MedWorm: Physicians With Health Advice

When it comes to beauty science don’t fall for faulty logic

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:01:55 +0100

We recently received a comment on our post about the world’s top 5 skin moisturizing oils which reminded us how faulty logic can spread misinformation. Here’s the comment: “Mineral oil? Aww HELLLL NO. This is absolutely the worst thing you can put on your face, it is used in motor oil! MOTOR OIL!” This statement is reminiscent of the warning we used to see about using sodium lauryl sulfate which went something like this: “Sodium lauryl sulfate is bad for your face and skin because it’s used in garage floor cleaners.” Or here’s another one we just made up: “You drink water? Don’t you know that water is also used in cyanide poison? Gasp! CYANIDE POISON!!!” Do you see the faulty logic in all these statements? Logical fallac...

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Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash: Look at the label

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 19 May 2013 06:01:33 +0100

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash is the number two best selling beauty product on Amazon.com this week (because it’s on a special promotion.) Let’s look at the label to see what makes it moisturizing. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash ingredients Water Solvent for the other ingredients. Is it a moisturizer? I suppose so but you’re already in the freaking shower where there’s plenty of water. Glycerin Is this moisturizer? Sure when it’s left on skin. It doesn’t really do much when rinsed off from a body wash. Unless maybe it’s moisturizing the shower drain. (Hey, that’s a new product idea for the folks that make Drano!) Cocamidopropyl Betaine Is this ingredient moisturizer? Now we get close to the true moisture story of this product. This...

Does diamond light reflecting powder really make skin look younger?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:01:31 +0100

Rozy’s request…There is this product called Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light that claims to… “capture, diffuse, and soften the way light reflects on your skin”,”illuminating particles are one of the first ever to exhibit both photoluminescence and color-correcting capabilities”, “photoluminescent technology” etc. I don’t see how its different than other shimmery powder products. The Beauty Brains response: We’ve previously discussed this product in our Forum but we’ve recently dug up some additional information on this ingredient that we thought we’d share with you. What do shimmery powders do? First of all, keep in mind that most “shimmery” products just cover up skin imperfections....

Is Dr. Oz right about Sea Buckthorn for skin?

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:01:49 +0100

StarChild says…Is Dr. Oz right? Is Sibu Beauty’s Sea Buckthorn really a miracle skin product? The Beauty Brains respond: Is Sibu Beauty’s product a “miracle?” When it comes to Sea Buckthorn, Dr. Oz may be a Hot Chocolate fan (bonus points to any reader who can identify that reference!) but we’re a bit more skeptical. What is Sea Buckthorn? You can read all about Sibu Beauty’s Sea Buckthorn Nourishing Facial Cream here. Sea Buckthorn (technically known as Hippophaë rhamnoides) is a berry grown in the Himalayas and the website points out that it’s known for being rich in a number of bioactive compounds including the following: Vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D, K, & P Omega 3, 6, 7 & 9 42 Lipids Organic Acids Amino Acids Folic Acid Tocopherols...

Is Marula oil a good source of vitamin E?

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:10:25 +0100

LindyGirl asks…Are products like Marula Oil a good source of antioxidants to use daily under sunscreen (physical block – zinc oxide – spf 30) to help fight free radicals and, possibly, infrared rays? Macula Oil is supposed to have vitamins C and E. Or would it be best to just stick with the vitamin C&E serums? The Beauty Brains respond: LG’s question comes in response to our recent post that said infrared light is bad for skin. While the technical literature does show that antioxidants are effective against the free radicals caused by infrared radiation, we haven’t seen any studies proving which antioxidants are best. So, for the sake of today’s post let’s assume that vitamin E is a good choice and we’ll try to find out if Marula oil is a...

Kenra Volume hairspray: How to find a cheaper version

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:01:28 +0100

SRG says…Is there a cheaper substitute for Kenra Volume 25 hair spray? The website claims its an excellent anti-humidity spray. The product has great reviews on Amazon. It’s a little expensive though and I’m wondering if I could find a similar but cheaper version. The Beauty Brains respond: According to their website, Kenra uses “An advanced non-flaking resin that provides maximum hold and curl retention” and has Aminomethyl Propanol (AMP) which is “a neutralizing agent that improves the re-wetting / re-styling ability of the hair.” Where oh where could we possibly find another hairspray that contains such advanced ingredients at a lower price? Actually, it’s not that hard. For starters, try looking at the number one selling hairspray in the ...

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Are toxins poisoning your personality?

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:04:11 +0100

How toxins and poor nutrition can make you a different person. Is it possible that heavy metals in your system can change your brain? Is it possible to become a different person with neurotransmitter balancing? Most people believe that nothing can change the way their brain works, or change the way they react emotionally. Not true. Professor of Criminology, Psychiatry and Psychology Dr. Adrian Raine published an article in the Wall Street Journal about the relationship between genes, biologic factors and toxins and criminal behavior. The conclusions are based on several facts: Identical twins are more likely to both be criminals. Even adopted children from criminals are more likely to be violent. There is decreased activity in the prefrontal region of the brain of criminals. Thi...

Is infrared light really bad for skin?

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:06:40 +0100

Al asks…Lately in Spain I’ve seen people raging about infrared targeted sunscreens, products that protect from IRA rays…is this necessary at all? Does it have some basis or is it mere marketing gimmick? Should I buy one? The Beauty Brains reply: Unfortunately, it looks like this is NOT hype. As recently as 2010, scientists began to understand that it is important to protect skin from infrared radiation because it does indeed contribute to photo-aging. What is infrared radiation? Infrared radiation (IR) is the “other end of the rainbow” from ultraviolet (UV). Most of the research on solar radiation has been done on the UV part of the spectrum because we KNOW it does bad things to skin. Yet UV accounts for only 7% of the total solar energy that reaches the our bodie...

The Beauty Brains on Dr. Oz – again

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:37:52 +0100

There’s a memo circulating around the Beauty Brains offices reminding us to always mention when we’re featured in magazine articles and TV shows. (Seriously, I thought that’s what we had a Public Relations agent for!) Anyway, better late than never, here’s a link to an episode of the Dr. Oz show that featured one of the Beauty Brains last month. The Beauty Brains on Dr. Oz. Side note: it’s always a challenge doing the show because we’re not given the opportunity to fully explain the science behind products. But hey we get to be on TV and see fabulous stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, so who cares! Image credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/ (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Pantene Ice Shine Shampoo: Look at the Label

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 12 May 2013 06:01:06 +0100

Pantene Pro-V Ice Shine 2 in 1 shampoo is the 19th best selling beauty product on Amazon.com this week. Let’s look at the label to see how this product compares to Pantene’s Classic 2 in 1 shampoo. Two products, same ingredients It’s interesting to note that these two products have exactly the same ingredients. While the concentration may differ slightly between the two, both formulas use sulfates to clean, an amide to boost foam, and a silicone – guar combination to condition. The products may smell different but they’re essentially the same thing in two different bottles. Which one should you buy? Probably one that smells the best to you. The prices are essentially the same. Note: If the letters in the product name were spaced a little bit differently it wo...

How can I hack my hair conditioner?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 11 May 2013 06:01:10 +0100

K’s question…I absolutely LOVE my Vidal Sassoon Moisture Lock Shampoo and Conditioner, but I wish the conditioner was a slightly creamier consistency. Is there anything I can do to thicken up the formula at home? The Beauty Brains respond: You could try mixing a LITTLE bit of table salt with the conditioner (Try mixing a few grains of salt with about a tablespoon of conditioner. Keep increasing the salt by a few grains until you get the consistency you want). This doesn’t work with all products but it’s worth a shot. Just be sure to mix a small amount of the product before you use it, don’t try and mix the entire bottle at once. Why is salt a good thickener? As you can see from the ingredient list below, this conditioner contains Behentrimonium Chloride, a...

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Coconut oil in hair

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:01:01 +0100

Here’s more good news for lovers of natural hair care products. Coconut oil penetrates hair We’ve blogged before about how coconut oil is one of the few natural oils that has been proven to penetrate deep inside the hair where it can strengthen from within. The problem has been there has been no way to quantify how much oil actually gets inside the hair. A 2012 research paper documents a new method involving radioactively labeled coconut oil that can now measure how much oil actually gets inside hair. This new method used a scintillation fluid to radioactively tag the coconut oil. (BTW, Sarah Bellum thought the phrase “scintillation fluid” sounded dirty.) The researchers were then able to track how much of the oil actually penetrated into the hair versus how muc...

Is it true that excessive/daily hair product usage can cause hair loss?

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:01:38 +0100

Janelle asks…My mom and sister are big supporters of the theory that excessive use of hair products (E.g: Hairsprays, shampoos, gels, etc) are the reason why my hair is falling out/isn’t so thick. In general, can usage of these gels and hairsprays every day cause hair loss? I don’t shampoo more than twice a week, but I do use hairspray and gel on my hair every day. Are they correct, or is this an old wives tale? The Beauty Brains respond: Ah, Janelle. You are wise to ask us rather than just blindly believing what you’re told by “old wives.” (No offense to your mother and sister.) Damage causes breakage causes hair loss Hair care products can be involved in certain types of hair loss but that doesn’t mean they cause it. For example, shampoos and con...

Was J&J banned from making baby powder?

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:01:54 +0100

Theresa says….Can you explain this article about the FDA revoking J&J’s license to make baby powder? I don’t understand the implications. What is the license for? Are all of their products at risk for being unsafe? The Beauty Brains respond: The issue is related to the technique that J&J used to sterilize “a few” batches of baby powder made at their plant in Mulund, India. What went wrong? The technique involves using ethylene oxide (EO) gas to kill off any micro-organisms living in the powder. EO sterilization is typically only used on materials which can’t be protected by preservatives in solution. Powders are one common example. Makeup brushes are another. If the EO is used properly and then the bulk material is tested to ensure no EO remains, the...

Can dairy products soothe skin?

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 07 May 2013 06:01:26 +0100

Tiffany tells us…“They” recommend milk and yogurt to soothe skin. How does dairy soothe skin? The Beauty Brains respond: While dairy products for skin sound good there’s really not much to it. Milk dud Everyone’s heard the stories about Cleopatra bathing in milk to beautify her complexion. Supposedly milk baths work because they contain lactic acid that’s a natural exfolliant, blah blah blah. While milk does contain lactic acid it’s actually in the form of the lactate salt due to the alkaline pH. (Lactic acid needs to be at a low, acid pH to exfoliate skin.) The lactate can be converted to lactic acid by allowing the milk to sour but initially sour milk contains only about 0.01% lactic acid which is far too little to have an effect on your skin. (L...

Silicones in skincare (and scar reduction) are good, right?

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 06 May 2013 06:01:53 +0100

BCcodes asks….I was under the impression that silicones in skincare (lotions, creams etc) were good because they help create a barrier for moisture. My facial moisturizer has a silicone, as does my body lotion (baby lotion – cheap and great for sensitive skin). I also use silicone sheeting for a hypertrophic scar from a surgery a year and a half ago. I was watching a review of a silicone free face primer, and I got to googling. Silicones are being blamed for everything! I don’t use silicones in my hair products because I have dry hair and a sensitive scalp – shampoos with sulfates are not my cup of tea. I understand that over time, silicone can build up on hair if not properly removed, and since I do not use a harsh shampoo, I go without them. But I use a regular f...

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Micro Needle Roller Skin Care: Look at the label

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 05 May 2013 06:01:05 +0100

The 1.0mm Micro Needle Roller Skin Care Therapy Dermatology System is the 13th best selling beauty product on Amazon.com this week. Let’s look at the label to see…uh, well actually there is no label. So instead of talking about the “ingredients” of this product we’ll wax eloquent about whether or not these micro-needle products really promote collagen growth. Collagen Induction Therapy The process of poking your skin with a needle studded roller is known as Collagen Induction Therapy. And surprisingly (well, it surprised us) these micro-needles do really work AS LONG AS THE NEEDLES ARE THE RIGHT SIZE. The needles cause an inflammatory response that leads to the creation of new skin cells that promote collagen deposition. But in order to work the needle...

