This month Mid Brain reports on new cosmetic science stories while the Left and Right Brains take time off to work on the new Beauty Brains book.

Mid Brain reports:

It sounds sketchy to me, but here’s a new hair care product designed to prevent acne: Kairos Anti-acne Hair Care Treatment.

The active ingredient is Salicylic acid, a legitimate anti-acne ingredient (that has anti-dandruff properties as well.) But I don’t get it. It’s a shampoo so I see how it could help control acne on your scalp. But is scalp acne really a big problem? I usually don’t get zits on the top of my head. Or, are you supposed to wash your face with it while you wash your hair so it’s a kind of two in one product? Sounds more like a marketing gimmick than a product breakthrough to me.

What do YOU think? Would you use an anti-acne shampoo? Leave a comment and share your pimply prose with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

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.

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.)

Christina’s question: Any comments please on Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel?

The Right Brain’s cup of tea:

Before I can comment I have to answer this question: what IS Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel?

Very Ginvera

Ginvera Marketing Enterprise is a Kuala Lumpur based company that markets over 90 beauty care products in Malaysia and other parts of the Far East. Their Green Tea Marvel Gel was introduced in 1985 and is a popular blackhead treatment in that part of the world. The product appears to be a fairly straightforward alpha hydroxy acid treatment thickened with acrylic acid polymers (Carbomer.) Here are the ingredients:

Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract, Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Powder, Germanium Velvet Deerhorn Extract, Lycium Extract, Angelica Archangelicae Extract, Carbomer, Alpha Hydroxy Acids, Methyl Paraben, Menthol, Cyclomethicone (and) Dimethicone, Fragrance, Delonised Water.

Marvelous marketing

Now for my comment – this product makes ridiculous claims. Here are two examples from Ginvera’s website:

1. Only Ginvera can remove deep layers of dead cells and blackheads.

2. Dermatologists say” blackheads dead skin are the major cause of skin problems such as enlarged pores, acne, pigmentation, wrinkles, dry rough dull and aging skin.”

Come on! This maybe a perfectly fine acne treatment, but there’s no basis for a superiority claim like #1. And as far as #2 is concerned, the last time we checked, dermatologists do NOT attribute bad skin pigmentation and wrinkles to blackheads.  Ginvera’s really gone overboard with claims that would not be permissible in mainstream markets like the US or EU. Nonetheless, a number of beauty blogs are raving about this product, so you might try it and find that  you like it. But don’t spend a lot of money just because they tell you it’s a marvel.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Ginvera Green Tea Marvel Gel, like a zillion other alpha hydroxy acid products, may do a marvelous job of controlling acne. But the company only loses crediblity when it makes outrageous claims like the ones cited above.

What’s your favorite acne product? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

Diane declares…I just wonder whether those acne devices are really effective? Are they?

Right Brain responds:

Some time ago Sarah did a raving review about the Thermaclear anti acne device in which she stated “…it does work, although it’s not 100% effective.” Her skin always looks great, so who really knew whether it was the device or just the luck of her genetic draw.

Despite the fact that Thermaclear…

1. Was FDA approved for safety
2. Was FDA approved for effectiveness based on clinical trials
3. People who use it swear it works
4. Is a top seller at Sephora

…it is hard to believe this gadget had much effect. After all, if you do nothing to a pimple it goes away right?

Acne Device Science

This article entitled Evidence for Laser- and Light-Based Treatment of Acne Vulgaris from the September 08 Journal Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery (Left Brain’s idea of light reading) provides some interesting scientific information. From it, the FDA website and some information provided by Thermaclear, we’ve put together these seven facts that will help answer the question.

1. Try Topical Treatments first

No comparison studies were done but the article suggests we should try things like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid first. It seems like they think these will usually be more effective. But Thermaclear is thought to be faster and effective for people who don’t respond to topical treatments.

2. Thermaclear works in three ways

Laser/light therapy works to stop acne by killing the bacteria that causes it, reducing sebum production and suppressing the anti-inflammatory skin processes. It does this by sending a blast of a short thermal pulse into the effected area.

3. Clinical studies show effectiveness

According to the report, laser/light therapies are effective for treating certain kinds of acne. Although most of the studies had a small number of participants, at least some were randomized, blinded studies.

4. Safer than UV exposure

The idea of creating these devices got started because people long thought that sun exposure could reduce acne. Of course, its effectiveness for this purpose was never proven. Certainly, it isn’t a safe option consider the cancer / wrinkle risk. These laser/light devices like Thermaclear turned out to be a better option.

5. FDA approved

The FDA has approved dozens of devices like Thermaclear so the fact that it is approved doesn’t mean much. However, it does mean that the company showed government scientists at least some compelling clinical data to support using it to treat acne.

6. Works faster than no treatment

This is a claim from the company but it is probably from the clinical studies given to the FDA as proof. Unfortunately, they used a trick common to most cosmetic product makers. In their studies they answered the question “Does this product work?” But they didn’t answer the question that everyone desperately wants to know. Namely, “Does this product work better than other products on the market?” We still don’t know about that.

7. Does not work on all acne

One thing Thermaclear makers admit is that the device will not work on all types of acne. If you have blackheads, whiteheads, or serious acne, Thermaclear is not for you. But if you have mild blemishes, you should see results.

Beauty Brains Bottom Line

Scientific studies show that these acne devices are actually effective. You should try standard creams first but if you’re not having luck, try something like Thermaclear Acne Clearing Device.

Have you tried one of these acne devices? Did it work for you? Leave a comment and let the rest of the Beauty Brains community know.

Click here to learn more about Thermaclear