The Beauty Brains are linking and hopefully you’re loving it! All our questions this month come from other beauty bloggers, like Jenn of Literature Couture. Check out her creative character makeup tutorials!

Jenn asks…I’m loving the new Sally Hansen Nail Effects, but I’m have two questions about them. One, how exactly does the company manage to use real nail polish that isn’t dried and crumbly by the time I open the package? Two, is there a way for me to make my own strips to avoid the hassle of manicuring my non-dominant hand?

The Right Brain responds:

Regular nail polishes are a mix of film forming agents, adhesive polymers, and colorants all dissolved in a solvent cocktail (usually ethyl and butyl acetate with a dash of isopropyl alcohol.) To “stripify” the polish, Sally Hansen’s Nail Effects use a formula that’s a little more plastic-y than a regular nail polish. It looks like they’ve applied the polish to flexible substrate (polyethylene terephthalate) and dried off all the solvent. The result is a strip of nail polish that remains flexible but still sticky enough to adhere to your nail.

Can you DIY nail effects?

Sure, it’s actually quite simple. First, get an advanced degree in organic chemistry. Then, gain access to a mixture of over 2 dozen flammable chemicals and the associated equipment you’ll need to mix them properly, then…ok, I guess it isn’t quite so easy. This chemistry is quite complex and even the most accomplished DIY formulator would have problems doing this at home. Looks like you’re stuck with Sally’s strips for now.

Sally Hansen Nail Effects Ingredients

NITROCELLULOSE, POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE, ADIPIC ACID/NEOPENTYL GLYCOL/TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE COPOLYMER, BIS(GLYCIDOXYPHENYL)PROPANE/BISAMINOMETHYLNORBORNANE COPOLYMER, ACETYL TRIBUTYL CITRATE, TRIPHENYL PHOSPHATE, ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, BUTYL ACETATE, CALCIUM ALUMINUM BOROSILICATE, POLYVINYL BUTYRAL, ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, STEARALKONIUM BENTONITE, SHELLAC CERA/SHELLAC WAX/CIRA DE LAQUE, DIHYDROXYETHYL COCAMINE OXIDE, BENZOPHENONE-3, SILICA, TIN OXIDE, [May Contain/Peut Contenir/+/-:MICA, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), D&C RED NO. 6 BARIUM LAKE (CI 15850), D&C RED NO. 7 CALCIUM LAKE (CI 15850), FD&C BLUE NO. 1 ALUMINUM LAKE (CI 42090), FD&C YELLOW NO. 5 ALUMINUM LAKE (CI 19140), D&C YELLOW NO. 10 ALUMINUM LAKE (CI 47005), D&C ORANGE NO. 5 (CI 45370), D&C YELLOW NO. 11 (CI 47000), D&C RED NO. 22 (CI 45380), D&C RED NO. 28 (CI 45410), ULTRAMARINES (CI 77007), FERRIC AMMONIUM FERROCYANIDE (CI 77510), ALUMINUM POWDER (CI 77000)].

Image credit: Sally Hansen

If you’d like to try being a “stripper” you can buy Nail Effects with the Amazon link below. Your purchase will help support the Beauty Brains and for that we thank you kindly.

February is link love month!  We’re taking questions from other bloggers and encouraging you to check out their blogs. Today’s question is from Mary at Pure Healthy Makeup. Stop by and say hello! 

Mary asks: Is is possible to make pressed makeup without using any synthetics?

The Right Brain responds:

Rather than re-opened the debate on natural vs synthetic, I’ll try to address your question as it applies specifically to powdered makeup.

Loose powder needs fewer ingredients

One can certainly make the case that certain brands of so-called mineral makeup are among the most “natural” of cosmetic products. For example, Mineral Hygenics only contains a few powders which are all derived from crushed rocks (more or less.) This kind of product is relatively easy to formulate using only mineral (ie “natural”) ingredients because it’s just a simple blend of powders.

Pressed powder is more complex

Pressed powders, on the other hand, are much more complex. In order for the powders to stay compressed they need some kind of binding oil. And for those oils to mix with the powders they may require a surfactant to lower the surface tension. And the pressed powders have to spread easily across your skin so they may require emollients to provide slip. And these surfactants and binders and emollients may require antioxidants to prevent rancidity. And, since pressed powders have a surface that comes in contact with fingers and makeup brushes, they are more likely to require preservatives than loose powders. And…well you get the idea.

The more ingredients that a formula requires, the more difficult it becomes to source ingredients that everyone will agree are “natural.” And although natural alternatives may be available, they may not work as well as the nasty old “synthetic” chemicals. This is particluarly true of preservatives and of many surfactants.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

It’s not impossible to formulate a pressed powder without  ”synthetics” but the requirements of the formula make it much more difficult.

Image credit: Beautyiswithin.