Is Serious hair care really worth the price?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 04 May 2013 06:01:12 +0100

RC asks…Is Serious hair care really worth the price? The Beauty Brains respond: We know what you’re thinking…how could a product line created by Sylvester Stallone’s wife NOT be totally awesome? Well, consider this: Serious sells a “Replicate and Renew” hair care trio which gives you 6 ounces of shampoo and conditioner and 4 ounces of hairspray for $85. Seriously???? Serious Skincare Replicate & Renew Hair Care Trio For that kind of cash we’d at least expect the product to CLAIM to do something unique. But aside from some vague mumbo-jumbo about “plant stem cells” they say little exceptional about their products: Shampoo: “helps to reawaken and recharge dull, limp hair.” Conditioner: “helps restore your hair&#...

Can eyelid tape permanently reshape eyelids?

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 03 May 2013 06:01:37 +0100

Aubrey asks…Eyelid gluing and taping tutorials seem to be on the rise. What sort of long-term negative effects might occur from gluing or taping the eyelids for months as recommended by YouTube gurus? Do you think the claim of permanent reshaping has any merit? I am very doubtful. The Beauty Brains respond: The root cause of “out of place” eyelids is that the lid falls because the tendon attached to the muscle that lifts the lid stretches. This is a normal result of aging. No degree of tape or glue can reverse this process. But this little taping trick can work nicely as a quick lift to make your eyes look a little more open temporarily. Is it safe? We were surprised to find that Michelle Phan advocates using eyelid tape at least 22 hours per day for 3 months. Occludi...

LaseResults Calm and Restore cream: How can I find a cheaper version?

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 02 May 2013 06:01:36 +0100

Sugarcaned says…I fell in love with LaseResults® Calm & Restore Serum during a testing from a magazine that I participated in. I would love to find out what is in it that works so well to soothe my face and make it look absolutely amazing and feel baby soft. (Hopefully in a lower-priced product) I have extremely sensitive, combination skin with acne scars. I’m under 30. The Beauty Brains respond: Sure, go ahead and rub it in that you’re under 30. *Sigh* But just to be nice we’ll answer your question anyway! What makes LaseResults work so well? As you can see from the complete ingredient list below, this Calm & Restore cream is loaded with silicones. Like many other products it uses cyclomethicone as a non-greasy light weight carrier and dimethicone as a h...

Is sweat bad for your scalp and hair?

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 01 May 2013 06:01:45 +0100

Sillabear says…I am looking for ways to minimize the amount of times that I wash my hair and I recently came across information that utilizing a mixture of 1:2 parts of peppermint oil to jojoba oil will break down the salts that are deposited on the scalp from pores after a strenuous exercise. Is this true? If not, do products such as dry shampoo rid one’s scalp of these potentially damaging salts? The Beauty Brains respond: Before we talk about sweat removal let’s do a quick recap of what’s in sweat. Sweaty chemistry Our bodies sweat through two different glands: eccrine (which are found pretty much all over the body) and apocrine (which are concentrated where there are hair follicles.) Both glands produce sweat that consists of water and minerals (or salts). Spe...

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Do cosmetic ingredients really absorb into the blood stream in 26 seconds?

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 06:01:57 +0100

Rainytigermouth says…I’ve read your previous blog posts on our exposure to cosmetic chemicals, but was wondering what your view is on the information flying around the internet that it takes 26 seconds to absorb chemicals from cosmetics into your bloodstream. All of these posters claim this statistic is based on ‘studies’, but I have yet to see a study which demonstrates this. As many of the chemicals in our cosmetics cannot be absorbed at all, I can’t help but wonder if this is a myth. What do you think? The Beauty Brains respond: This question really bugs us because it implies that science works in the opposite way that it should. How science works The websites that you mention all make the same claim: that cosmetic ingredients are absorbed into the blood in...

Don’t you hate when cosmetic companies don’t list their ingredients online?

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:01:27 +0100

We recently wrote about the new proposed cosmetic legislation. While anything we can do to ensure the safety of cosmetics is a good thing it’s also important to avoid over-regulation which increases the size of government (sometimes unnecessarily) and also can burden businesses. Having said that, we wholeheartedly agree with the three major cosmetic industry representatives who have said that this legislation will be a good thing, if done properly. Cosmetic companies should list ingredients online! One piece of the act that we are very excited about is that it will require all vendors selling cosmetics online to list ingredients. It looks like that’s intended to not only cover the cosmetic manufacturers themselves but also the vending sites like Amazon.com, Drugstore.com, et ce...

Suave Shampoo/conditioner/body wash 3 in 1: Look at the label

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 06:01:03 +0100

Suave Professionals mens, shampoo/conditioner/body wash, 3 in 1 is the #2 best selling beauty product on Amazon.com this week. Water (Aqua) Solvent Sodium Laureth Sulfate Primary cleansing agent Cocamidopropyl Betaine Foam booster and thickener. Dimethiconol Water-dispersible silicone that provides hair and skin conditioning. Sodium Chloride Salt will cause shampoos like this to get thicker. Fragrance (Parfum) Citrusy goodness Carbomer An acrylic polymer that stabilizes/thickens the mixture. Glycol Distearate A opacifying agent that gives the shampoo a pearly appearance. Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride Another conditioning agent that will stick to damaged areas of hair. TEA-Dodecylbenzenesulfonate Included as part of the dimethiconol Tetrasodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin Part of the prese...

Can you use Elmer’s glue to get rid of blackheads?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:01:21 +0100

Adeerr asks…I read somewhere that you can use Elmer’s glue to get rid of blackheads. This obviously sounded a bit off to me (on the Internet?? Gasp!), but I was wondering if there was any way that this could be a cheaper alternative to my much beloved Biore nose strips. Thoughts? Just when you think you’ve heard it all, the good ol’ Internet comes up with something new. That’s why we love this job! According to the many, many Google search results on this topic, you simply apply a thin film of glue to the area of skin around the black head and let it dry. When you peel off the dried glue a bunch of skin gunk (yes that’s the technical term) is pulled away. Having used Biore pore strips we know they have tremendous adhesive strength and we have trouble ima...

Why are minerals good in clay but bad in hard water?

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 06:01:00 +0100

RizosMios really wants to know...I’ve been using rhassoul clay for awhile now. Its mineral contents include magnesium and calcium, two minerals that are also found in hard water, in which one is recommended to buy special filters for shower heads if one lives somewhere with hard water. Would anyone have any idea why these two minerals work well in clay but not in water? The Beauty Brains respond: The answer lies in the fact that not all minerals are created equal. Clay chemistry Clays are technically known as hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates and they do indeed contain a variety of minerals. In the case of rhassoul clay the composition is as follows: Silica- 58% Aluminum- 2.47% Iron- 0.64% Sodium- 2.3% Magnesium- 25.2% Calcium- 2.34% But the important thing to note is the form in ...

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Do products for fine hair work by stopping moisture absorption?

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:01:17 +0100

LorieA asks…Brains please correct me if I am wrong but I believe the way fine hair products work is by adding a chemical that does not allow your hair root to absorb moisture thus it does not get weighed down. A popular ingredient used is polyvinalpyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymer or VP/VA copolymer which is a powder that absorbs moisture and promotes holding in the hair. Its also used in cosmetics to keep the caking of eye shadow form in the container and staying power once applied. The Beauty Brains respond: Sorry Lorie but that’s NOT correct. Moisture absorption by the the hair root is not the cause of problems for fine hair. Ingredients for fine hair The chemicals that you referenced (known as PVP and PVP/VA for short) are styling resins that work by making hair fibers st...

The Beauty Brains in Oprah’s O Magazine

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:01:01 +0100

It may be shameless self-promotion, but our Public Relations department will never forgive us if we don’t mention that one of the Beauty Brains’ writers is quoted in the May 2013 issue of O Magazine. (Is it “O” as in Oh or “0″ as in zero? The title is so ambiguous…) Anyway, the article is part of the Ask Val column, starting on page 100, and it’s all about expiration dates of cosmetic products. If that’s something that interests you, pick up your copy today. You’ll be glad you did. Well, at least Oprah will be glad. (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Does artificial sweetener reduce the pH of hair dye?

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 06:02:16 +0100

Lynsey says…I have been a hairdresser for six years and a cosmetology teacher for two. While I have used this trick a few times (and even have Equal stashed in my color bar), I never knew why it worked either. I did a little research about the pH of aspartame and bingo: it changes the pH of the chemical reaction during a color process. Aspartame, when mixed in a solution, is highly acid producing (one of the reasons Diet Coke eats the enamel off your teeth). When mixed into the alkaline emulsion of hair color plus peroxide, it effectively neutralizes the solution. The acid produced by the aspartame reduces the irritation of a highly alkaline process. The only effect I can see this having on hair color is that the color may not stick. An alkali solution is needed to fully lift the cut...

7 Years Younger: Book review

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 06:01:31 +0100

7 Years Younger: The Revolutionary 7-Week Anti-Aging Plan is from the Editors of Good Housekeeping and its premise is simple: follow this 7 week plan and you’ll look and feel younger. Great advice from reliable experts We don’t doubt that’s true since the book is full great advice on the basics: drink a lot of water, protect yourself skin from the sun, exfoliate, and get plenty of sleep. It’s tough to overstate the importance of these fundamentals, especially they’re backed up with specific details on the best ways to hydrate, which kind of products to exfoliate with, and how often to use them. Good Housekeeping has collected advice from a reputable team of experts on both the beauty and nutrition side. Our only regret is that there was no cosmetic chemi...

Burt’s Bees Res-Q Ointment: Look at the label

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 06:13:44 +0100

Res-Q Ointment is the 15th best selling beauty product on Amazon.com this week. It sounds sort of like a drug product because it promises to “comfort life’s bumps and bruises.” Let’s look at the label to see what makes it so rescue-y. Prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, olea europaea (olive) fruit oil Emollients with some moisturizing properties. Beeswax The “backbone” of the formula that gives it body and texture. Symphytum officinale (comfrey) root extract A natural source of allantoin, a skin healing agent. Theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter Natural moisturizer. Triticum vulgare (wheat) germ oil Lavandula hybrida (lavandin) oil That’s right, lavandin NOT lavender. This is a hybrid of two lavender plants that is supposedly beneficial f...

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Can natural oils make dandruff worse?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 06:01:18 +0100

Duchess Gummy Buns says…I saw on this hair blog that if you have dandruff you should avoid putting natural oils on your scalp because it would make it worse. If this is true I am so sad because I really loved massaging oil into my scalp but i wonder if that’s why my dandruff is still in a certain spot on my scalp and won’t be relieved by any dandruff shampoo’s that I have been trying? The Beauty Brains respond: Natural oils like coconut, shea butter, and others contain a chemical known as oleic acid. To understand the effect of oleic acid on your scalp we have to talk a little bit about the causes of dandruff. Causes of dandruff We know from the technical literature there are three key factors that determine if you’ll have dandruff: the activity of Malassezia ...

Are nail strengtheners with formaldehyde dangerous?

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:01:36 +0100

Debby says… I read that Brazil has banned nail strengtheners because they contain formaldehyde just like they banned hair straighteners. Is this true and do we need to worry about U.S. products? The Beauty Brains respond: It’s true…sort of. How nail strengtheners work If you read our previous post on the best treatment for nails that are brittle you know that nail strengtheners work in two ways: by hardening the nail and by hydrating it. Formaldehyde, because it can cross-linked proteins, is a good hardener. (And, before Sarah Bellum asks, no you can NOT use it on your boy friend!) Recent regulations You probably saw this recent article about new regulations in Brazil that limit the concentration of formaldehyde in nail products to a maximum of 5%. As we’ve said so many...

How to save money on hair care products by reading the ingredients

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 06:01:31 +0100

GrayTemples says…I have samples of 3 Rare Elements products and like them very much. I am awaiting samples of Phylia de M to try. Please help me interpret their ingredient lists. Do you think I can get the same benefits from a cheaper brand? If so, which ones? The Beauty Brains respond: Unless the ingredients match exactly it’s difficult to reproduce the exact look and feel of a product. But by looking at the active ingredients that really deliver the benefit, we should be able to identify products that perform similarly. Rare El’ements Replenishing Essential Conditioner Cost $44 for 6.5 ounces ($6.77/ounce) Ingredients Aqua Purified (Water), Cetearyl Alcohol derived from (Plant Oil), BrassicamidopropylDimethylamine, (Brassicacae Oil), Madhuca Butyraceae (Phulwar...

Is Clinique Even Better Eyes any better?

