On this week’s podcast we talk about the effectiveness of mild hair cleaners and other interesting beauty science news. Should natural beauty products be patented? We think one advantage of natural beauty products (and natural medicines for that matter) is that they are available to anyone to use without having to pay “Big Beauty” or [...]
Bunny Lake asks…Chagrin Valley Shampoo Bars are really popular with a lot of the people on the Long Hair Community, and I’ve been trying some sample bars out myself. I love some, but others give me that waxy feeling. I have soft water where I live, also. Is Chagrin Valley Soap the kind of “soap” [...]
Firoza asks…I often find producers of “herbal” or “ayurvedic” cosmetics selling sunscreens containing red sandalwood as the active ingredient. They rate these sunscreens as SPF 50 or higher. Does red sandalwood actually have any sun blocking properties? The Beauty Brains respond Red Sandalwood may have certain medicinal properties when applied topically (see link ) but it is [...]
This week we answer listener questions about Bio Oil and other products. But first, another game of Improbable Products… Improbable Products Which of these bad body odor products is not real: The iPhone bad breathalyzer that tells you if you have halitosis. Odor detecting gym socks that change color when you feet start to smell. [...]
Uma asks…I actually bought a Rustic Art shampoo that claims to be all natural , does not test on animals , is pH balanced, no sulphates, great for the environment and all those good things. I was skeptical as I thought since its so good it wont lather and might just clean my hair and [...]
Taffi asks…Polyethylene glycol is listed as an ingredient in my vitamin. Does this mean it is pegylated? are pegylated ingredients harmful when ingested? I know ethoxylates can be toxic, but that might be minute exposure. Also, can emulsifying agents wear away fats/water from the body? The Beauty Brains respond I think this Wikipedia article on ethoxylation [...]
In case you haven’t heard there is proposed legislation in the US that could change the way the cosmetic industry is governed. A lot of people have asked us what all this and I did a short interview with Self magazine on what this means for consumers and the industry. So, since this is a [...]
Dafne dares to ask…The other day I bought Luxurious Volume Thickening Blow Dry Lotion by John Frieda. It works, but it feels just like hair spray, looks just like hair spray, and makes your hair sticky like hair spray. Might it actually be hair spray? And if so, can I use just any type of hair spray [...]
Little Rhino asks…I would like to add a B5 Serum into my skincare routine. I use a BHA ( salycic acid 2% ) lotion in the am/pm. I works well with my skin and mild acne. However, I do need a little extra boost of hydration. So the B5 sounded like a great place to [...]
Do you think it’s okay for cosmetic companies to keep their ingredients a secret from you if it means you get better products? We discuss this question and more in today’s quick Q&A show. Improbable Products Two of these “ancient secrets” have been found to really work; one of them is just made up. Can [...]