Do YOU know of a pressed powder that made of only natural ingredients? Leave a comment and share your natural knowledge with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

Bandana asks…Since I’ve been trying to get pregnant over the last year, I’ve become more concerned about toxicity. I probably eat a sizeable amount of lipstick. I am not your usual “organic” type, but I was surprised to see the list of ingredients for my favorite lipstick, Avon’s Beyond Color Plumping Lipstick. Are organic lipsticks worth the hype?? I’ve seen that Bare Minerals has a natural lipstick, but I’m not feeling $25 per tube. I’m more of a drugstore type girl. I’m not loaded with money and don’t want to be more paranoid than I should be.

The Right Brain responds:

“Regular” lipstick like the Avon example you gave costs $8.00 ($3.99 on sale!) where as the Bare Minerals “100% natural” lipstick is $25.  It’s really impossible for us to make the value judgment for you, but we can help by telling you if there are any significant technical differences between the two. (One point of clarification: although you asked about Bare Minerals “organic” lipstick, the company does not make the claim the this product is organic. They only state that it is “100% organic.)

Ingredient comparison

It looks like the Bare Minerals formula is quite different from a typical lipstick because a) it only uses iron oxide pigments as colorants and b) it does not contain any of the petroleum-derived emollients typically found in lipsticks. (For the sake of thoroughness, the complete ingredient listing for each product is included below.)

Natural vs synthetic

As you’re probably aware, the debate over the safety of natural versus synthetic ingredients is not as simple as “all natural is good and all synthetic is bad.” For example, synthetic dyes like those used used in the Avon product are accused of containing carcinogens. And natural lavender extract, like the oil used in the Bare Minerals lipstick, is said to cause headaches and irritate skin. Whether or not you believe any of these specific accusations is beside the point but it’s important to recognize that these ingredients are ALL chemicals and depending on the dose, chemicals may have undesirable side effects. So rather than make this a debate about toxicology, we’ll try to answer your question by making a couple of quick assumptions to simply the argument about whether an an ingredient “natural” or not.  This is no trivial point since currently there is no standard definition “natural” as it relates to beauty products. But for the sake of this discussion, rate each product on a based on four basic factors as described in the table below:

As is typically the case with natural products, tradeoffs must be made:  if you want to avoid “synthetic” chemicals you’ll have to accept a limited number of color choices. (That’s because iron oxides, the mineral pigments used to provide color, are only available in a few reddish-brownish-yellowish shades.) You’ll also have to give up long lasting color because these iron oxides don’t stain the lips like synthetic dyes do. Are these good trade-offs to make? Maybe, but we can’t make that value judgement for you. We can only try to frame the question and provide a few helpful facts.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Unfortunately there is no easy, one-size-fits-all answer to your question.  Whether or not so-called natural lipstick is a good value depends on what’s most important to you. If you want to limit potential intake of “chemicals” (even though the best science available doesn’t indicate that this is a significant risk) AND if you don’t mind a limited number of “earth-tone” colors, then a “100% Natural” product may be a good choice for you. But,  you’ll need to spend more for those benefits.

What do YOU think? Are you willing to spend more for products that say they are natural? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

Image credit: farm1.static.flickr.com

References:
Avon website
Bare Minerals website

Avon

OCTINOXATE, DIISOSTEARYL FUMARATE, SQUALANE, POLYBUTENE, BARIUM SULFATE, OZOKERITE, MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX/CIRE, MICROCRISTALLINE, DI-C12-15 ALKYL FUMARATE, POLYETHYLENE, ZEA MAYS (CORN) STARCH, CETYL ALCOHOL, PETROLATUM, CALCIUM, SODIUM BOROSILICATE, SILICA, ALLANTOIN, BEESWAX/CIRE D’ABEILLE, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, CHOLESTERYL/BEHENYL/OCTYLDODECYL LAUROYL GLUTAMATE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, GLYCERIN, HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, BEHENYL ERUCATE, LAUROYL LYSINE, ALOE BARBADENSIS EXTRACT, ALLYL METHACRYLATES CROSSPOLYMER, LECITHIN, ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, GLYCINE SOJA (SOYBEAN) OIL, HYDROGENATED STARCH HYDROLYSATE, RETINOL, PEG-80 SORBITAN LAURATE, ACRYLATES/CARBAMATE COPOLYMER, SACCHAROMYCES LYSATE EXTRACT. C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE, COLLAGEN, ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE, HYALURONIC ACID, TRIBEHENIN, RETINYL PALMITATE, NIACINAMIDE POLYPEPTIDE, PANTOTHENIC ACID POLYPEPTIDE, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, RIBOFLAVIN POLYPEPTIDE, BIOTIN POLYPEPTIDE, PYRIDOXINE POLYPEPTIDE, THIAMINE POLYPEPTIDE. ASCORBYL PALMITATE, FOLIC ACID POLYPEPTIDE, CYANOCOBALAMIN POLYPEPTIDE, BETA-CAROTENE. PALMITOYL OLIGOPEPTIDE, MICA, IRON OXIDES, RED 7 LAKE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, RED 6 LAKE, BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE, RED 33 LAKE, YELLOW 5 LAKE, YELLOW 6 LAKE, BLUE 1 LAKE, RED 27 LAKE, CARMINE, YELLOW 10 LAKE, ORANGE 5 LAKE, RED 21 LAKE, RED 40 LAKE, RED 30 LAKE