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:01:10 +0100

Madeleinmia asks…I recently heard about Clinique’s new Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector. They claim that it “strengthens” the skin to make it less transparent and that it reduces dark circles by up to 30%. Being a dark circle sufferer all my life I really want to believe that it actually works, but I have a feeling that you are going to tell me it’s all just clever marketing BS. The Beauty Brains respond: Let’s take a look at what Clinique says about this product and compare that to the benefits provided by its ingredients. What does Clinique really claim? Here’s a summary of their claims from the website: Lightweight, hydrating eye cream is clinically proven to visibly lighten dark circles by 30% in 12 weeks. Skin-strengthening ingredients make...

Response to new cosmetic legislation

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 06:01:10 +0100

You may have heard that new legislation has been proposed which would provide stronger regulation of the cosmetic industry. We thought you might be interested in hearing the cosmetic industry’s point of view on the proposed law. Three important trade groups (The Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers And Distributors, the Professional Beauty Association, and the Personal Care Products Council) have issued a joint statement expressing their support for updating the regulations (some of which are 70 years old!) Furthermore there are five key points that they would like to see changed to support their goal of protecting consumers by modernizing the legislation while not overburdening the FDA or cosmetic companies. Enhanced FDA Registration Personal care products manufacturers should be req...

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Beauty Can Be Taxing

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 06:01:47 +0100

It’s time again for our annual “Tax Day” post that lists tax related beauty items that sort of, kind of have to do with science. A little bit. 1. Modeling + makeup = money! If you’re a model you can deduct certain makeup and some clothing items. Project Runway, here I come! 2. Surgery for sale Cosmetic surgery is not tax deductible if its sole purpose is to make you more attractive. Ironic, huh? And speaking of surgery… 3. Trans-taxable In 2005, the IRS eliminated the deduction for having transgender surgery. I guess they figured losing your penis was enough of a deduction! (We’ve been informed that this was overturned a few years ago so apparently this deduction is valid again.) 4. Got Makeup? If you’re like me, you’ll occasionally pick up some products and then ne...

Urban Decay Naked2: Look at the label

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 06:01:01 +0100

Urban Decay’s sequel to Naked has is just about to break into the the top 20 best selling beauty products on Amazon.com Let’s look at the label to see what makes it so good. The ingredients for all the products are listed below. We’ll only summarize a few them that are of particular interest because they’re different than the ingredients used in many other color cosmetics. PFTE Officially known as Polytetrafluoroethylene but you probably know it better as Teflon ™.This non-stick material helps these powders slip and slide across the skin. According to Wikipedia it’s the only coating that a gecko can’t stick to! Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Coconut derived oil that not only binds the pressed powder together so it doesn’t crack and crumble but...

Can you make hair dye less irritating by mixing it with artificial sweetener?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 06:01:05 +0100

Allison asks...Strange questions, but it’s come up often lately. Several cosmetologists and women who dye their hair have indicated that when a client complains that the hair dye tingles or irritates their scalp, the cosmetologist will add 1-2 packets of Nutrasweet (aspartame) to the dye mixture and the effect is minimized. Is this a psychological reaction or does the aspartame interact with the dye chemicals or the peroxide in a way that actually reduces the irritation?? The Beauty Brains respond: Aspartame (technically known as the methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide) is a very popular artificial sweetener. We’d never heard of it being used in relation to hair dyes before but, sure enough, a quick web search revealed several examples. Let’s see i...

What makes one ingredient more comedogenic than another?

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:16:49 +0100

Kristy’s question…Any idea on what makes one substance more generally comedogenic than another substance? The Beauty Brains’ response: The term “comedogenic” refers to the tendency of an ingredient to cause the skin to form blackheads. Blackheads, also known as open comedones, are follicles that have become plugged up with a mixture of sebum and dead skin cells. As the melanin in this mixture oxidizes it becomes darker which gives blackheads their characteristic color. How do ingredients cause black heads? There are two key properties that contribute to the comedogenicity of an ingredient: It must be able to penetrate into the follicle and and it must cause a reaction known as “retention hyperkeratosis.” The latter refers to an increase in the numb...

Wall Street traders: how trading affects your hormones…and vice versa.

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 22:12:33 +0100

Paying attention to your hormones pays off. Literally. If you’re a trader on Wall Street, you know how stressful it can be. But did you know that the stress caused by the market’s ups and downs can affect your hormones? And your hormones can affect your health…and your wins and losses. Research shows that when your trades are profitable, your body releases testosterone. Testosterone can make you feel euphoric and dominant—like you can conquer the world. But when the market is volatile, your body releases cortisol, a stress hormone. (Pressure from upper management also contributes to cortisol production; that’s probably no surprise to anyone with a boss.) This data comes from a research collaboration between a Wall Street trader and a neuroscientist who studied hormone levels amon...

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How does Garnier’s Olia oil powered hair color work?

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 06:01:27 +0100

Lisa asks…The website for Garnier’s Olia is pretty amazing because it says this hair color is powered by natural flower oils instead of nasty ammonia. How does this product work and is it really better than Clairol or any other at home color kit? The Beauty Brains reply: Taken at face value, Garnier’s Olia sounds like a breakthrough new hair coloring treatment. Let’s look at some of their claims. Olia claims Unlike traditional haircolor, Oila uses an exclusive 60% oil blend, with natural flower oils, in the colorant. The unique oil-based formula maximizes the coloring process to achieve permanent color results. It propels colorants deep into hair, without ammonia, for pure, vivid, long-lasting color. Olia visibly improves and restores the look of hair, as oils help...

Can I make my own WEN conditioner by mixing regular shampoo and conditioner?

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 06:01:17 +0100

Duchess Gummy Buns says…Here’s the link to someone who claims that you can make your own cleansing conditioner. My question is will this even work? And does mixing the two seem pointless? The Beauty Brains respond: First, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that “Duchess Gummy Buns” is the best screen name. Ever. Second, the site that DGB referenced says that you can mix a sulfate free shampoo and conditioner as DIY version of WEN. Specifically, the recommendation is to take three parts conditioner to one part shampoo and mix it in your hand. Or, you can pre mix a larger quantity and save it an extra bottle. DIY-not We respectfully disagree with this particular DIY recommendation for a couple of reasons. First, there’s the question of performa...

Does Maca root really boost your bust and bottom?

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 06:01:32 +0100

Heather says…I have read of people using Maca for increasing bust and bottom size. From a scientist’s point of view is this true? The Beauty Brains respond: To be honest, we’d never heard of Maca (or its alleged boob and booty-boosting ability) until you brought it up. But you made us curious… Maca mania Maca, or Lepidium meyenii, as it it technically known, is an herbaceous plant which grows in the mountains of Peru. It’s a root vegetable, similar to a turnip, and is also used as medicinal herb. Wikipedia provides a nice summary of the the nutritional value of maca root: It contains carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and fats. It’s also rich in dietary minerals and essential fatty acids. While the interwebs are full of tales of using maca to enhance bust s...

If there’s lead in lipstick can I use crayons instead?

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 06:01:37 +0100

Natalia knows… I just saw a girl on YouTube who did a tutorial on crayon as lipstick because regular lipstick has lead. She obviously needs some beauty brain knowledge! The Beauty Brains concur: What?? You mean we can’t believe everything we see onYouTube? (Shocked baby face!) But seriously, we couldn’t agree more with you more, Natalia. In case anyone hasn’t seen it, here’s why you don’t need to worry about lead in lipstick. But even if you don’t believe our calculations, choosing crayons over lipstick is a bad idea. Crayon contamination First of all, crayons are not composed of the same type of wax/oil base that’s used in lipsticks which means that it won’t transfer very well to lips. That means it won’t color your lips very wel...

Hot Flashes: Maybe it’s menopause. Maybe it’s not.

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:28:26 +0100

Hot Flashes could be the symptom of a disease you don’t know you have. Drenching night sweats. Embarrassing hot flashes. Mood swings. Forgetfulness. Are your menopausal symptoms making mid-life miserable? If so, you may have considered Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). That’s a smart approach; many doctors prefer Bioidentical hormones over synthetic because they’re closer to your own natural chemistry. Consider this first: Not all hot flashes are created equal. In other words, your menopausal symptoms may not be caused by menopause at all! Here’s a true story about a patient of mine. We’ll call her Judy. Judy’s story  Judy, an attractive woman in her 50’s, came to me in desperation. She had gone to numerous Manhattan doctors for BHRT. Her reason for wa...

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Pure Unrefined Shea Butter: Look at the Label

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 06:01:55 +0100

The number 6 best selling beauty product on Amazon.com this week is 100% Pure Unrefined Organic Raw SHEA BUTTER. (The one pound size for $7.00!) How pure is this stuff? Let’s look at the label. Shea butter ingredients Here’s the ingredient list for Pure Unrefined Shea Butter: Shea (Butyrospermum parkii) butter That’s it. (Apparently the Shea tree is now officially called Vitellaria paradoxa but the cosmetic ingredient name is still Butyrospermum parkii as far as we know.) Not much of a label to look at, is there? That’s because this is a pure natural material (or as close as you’re going to get) and therefore it doesn’t have any of the standard extra ingredients you might find like solvents, preservatives, etc. Since there aren’t any other ingr...

Are these silk baby sunscreen wipes the safest bet for my child?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 06:01:47 +0100

Concerned Mom has a question…I am afraid because I hear how dangerous sunblock is but Baby Silk Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes says it’s natural and made of silk would this be a good substitute? The Beauty Brains respond: While you certainly want to be careful about what you put on your baby’s skin, the dangers of sunscreen are over-exaggerated. And speaking of exaggeration, let’s take a look at this product. Is silk a good sunscreen? Even though the product is called a “Baby Silk Sunscreen” it actually contains the physical sunblocking agents Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. That’s a good thing when it comes to sensitive skin since these mineral agents are less likely to be irritating than the more reactive UV absorbers. (Yes, some UV absorber...

Facial soap vs. cleansers: is one better than the other?

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 06:01:18 +0100

This study shows that synthetic detergents are superior to soap in this regard. Image credit: http://www.wallpapervortex.com/ What do YOU think? Do you prefer artisan soap bars or liquid cleansers? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community. (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Do you really want full disclosure of cosmetic ingredients?

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 06:01:48 +0100

A claim that we often hear from people outside of the cosmetic industry is that they want companies to label all the ingredients that go in cosmetics. When we tell them that cosmetic companies already do this, they quickly point out Fragrance and “contaminants” as loopholes to the rules. We find this odd. Do people really want ingredient lists that are over 100 ingredients long. Let’s just compare what products would look like if they listed all the component ingredients of a fragrance. Ingredient lists – short version vs long version Here is what your ingredient list looks like for Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo WATER, SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE, GLYCERIN, PEG 40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, CITRIC ACID, DMDM HYDANTOIN, FRAGRANCE Here is w...

No wonder everyone’s confused about organic!

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 06:01:31 +0100

As long time readers of the Beauty Brains know, one of our pet peeves is the misuse of the term “organic.” From a technical perspective it means carbon-based but in the last several years this original technical definition has been co-opted by the Green movement and is now used loosely to describe almost anything natural. Unfortunately, since there is no standard definition for the term (at least when it comes to cosmetics) there is a lot of confusion about what organic REALLY means. Organic aesthetic procedures Latest example: here’s a press release we received from Eclipse Aesthetics titled “Organic Procedures That Are Worth the Hype.” The press release discusses processes like the following procedures: Fat Grafting (transplanting your own fat from one par...

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Is Pantene afraid of Tresemme?

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:01:46 +0100

While perusing the hair care aisle in my local Walgreens I was surprised by how much the packaging of Pantene’s new “Expert” collection resembles Tresemme. They both have a sleek black look. Tresemme is “Used by Professionals” and Pantene is “Expert.” They both have a stylized “swoosh” as part of the graphics. Hmmm. It wasn’t too long ago that Pantene was the indisputable leader in hair care but in recent years Tresemme has made huge advancements in the market. Is Pantene starting to copy Tresemme because they’re afraid? Bonus fact: These brands are owned by the two biggest personal care products companies in the world – P&G owns Pantene, Unilever owns Tresemme. What do you think of these two brands? Like ̵...

Maybelline The Colossal Waterproof Volume Express Mascara: Look at the Label

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 06:01:02 +0100

This week Maybelline’s Colossal Waterproof Volume Express Mascara is one of the top selling products on Amazon.com. But what makes it so waterproof? Let’s look at the label: Maybelline The Colossal Waterproof Volume Express Mascara Ingredients Isododecane Solvent for waxes Cera Alba (Beeswax), C8 9 Isoparaffin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Cera Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera Wax) (Carnauba Wax) Waxes and clays that form the backbone of the product Propylene Carbonate Another solvent for waxes Allyl Stearate/VA Copolymer Film former, water proofing agent Lecithin Emulsifier Silica Adjusts the texture Sodium Polymethacrylate Film former, water proofing agent Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil Adjusts the texture Phenoxyethanol Preservative PEG/PPG 17/18 Dimethicone, Ethylenediamine/Stear...

