Kim Ray’s question… I was wondering if mixing equal parts of sunscreen with lotion would yield the same benefit as applying both separately.  I want the higher SPF of actual sunscreen and the stronger moisturizer of the lotion. It is really hard to find a product that delivers on both.

The Right Brain responds:

We appreciate how tough it is to find SPF lotions that strike the right balance of moisturization and protection but we don’t recommend that you mix sunscreens with lotion. Here’s why…

Two reasons not to mix SPF lotion

First, as we pointed out in our post on The Wrong Way to Apply Sunscreen, certain ingredients that are commonly used in skin care products can interfere with the way UV absorbers deposit/spread on the skin. The last thing you want to do is compromise the performance of the active ingredient in a sunscreen. Not only are you wasting money but more importantly you’re increasing your risk of sunburn or worse!

Second, as Vananners pointed out in our Forum, if you mix an SPF lotion with a non-sunscreen product you’re essentially diluting the sunscreen. So if you mix your products 50/50 you’d have to use twice as much of the mixture to get the same protective effect. And that’s going to make your skin greasy feeling.

The Beauty Brains  bottom line

We’d recommend you keep looking for a sunscreen that provides the right level of moisture for you. Does anyone out there in the Beauty Brains community have any suggestions for Kim Ray?

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Cee Cee says…I usually wash my face with the cheaper drug store brands but my friends swear by the more expensive Clinique Liquid Facial Soap. Is there something about this product that makes it worth the extra money?

The Right Brain replies:

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap (which sells for $18.00 sells for 6.7 ounces) is formulated with sodium laureth sulfate, a milder cousin of sodium lauryl sulfate, as the primary cleansing agent.  It also contains seven or eight additional secondary cleansers and conditioning agents. Here’s the ingredient list if you want to make a full comparision.

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap ingredients

Water purified, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium chloride, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, lauramidopropyl betaine, sodium cocoyl sarcosinate, TEA-cocoyl glutamate, di-PPG-2 myreth-10 adipate, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, PEG-120 methyl glucose dioleate, sucrose, sodium hyaluronate, cetyl triethylmonium dimethicone PEG-8 succinate, tocopheryl ethyl succinate ethyldimonium ethosulfate, butylene glycol, matricaria, hexylene glycol, polyquaternium-7, laureth 2, caprylyl glycol, sodium sulfate, EDTA, disodium EDTA, sodium benzoate, phenoxyethanol.

Are there other products that are cheaper? Sure. Freeman, for example, has a simpler primary surfactant and it’s about half the cost.

Freeman Foaming Facial Cleanser Ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Chamomila Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Witch Hazel Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Rice Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Grape Seed Oil, Panthenol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamidopropyl PG Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Methylchloroisothiazoline, Methylisothiazolinone, Limonene, Linalcol, Fragrance

While the Freeman product contains multiple natural extracts, it’s cleansing system is not as sophisticated as Clinique’s. Plus, it contains fragrance which is a no-no for products designed for sensitive skin. Finally,  Freeman’s packaging is not as upscale  as Clinique’s shiny chrome pump and frosted bottle.  So with Clinique you’re not only paying for a more sophisticated formula but also the aesthetics and style of the Clinique name.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Clinique is a very well formulated and nicely packaged product even though it may be a bit expensive for some people. The good news is there are plenty of other alternatives. As always, we suggest you experiment with a few different products to determine what’s right for your skin. You don’t have to buy a more expensive product just because your friends tell you it’s better.

What do YOU look for in a facial cleanser? Mildness? How well it moisturizes your skin? Or just how well it gets rid of makeup? Leave a comment about your fave face wash for the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

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Kitten divine from the forums says…I’m having a little trouble finding a deodorant that I like. The problem is that they all leave white marks in my t-shirts. I’ve tried different brands and I always pick the one that claims to leave no white marks, so I really don’t get it. So what I wanted to ask is what causes the white marks? Does it make a difference whether you use a spray, a roll-on or a stick formula? Are they’re certain ingredients you have to avoid to prevent them? And is they’re a difference between regular deodorants and antiperspirants when it comes to white marks?

