The Beauty Brains

Are Vitamins Good For Nails?

Left Brain — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:01:20 +0000

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.

Beauty Science For Valentines Day

thebeautybrains — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:25:19 +0000

Today’s post is a shout out for anyone looking for a good Valentines Day present for their beauty-obsessed, science-geeky gal pals.

Flowers and candy are always nice on Valentines Day, but, being chemists, the Beauty Brains also like presents that combine two of our favorite hobbies (beauty science and kissing.) Like this “Make Your Own Lip Balm Kit!”

It’s got everything you need to build your own lip lock laboratory of love – including skin-softening emollients, yummy flavors, and other ingredients that we talked about in our post on how lip gloss works.

Have you tried any DIY cosmetic kits? Leave a comment and share with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

Are Ceramic and Ionic Hair Dryers Different?

Right Brain — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 06:01:00 +0000

Lux would like to learn…What is the benefit to using an ionic hair dryer or a ceramic hair dryer? I’ve heard that you can blow dry more quickly by using an ionic or ceramic dryer. Is this true? How does it work?

The Right Brain accommodates:
The quick answer is that “ionic” doesn’t mean anything in terms of speed of hair drying. Ionic refers to the charged components that a chemical can be broken down to. For example, when table salt (sodium chloride) dissolves in water you get sodium ions and chloride ions. Ions can also be released under conditions of high temperature or high energy. But even if your blow dryer did bombard your hair with ions, those charged particles wouldn’t have any effect on how long it takes your hair to dry.

Ceramic dryers (meaning dryers with a ceramic heating element) can heat up faster and more evenly than some other types, so maybe your hair will dry a little quicker because of that. But that’s only because you spend less time waiting for the dryer to warm up. And that’s not very much time!

The Beauty Brains bottom line

We haven’t seen any data to show that ionic hair drying appliances are better than any other kind. But ceramic dryers might offer you a faster, more consistent heat source. If any of our Beauty Brainiacs (as we affectionately refer to our readers) have experience with ionic or ceramic dryers, please let us know.

(BTW, is it my imagination or is the woman in this picture having just a little too much fun with that hair dryer device?)

How Can I Treat Back Acne?

Right Brain — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 06:01:53 +0000

Pam Ponders…I have a persistent back acne problem and my dermatologist recommended Clindamycin solution and Ketoderm cream to treat it. Do they really work? How? (By the way my back acne has not improved at all).

The Right Brain responds:

Clindamycin is an antibiotic cream that is frequently prescribed for severe acne. Why? Because one of the causes of acne is bacteria and antibiotics kill bacteria. So, although not everyone responds the same, it does make sense to try it as a treatment approach.

Ketoderm is an antifungal cream, which is not typically used as a treatment for acne since acne is not caused by a fungus. The Beauty Brains are not doctors and we’d never contradict something your doctor tells you, but you might ask why he or she is prescribing an antifungal for a non-fungal induced condition.

Here’s another over the counter treatment you might try: According to acne-resource.org concentrated Benzoyl Peroxide (10%) is good for bacne, as they call it. While this high dosage might irritate your face, the skin on your back is thicker and less likely to be irritated. Finally, you might try changing your wardrobe. Some sources say that tight clothing or chafing from backpack or purse can irritate the skin and trigger inflammation.

The Beauty Brains Blog Blast

thebeautybrains — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:01:32 +0000

Our Friday faves from around the web:

A Girl’s Gotta Spa is worried that Beyonce’s new fragrance may make her fall out of her dress.

A Mom in Red High Heels shares her ultimate dating tool.

Afrobella is all over the fiercest Barbi ever. (Check out the pics.)

All About the Pretty is feasting pretty with Pioneer Women Cooks.

The Beauty Brains are knowledgeable about No Poo. Are you?