Dollar Store Danger – Can You Spot a Fake Product?

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 06:01:52 +0100

Take a look at this “No More Flakes” dandruff shampoo we found in a local dollar store. Only $1.25 for a 15 ounce bottle. What a deal, eh? But wait a minute…If this is a dandruff shampoo (which is an Over the Counter drug) it should list the active ingredient, drug warnings, expiration date, etc. Do you see ANY of that on the back label? And here’s a closer look at the front label: So what’s up with this product? Is it a dandruff shampoo that’s just labeled wrong? Or is it really a dandruff shampoo at all? If not, how can it talk about “flakes?” Here’s a challenge for all you Beauty Brainiacs out there – leave a comment if you can figure out the trick to this product. We’ll post the answer in the comments section in a cou...

DermDoctor Busted for Misleading Light Lotion Claims

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 06:01:25 +0100

A while back we wrote about DermDoctor’s PhotoDynamic Therapy Lotion that supposedly mimics red light therapy. We were highly skeptical at the time and now it seems we’re not the only ones. A recent ruling by the NAD (National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau) has asked DermDoctor to revise their claims for this product. Specifically, the NAD has a problem with claims that suggest the product offers the same benefits as professional light treatments. (Promoting the product as a “moisturizer” and broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen is fine.) Here’s just one of the claims that DermDoctor must change: “With Photodynamic Therapy you get the same anti-aging red light treatment without the hassle of cumbersome light gadgets, costly doctor visits or post-p...

What’s the difference between unscented and fragrance free?

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 06:01:21 +0100

NoahJenda needs to know…I’ve been looking for a good unscented body wash, and recently decided to try Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash. The front of the bottle clearly labels it as “unscented” so I decided to buy some. I looked quickly at the ingredients, but didn’t read them closely enough in the store. When I showered with it that night, I noticed that it did not seem to be unscented but had a light, perfumed smell. Checking the ingredients carefully, I was discouraged to see “fragrance” listed. I wrote to Dove and asked them why something labeled as “unscented” had “fragrance” listed among the ingredients. This was their reply: ”In the personal care industry, an unscented product can contain a masking fragrance to m...

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Is Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Creme Less Damaging than a Holding Spray?

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 06:01:28 +0100

BAlexandria asks… How does Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Define & Hold Creme work? Is this formula less drying/damaging than a holding spray? And what is VA/Crotonates/Vinyl Neodecanoate Copolymer? Is it related to vinyl as we/most consumers know it? The Beauty Brains respond: VA/Crotonates/Vinyl Neodecanoate Copolymer is a holding polymer – that’s what makes the product work, for the most part. The formula also contains some silicones and a fatty alcohol derivative that give it some body. Together these ingredients make hair strands clump together and help retain the shape of your style. (See below for complete ingredient list.) How is hairspray damaging? When you ask about drying/damage from a holding spray, I assume you’re referring to the alcoh...

Here’s another beauty myth buster!

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 06:01:24 +0100

We receive a lot of beauty industry press releases that contain information that is…uh…crappy, to put it politely. So it’s a nice change of pace when we see information that’s science- based. Case in point, here’s the latest from hair-care advocate and health scientist Audrey Davis-Sivasothy at www.haircarerehab.com. Debunking hair care myths • Myth: There’s a magic pill (or oil, serum or balm) to grow our hair faster, stronger or thicker. Unfortunately, no. Hair growth is genetically predetermined and controlled by our hormones. Unless the magic pill affects our genes or hormones, there’s no hope that it might make our hair grow. (This includes prenatal vitamins. Credit the upsurge in hormone levels during pregnancy for those vibrant tresses!) Bas...

Are there any real “eco” safe products?

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 06:01:32 +0100

Kaldary’s question…Are there any eco friendly beauty products that exist? And I guess by eco friendly I mean biodegradablity, packaging, production, and farming. I tried to do a Google search on this and I got a ton of fear mongering about how all man made products are going to kill me. (I roll my eyes when I see “chemical free” claims) I wasn’t able to find the info that I was looking for. So, do eco friendly beauty products exist or is it pointless to look for such things? Is there an eco friendly company out there or is it all just fraud? I don’t care if the materials are natural or synthetic. The Beauty Brains response: This is one of those unanswerable questions because not everyone can agree on what is really eco safe (aka green/natural/organic/et...

Bach Rescue Remedy: Look at the Label

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:01:19 +0100

WOW. I was surprised to that Bach Rescue Remedy is the 4th best selling beauty product on Amazon.com this week. Why does that surprise me? Because it’s the only homeopathic remedy that I’ve seen obtain such a coveted position. Homeopathic remedies supposedly work by diluting active ingredients to a very low level. This product uses 1/50 dilution of the ingredients. There’s Rock Rose for terror and panic, Impatiens for irritation and impatience, Clematis for inattentiveness, Star of Bethlehem for shock and Cherry Plum for irrational thoughts. Even if these ingredients do have some pharmacological activity, they are diluted almost to the point of non-existence. For more read our previous post on debunking homeopathy.) Back Rescue Remedy Ingredients (I can’t list...

Does Keratin in Cosmetics Come from Cadavers?

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 06:01:15 +0100

Rozy says…I bet the keratin (in cosmetics) comes from cadavers. The Beauty Brains respond: That’s an intriguing notion, in a weird “Walking Dead” kinda way…. What is keratin? As most of you probably know keratin is a tough type of protein from which hair, nails, hooves, and horns are made. A number of beauty products contain keratin under the assumption that adding it back to your hair will help improve its condition. (Is that true? Only if the keratin is chemically modified to stick to hair.) Where does keratin come from? So where does all this protein come from? From piles of bald cadavers, as Rozy suggests? Sadly, in this case, the truth is much less interesting than fiction. There are two types of keratin sold for cosmetic use. The vast majority is R...

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What’s the Safest Way to Wash a Baby?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 06:01:49 +0100

We’ve blogged before about the top 10 mildest body washes that use a special surfactant called sodium cocoyl isethionate. This chemical doesn’t strip skin of natural oils and it rinses away better so it’s less irritating. So it must be best thing to wash your baby with, right? WRONG! According to the Mayo Clinic, water and a clean, soft cloth will get the baby’s skin as clean as it needs to be. This seems counter-intuitive since one would think that cleansers would remove potentially dangerous bacteria. But any additional boost in cleansing that you do get from using detergent products is out-weighed by the risk of irritation or infection. Just think of all the money you’ll save on baby wash! Reference: CosmeticsDesign Image credit: http://pixabay.com/ (Sourc...

Does “Silver/Purple” Shampoo Really Cancel Brassy Colors?

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:01:43 +0100

Makeup At Midnight says…Ever since I’ve been dying my hair blonde, I’ve been told by many people to treat my hair with a “purple/silver” toning shampoo or conditioner every few days to help prevent my hair from getting a brassy tone to it. Supposedly, this works by ‘color theory’ in the way that the purple toner in the shampoo is able to cancel out the brassy yellow colors in the hair. An example of such a product is the AG Sterling Silver line, one that I’ve been using myself (although I’m still skeptical). My question is, does these types of products actually work to keep brassy colored hair at bay? The Beauty Brains respond: There is a good bit of science at work here but don’t get your hopes up too high. Here’s why: The ...

Beauty Science and St. Valentines Day

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 06:01:44 +0100

Happy Valentines Day everyone! To celebrate here are five of our favorite posts from the past: When Chemicals Attract Beauty Science for Valentines Day Roses Are Red, Our Planet Is Blue… Valentines Day Experiments For Kids The Deadly Danger Of Valentines Day Image credit: xkcd.com (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Natural Products Really Can Work!

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 06:01:59 +0100

People think we’re opposed to natural ingredients because we’re in bed with the “Big Chemical Companies.” Just for the record, the Beauty Brains are independant-minded skeptics and we are NOT in bed with any chemical companies. (Except maybe for Sarah Bellum, I can’t keep track of everyone she’s been in bed with, but I digress…) All we require to believe a natural ingredient works is reasonable test data that proves its efficacy. Today’s example of a natural ingredient that has such test data is radish oil. Radish oil really rocks! Oil obtained from the Daikon radish (aka Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Seed Oil) is marketed by Natural Plant Products. This oil has a nice sensory feel similar to esters and silicone type emollients and testing h...

Night Owls Should Give A Hoot About Health Risks of Staying Up Late

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:20:45 +0100

Are you a night owl or an early bird? Do you burn the midnight oil or are you early to bed, early to rise? It is customary now to divide people into morning and evening people. The morning type has peak performance in the morning. They are perky, get up easily and get started with work with a clear head. This is as it is supposed to be in nature. Then there is the evening type, who is at peak performance in the afternoon or evening. They have difficulty waking up and can't function without their coffee. It takes them more effort to concentrate on a morning task and they often don’t seem cheerful until later in the day. The morning type is not a problem at all, but evening people usually complain of fatigue, poor sleep and other problems. How does it happen that some people function...

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The Autism Connection

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:14:53 +0100

Should We Be Blaming Just Genes for the Increase in Autism? We can't blame our genes for this horrible disease anymore! What's causing the increase in Autism cases in children? The danger of having an autistic child is very real. According to the CDC about one out of every 100 children are born with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). But what is the cause of this horrible disease? For a long time scientists believed that autism is caused by bad genes. Until recently. Since 1980 there was a dramatic rise in the new cases of Autism. This was difficult to explain with bad genes, because if a disease is linked to genes, its prevalence is relatively stable. But what happened with autism looked more like an epidemic. Because there is no known epidemic in genes, they started looking...

Can we defeat cancer?

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:45:51 +0100

Are you afraid of dying from cancer? I am, because I have a family history of cancer. I also know how much one can suffer with cancer. And cancer is hitting people more and more now. The chance that you’ll die from cancer is about 20 to 25%. That’s a scary statistic. But is there anything we can do about it? Or is it our destiny? Even though Richard Nixon declared a war on cancer a long time ago --in 1971-- we are still far away from defeating cancer. But what about some official medical sources that are declaring victory over cancer? They claim declining cancer death rates, but many doctors believe that the decreased numbers are nothing but early detection and possibly incorrect reporting. I'm one of them. The numbers lie The math on survival rates due to early detection wor...

Rembrandt for the Red Carpet: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:25:05 +0100

We just received a ”DIY Red Carpet Glam” kit sponsored by the fine folks at Rembrandt and we thought we’d give you a quick run down of the featured goodies… Rembrandt Deeply White Toothpaste and 2 Hour Whitening Kit We’ve blogged before about the Comfytray technology Rembrandt uses to hold the whitening gel. Neutrogena Moisture Smooth Color Stick and Makeup Remover Towelettes The towelettes use a combination of low foaming, non-ionic surfactants to mildly clean your face. Aveeno Pure Renewal Dry Shampoo As we recently pointed out, Aveeno Dry shampoo wisely uses a combination of Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate and rice starch to “dry clean” hair. Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets Here’s a surprising use for these handy sheets – st...

Why is it so Hard to Find Good Anti-aging Products?

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 06:01:51 +0100

Ktward’s question…Near as I can tell AHA and Retinol are still the anti-wrinkle standards. However, I’m seeing a lot of talk about peptides. And don’t get me wrong, I love love love Diane Keaton, but I don’t see any legit lit on whatever is the topical calcium she’s peddling. Should I also be incorporating some kind of peptide thing into my daily regimen? (Copper peptide looked promising, but Neutrogena has since discontinued that line so I guess it proved to be a dud – ?) I need some BB input; as a former marketing/advertising professional, I’m altogether predisposed to ignoring the stuff peddled on TeeVee, I need a science-based fix. The Beauty Brains response: It sounds like you’re using the “creme de la creme” (pun i...

CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion: Look at the Label

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 06:01:45 +0100

This week Cerave Moisturizing lotion is one of the top selling lotions on Amazon.com. Let’s take a look at the label to see if it’s wet and worthy. CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion Ingredients Purified Water Not only solvent for other ingredients but also a moisturizing agent for skin Glycerin A humectant that help bind moisture to skin. In very dry weather it may pull moisture OUT of the skin. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Coconut oil derived emulsifier that helps oil and water mix. Behentrimonium Methosulfate and Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20 and Cetearyl Alcohol A mix of fatty emulsifiers combined with a quaternary ammonium compound. This quat is typically used in hair to provide conditioning, I’m not sure how much it helps on skin. It’s also interesting that the co...

