Evie Asks:
I read that antibacterial soaps aren’t any better than plain soap. Does that mean the Dial has been lying to me?

The Right Brain replies:
According to a University of Michigan study, antibacterial soaps are no better than regular soap when it comes to killing bacteria. Even worse, Triclosan (the antibacterial agent in typical hand soaps) may even help some bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics like amoxicillin.

Is Anti-bacterial soap really pro-bacteria?

The study, published in the August edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases reviews 27 studies conducted between 1980 and 2006, and found that the kinds of Triclosan-based antibacterial soaps sold to consumers were no better than plain soaps for removing bacteria and for preventing symptoms of infectious diseases.

Furthermore, the study, led by U-M School of Public Health’s Allison Aiello, found that e-coli bacteria could survive exposure to the low levels of Triclosan used in consumer products.

Was Dial lying?

Not necessarily. Triclosan is recognized to be an effective antimicrobial agent. In fact, hospitals-grade products use Triclosan at higher, more efficacious, levels. But apparently whatever testing was done by Dial (and other companies that sell antibacterial soaps) didn’t fully reflect real world usage conditions. Remember, the FDA does not control the amount of Triclosan in antibacterial soaps for consumers nor do they regulate any testing. According to the article, this U-M study is the first time the effects of these soaps were studied clinically.

What does this mean for you?

Don’t be lazy when you wash you hands! Regular soap and water work wonders as long as you don’t skimp on the scrubbing. But if you’re still bothered by bugs, consider using a hand sanitizer like Jao. (It’s made with essential oils! It’s expensive! It’s Jao!) According to the researchers, alcohol-based products like this are not an issue.

Jennifer has a question about using facial cleansers as moisturizers. I`ve heard a dermatologist say to use Aquanil to cleanse and to moisturize any dry patches. I use a product called Cerave as a cleanser and I`m wondering if it`s okay to use that as a moisturizer? I`m worried that using a cleanser/detergent on my face might irritate it or cause redness.” The Left Brain responds:

I totally agree with you Jen - it doesn’t make sense to leave ANY detergent-containing product on the skin as a moisturizer. Especially one like Aquanil that contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. The Cerave product looks like it would be a pretty mild cleanser because it doesn`t contain any of the standard harsh detergents, but some of those ingredients could be irritating too if left in contact with your skin. You’re better off finding a mild lotion and using that to moisturize.

What`s most puzzling to me is this: why would any dermatologist recommend using a detergent-containing product as a moisturizer when there are so many excellent facial lotions on the market? Has anyone else in the Beauty Brains community heard this recommendation?

The Beauty Brains are always on the look out for interesting new products and here`s one from Taiwan: It`s called Chian-Chian Bamboo Literary Physics Wash Facial Gel.

We have to admit we have no idea what Bamboo Literary Physics means but it appeals to us in a cool science-geek sort of way. Actually, with further reading we found out that the product is made with bamboo literary liquid but that didn’t really help explain very much.

All these literary references aside, the product is said to remove unnecessary sebum and dirt, leaving skin smooth and bright. At least that sounds pretty normal.

But here`s the best part: It`s made by the Jingledye Cosmetics company. Jingledye - we just love that name! In fact, the Left Brain even made up a song for this company. Just hum Jingle Bells to yourself and read along:

Jingle Dye, Jingle Dye, Jingle All the Way.
Oh what fun it is to use
Bamboo to wash my face. Hey!

Nice song, Left. But I’d rather read about Celebrity Scars than listen to you sing Karaoke again!

We here at the Beauty Brains have previously described the chemistry of surfactants.

But here’s a cute story from the Science Creative Quarterly about a chemistry professor who explains how soap and surfactants work to his 3-year old daughter. So, how many of you could relate to the daughter? Sometimes we chemists get a bad rep for being high-brow. And why did they make the chemist a Dad. Don’t they know that Mom’s are chemists too?

Cheong`s Facing A Facial:
Do I really need to get a facial to get a perfect complexion or is just cleansing and moisturizing at home enough? If I do need facials, how often should I get them?

The Right Brain Replies:
The first question is: why should you get a facial in the first place? What good does it really do? The answer depends on what kind of facial you get and who does it.

According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, Facial rejuvenation can effectively reduce wrinkles, treat sun spots, tighten loose skin, improve skin tone and color, remove blotchiness, and eliminate damaged blood vessels. They discuss 9 types of facial treatments including the use of Topical Products; Fillers and Botox; Chemical Peels; Dermabrasion and Microdermabrasion; Laser Resurfacing; Radiofrequency Technologies; Photodynamic Therapy; Surgical Excision; and Liposuction. If your complexion is really messed up, you may need one or more of these procedures to get it back in shape.

Most of these procedures must be performed by a doctor but a beautician or aesthetician can help you with topical products, chemical peels, and dermabrasion. Depending on the condition of your skin, these treatments may need to be repeated for best results. There`s no way to know how many treatments you`ll need or how often you`ll need them without actually examining your skin.

If your complexion just needs a touch up then you really only need basic facial care like cleansing, exfoliation, massage, and extraction of blackheads. If that`s all your skin needs, The Beauty Brains say that there`s no reason you can`t do that yourself at home. Of course, it`s always more pampering to have someone do it for you, but there`s no technical reason you couldn`t do it yourself. (Oh, and if you`re wondering about speciality treatments like oxygen mists or collagen sheets that spas offer, don`t worry about them too much. While they may feel great, they have little functional effect on your skin.)

Jeloel`s Asking About Acne:
Which is better: washing oily face with washcloth or without? Many people say that a washcloth is a better exfoliator for oily skin… I don’t have very good results AT ALL with any face washes, even ProActive. I don’t use a washcloth, because in the past I saw no results. What should I do?

