We’ve blogged before about nail polishes so we thought you might be interested in this video from Joanne the Science Goddess that shows the differences between quick drying and long lasting nail polishes.

It’s always fun to watch cosmetics catch on fire!

Melissa’s question…From what I understand, nails, like hair, are dead cells. Except for the cuticles. I asked a manicurist once and she told me OPI Nail Envy works because it has vitamins in it. This makes no sense to me because, even if it does have vitamins on it, how would putting vitamins on a dead cell, make any difference?

The Left Brain’s answer:
Yes, vitamins in nail products = Marketing BS.

Vitamin vitriol

However, it is worth noting that oil soluble vitamins like Vitamin E & A could help keep the nails less brittle because they would have a plasticizing effect. However, this would be true of many oils.

And, as Dano pointed out in our Forum, Dano “nails are made up of keratinized cells – dead cells jam-packed full of hard keratin protein. The same thing in the dead surface skin cells that allows them to be protective and help keep bad things out of us and good things in us. We can’t put a topical cream containing vitamins on our nails, and actually have it sink down to the cells lower down the nail, or even under the nail bed, just like we can’t spread food on our skin and get our nutrients that way.” (In the Forum thread you’ll also see Melissa’s hilarious comment about a Clinique sales person telling her to buy a certain foundation because it had “more technology.” Funny stuff!)

What do YOU think? Do you buy beauty products with vitamins because you think they’re better for your skin and hair? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

Did you know that wearing eye liner can actually make you healthier. Well, it could if  you had lived in ancient Egypt.

Love for lead

Scientists have long known that ancient Egyptians used lead based compounds in their cosmetics but they weren’t aware of the long term health risks associated with lead poisoning (such as brain damage and miscarriages.)  But now, according to ScienceNow, new research hints that their love of lead may have actually prevented some eye diseases.

The article describes how chemists working at the Louvre Museum in Paris found a synthetic lead salt in the museum’s collection of Egyptian cosmetic artifacts.  This salt is not found in nature which means that ancient Egyptians had to make it. But why? The answer might lie in ancient manuscripts that say they used lead salts to treat both eye ailments and certain skin conditions.

With further research, the researchers found that similar lead compounds could trigger skin cells to release hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, and other compounds that help the body’s immune system. You can read the entire article to understand how scientists are interpreting these results, but there does seem to be a reasonable hypothesis that the Egyptians could have used lead eye makeup to treat or prevent disease.

How, you ask, could such an ancient culture have known about such advanced medical technology? The Right Brain would tell you it’s because they were visited by space aliens. But that’s what you get for watching Fringe.

Here’s a good example of beauty and brains coming together: a gadget that allows you to attach lip balm to your watch, your cell phone, your pager, or other portable electronic device. It even works on sunglasses!

It’s called “Care4lipz” and you can read about it here. The manufacturer, First Dutch Europe B.V., offers this tiny techy tub with lip balm or lip gloss and with UV sunscreen in a variety of flavors.

It makes us wonder what opportunities there are for other miniature marvels. How about small packs of breath mints? Maybe a tiny tube of mascara?

It’s not exactly nanotechnology, but it is pretty cool! Of course, it would be cooler if they made it in pink.

Note: I just found out that  Care4Lipz went out of business and that the the original US inventor Erik Nordskog, Promo Lip Balm has re-branded the original Zebug for the North American retail market.  The product now sells under the brand name Lip Pods. Details can be found at http://www.lippods.com.

Cady’s question…Recently I was involved in a conversation with two women discussing ways to make foundation last longer. One said to use hairspray to set foundation, and the other said use antiperspirant on the face to stop sweat from ruining your makeup. They assured me this was safe. I don’t see how it could be, but what do I know? What do you think? (I was mildly horrified but did not want to expose the extent of my ignorance.)

The Right Brain replies:
In general we get nervous when we hear people recommend using a product on a part of the body it wasn’t designed for, so we share your horror.

Hairspray heresy

Using hairspray in this context doesn’t really make sense to us. Hairspray works by spraying tiny droplets that make little “weld” spots that hold hair in place. The formula is not designed to form a uniform layer on skin. Aerosol hairsprays would blast way too much product; nonaerosol sprays can be controlled better but they contain water which is exactly what you’re trying to avoid! The bottom line is: It would very difficult to apply a thin coating of hairspray to your face that would dry uniformly and leave a protective cover over your makeup. Plus, as Purple Rules pointed out in our Forum, why would you want to spray hairspray directly at your face? Not a recommended practice for sure!

Antiperspirant angst

In theory a facial antiperspirant could help reduce sweat that could cause makeup to smear.  But in reality, the waxy antiperspirant base would interfere with the makeup’s ability to adhere to the skin. This would give you a much heavier coating than primers. And while it may not be a serious issue, it’s not a good idea to use antiperspirants anyplace other that your pits. The aluminum salts can cause irritation on face especially on the thinner skin around the eyes.

Monistat magic

The only unconventional makeup “trick’ we’ve seen that makes sense from a technical point of view is using Monistat Bikini Chafing Gel as a primer. It contains a silicone that spreads easily on your skin to give your makeup a smooth “canvas.” Read our original post on Monistat if you want to learn more.

And yes, today’s picture is a car steering wheel with a makeup kit built in. How cool is that?!?

What do YOU think? Does anyone else have makeup tips to share? Leave a comment for the rest of the Beauty Brains community.