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New Eyelash Growth Ingredients

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 06:01:48 +0100

Naturalista asks…Are these lash growth products a waste of money, or do they really work, and if so, what is the best product to buy? The Beauty Brains respond: Right now your options are very limited. We’ve blogged before about Latisse as an approved drug for enhancing eyelash growth (It’s based on a bimatoprost derivative.) However, the product does have the potential side effect of permanently increasing the brown coloration of your eye. As of right now, Latisse is the sole product approved by the FDA. However, I found an interesting study published by Shiseido that indicates a couple of other natural materials may work the same way. Natural eyelash growth – sweet! According to a paper published by Moe Tsutsume, et. al, Stevioside, a component of the stevia ...

Does the Oil in Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Shampoo Do Anything?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 06:01:49 +0100

Miss Monet must know…I was looking for a good conditioning and found Garnier Triple Nutrition shampoo. Why is oil is put in shampoo when its going to go down the drain because sulfates get rid of dirt and oil? The Beauty Brains respond: Garnier’s Fructis line (made my L’Oreal) was originally based on fruit acids. Over time they’ve expanded their product line to include new products like this Triple Nutrition shampoo. According to their website it’s based on “Fortified Fruit Science” which consists of “3 Nutritive Fruit Weightless Oils” Olive, Avocado and Shea. Nutritive Fruit Weightless Oils As you can see from the ingredient list below, these oils appear far down in the list which means they’re used at low levels. The main ...

Is ProActiv a Rip Off?

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 06:01:51 +0100

One of the writers for The Beauty Brains was interviewed for a recent article in Slate magazine. The topic was the ProActiv skin care line. Is ProActiv worth the bother? The title of the article is Don’t Bother with ProActiv and it was inspired by a story on Jezebel.com about people who felt they were getting ripped off by ProActiv’s subscription purchasing model. The question to us was “is better than anything else on the market for clearing up acne?” Basically, ProActiv uses the same over-the-counter drug technology that is available to any company selling acne products. Because these drugs are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration manufacturers are only allowed to use a limited number of active ingredients and they can only make specified claims. In the...

Are ProBiotics Good for Skin?

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 06:01:27 +0100

Rozy asks…I have seen some skin lotions being sold with probiotics in them. I wonder if it actually improves the skin, maybe you could just put yogurt on your face? The Beauty Brains respond: According to a study published in a recent issue of the Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemist certain types of probiotics are good for skin! The benefits of probiotics Researchers studied one probiotic in particular, Lactobacillus plantarum, a gram-positive bacteria and found that it produces antimicrobial peptides. When used at a concentration of 5% these peptides have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties and were shown to reduce skin erythema (redness), repair the skin barrier (help lock in moisture), and reduce bad skin bacteria (that lead to acne.) At a concentration of 1% ...

What Type of Gel Ingredients Should I Look for in a Humid Climate?

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 06:01:11 +0100

Missmonet asks… I live in MD and even in the cold it be high humidity. My hair always get poofy in a day after I apply gel. I like my hair to shiny, define nice curls,and not to crunchy. I’m African American and if I don’t use a styling gel my hair will look like a Micheal Jackson bush lol.. I did my own research and learned that its the pvp that draws moisture even through I use serum with dimethicone. What ingredients are effective for holding my curls in high humidity?I read of polyquaternium -4 is suppose to be good in holding hair in humidity,little build up, soft feel , good wet and dry combing. Also polyquaternium -11 is good but more moisturizing and pvp/pva is good because of the mixture of both. I was thinking about using Aussie Instant Freezing Sculpting Gel ...

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Do women have to have menopause?

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:47:32 +0100

Don’t let it hit too early! I see it in my office every day. A woman in her early 50s comes in, complaining of hot flashes, brain fog, memory loss, fatigue and low sex drive. The cause is most likely menopause. Everything looks pretty straightforward, so I shouldn’t have any further questions. Except one: does she really need to suffer? Does she really have to have menopause and its miserable symptoms? According to the mainstream point of view, yes. A woman has to have a menopause. There’s even an explanation out there; it’s called the grandmother hypothesis. According to this theory, a postmenopausal woman is supposed to help her daughters with their kids. And childcare help can best be given if a postmenopausal woman is not fertile; there’s no risk of her having more of her own...

Working out: exercise caution!

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:11:07 +0100

How hard should you push yourself? The benefits of regular exercise are very well known: it boosts the immune system and brain function, and improves mood and heart function. Many people go to a gym to jog on a treadmill, or do aerobic exercises that are low-intensity but do them for a relatively long period of time. The lowdown on low-intensity workouts But lately there’s been a debate about whether this is a good practice. Some people believe that low-intensity exercise for a relatively long period of time doesn't do any good. Their rationale is: in the animal kingdom, there is no such thing as low-intensity, sustained exercise (have you ever seen a monkey in a gym?). They believe that the problem with low-intensity exercise is that it doesn't raise the metabolic rate very much. If...

Are geniuses losing their genius?

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:56:15 +0100

How to boost your brainpower Despite technical advances like supercomputers and the internet, there have been very few big scientific breakthroughs in recent years. Most new scientific advances are based on old knowledge—not completely new thinking. What’s going on? Are there no geniuses anymore? No new Einsteins or Darwins out there? Has everything in science been explained already? Hardly. But there has been a dramatic shift in how scientists practice modern day science. (http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/02/03/is-scientific-genius-extinct/). Even though almost all information is at our fingertips, it seems that much of it can’t be explained properly. In other words, there are plenty of facts, but no conclusions. Does that mean our geniuses are no longer so smart? And if that...

New Anti-Dandruff Breakthrough Could End Flakes Forever

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 06:01:30 +0100

The Journal of Medicinal Chemistry reports on an exciting breakthrough in dandruff treatment. You know that the main cause of dandruff is a fungus called Malassezia globosa, right? (Actually it causes scalp irritation which leads to flaky scalp.) Typical dandruff shampoo fight the fungus and also try to break up big flakes into smaller, less noticeable pieces. Now researchers have an enzyme that is essential to the fungus and have found that a specific type of antibacterial agent, sulfonamide, is more effective than ketoconazole, (a common anti-fungal medicine.) Hopefully a one-two punch of antibiotics and anti-fungals could really knock out dandruff. I can’t wait until Head & Shoulders gets this new technology! Reference: http://dermatologytimes.modernmedicine.com/news/a...

Pantene Nature Fusion Conditioner: Look at the Label

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 06:01:06 +0100

Continuing our look at the top selling beauty products on Amazon.com… This week the #1 best selling beauty product on Amazon.com is Patene’s Nature Fusion Conditioner. How natural is it really? Let’s look at the label! Pantene Nature Fusion Conditioner Ingredients Water Solvent/carrier for all the other ingredients. Stearyl Alcohol Part of the “backbone” of the formula that makes the product creamy and gives it a cushiony feel. Cyclopentasiloxane A primary conditioner that gives great wet slip. Cetyl Alcohol Another “backbone” that makes the formula creamy. Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine The other “workhorse” in the formula. Provides great lubricity and shine. Cassia Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride The true “natural” ingredi...

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Does Bull Semen Really do Anything for Hair?

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 06:01:55 +0100

Needleusesman asks…I remember reading on the webs that bull semen was the new thing to make your hair healthy looking and shiny I was wondering if that could actually work? The Beauty Brains respond: Semen for hair? How do you people come up with this stuff - by watching “Something About Mary?” Bull semen chemistry Anyway, as everyone knows bull semen consists of a variety of lipoproteins and nucleic acids, the most predominant being glutamic acid. Given it’s rather…sticky…texture, bull semen will coat the hair and provide some residual shine as long as it’s not washed out. However, since hair consists of dead cells this amino acid mixture won’t provide any special rejuvenating effect. And, it certainly won’t work as well as an i...

EyeDoll Chatter Makeup: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 00:23:20 +0100

EyeDoll Chatter (get it?) is a new interactive line of mineral makeup for kids that let’s them mix and match colors and flavors to create their very own brightly colored eyeshadows, deliciously flavorful lip glosses and more. Kids can then share their creations via EyeDoll Chatter’s free iPhone App. We were fortunate enough to try a sample of “My Besties Love Pink” eyeshadow kit and the “Hello Kissy” lip gloss kit. The flavor and color combinations are delightful! But don’t take our word for it here is what our 10 year old evaluator had to say: “The root beer lips stuff tasted really delicious, the eye stuff was all glittery and I like the magnets and flowery stuff on the box. It just looks cool.” So there you have, from an expert! You ...

Is “Better Than False Lashes” Different from other Mascaras?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 06:01:23 +0100

Bluecatbaby asks…I recently read about a new Too-Faced product, called “Better Than False Lashes.” It uses a tube of mascara and a tube of nylon fibers. Has anyone tried this, because it sounds interesting. Too-Faced promotes it as an alternative to false lashes, not as an alternative to your current mascara. Whatever. Are there any ingredients in these two products (the two tubes) that are different than other mascaras? Are there any ingredients that would make it an improvement on other mascaras? The Beauty Brains respond: Typical mascaras are wax-based so they just provide a goopy thickening layer on top of your lashes. The activating mascara and top coat of Better Than False Lashes, like Blinc’s Kiss Me mascara, is based on acrylic polymers which are like hai...

Shaving Dye Danger?

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:01:19 +0100

As regular readers of the Beauty Brains know, we urge you to be skeptical when it comes to scaremongering about cosmetic ingredients. In too many cases people claim cosmetic ingredients are dangerous when the best science available says they’re safe. But we also try to present a balanced perspective so when real safety concerns are raised we want to bring those to your attention as well. Case in point, a recent study shows that some dyes used in cosmetic products may present a danger when used on freshly shaved skin. Dye danger? The study focussed on two blue dyes that have been used in food and cosmetics, Brilliant Blue and Patent Blue V. While the dyes did not penetrate normal healthy skin they were found to significantly permeate shaven skin. (Because the concern is specifically r...

Fat Free Food Is Harmful For Weight Loss Plan

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:28:26 +0100

Only Fewer Calories Will Help Diet Goals! In order to lose weight, we need to eat less calories. Absolutely. There is no doubt about it, and no argument against it. Obesity cannot be blamed on our families, because the truth heredity does play a role, but only a small role in our weight. You know who is truly responsible for our weight? We are! And it is not only in the amount of calories that we eat, but in where those calories come from that can decide how much weight we take off or put on. In a recent article by Dr. Marc Hyman, he describes in detail the truth about how fat free foods can actually make us eat more. (http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/insulin-blood-sugar?utm_campaign=2702-...). But how is that possible? In his article he says “The Women's Health Initiative, which is the...

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Aspartame Controversy

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:21:45 +0100

It’s common knowledge that losing unhealthy weight by reducing caloric intake is a good idea, but a way to make the process easier isn’t clear. One of the suggested ways to lose unhealthy pounds is to substitute sugar (which is rich in calories) with artificial sweeteners, which have almost no calories. The idea became so popular, that even traditional makers of sweet soft drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi decided to introduce drinks with artificial sweeteners. The idea worked, people liked artificial sweeteners so much that they are now in more than 6000 food products and beverages worldwide, including (but not limited to) soft drinks, juices, cereals, chewing gum, etc. The yearly production of artificial sweeteners is in the thousands of tons, bringing their manufacturers millions of d...

Antibiotics In Our Meat Can Build Up Our Resistance

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 22:11:59 +0100

For over 50 years, the animals that eventually end on our plates have been given antibiotics to kill pathogens, but now, the FDA is warning that the misuse and overuse of the antibiotics is causing us to be more resistant. And right now, the concentration desperately needs to be on trying to develop ways to reduce resistance. How did it get to this point? Well, it’s simple. Using chemicals, medicines, poisons in our food is killing us. We are beyond toxic. A full story on the dangers of our meat causing the resistance can be found here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/29/fda-antibiotics-meat-limi_n_629... So, yes, antibiotics are good for us. They can help us get better in an emergency. They can work on getting us healthy again when we have an infection. But it’s important to kno...

Does SmartMouth Mouthwash Really Last for 12 Hours?