The Left Brain`s Reply:
First, washcloths do provide more exfoliation than just washing with your hands. But than can be good or bad depending on the state of your acne. A washcloth or scrubbing cloth can help keep your pores from clogging and prevent blemishes from forming.

But if you already have a full blown zit, the washcloth may be too rough for it. You might actually be making it worse! In that case you`re better off using an acne medication. OTC products like Proactive contain proven acne fighting ingredients like Salicylic Acid. If that`s not working for you, you might try a post-facial wash cream with Benzoyl Peroxide.

However, despite your best efforts, zits can persist. Consult a dermatologist to find out if you need to take antibiotics to get rid of the bacteria that can cause acne.

Creative Theorist Has A Creative Question:
Hi Beauty brains! I just love your website! I`ve been using the Sense facial care product line from Usana for quite a bit a time now, and I can say they have the best products I`ve used. They have quite a lot of plant extracts in their formulas, but after reading your blog for a long time, they probably do not work. So what is it that makes the products work so well? Is the cleanser gentle because it has no SLS in it? And does the wax beadlets in the Rice Bran Polisher better than synthetic microbeads in normal skin exfoliators? And finally (phew!) does the perfecting essence really do anything? Also, I hope you guys can give me some information cheaper products that are compatible with these more expensive ones.

The Left Brain Replies:
Whew! You asked for a lot of information; I`ll try to give you some simple answers.

Gentle Cleanser:
This formula does contain mild functional surfactants such as sucrose cocoate and PEG-7 glyceryl cocoate. But it also contains foaming ingredients like yucca and soapwart that are in the formula because they sound good, not because they are very functional. Similarly, it contains natural extracts that sound good but which don`t really have any benefit in a rinse off cleanser, like Green tea leaf, Clary sage, and soybean protein.

Rice bran polisher:
There`s nothing magical about wax beadlets. I`ve seen good products formulated with wax beads, synthetic microbeads, and even natural abrasives like walnut shells. It just depends on the type of exfoliation that you like.

Perfecting essence:
This product makes some outrageous claims about providing skin tissue building blocks. It may be a perfectly fine moisturizer, but I wouldn`t expect much more than that.

Finally, there are many cheaper products out there for you to try, you really don`t have to worry about whether or not they`re compatible. It`s really more a question of your taste, budget, and what works for your skin. We hope this helps, you can also check out the reviews by the Cosmetics Cop.

Laurie Longs To Know:
Why does Ivory soap float?

The Right Brain Responds:
Your question reminds us of that old joke: How do you make Ivory soap float? Take two scoops of ice cream and add a bar of Ivory soap. Ha!

But seriously, for years Ivory has built it’s reputation on the tagline “so pure it floats.” The reality is, it has less to do with purity and everything to do with air bubbles. Ivory has a whipped texture that traps air; the air makes the soap less dense than water so it floats.

The Ivory website has some interesting background on the product if you want to learn more. It’s good clean fun. Ha!!

Elisa Inquires:
I’ve been using facial cleanser for years and it seems to be removing my makeup & getting my face clean. However, I’ve been hearing a lot about cleansing oil and the claims that it cleans your face better, but my problem is that you still have to use some kind of soap or water-compatible cleanser afterward to get rid of the oil. I know there might be something to this since I’ve also used cold cream for years as an eye makeup remover before I wash, but I’m a bit skeptical.

The Right Brain Replies:
In case you didn`t know, we have written about this question before. (Click here to read our original post on the Oil Cleansing Method. ) But since the Left Brain is so slow in transferring all our old posts to this new site, I`ll do a quick recap for you.

Many women do use a mixture of clean oils (usually olive and castor oil) to remove dirty oil from their skin. This makes sense when you consider the gunk you`re trying to remove from your face is, to a large extent, oil soluble.

The trick is how to remove the oil residue that`s left over after the process. The most common practice is to simply wipe it off with a clean cloth. This process does leave a small amount of oil behind on your skin, which is fine if your skin is dry and you need to moisturize. What you don`t want to do it wash with soap or cleansers afterwards. This defeats the purpose. But if you feel compelled to wash with soap or detergent based cleanser after cleaning with oil, you’re pretty much defeating the purpose of using the oil cleansing method in the first place. And if that’s the case, this method may not be for you.

Jess Just Wants To Know: I have had large pores for as long as I remember. What products really work to shrink facial pores?

The Right Brain’s Reply:

Unfortunately, none. At first glance, you may think that pore control products offer to make your pores smaller, but if you read the label carefully you’ll see that in most cases they just claim to reduce the appearance of large pores. That may sound like a subtle distinction but it’s really not. There’s not much you can do to physically make your pores smaller but you can avoid making them look larger. Instead of looking for “shrinking” products, try avoiding these 5 factors that can make pores look plump:

1. Skin debris…

…like dead skin cells can collect in pores making them appear bigger. Good facial cleansing is key to staying debris-free.

2. Excessive oiliness…

…can keep pores filled with a layer of oil that accentuates their appearance. Consider using oil-absorbing makeup or more frequent cleansing or blotting.

3. Bacterial growth…

…contribute to blackheads and make pores appear freakishly huge. Exfolliation can help.

4. Sun exposure…

…can thicken the skin cells around the edge of pores making them appear larger. Using a sunscreen or limiting your sun exposure is a good idea.

5. Genetics…

…determines your skin type and if you`re unlucky enough to be born with oily, thicker skin your pores will probably be more noticeable. Changing your parents could help this but is probably not a very practical solution.