Many people seem to think that preservatives are the scariest of all cosmetic ingredients. To  give you the scoop on why you need them and what they are, I’m sharing this article which was written as an introduction to cosmetic formulators. Why you need cosmetic preservatives There are two primary reasons you need preservatives. 1. To [...]

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Baby Foot Pad is a best selling beauty product on Amazon but is it for babies or adults? Let’s look at the label to figure it out. Apparently this product is an exfoliant foot peel that designed to give you feet as soft as a baby’s. (So it’s for adults.) Here’s how it works: First you wash and dry [...]

Wow, this commercial REALLY creeps me out. If you watch it without the sound it looks just like the opening to one of those late ’60’s Jack the Ripper proto-slasher flicks. You know the ones… Defenseless girl hangs out on the dimly lit water front. The cloaked villain sneaks up on her from behind. He grabs [...]

Mamasim asks…Can the processes (methods) as opposed to ingredients, of producing a beauty product be different enough to justify the price differences in the same product type? A makeup artist I like commented in a tutorial that the reason she liked Dior eyeshadows is they have a wonderful texture. She said that when she asked a [...]

John asks…Do you remember the products that used Lemon Juice to lighten hair? If you do remember do you know how they work? I mean we know how to lighten hair with Peroxide at a pH of 11 or so, how does the Lemon Juice Work? The Beauty Brains respond: Of course we remember those [...]

What’s difference between dry scalp and dandruff? And how do you pick the best kind of dandruff shampoo for you? Also, in our Beauty Science News segment we ponder new research on antioxidants. Show notes Beauty Science News I saw a pair of articles this week that caused me to rethink everything we’ve been told [...]

This article originally appeared on my other website (the one that Randy always accuses me of cheating on him with.) Even though it’s intended for formulation chemists, I thought the Beauty Brains audience might appreciate an explanation of what is often referred to as “thickness.” Cosmetic viscosity You’ll be hard pressed to find a cosmetic formulation [...]

It’s a new month and here are 5 new beauty science news stories to kick it off… Toxins in the environment may make you look older. The best explanation of sunscreen layering ever. How to read an ingredient list. Cleansers are a type of surfactant. EU launches green cosmetic program.