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 06:01:50 +0100

Matt must know…I read your post about the long lasting Listerine mouthwash. Is SmartMouth the same thing? If so can it really last for 12 hours? The Beauty Brains responds: Matt’s referring to our post on Listerine UltraClean mouthwash which contains a zinc compound that supposedly keeps breath fresher longer. SmartMouth is another zinc-based mouthwash but it employs a unique two-part system for maximum efficacy. SmartMouth claims support We’re always skeptical of numerical claims because it’s fairly easy to design a test to get whatever number you want. But in this case it looks like SmartMouth has done a good job of realistic testing. So good, in fact, that their claims have stood up to scrutiny by the NAD (that’s the National Advertising Division of the Be...

Does being an extreme metal vocalist cause wrinkles?

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 06:01:19 +0100

Kannibalkorpse asks….I READ ON HERE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS CAUSE WRINKLES AND SINCE I ENJOY SINGING EXTREME METAL, I WONDER IF IT WILL CAUSE WRINKLES, SINCE PART OF THE ART IS MAKING MANY CONTORTIONS OF AGONY. NOT THAT I CARE ABOUT WRINKLES JUST WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, AND IT COMPARED TO OTHER SINGING LIKE SAY OPERA. The Beauty Brains respond: KK was nice enough to include the following video link: While I can’t say I’m a fan of Extreme Metal I did find this question to be very interesting. Unfortunately, I’ve never seen any data suggesting that singing one type of music (Metal versus Opera) will create more wrinkles than another but I watched the video and I’d be worried that all that hair spinning could cause traction alopecia (a form of balding.) Im...

Look at your Earwax to Find Out if your Armpits Stink

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 06:01:41 +0100

According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK, 2% of women carry a specific gene that causes them NOT to produce body odor. (Probably because their sweat doesn’t produce the fatty acids that odor-producing bacteria thrive on.) The researchers also found that 76% of these women still wear deodorant even though they don’t need it. (Probably out of habit/social norms.) But most interesting of all was the discovery that ear wax consistency is an indicator of whether or not you have the “stink” gene. If you have dry ear wax you’re probably odorless whereas moist ear wax means you’ll have stinky pits. So, before you potentially waste more money on an antiperspirant or deodorant, dig around in your ear and check out your w...

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Suave Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo: Look at the Label

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 06:01:50 +0100

Continuing our look at the best selling beauty products on Amazon.com… Suave Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo has been one of the Amazon’s top 100 selling beauty products for 26 days. Like most dry shampoos, it consists of an aerosolized powder that absorbs oils and dirt. Suave Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo Ingredients Isobutane, Propane 2/3 of the hydrocarbon propellant system that allows the powder to be sprayed. SD Alcohol 40-B (Alcohol Denat.) A solvent, or vehicle for the powder to be dispersed in. Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate A special type of modified starch that is a good oil absorber. Butane The remaining 1/3 of the gaseous propellant. Fragrance (Parfume) To make the product smell good. Isopropyl Myristate An emollient that helps spread the powder. Too much of this can...

How Does a Paraffin Manicure Work?

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 06:05:37 +0100

Renee asks…How do paraffin manicures work? The Beauty Brains respond: A paraffin manicure is a treatment that involves plunging your hands (or feet) into hot, molten wax. The wax is then covered with plastic and allowed to “soak into” your skin. When the hardened wax shell is removed, you skin is left feeling smooth and moisturized. The process supposedly improves the quality of your manicure and some people even allege that it opens pores to release toxins and even soothes arthritis. Waxing eloquent Believe it or not, the magic ingredient in a paraffin manicure is not really paraffin at all, it’s actually….mineral oil! Yep, that’s right the same petroleum byproduct that’s vilified by so many people because they believe it is unsafe. You see...

Tresemme LiveStyling: Who Wants a Free Consultation with a Professional Hair Stylist?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 06:10:00 +0100

Today’s post is sponsored by Lunchbox. Our regular readers will recall the recent test we did comparing drug store and salon brands. We had a stylist evaluate hair tresses treated with both kinds of products and the results showed that there was no difference. So when Tresemme (the drug store brand that gives salon quality results) asked us to spread the word about their new LiveStyling program we agreed to help because we believe you can get salon quality results at drug store prices. Tresemme LiveStyling Tresemme’s LiveStyling program brings the salon experience into the comfort of your own home. They’re offering a FREE 10 minute consultation with a professional stylist when you buy 2 TRESemmé products at Walgreens. You’ll get a personal consultation with a h...

Can I Get IPL on Pubic Hair?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 06:01:20 +0100

Vixanne is vexed….Can I get IPL on pubic hair? I hate the scratchiness of shaving and yes I know to shave correctly I still hate it. The Beauty Brains respond: For those of you who may not be hip to modern hair removal devices, IPL (which stands for Intense Pulsed Light) is a relatively new way to achieve permanent hair reduction (Not permanent removal! There’s a difference.) The Pros and Cons of Pubic IPL IPL works the same general way as a laser does- it produces a flash of light that penetrates skin and is absorbed by the melanin in your hair follicles. This absorption generates a burst of heat which destroys the cells in the follicle which are responsible for hair growth. So, until those cells regenerate, you remain relatively hairless. Light treatments began as clini...

Does my Dog Need Skin Lotion?

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 06:01:19 +0100

Betty says…My mom told me to put lotion on my dog to stop her from scratching behind her ears. Is it really safe to put lotion on dogs? The Beauty Brains respond: We’ll take a crack at this one even though we’re not the Beauty Bitches (as in female dogs…get your mind out of the gutter!) Canine cosmetics Dogs have a pretty good life except when it comes to skin care. Their skin doesn’t produce sebum the way ours does and certain breeds are prone to dry skin conditions. Regular skin lotions don’t work so well through all that hair but there is a special “lotion” for dogs that’s supposed to fight dermal inflammation, itching, bacterial and even fungal infections. The product is called DogsBestFriend and it’s made by Brookton Labs, ...

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Bisphosphonates Have Been Linked To Esophageal Cancer Adding to the List of Possible Problems They Can Cause

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:30:03 +0100

Once again, bisphosphonates are in the news, this time being linked to esophageal cancer. Bisphosphonates are a common treatment used for osteoporosis. We have written about it on our site before for the damage they can cause to bones. Bisphosphonates, especially in the case of osteoporosis, cause the bones to have constant turnover, and inhibits the digestion of bone by osteoclasts. Bisphosphonates actually create an abnormal bone, which is relatively fine for about seven years and then becomes more prone to breaking. It’s also noted that prolonged treatment, while it can decrease the number of fractures, can actually increase the harm in the fractures, making them more painful and slower to heal, since the bones are thickened. Over time there is also fear that it could cause abnormal ...

Energy drinks: death in a can?

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:04:13 +0100

You need energy for everything you do, from doing your job, to having s.e.x., to walking down the street. But drinking an energy drink to increase your energy just might send you to the emergency room. This isn’t just my opinion, it was reported on a government health website, which reports an increase in ER visits due to energy drink consumption: (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_133134.html). And energy drinks might do more than send you to the ER. Can caffeine kill? November 2000. An 18-year-old student drank three Red Bull energy drinks before a basketball game and died during the match. The medical examiner found that he had abnormally thick heart wall, but nobody took it seriously and investigated further. December 2011. A 14-year-old girl tried to get more e...

Flu prevention tips

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:09:39 +0100

Flu can kill—arm your immune system against it! I’m exposed to sick patients all day long. With this year’s flu epidemic, I’m exposed to even more sick patients than usual. Some of them ask me, “Doc, aren’t you sick yet? Did you get flu this year? Did you get vaccinated?” Yes, the flu season this year is bad. In Boston, at least 18 patients died recently and they declared a medical emergency. New York has also declared an emergency. But you don’t have to be one of the statistics. I’m living proof that flu can be prevented In my practice, one patient ended up in the hospital, and countless others are suffering the symptoms. Me? I feel great, no symptoms whatsoever. No sick days, no fever, fatigue, runny nose -- nothing! I have not had flu for years and I am not pla...

How Does Colorgirl Outlast Lipcolor work?

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 06:01:58 +0100

Bandana begs to know…I love Covergirl Outlast All Day lip color for the summer–I can boat, pool, eat, and have lovely fresh looking lips! When I put on the lipstick, I can’t help but think of nail polish because you have to let it dry. (It’s safe, right?) How in the heck does it work? AND how does the top coat make it shiny and petroleum jelly remove it? The Beauty Brains response: Most long lasting lip colors stay in place because the colorants stain the skin. That approach is fine but it means that those products can only offer a limited number of shades because not every lip color acts as a stain. Outlast is different than other long-lasting lip colors because it’s a two part system consisting of a colorcoat and a topcoat. Let’s take a look at e...

How Can You Stop Chemicals from Penetrating Skin?

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 06:01:55 +0100

Raylene really needs to know…I don’t like the idea of chemicals in cosmetics getting into my body. Is there anyway to block this? The Beauty Brains respond: Since most ingredients don’t penetrate skin this isn’t really an issue. That’s because most chemicals are too large to diffuse through the skin. (Read this post on how much chemical exposure do you really get from cosmetics.) In fact, you need special dermal patches, formulated with penetration enhancers, to get things like nicotine and sea sickness drugs through your skin and into your blood. But I did find one interesting example of a skin lotion that is designed to STOP chemicals from entering your body. Anti-snake venom cream Thankfully this isn’t an issue everyone will have to worry about ...

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90% Of People At Risk From Hidden Salt

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:18:35 +0100

Sea Salt and Potassium Can Be Good Replacement for Salt in Your Diet The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that even though Americans should only be eating one teaspoon of salt a day, only one out of ten of us actually keep to those guidelines. Those at risk are supposed to have even less, 2/3 of a teaspoon, and oddly enough, even less of them, one out of 18, keep to that goal. An article published in the Wall Street Journal highlights the struggles of us as Americans to limit the salt in our diet. It’s all been laid out. Too much salt causes hypertension, high blood pressure, edema, swelling, heart problems, osteoporosis and even death. Some places like New York City have taken it into even higher consideration, asking that restaurants cut out the salt in many of their reci...

Americans Put Too Much Trust Into USDA Stamp of Approval

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:07:54 +0100

But Do Most Even Know What It Means? When we go to the supermarket we look for the Grade A stamp on an egg carton, correct? I think that many of us do it without even thinking. Well, according to the Wall Street Journal article, most of us don’t really even know what the stamp means, but we put our trust in it that the USDA has approved this item for consumption, However, the truth about the stamp and how blindly we trust can be shocking. The recent salmonella outbreak in our eggs did scare us as a society, sure, but did it change the way that we bought or researched our food. Probably not. Chances are that most of us assumed that the FDA and USDA were handling it, and that it would be taken care of soon. What could we really do but sit around and wait for the news to tell us it’s ok t...

Is Obesity a Result of Poverty or Food Marketing?

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:40:55 +0100

If you can't afford to eat natural and organic foods, there is not doubt you will obese. People who are poor can't help but be unhealthy and, for some, obese, because the quality of the foods theuy are taking in are deplorable. It's hard to disagree with that. As a matter of fact a congressional challenge in the 2010 actually resulted in unexpected findings. Several Congress people were asked to try and live on a food stamp diet, meaning only spend what would normally be given per week in food stamps, for 7 days, in order to raise awareness about hunger and budget cuts. But what resulted was also a lesson in the quality of food available to you at low costs. High salt, high sugar, fake products. Most saw themselves gain weight living off of staples like soup and powdered macaroni and ...

Will Visine Help Reduce Skin Redness?

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 06:01:20 +0100

BT says…I read on some other beauty website that a few drops of redness-reducing eyedrops can reduce redness and irritation from shaving. Any truth to this? The Beauty Brains respond: Visine (TM) is one of those products that seems to attract some wacky rumors. At one point it was alleged that a a few drops of Visine in someone’s drink will induce diarrhea (not true) and it’s also rumored to get rid of skin spots (it won’t help with ages spots or other pigmented spots). But there does appear to be some basis for using it to temporarily reduce skin redness. How does Visine(TM) work The active ingredient, tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride, reduces eye redness by constricting the superficial blood vessels in the eye. It’s also used to help reduce nasal congestion...

Does Silicone Really Nourish Hair?