Left Brain’s residual retort
The solution to this problem is simple…wear white t-shirts. Of course, this will severely restrict your fashion options and totally ruin any Goth look you might be going for so let’s see what else you might try.

First, see this link for a quick primer on the differences between antiperspirants and deodorants.  Essentially, AP stops you from sweating, Deodorants stop you from smelling.

What causes the white marks?

There is a variety of things that can be causing the white marks. Let’s start with antiperspirants. The primary ingredients that make antiperspirants work are aluminum salts including aluminum chlorohydrates, aluminum zirconium chlorohydrates, and aluminum chloride. In the United States, these have been deemed by the FDA as “generally recognized as safe and effective” and are the only ones allowed for use in stopping perspiration.

The exact mechanism by how they work has not been definitively determined, but the leading theory is that the aluminum salts form a layer that blocks and closes the sweat gland. Unfortunately, these aluminum salts can also form the white, chalky marks when they dry out.

To reduce these white marks, AP/DO makers use hydrating solvents in their formulas. However, they can’t completely eliminate the residue because the more solvent they use the less effective and aesthetically appealing the products become. No one wants to put a product under their arms that feels “wet”.

While deodorants don’t have aluminum salts, they do have other ingredients that can cause residues. These are the white, waxy materials used to deliver the active ingredients such as sodium stearate, stearyl alcohol or glyceryl stearate.

Does the type of product matter?

All AP/DO have the potential to produce a residue, but some are more likely than others. In general, dry sticks and powders will be the most likely to exhibit the problem. (They’re also the most effective at stopping wetness). Creams can also be problematic but less so than sticks. After that, roll-ons, aerosols and lotions all have about the same whitening potential.

What ingredients should you avoid?

It’s not a simple matter to just avoid specific ingredients. Whether a product causes whiteness or not depends also on the way it is manufactured and the way your body is designed. However, the following guidelines can help.

Use a deodorant

If wetness is not your problem, avoiding antiperspirants and using a deodorant is a good option.  Look for a stick like Adidas Absorbent Deo Deodorant.

Look for clear formulas

But if you can’t get away without using an antiperspirant, then try a clear formula like Mitchum Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant. This should work for most people. Ultimately, you’ll have to experiment with different brands to find what works best.

Keep your shirts clean

And if you feel like your typical washing habits aren’t removing the underarm build-up, you can try a product like Clarsskin which is supposed to do a better job of removing residue.

Beauty Brains bottom line

White residue is a natural property of antiperspirants and deodorants. It is something that cosmetic chemists continue to try and improve and things have gotten much better. Whether you get a white residue depends both on the ingredients, the way it’s manufactured, and your own person body design. To avoid the whiteness, your best bet is to keep trying different products until you find one that works.

Do you have a problem with white stains from your underarm deodorant / antiperspirant? What product have you found to stop the problem? And how do you remove the stains from your shirts?  Leave your comment below.

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Brenda is bemused….Do products that claim to reduce shiny skin oiliness really work? I was thinking of buying Murad Oil Control but I don’t want to get scammed. Can the Beauty Brains please enlighten me?

The Right Brain replies:

We always encourage the Beauty Brains community to be on skeptical alert for products that sound too good to be true, so we’d be glad to try to shine some light on the shine control claims of Murad.

Oil Control Claims

This product is a lotion that claims to provide sun protection and oil control. The sun protection part is easy: it contains 3 different FDA approved sunscreens so there’s no issue there. Understanding oil control is a bit more slippery.

According to Murad’s website, Oil-Control Mattifier SPF 15 “reduces shine on contact and keeps skin free of excess oil by up to 78% for 8 hours. Oil-Control Complex helps regulate oil production while preserving moisture to provide a long-lasting matte finish.”  That’s a pretty impressive claim, but is there any science behind this so called oil control complex?

