On this week’s show we talk about the date rape nail polish, stinky celebrities, and more! Plus a brand new game we call “Improbable Products.”
Show notes
Improbable Products
In this new game Randy challenges me to guess which of the following new beauty products is the fake.
- Old People’s Soap – a soap bar specially designed to neutralize the body odor produced by the elderly. It’s a necessity for nursing homes!
- Pig Perfume – a fragrance for dogs which uses pig pheromones to curb excessive barking. It’s the safe, muzzle free alternative.
- Eggshell Sunblock – a chemical free lotion that uses crushed eggshells to block UV light – for a “sunburn free eggsperience.”
Which do you think is fake? Listen to the show for the answer!
Beauty Science News
Chameleons and color changing cosmetics
Scientists have discovered how chameleons change color. Do color changing cosmetics work the same way?
Stinky celebrities versus science
According to Soft & Dri deodorant, Cameron Diaz, Matthew McConaughey and Bradley Cooper don’t use deodorant because of the “toxins that most deodorants contain.” So, Soft & Dri offers an Aluminum-Free Deodorant that is “a safe alternative, with fewer chemicals, that goes gently onto any skin type!” This approach promotes chemophobia and it’s misleading because it implies that an aluminum free deodorant will do the same thing as an aluminum based antiperspirant – which it won’t.
Is the date rape nail polish for real?
You may have seen the news about the new nail posh that can detect date rape drugs. But is this for real? Tune in to find out.
Beiersdorf, maker of Eucerin and Nivea, has developed a new compound for sensitive skin. One cause of skin irritation is when chemicals trigger nerve cells to fire – that signal is interpreted as pain or irritation. Apparently this compound, which they call Sym-sti-itve works by blocking that signal from reaching the nerve cells. They used capscicn which is pepper extract, known to be irritating. When their active is applied after the pepper extract it reduces or stops the irritation and when applied before the pepper it prevent the irritation from happening at all. This ingredient will be available in their Ultra sensive and anti-redness lines.
Is stress really bad for skin?
Everyone’s heard that stress is bad for skin but now science has as thing or two to say about it.
Is it safe to use DEET against mosquitos?
These days there’s much more concern over mosquito borne diseases like West Niles Virus and dengue fever. Fortunately, DEET is a good mosquito repellant but you’ll still hear the chemophobes complain that it’s not safe, particularly that it’s linked to brain swelling. Well, rest easy because a recent study has confirmed the safety of DEET. BTW – the study also confirmed that changes in diet (like eating lots of garlic) does NOT reduce the number of mosquito bites.
Ten innovations that might change the future of beauty – or not
It’s surprising to see what some people consider innovative. Listen to our discussion of the list and judge for yourself.

Buy your copy of It’s OK to Have Lead in Your Lipstick to learn more about:
- Clever lies that the beauty companies tell you.
- The straight scoop of which beauty myths are true and which are just urban legends.
- Which ingredients are really scary and which ones are just scaremongering by the media to incite an irrational fear of chemicals.
- How to tell the difference between the products that are really green and the ones that are just trying to get more of your hard earned money by labeling them “natural” or “organic.
Click here for all the The Beauty Brains podcasts.
Comments on this entry are closed.
I know you would like us to listen to the broadcast rather than read the show notes by the way you are withholding the answers to questions like “does date rape nail polish work?”… but I can’t put on headphones or earbuds and tune out my work place or my family for 8 to 10 minutes at a time, and I can’t seem to bookmark your podcasts… so… podcasts are awkward and inconvenient for me as an audience member (although they are probably easier to produce than written material). In the past I relied on your show notes and enjoyed reading them. Now, I guess I will have to google the answers to your provocative questions and you’re going to lose all my clicks!
I agree. I don’t want to listen to an audio clip for 10 min. I’d much rather read it for 2 min. I’m a reader, not a listener. haha.
I agree with the posted comment here: PLEASE put your show notes back on the website her! I MUCH PREFER reading your material than listening to podcasts as it is SO much more convenient! Love your books and website and HOPE YOU WILL PUT BACK YOUR WRITTEN COPY on your website! God bless!
I agree with the other posters……..Please post your full notes. I am not always able to listen, but can read at my own pace, without disturbing any one else. Pretty Please?
Hi Susan. We’re trying to get better!
Your notes are the only thing that is accessible to “technology illiterates” (like me) who have managed to acquaint themselves with some computer know-how but do not find the need nor time for making themselves into “technophiles”
Agree with the other commentors; please bring back show notes!
Yes, please bring back the show notes, I also don’t have time to listen to the podcasts, and prefer to tread the material.
To Becky, East, Lydia, ImaFan, and Sneza: Thanks for your feedback about our show notes. We’ll try to do a better job of providing complete notes although I can’t guarantee we’ll be able to do a full transcription for every episode. (Perry talks too darn much!)
Thank you — I love your stuff… if I didn’t, I wouldn’t complain!
Sneza: Perry and I really appreciate fans like you!