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 06:01:14 +0100

Uma asks…Could you please help with these two products (Phillip Kingsley’s Elasticizer and Phytodefrisant)…are they nourishing or just bunch of silicones? The Beauty Brains respond: First, let’s be clear about what “nourish” means in the context of hair care. Is there a difference between “nourish” and “condition”? You can nourish garden plants by adding water and fertilizer to the soil they grow from. But hair that has already grown out from your scalp can’t be nourished like that because it’s dead. All you can really do is condition it. The definition of conditioning, according to “Conditioning Agents for Hair and Skin,” is as follows: A product can be said to have conditioning properties if it improves ...

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Can Your Smart Phone Prevent Skin Cancer?

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 06:01:30 +0100

We’ve told you before that you shouldn’t trust over the counter mole removal products. But what about smart phone apps that help check moles for skin cancer? Are those safe and effective? New data suggest that your phone isn’t smart enough to be trusted with this medical diagnosis. Mole minder apps In case you haven’t seen them, these apps work by taking a photograph of your mole and then applying mathematical formulae to assess their symmetry and color. If the mole matches a certain set of criteria the app flags it as being potentially pre-cancerous. But dermatologists at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center tested some of these smartphone apps and found that they missed dangerous moles about one-third of the time! Rather than relying on your smartphone ...

Spa Wars: Beauty Brains Book Review

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 06:01:33 +0100

As busters of beauty myths we’re always on the look out for other like-minded beauty insiders who can give you a behind the scenes look at the cosmetic industry. That’s why we read Lora Condon’s book “Spa Wars: The Ugly Truth About the Beauty Industry.” Spa Wars We were hoping for more insights into which spa treatments really work but the book spends most of its time painting a vivid picture of the interpersonal relationships that go on in (some) salons and spas. The author relates how even simple tasks, like getting the daily load of dirty towels washed, were turned into chores filled with back biting and political intrigue. (And guess what – that robe you’re wearing might not be as clean as you think!) We also learned that if you’re co...

Rimmel London Stay Glossy 6-Hour Lip Gloss: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:46:47 +0100

Who doesn’t love a long lasting lip gloss? Rimmel London’s new Stay Glossy ($4.99) promises a full 6 hours of savory shine. Unlike some other glosses that are formulated primarily with mineral oil, Rimmel uses very water proof materials like polybutene and polyisobutene which helps maintain gloss after oils wear off. The only downside is that these materials can make a formula feel stickier. Additionally, the product claims to provide “double the moisture instantly.” This is interesting since there’s no water in the formulation. I suppose they could be using a Ski-Con device to measure skin conductivity which tracks well with how much moisture is in the skin. Regardless, there’s enough emollient material in the formula to make your lips feel soft. Ri...

Are Micro Mist Steamers “Mist-er Right” for Your Hair?

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 06:01:06 +0100

Chi9ja asks…I recently heard of this micro mist steamer hair treatment and how its supposedly better than regular steamers or heat hair treatments. can someone anyone please clarify this issue up for me, will sitting under a regular dryer get the same results. The Beauty Brains respond: This mister does appear to be an effective Extraction Tool. The problem is the only thing that it’s extracting is hard earned money from your wallet. What is a micro mist steamer hair treatment? An ultrasonic steamer like the Micro Mist from Takara Belmont generates cool steam which supposedly swells the hair shaft and allows treatments to penetrate better. In reality, you don’t need any expensive device to achieve this same swelling effect – just wetting hair with water causes...

Blood Pressure Debate Heats Up

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:44:47 +0100

A recent study has just announced that it is acceptable to have blood pressure that is 140/80, which was considered dangerous before. The conclusion was made because there were no more deaths in this group of patients compared with patients who had 120/80 or less blood pressure. Patients were followed for two decades. Basically the conclusion implies that because you didn't die, it must be OK. But what about other conditions like dementia, nonfatal strokes, nonfatal heart attacks, etc? These issues the study did not take into consideration. Does it mean that if you are not dead, the rest does not matter? Causes of so called essential hypertension (essential means that the cause is not known) or prehypertension: Electrolyte imbalance. Insulin insensitivity. Heavy metal to...

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Paralyzing Pain Can Be Cured

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:34:31 +0100

Tumors, Tension, Sleep Are Only Three Headache Triggers Have you ever suffered from a headache? If yes, then you know how uncomfortable it could be. Headaches can paralyze you for days, weeks and even months! Headaches can make your life miserable. But despite the fact that more than 10 million Americans suffer from headaches, traditional medicine cannot really offer a cure. Because the most common approach is simply giving a pill to treat the symptoms, it looks like we might be doomed to a lifetime of Excedrin and days lost. The better approach would be to find the root cause of the problem and eliminate it. Sounds simple, so why don’t they do it in every medical office? Because in real life it is not that easy. Let me give you an example. A middle-aged, pleasant lady came t...

Genetically Modified Salmon May Have Toxic Levels of Mercury

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:26:01 +0100

FDA Approves Its Sale for Consumption After testing only a small sample of genetically modified salmon, the Food and Drug Administration has approved it for consumption. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMateria... This recent announcement will make this the first genetically modified fish to enter the American food supply, and I believe that this will come with many surprises. Read more on the recent announcement here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/04/health/policy/04salmon.html?_r=1&ref=h... Genetically modified salmon grows at twice the rate of regular salmon. That’s great news, right? Actually maybe not. The problem with genetically modified salmon may be the ability to get rid of toxic mercury. In general fish have a very poor elimination system a...

FutureDerm Time-Release Retinol 0.5 Gel Treatment- a Science Based Solution for Rough Skin

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 06:01:24 +0100

Today’s post is sponsored by FutureDerm. If you’re not familiar with FutureDerm.com you should be. It’s another website that embraces a science-based approached to beauty (much like The Beauty Brains.) Nicki Zevola, the owner of the site, is an aspiring dermatologist who has formulated her own line of products. She recently asked to us to write a review of her FutureDerm Time-Release Retinol 0.5 Gel Treatment. What does it claim? Contains 0.5% concentrated retinol Fast absorbing (absorbs in a second compared to most retinoid creams which are thick and take up to 30 minutes) Sustained release technology keeps working for up to 8 hours. Perfect for use with your favorite moisturizers because you don’t have to wait before applying. Designed to optimize skin’s na...

Surya Brasil Hair Care: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 06:01:26 +0100

If you’re fan of exotic ingredients and non-tranditional shampoo and conditioner formulas, you might enjoy Surya Brasil’s Amazonia Precioisa line. Unlike most “natural” shampoos that are based on classic surfactants like sodium laureth sulfate with a drop of natural extract added, Surya Brasil starts with a relatively unusual combination of Glutamates (amino acid derived cleansing agent) with a sucrose cocoate (from sugar) and decyl glucoside (from corn). Then they add a variety of indigenous Brazilan extracts. I doubt the extracts add any functionality in a rinse off shampoo but the mix of surfactants gives you a very unusual lather that will not be as potentially drying as some of the stronger surfactants. The lather is very thin but creamy. However, this kind o...

Heart Disease and Height Coincide

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 23:53:05 +0100

Short People Have Higher Risk for Disease Is it possible that the closer you are to the ground, the more likely you are to be sick? A recent article in the Associated Press noted a study that found that short people had a 50 percent higher chance of getting heart disease, than taller people. It is also important to note that other issues, like smoking and weight also played important roles in these heart disease risks. Read the full article here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100609/ap_on_he_me/eu_med_short_people_hear... Well, there could be several reasons for this. Besides being hereditary, being short could also be because there is a growth hormone deficiency or malnutrition, celiac sprue or parasites. And malnutrition in our society, or at least in the subjects they were looking at in ...

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Can Going To The Gym Bring You Harm?

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 23:45:01 +0100

This article shows that even trainers are pushing people to “train” less. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870485510457547021324131189... Some of these can help you get a natural workout: • Gardening • Home chores • Grocery shopping • Walking • Going to the park with your child and not sitting on the bench You will see that a more natural lifestyle, along with a healthy diet can keep you just as toned, but more healthy than a gym! Post category: Working out (Source: Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog)

FDA Backs Away From Yet Another Drug

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 23:37:26 +0100

Alzheimer's Drug Proven Ineffective It has become almost common to find out that FDA approved drugs that not only have lethal side effects, but now to find out also that they may just be completely ineffective. Maybe the FDA is overburdened. Maybe there is another reason. Maybe too many drugs are on the market. Something has to be going on that all these so-called medicines are being approved, only to be pulled from shelves a year later saying that they are unsafe. The most recent news to shock the medical world: the Alzheimer drug Namenda, with yearly sales of $1.2 billion is not actually doing anyone a stitch of good, except for the pharmaceutical company that's been pocketing the money for their ineffective drug. (1,2). So there are several questions about it: How did it happen that ...

Is DIY Macara Safe?

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 06:01:52 +0100

In conclusion let me ask which you think is safer: Purchasing a professionally formulated product with ingredients that have been shown to be safe for use around the eye and that have been tested to ensure it won’t support growth of bacteria that could potentially lead to dangerous eye infection, OR mixing two ingredients, one of which is not properly preserved and the other which is not designed to be used close to your eyes? (Whew, pardon the run on sentence!) I’m sorry but you couldn’t pay me enough to risk an eye infection by “protecting” myself from excess chemicals. Image credit: http://pixabay.com/ (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Collagenta Serum: Skin Savior or Scam?

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:01:05 +0100

Mdh must know…Apologies if this has already been discussed (couldn’t find a topic), but I stumbled across a free trial for Collagenta and wondered if the Beauty Brains had reviewed this product? The Beauty Brains respond: Collagenta is a mail order product line from London-based DS Marketing Ltd, the same company that markets the Dead Sea Minerals collection. Their Active Collagen Serum, which retails for $149 for what appears to be a 2 ounce container, seems to be the one offered in the free trial so let’s take a look at the key claims and the ingredients. Collagenta Serum Claims Regular use of Collagenta Active Serum helps the skin stay supple, plump and taut by supplying it with pure marine collagen, rejuvenating minerals and antioxidants. Clinical studies show t...

Beauty Science Game – January 13

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 06:01:52 +0100

It’s time for another Beauty Science Game! Four of these beauty science stories are false. If you can guess the one that’s true, you win! (You don’t win anything but gosh it’s so much fun to play! ) Leave a comment with your guess! I’ll post the answer tomorrow. Experiments show that prolonged application of moisturizer to wet, pruney skin actually makes wrinkles worse. Most people want to grow more hair. But an Iranian man has a rare condition which causes hair in an unwanted place – his eyeball! Japan-based Shiseido has developed a new hand lotion that changes color when you come in contact with the influenza virus. The color of your perfume bottle influences how much you like the smell of the fragrance. Wondering what to do with your dead Christma...

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Does Joan Rivers Great Hair Day Really Work?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 06:01:15 +0100

Anon asks…I have a guilty pleasure I watch the bitchy fashion show with Joan Rivers. I heard she has some kind of miracle hair product that restores hair. More beauty BS I assume? Come on Brains, what’s the scoop? The Beauty Brains respond: The product in question is “Great Hair Day” by Joan Rivers. It’s essentially a colored powder that “fills in” the areas where your hair is thinner. This product is a pressed powder packaged in a compact. Does Great Hair Day really work? We haven’t tested this specific product but we do know that the general approach of using powder to conceal thinning hair can work with the right formula. For example, we tested Toppik Hair Building fibers and found that it works surprisingly well because it contains tiny ...

Nancy Boy May Be the Most Honest Beauty Product in the World

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 06:01:16 +0100

NoahJenda asks…I’m very curious to know what the Beauty Brains think about Nancy Boy’s Ultramarine Night Cream. It’s also sold as an eye cream. I find their descriptions of the product unusually frank. For example, when discussing eye creams, they say “None, including ours, do anything for dark circles or puffiness (even though some of them claim to) because no product can…The only under-eye problem that can be addressed with an over-the-counter product is fine lines and wrinkles.” I also find it interesting that they claim their cream has the same ingredients as other products costing ten times as much. What do the Beauty Brains think of the ingredients, and of the claims for this product? The Beauty Brains respond: Wow. Nancy Boy has the mos...

Don't Put All The Blame On Hormones - Gluten Can Shorten Your Sex Life, Too

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:34:16 +0100

Even though it is believed that with menopause and andropause comes a loss of libido, fertility and sex drive, it has been always assumed that the reason is due to a change in hormones. However, a recent study is claiming that it may not be the only reason, and that gluten, once again, is the culprit for our failing health! (1,2). Moreover, the problem starts long time before menopause hits. This problem affects the whole reproductive life of a woman, leading to miscarriages and premature birth. This problem makes menopause more severe than in healthy women. But what is it? What is this unknown enemy that can make such severe impact on women’s health? How you function depends on how good your nutrient delivery system works. And where do you get your nutrients from? Food! Theref...