Active ingredients

Three of the ingredients in Murad Oil Control (Argania Spinosa Kernel Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract), comprise a complex sold by the Centerchem company called “Regu-Seb.”  According to their website Regu-seb is made of  “polyphenolrich fractions from the fruits of the North American saw palmetto and South American sesame seeds in a Moroccan argan oil base. Its perfectly balanced polyphenol formula, consisting mostly of lignans and phytosterols, helps to control and reduce sebum production, especially in the T-zone area of the face.”  Centerchem cites  two research studies. The first is an in vitro study done on reconstructed epidermis that shows a dose-response-dependent inhibition of dihydrotestosteron (DHT) synthesis by Regu-Seb. Results showed that at 1% the complex could inhibit DHT synthesis 35% vs. control.  (DHT is a chemical that’s involved in oil production in skin.) The second study was done in vivo and showed that at 5% concentration, a cream with 5% of the complex reduced  the severity of seborrheic skin condition by 46% (after 30 and 90 days.) If this data is valid, there does appear to be some basis for this complex reducing oil production.

Does Murad Oil Control really work?

The fact that the supplier has data showing the complex has some effect between 1% and 5% is very encouraging but it isn’t conclusive proof of efficacy. We have no way of knowing the concentration of Regu-seb in the Murad product and we don’t know how the Murad base might effect the efficacy of the complex. But there does appear to be some science behind this proposition so we’d give Murad Oil Control a rating of:

3 Brains

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Unlike products that make “magic” claims like erasing deep wrinkles, Murad Oil Control Mattifier claims seem to have some basis in science considering the data we’ve been able to find. If you have an oily skin problem it may be worth a try.

The Beauty Brains Product Rating Scale

No Brainer
A dumb-ass ridiculous product making crazy claims without any scientific basis. Don’t waste your money.

1 Brain
We can’t find enough information from the company or in the scientific literature to indicate this product might be any better/different or not. Try at your own risk, and if you do happen to come across any legitimate technical data, let us know and we’ll blog about it.

2 Brains
A nice, basic product but with nothing to indicate it does anything special. If you can afford it, try it and you might like it. But don’t expect any extraordinary results.

3 Brains
A product making extraordinary claims which at least appear to be grounded in real science.  May be worth trying but make sure you don’t spend too much.

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Mid Brain muses:

According to this article, the Fake Bake sunless tanning market is hot. Over the last few years major skin care manufacturers have discovered how to combine a skin moisturizer with a sunless tanner to make an effective light sunless tanner that gives a steady color change. These new tech products prevent the streaking effect that has been a major drawback of traditional sunless tanners. They also provide daily moisturization so there’s a reason to use them everyday. You get healthy skin and a natural looking color.

How do sunless tanners work?

To understand sunless tanning it is helpful to have a simple understanding of skin structure. Skin is made up of two primary layers, the dermis and the epidermis. The dermis is the inside layers of the skin where all the blood vessels and living skin cells reside. Cosmetics are not supposed to have any effect on the dermis.

The epidermis is the outer layer of skin composed of numerous layers of keratinized cells. These are dead cells composed primarily of protein. Every day millions of new cells get created beneath the surface of the skin and the ones on the outer most layer are worn away. The top layer of the epidermis is called the stratum corneum and this is where skin moisturizers and sunless tanning products do there work.

DHA  to tan sunless

There are several types of sunless tanning products including lotions, sprays, and even pills. The most effective products are topical treatments that contain an ingredient called dihydroxyacetone (DHA). When cosmetic chemists create formulas with it, DHA is a clear, colorless ingredient. But this sugar molecule (derived from glycerin) has a special property in which it chemically reacts with the skin cells in the stratum corneum. After this reaction occurs, the cells change to a brownish color and you get your tan.

Incidentally, DHA is the active ingredient used in commercial spray tanning booths. According to the FDA, DHA has no known health issues and has been used in cosmetics for over 30 years.

Since the cells get naturally removed after about 7 days, the color will also be removed. That means these products have to be applied frequently to maintain the tan. That`s why these new sunless tanners have proven so popular. Since people are already moisturizing their skin everyday, now they can get a little color as an added bonus.

Of all the sunless tanning products available, only DHA-containing ones are said to be effective by the American Academy of Dermatology. Other products such as tanning accelerators that contain tyrosine or pills containing canthaxanthin have never been proven to be effective. Bronzers are effective but they are more like make-up that can be easily washed off with soap and water.

The Beauty Brains bottom line:

If you want a Fake Bake, stick to the ones that contain DHA. These products are safe and effective and produce a fairly good simulation of a tan. But if you do use these products make sure you continue to protect your skin with a sunblock. Just like a real tan, a fake tan will not protect you from the negative effects of UV exposure.