Bare Minerals

Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Barium Sulfate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Wax, Tocopheryl Acetate, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Silica, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Hordeum Vulgare Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Mica, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Carmine (CI 75470)

Product Girl raved about the new Carmex Moisture Plus Tints. She loves the color and says that “not the same Carmex you grew up with. It still has that familiar smell.” How did they keep the classic Carmex scent in a new lip color? Let’s look at the label to see.

Ingredients

Active Ingredients: Octinoxate (5.8%), Oxybenzone (4.8%).
Sunscreens.

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract (Aloe Butter)
Moisturizer.

Beeswax
Wax that gives the product thickness and structure.  

Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter Fruit)
Natural emollient to smooth and soften lips.

C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters
Emulsifiers that also provide slip and emolliency

Camphor
One of three “magic” ingredients that give that unique Carmex quality.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Another emulsifier/emollient; derived from coconut oil.

Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
Natural oils that moisturize lips.

Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Mild skin smoothing ester that helps disperse lip color. 

Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax
Another bodifying wax. 

Flavor
This gives the product its plum or berry flavor. 

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollients, spreading agents.

Lecithin
Natural emulsifier.

Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil
Emollient/moisturizer.

Meadowfoam Delta-Lactone
Moisturizing ingredient that reduces water loss through the skin. 

Menthol
The second of three Carmex-scented ingredients.

Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil Unsaponifiables
Waxy materials that contribute to the texture of the product. 

Ozokerite
A third wax.

Palmitoyl Oligopeptide
Anti-aging ingredient that can supposedly increase collagen and elastin production.

Paraffin
Another waxy material. This one comes from petrochemicals. 

Persea Gratissima (Avocado Butter)
Natural moisturizer. 

Phenol
The third and final ingredient that makes this product distinctly “Carmex-y.” 

PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
Still more oily materials to provide lip slip.

Saccharin
Lo-cal sweetener.

Sorbitan Isostearate, Sorbitan Tristearate
Emulsifiers.

Tocopheryl Linoleate (Vitamin E Linoleate)
Antioxidant, may also provide some moisturization.

Tribehenin
A smoothing lubricant and humectant.

Titanium Dioxide (CI 778912), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090)
Coloring agents.

Image credit: CVS.com

Palacinka Beauty is a little freaked out by cooling makeup but is starting to warm up to the idea of Clinique Lid Smoothies. What makes this eye make up feel so cool? Let’s look at the label to find out.

Ingredients

Water
Solvent.

Dimethicone
Silicone to give lids a smooth feel.

Isododecane
A volatile hydrocarbon, that means it will  evaporate and make your eyelids feel cooler. (I had expected to see some kind of menthol derivative to give a cooling effect but that’s not a good idea to use around the eyes – this is a much better solution.)

Methyl Trimethicone
Silicone based emulsifier.

Trimethylsiloxyslicate, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Spreading agents.

Polysilicone-11
Slip and smooth agent.

Glycerin
Another humectant.

Magneseum Myristate
Emulsifier.

Copernicia Cerifera

Wax, Silica,Microcrystalline wax
Gives the product body and controls spreadability. 

Butylene Glycol
Humectant.

PEG-10 Dimethicone
Emulsifier/silicone for slip and smooth feel. 

Cucumber fruit extract
Hey, you put cucumber slices on your eyes to reduce puffiness so this extract must help keep your lids smooth, right? Wrong! 

Carrot Root Extract, Spinach leaf extract, Broccoli Extract, Blueberry Fruit Extract
Other useless extracts that look good on the label.

Caffeine
Keeps your eyelids stimulated so you don’t fall asleep. Just kidding, this extract really does nothing. 

Aloe Barbadenisis Leaf Water
Looks good on the label.

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Supposedly relaxes muscle contractions to help prevent wrinkle formation.

Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Gives the product body and feel. 

Ozokerite
Wax thickener.

Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Hexyl Laurate
Emulsifiers.

Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifier/silicone for slip and smooth feel. 

Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant, may help protect the product but won’t do much for your skin.

Dipropylene Glycol
Humectant, keeps the product from drying out.

Sodium Chloride
Thickener.

Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol
Preservatives.

Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Bismuth Oxychloride
Opacifier to help the cover skin better and sparkly bits to make it shimmer.

Iron Oxides
Colorant (Iron Oxides are one of the few colorants approved for use around the eye.)

Image credit: Amazon.com