Is Stila hair refresher a steal?

Kate’s Not Sold On Stila Hair Refresher: Is Stila Hair Refresher anything more than thirty-dollar talcum powder? The Right Brain’s Not Impressed Either: Actually, this Stila product is not a $30 bottle of talc powder. It`s a $28 bottle of CORNSTARCH powder. Ok, to be fair they also throw in a little silk and tapioca [...]

5 ways that asian hair is different from caucasian hair

In a world where every hair care product claims to be made for your individual hair type, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that there really are true scientific differences between hair types. For example, a study published in the Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (57, 327-338 July 2006) discovered that [...]

Does the skin lightening ingredient hydroquinone cause cancer?

Kristin`s Concerned About Hydroquinone: Is hydroquinone a carcinogen? I`ve read so many conflicting reports; and I know it`s been banned in several European countries, but it`s still being recommended by dermatologists here in the US. Just the presence of benzene in there, and its use in photographic development materials, are enough to freak me out [...]

Does jan marini really make your eyelashes grow?

Sharon Wants To Know About Jan Marini and Eyelash Growth: Is there evidence that the product by Jan Marini Age Intervention for eyelashes actually work? The Left Brain Is Highly Suspicious: Several readers have asked about eyelash growth. I looked into this product and can’t find any convincing evidence it works. Hair growth claims, be [...]

The truth about silk and cashmere proteins

Laura`s Questions: Question 1: Products such as Softsoap’s Pure Cashmere line claim to contain a cashmere extract, taken from protein in goat hair oil. Does this sound plausible? Answers From The Right Brain: Yes, it’s plausible. Protein is a natural ingredient derived from animals (from skin, hooves, horns, and hair) and from vegetables. Cashmere extract [...]

How to tell if a dandruff shampoo will really work

Maaiki Is Feeling Flakey: I was wondering what your opinion is of Burt’s Bees Feelin’ Flaky shampoo. Looking over the ingredients list, it looks like they did a good job of avoiding skin irritants (except for the tea tree oil), but since it all gets washed off after a few seconds, I don’t know how [...]

For seriously tangled hair, don’t rely on homemade moisturizers

Jim’s Got A Problem: Here’s my problem. I’m an “older” male who has kept his long hair. Now that I’m left with only about 26,000 hairs!! it’s still long, curly … and once I spend 20 minutes in the shower with a ton of conditioner, looks great. My hair is SO tangly that virtually every [...]

How to tell if you need a facial

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? [...]

The coolest cornstarch video you’ll ever see

Sarah is Skeptical: I just read your post about talc causing cancer. You said it hasn’t been proven to be unsafe but I’m still not convinced. Therefore, I’m looking for products that use talc alternatives, like cornstarch. What do you think of cornstarch-based powders? The Right Brain Gets Corny: Cornstarch is a common ingredient in [...]

Does oc8 oil control genius really work?

Christi’s Curious: Hi Beauty Brains! I was wondering if you could tell me about the product OC8 Oil Control Genius. It says it has “ACRYSORB micro-particles” (which sounds like a marketing gimick to me), and it absorbs only the excess oil on your skin. I’m just wondering if it really does absorb the excess oil [...]

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