What do YOU think? Do you use sunless tanners? Leave a comment and share your fave fake bake with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

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There are so many misleading, crappy beauty websites out there it’s hard to cut through the bull. That’s why The Beauty Brains spend a lot of time scouring the web looking for interesting websites so you don’t have to. In addition to science-oriented sites  sometimes we find things that are just plain fun to try out.

Face shape

Hairstyler.com has an interesting way to classify the shape of your face. I don’t know if it really helps you pick your hairstyle, but it is interesting to find out if you’re a heart face, diamond face or Triangular face type. You simply fill out a questionnaire and they email you pictures of recommended hairstyles based on your personal preference. Check it out, it’s kind of cool.
Face it here!

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Rachael ruminates…I recently broke out with a whole bunch of pimples on my face. I’ve never had a problem with zits at all.  I have fair skin and its never really been a problem. I did however start using a new foundation called Boots No7 All Day Flawless Wear, prior to the breakout.  I have since then stopped using it and nothing seems to help. Does anyone know what could cause me to breakout so bad, and what can I do for it?

The Right Brain responds:

It’s really hard to say what causes any specific person to suddenly breakout. Of course heredity is important. Hormonal swings and medication changes are potential factors. Diet may also play a factor, but the jury is still out on that one. And now, according to one dermatologist, we may  have another potential pimple precursor: the global recession.

Stress acne

Stress can contribute to skin problems, so it’s not such a leap of faith to consider that the current stressful economic environment could be causing an increase in acne eruptions. That’s the theory put forth by Dr. Jeanine Downie, director of image Dermatology and author of “Beautiful Skin of Color.” Dr. Downie claims to have seen a recent increase in patients which may be due to stress, longer work days, and the economic malaise we’re all experiencing.  We’re not sure if this is recognized as a cause of acne among dermatologists in general, but it does give us an excuse to post a picture of the Mona Lisa with zits.

How To Treat Acne

As we’ve previously discussed, the Beauty Brains have seen enough data to convince us that Thermaclear is an effective anti-acne device. It’s an FDA-reviewed device that is proven to  accelerate acne healing, cutting in half the time it takes to say “bye-bye” to blemishes. ThermaClear works using patented Thermal Pulse Technology^TM which sends heat deep under the skin and neutralizes acne-causing bacteria.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

We’re not sure if your zits are caused by economic woes, but from all the data we’ve seen Thermaclear is an effective way to treat pimples.

Click here to learn more about Thermaclear

What do YOU think? Do you see more zits when your stress level rises? Leave a comment and share your stressful stories with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

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Mid Brain muses:

Blondes allegedly have more fun but brunettes are healthier because their darker coloration protects them from getting skin cancer, right?

Sun tan and skin cancer

Wrong. According to a report at Science Daily new genetic research indicates that hair color is NOT a good predictor of skin cancer.  Historically scientists thought that certain characteristics associated with having dark hair (dark eye color, not prone to freckles, tanning after repeated sun exposure or tanning without burning meant that you were less likely to develop melanoma. But now they’ve found that regardless of hair color, people with certain MC1R gene variants have a more than two-fold risk of melanoma.  Science Daily says: “Traditionally, a clinician might look at a person with dark hair who did not sunburn easily and classify them as lower risk for melanoma, but that may not be true for all people in the population.”

Unfortunately, as of now, there is no simple screening test for the MC1R gene.  But if one is developed it could be a powerful tool in the battle against melanoma.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

I was suprised to read this study because I thought increased risk of skin cancer could have explained the report from the World Health Organization that predicts that blondes will become extinct within 200 years.

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Mo muses…I just came across this cleanser & moisturizer by Sebamed called “Clear Face.” The cleanser claims to kill bacteria from 100,000 to Zero in 5 minutes. Is this good for Rosacea ?

