Charlotte says…I was researching the purpose of the various components and found that comfrey helps prevent tangles, chamomile helps with shine, and witch hazel balances hydration and reduces frizz. Also, the first ingredient has to be the largest by volume, right? That’s ginseng (right after water) which is supposed to help with shine and strength. Don’t these ingredients [...]

Time for another weekly recap of beauty science news… Have you ever wondered why skin wrinkles in water? Why is New Jersey mad at Dove antiperspirant for showing an armpit? Would you buy a cosmetic made with chicken feathers? Will Germany start a movement to ban aluminum in antiperspirants? Science says you should throw away [...]

Eminence Stone Crop Gel Wash is a beauty best seller on Amazon this week. Let’s look at the label. The Eminence website doesn’t list all the ingredients in the product, instead they provide the following “key ingredients”: Stone Crop Juice and Pulp: hydrating and nourishing for uneven skin tones Soap Base (free of sodium lauryl [...]

Nancy asks…I’m bothered by adult acne and am thinking of getting laser treatment. Any thoughts? The Beauty Brains respond: To give you an expert’s opinion we checked with occasional contributor Dr. Michele Koo, a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon practicing in St. Louis, Missouri. Here’s what Dr. Koo has to say. “The N Lite Laser has [...]

Hayley asks..What’s your take on phthalates? I just tried searching your Forum for a post on the topic but couldn’t find anything. The Beauty Brains respond: Given the lousy search function on our Forum we’d be surprised if you could find an article on phthalates even if we had written one. But it turns out [...]

Liz asks…Since water is usually the first ingredient of any shampoo… then all these extracts are basically taking the place of plain old water. What would make this formulation different is the concentration of the extracts in the purified water, no? The Beauty Brains respond: Think of it like this, Liz: Let’s say my shampoo [...]

Did you know that most shampoos today are secretly 2-in-1’s? In today’s episode we tell which ingredients to avoid if you’re worried about shampoo buildup. Plus, we discuss the case the disturbing plastic surgery app! Show Notes Beauty Science News: “The case of the disturbing plastic surgery app” Putting the app in inappropriate. It’s called “Plastic [...]

Bugra asks…You say in your book some brands can have similar products and therefore check the ingredients first and buy the cheap one. However, although the ingredients are similar in both products, how about the amounts ? For instance, both products have the same ingredients. Let’s name the ingredient ” hyaluronic acid”. For example Product A [...]

Here are our top beauty science news stories of the week… What are the most commonly used preservatives used in cosmetics? “Chemical Free” Is Not A Real Thing And Chemophobia Is Making People Stupid Does lip scrub really help with lipstick longevity? How the FDA may change sunscreens and other over the counter drugs Love [...]