyone, I don’t know if you noticed but there’s a new Beauty Science or BS poll up on the right side of this blog.  See if you can sniff out the FAKE anti-aging ingredient.   Note:  the skeptic in me thinks they are all fake but 3 of them actually have some research backing up their use.  One of them was completely made up.

Which is the FAKE anti-aging ingredient?

•  Frog Skin
• Cactus Spines
• Apple Stem Cells
• Snake Venom

We’ll post the answers Friday, March 21st.

The response on the latest Beauty Brains Beauty Science or BS poll has been great. Unfortunately, most of you got the answer wrong. Here is the science behind the stories.

Looking at pictures of blond women can make you less smart - TRUE

An overwhelming majority of you thought this was the fake but in fact, it is real. According to this study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, test subjects scored worse on Trivial-pursuit type questions when they first looked at photos of blond women. Interestingly, the effect was the same on both men and women. Looking at photos of other hair-colored women didn’t have the same negative effect.

Your hair can be used to predict exactly what city you live in - FAKE

Only 14% of you correctly figured out that this one was a little too good to be true. It was actually based on a recent story that said you can identify where a person has been based on the isotopes of water found in their hair. It’s fake because while you can identify where a person was it is not so accurate that you can tell what city they’ve been in. As one researcher said, “You can tell the difference between Utah and Texas, but you may not be able to distinguish between Chicago and Kansas City.”

Thieves steal hair to sell on the black market - TRUE

This story was only chosen by 16% of you but it is true. Unfortunately, a couple of thieves in Brazil recently attacked a woman and cut off her waist length hair with a machete. When sold, this hair could fetch as much as $500. Apparently, this happens every so often in Brazil. So, if you’re traveling there make sure you hide your long hair.

Thanks to everyone who voted. If you didn’t get it this time, don’t fret. We’ll have another quiz coming soon.

Did you know that the new Beauty Brains Book has a whole section devoted to the Beauty Science or BS quiz? Click here to learn more about the Beauty Brains Book.

Watching comedy films increases blood flow to the heart - TRUE

This one was published in the journal Heart. Researchers found that people who watched comedies had increased blood flow. When they watched sad films blood flow actually decreased. Only 9% of you thought this was the fake.

Online daters lie more often about their weight than their age. - TRUE

This one fooled a few of you. 25% of the Beauty Brains community couldn’t believe this online headline but it is true. A study out of Cornell University found that 64% of women lied about their weight versus only 13% of those who lied about their age. I guess we’d rather be skinny than young.

People are pre-programmed to love chocolate - TRUE

32% of you found this to be unbelievable but at least one study shows that it’s science. Scientists looked at the blood of professed chocolate lovers and compared it to chocolate indifferent panelists. The chocolate lovers showed a distinct chemical difference from the indifferent group. Of course, there were only 22 people in the study and it was sponsored by Nestle so I’d like to see a little more follow up research before buying this one.

Blue roses created by using conventional hybridization techniques - FAKE

They weren’t out this year but next year you will be able to get a blue rose. However, this story is fake because scientists weren’t able to create them using conventional hybridization techniques. No, this genetic juggling required advanced genetic engineering to make it happen. Hybridization was only able to make purple roses. It was tricky but 34% of you figured out that this blue rose was the red herring. Congratulations!

Did you get the answer right? Leave a comment and let everyone know why you chose the one you did.

It’s that time of the week again…the Beauty Brains beauty science or BS poll.  In honor of Valentine’s Day we’ve picked science stories that reflect the holiday.  Can you figure out which of these is the fake story?

• Watching comedy films increases blood flow to the heart
• Online daters lie more often about their weight than their age
• Some people are genetically pre-programmed to love chocolate
• Blue roses were created by scientists using conventional hybridization techniques

If you can spot the fake, go to the right column of the Beauty Brains and enter your vote right now.   We’ll give the answers next week

It’s time to put your beauty thinking cap on again with another Beauty Brains beauty science or BS poll.  Can you figure out which of the beauty science headlines is the FAKE?  Just check out the poll on the right side of the blog and put your vote in now.

If you are using Internet Explorer, you may have to scroll down pretty far to see the poll.  (We’re working on fixing that bug).

Good luck

We didn’t seem to fool too many of you this time.  Of the 260+ people that responded to the poll, a whopping 58% figured out that the $70,000 nail polish was made up.  You really know your expensive cosmetics.  For the hundred or so who missed, here are the real stories.

$60,000 lipstick

TRUE.  Guerlain launched the KissKiss Gold and Diamonds lipstick for last year’s holiday season.   It featured a package that had 110g of 18-carat gold and 199 diamonds.  On the plus side, the container is re-fillable so you are actually encourage to recycle this lipstick.  27% of you thought this was fake but you might have been tripped up by the fact that it was really a $62,000 lipstick and not $60,000.  Sorry.

$70,000 nail polish

FAKE.  58% figured out this was a figment of the Left Brain’s imagination.  The real story is a sheer nail polish with platinum dust in it that goes for $250 per bottle.  Actually, the first of these bottles produced by Essie Cosmetics had a bottle that was valued at $55,000.  Still way short of the fictitious yarn spun by LB.

$215,000 perfume

TRUE.  According to Forbes magazine, Imperial Majesty sells perfume for this crazy price.  What makes it uber expensive is the bottle made of Baccarat crystal with a 5 carat diamond on its 18-carat gold collar.  Amazingly, 3 of the original 5 bottles were actually sold.  Some people just have too much money.

$2000 moisturizer

TRUE.  Only 8% of you missed this one.  That’s probably because you saw this Jeweled Skin Caviar Luxe Cream at Neiman Marcus too.  Yes, for a mere $2000 you can get a skin moisturizer that works no better than the Olay you can buy at Target.  Of course, the sparkling bottle is super cute.

So, how did you do?  Did you get it right or were you fooled?  Leave a comment and let everyone know why you picked the one you picked!