The Right Brain responds:

According to Sebamed’s website, Clear Face contains “the new active ingredient Montaline C40, based on coconut oil, [that] reduces the number of bacteria from 100,000 to zero in 5 minutes.” While it sounds impressive, Montaline C40 is just the brand name of a relatively new surfactant: Cocamidopropyl betainamide MEA chloride. It’s a mild foamer that purportedly has anti-bacterial properties. Are we impressed that it can kill a hundred thousand bacteria in 5 minutes?   Not really. Even though it sounds better than my top score in Halo, that number doesn’t necessarily mean that Clear Face is different than other anti-bacterial face washes. Here’s why…

Sanitized by Sebamed

I’m not a microbiologist, but I do know that by law, sanitizers must kill 99.999% of a specific bacteria test population. This is known as a 5 log reduction. So if you have 100,000 bacteria and you killed 99.999% of them you’d have 1 bacterium left. That’s pretty damn close to zero so I suspect that’s where their claim comes from. In other words, their active ingredient hits the minimum efficacy to be able to say it’s bactericidal. But there are other things to consider when playing the bacteria counting game  – you need to know if it’s killing the right bacteria and how fast those will grow back.

Roseacea is rough

What does this mean for rosacea?  As we blogged before, there are many factors that contribute to the red face regret of rosacea.  According to Rosacea.org one particular type of bacteria found on Demodex mites can prompt an inflammatory rosacea response. So an anti-bacterial agent may be helpful.  Perhaps more critical is the harshness of the detergents you use on your skin. Using a mild face wash can certainly help but without further data it’s impossible for us to tell if Sebamed’s Clear Face would be milder overall that what you’re currently using. You might want to check with your dermatologist on that one.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Sebamed seems to be a reputable product despite their flashy, numbers-based claim.  If they’re following the OTC monograph for acne (in the US) then it should be at least as good as other anti-acne products. Determining if it will help your rosacea from flaring up can only be determined by experimentation (after appropriate consultation with your derm, of course.)

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Left Brain reports breaking news from the UK…

Some time ago, there was a news story that reported Boots anti wrinkle cream actually worked. This caused a run on the product and it was quickly imported to the US where it sold great. Unfortunately, a news report is hardly proof of anything so we were a bit skeptical.

Anti wrinkle study

To their credit, the Boots company didn’t stop there. According to this BBC story, they were so certain their product worked, they actually hired a university to do a double-blind, placebo controlled study to prove it. This kind of study is what pharmaceutical companies are required to do to prove new drugs work so it’s the best.

The results of that study just came out and it shows that the Boots No7 Refine and Rewind Intense Perfecting Serum actually had an effect compared to a placebo. The study showed 43% of users saw an improvement in fine lines and wrinkles versus 22% who saw an improvement using the placebo. That means…

For 1 in 5 people, this product will reduce wrinkles

The Anti Wrinkle Study

We haven’t seen the study but it will be published in a peer reviewed journal, The British Journal of Dermatology. This is a legitimate scientific journal and should be respected. The study involved 60 participants (49 women, 11 men) and lasted for 6 months. Participants used the product each night on their hands and face. One group got the product (No7 Refine & Rewind Beauty Serum) and the other got a placebo which was the base product without the anti-aging ingredients including peptides, retinyl palmitate and lupin extract. The group that got the real product showed improved results.

Is Boots Best?

Although this study is promising, there are still a few things to consider.

1. How big is the effect? The authors demonstrate there is a noticeable effect but there’s no indication of how much. Are we talking some line reduction or major wrinkle removal?

2. Not for everyone. 43% of users saw an improvement which means 57% of users didn’t see any improvement at all. No telling who will be the lucky ones for which this product works.

3. Is it a drug? The company claims that the reason it works is because it stimulates fibrillin-1 production (a protein that promotes skin elasticity). In the US, this would fall under a drug classification because it interacts with the body’s metabolism.

4. Boots funded the study. It would be better if the funding was independent but the scientist said the paper would’ve been published no matter what the results were.  This makes this Beauty Brain a little skeptical.

Beauty Brains Bottom Line

It’s not definitive, but it looks like the Boots company has demonstrated their anti wrinkle cream (Boots No7 Refine and Rewind Intense Perfecting Serum) actually has an effect for some people. And once this gets out into the mainstream American media, you can bet it will be a lot tougher to get your hands on.

Are you convinced? Are you ready to go get your Boots anti wrinkle cream? What questions do you have about the study? Leave a comment below.

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