Americans Still Not Eating Healthy, Study Says. Is There an Easier Way?

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:27:19 +0100

A study has found that Americans rarely eat salad, the reason: it's difficult to prepare. Getting the fresh ingredients, cleaning, cutting, preparing. However, oncologists suggest that you eat 5 fresh fruits and vegetables daily - making salad an important dish. It's ingredients are raw, hence the vitamins and nutrients aren't destroyed by high temperatures. While bagged salads are a convenient option, most are washed in a water-chlorine bath - and the price over a head of lettuce is a difficult hurdle for some customers. In our hurried days, we don;t always make the best food choices, and the inconvenience of preparing salad is an evident one - but it shouldn't merit a disregard of our dietary needs. Instead, a practical alternative is to skip the preparation altogether - and focus on t...

Is Tinosorb Sunscreen Approved in US and Canada?

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 06:01:13 +0100

Rozy asks…Is Tinosorb sunscreen approved in US and Canada? The Beauty Brains respond: A lot of people are excited about Tinosorb as a new and improved UV protectant. But Tinosorb is not just one product, it’s Ciba’s brand name for a variety of of sunscreens. Types of Tinosorb Tinosorb S is Bemotrizinol aka bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine. Tinosorb M is Bisoctrizole aka methylene bis-benzotriazolyl tetramethylbutylphenol. Tinosorb OMC is Octyl methoxycinnamate aka octinoxate. There are also Tinosorb FD and FR but these are for fabric applications and so they’re not available in skin products. Tinosorb OMC is approved in the US and is used in quite a few products. Tinosorb S is the one that gets the most press because it’s a “next generat...

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Dove Winter Care Body Wash: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 06:01:53 +0100

If you’ve read our posts on the top 10 mildest body washes you know that we’re big fans of the ingredient sodium cocoyl isethionate as a cleansing agent that’s gentle to skin. Dove is using this cleanser in a new seasonal body wash that’s specially designed for the dryness of winter. Dove Winter Care Body wash is also interesting because of its inclusion of Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, another mild cleanser that’s usually found in high-end facial products. Surprisingly, Dove has also chosen to include Sodium Laureth Sulfate (the milder cousin of SLS). I guess they needed it to boost foam but they could have gone the sulfate-free route like other progressive products have done. Still, they’ve developed a very cool demo showing how Dove cares for skin bet...

Nuvosa Skin Care: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 19:18:57 +0100

Can I tell you how sick and tired I am of hearing anti-aging claims from companies that don’t provide ANY data to back up what they say? That’s why it was so refreshing to find that the samples of Nuvosa skin care that I received were accompanied by actual test data showing how well their products work. If you aren’t familiar with Nuvosa, they offer a Deep Wrinkle Remedy, a Reborn Moisturizer and a Flawless Toner. You can learn more here at Nuvosa.com. Nuvosa test data According to their data, at the end of a 28 day study here’s what the women said: 94% agreed skin is hydrated. 90% of women saw a visible improvement in skin. 90% agreed skin tone is more even. 90% agreed skin is more radiant. 90% agreed skin has...

The Sandy Hook Massacre. Could it have been prevented?

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:19:16 +0100

Nobody wants to be killed by a crazy gunman. But the same disease the crazy gunman had might be inside of you and killing you silently. December 14, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Connecticut. 20 year old Adam Lanza came into the school building and started shooting. He brutally killed 20 children and 6 adults. Earlier, he killed his mother. As soon as responders arrived, he killed himself. December 24, 2012, Webster, NY. William Spengler set fire his house and started shooting when firefighters arrived. Result: 2 firefighters killed. Then he killed himself. December 27, 2012, Queens, NY. A middle-aged man was waiting for the #7 train. A woman, mumbling to herself while standing behind him, suddenly pushed him to the tracks in front of the fast-moving train. The ma...

Whole grains: you’re being fed half truths

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:32:03 +0100

Eat your grains! Whole grains are extremely popular because of their heavily advertised health benefits. But the more research is done, the less attractive they look to doctors and patients—and to me. While doing a follow-up appointment with a patient, he mentioned that he had eaten bread the day before the appointment. I said, “As per my advice, you should not eat bread at all.” He answered, “It was whole wheat bread, so should not be a problem.” He thought that if it is a whole wheat bread, then it’s ok. Why did he think like that? Because grains are a staple food for many of us. Because mainstream medicine and government recommends we eat grains. Because advertisers tell us they’re good for us. The whole story on whole grains. But I wondered…how could grain...

The big cover-up: Edible films on organic produce

Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:28:42 +0100

We all know organic is better when it comes to fruits and vegetables, right? After all, they’re cleaner and purer than produce grown with pesticides, and packaged with preservatives, right? Wrong. I started having doubts when a patient told me that. “Contrary to your advice, I don’t eat organic fruits and vegetables because I don’t believe they are as pure as advertised.” Knowing how inventive our food industry is, I didn’t argue with him. Instead, I started paying much more attention to how organic fruits and vegetables look. Too good to be true? I went to the store and bought organic apples. I examined them closely. They looked shiny, as if they were polished; their surface reflected the light almost like a mirror. They looked perfect—too perfect. From my childhood,...

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Does Baby Shampoo Contain Eye Numbing Ingredients?

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 06:01:13 +0100

Sarahu says…I think this is an old urban legend that has been going around for years. People keep saying that Johnson & Johnson ‘No more tears’ baby shampoo contains secret numbing agents so that a baby’s eyes won’t sting if the shampoo gets in them. I think that any numbing agent would be required to be listed in the ingredients label. They keep insisting that numbing agents are in there, despite all evidence to the contrary. Can you settle this once and for all? Is there anything in J&J baby shampoos that would numb a baby’s eyes? The Beauty Brains respond: There are no numbing agents in the J&J’s baby shampoos. One of the key attributes in producing a no-more-tears formula is the micelle size (micelles are aggregations of surfactan...

Playboy VIP Perfume: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:55:47 +0100

Speaking of perfume (as I was earlier today in the post Why Does Perfume Make me Sneeze), Coty is launching two new Playboy themed scents in honor of founder Hugh Hefner’s upcoming nuptials. Playboy VIP for Her is a joyful fragrance full of floral contrasts and sparkling ingredients that surprise, thrill and exude sensuality with a playful touch. A scintillating mélange of subtle musk and sandalwood, Playboy VIP for Her delivers a lingering, tempting scent for women with luxurious taste. ($17) It kinda sorta smells like a stripper fragrance a little bit which I think is highly appropriate given the branding. Playboy VIP for Him captures the undeniable charisma and magnetism of the modern man. With fresh top notes of bergamot and delicious accents of white chocolate and rich sand...

Why Does Perfume Make Me Sneeze?

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 06:01:24 +0100

Joan V says….I have a few questions about perfumes and fragrances that I think you Brains would do a good job of answering. I get so sneezy when a perfume is sprayed and then usually get a headache. However, I don’t have this problem with roll-ons as long as I use a light hand. I just discovered Lush’s Lust perfume, which I love for its jasmine scent, but bought in the form of a waxy roll-on because of the sneeze factor and the price point – it was only $12 or so compared to the perfume, which actually wasn’t too expensive compared to “real” perfumes like Chanel. However it doesn’t last very long and I would love to have that sexy, soft smell on me all day instead of for just an hour or 2! The Beauty Brains respond: Here are Joan’s fragra...

Eden Allure Moroccan Oil Products: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 19:17:13 +0100

Everyone in the Beauty Blog-o-sphere has written about Argan oil. We’ve noted on a number of occasions that most of the Argan oil products we’ve seen (especially the ones for hair) are mostly silicone-based with a only touch of Argan oil thrown in so they can make the claim. But we recently received samples of an Argan oil product that actually contains (are you ready for this?) ONLY PURE ARGAN OIL! The fine folks at Eden Allure sell a 1 ounce bottle of pure Argan oil from Morocco for $18. They also have an Argan oil based soap bar. If you’re tired of products that only contain a minuscule amount of Morocco you might want to check out what Eden Allure has to offer. We’re big time bloggers so we got samples of these products for FREE. You’re not so lucky so before you ...

Beauty Science Game – January 6

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 06:01:33 +0100

It’s time for our first Beauty Science game of 2013. Everyone loves natural products, right? Which one of these natural ingredients is the REAL beauty science break through? Leave a comment! Covering your eyes with Vitamin K rich Brussels sprouts can reduce dark circles. Crushed worms can be used as a disgusting, but effective, skin moisturizing cream. Frog’s skin is being used to develop a new generation of natural hair colorants. Bee sting venom may be the new Botox because it can tighten skin and reduce wrinkles. The “goo” that helps mussels and barnacles stick together has been used to create a revolutionary new hair styling product. Have fun! I’ll post the answer tomorrow. (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

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Do Beauty Companies Have to Tell us Their Ingredients?

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 06:01:03 +0100

Anita says…I’m a chemist by trade and new to this site, but I would suspect revealing the “true ingredient list” would infringe on the company’s formula. Never tried the stuff, just stating the obvious. Love the research, keep up the good work! The Beauty Brains respond: Anita’s comment appeared on our post about a New Options Alkaline Mineral Softener but we thought it raised such a good point that we would reiterate it here. Here’s the scoop on ingredients and “infringing on the company’s formula:” All cosmetics are required to disclose their full ingredients on their package. (If the package is too small they’re allowed to list ingredients on a supplemental insert.) If the company has “secret” technology they are permitted ...

What Does “Reduces the Appearance of” Mean in Beauty Claims?

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 06:01:44 +0100

Bluecatbaby asks…I don’t understand what it means when companies say that a skin care product “reduces the appearance of” something like brown spots, redness, or wrinkles. It sounds like vague advertising words to me. Is the implication that it doesn’t really do anything to physically change the brown spot, etc.? The Beauty Brains respond: Essentially it means just what it says – the “appearance” is reduced not necessarily the underlying physical condition. In most cases changing the physical structure of the skin would make the product a drug. Since most of these products are NOT drugs they have to add the “weasel words” to their claim that make it clear that they are only changing the appearance. Companies have to be careful wit...

Will Drying Your Nail Polish with UV Lights Give You Finger Cancer?

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 06:02:18 +0100

Rozy asks…How likely is it that you will get skin cancer from gel nails? Would putting sunblock on your fingers before getting a gel mani help? The Beauty Brains respond: Given the legitimate concerns raised about UV tanning beds causing skin cancer it seems perfectly reasonable to be worried about similar health dangers from the UV lights used to cure gel nail polish. (The UV radiation causes the polymers in the polish to “cross-link” which makes the polish harder and longer lasting.) We originally speculated that using sunscreen would protect your skin around the nail bed but that the nail polish itself should absorb UV radiation so it doesn’t pass through your nail to the skin beneath it. But now we have data that definitively answers this question. (At least...

Plastic Surgery 101

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 06:01:59 +0100

Kari’s question…I’m tired of wasting money on skin firming products that don’t really work. What kind of plastic surgery options do I have and how much do they cost? The Beauty Brains respond: Since surgical procedures are not exactly our forte, we asked James Rutherford who writes for the Clevens Center for Facial Cosmetic Surgery for an expert response. We hope this helps! Plastic Surgery for Youthful Skin 101 Aging is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be quite so visible. Hair styles, the right fashion, and a good diet and exercise program can keep anyone feeling and looking years younger than they are. Unfortunately, the wrinkling and sagging skin is the hardest part to conceal. There are so many different creams and beauty products that promise to turn ...

Hydroxatone Luminique Facial Brightener: in the Beauty Brains Bathroom

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 18:40:37 +0100

Skin lightening products are always controversial because it’s so hard to say if they really work or not. It takes months of usage to see if there truly is any change in skin pigmentation. So all we can really go by is the science of the ingredients that the products use. In the case of Luminuque, that science is an ingredient called Diacetyl Boldine, an extract from the Chilean Boldo tree. You don’t see this used in very many skin lighteners and I could find no data published in peer-reviewed journals to show how it works. However, there does appear to be at least one, small study conducted by the manufacturer showing that it does lighten age spots. Luminique Facial Brightener Ingredients Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Cyclomethicone, Dim...

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Happy New Year from the Beauty Brains

thebeautybrains.com — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 06:01:51 +0100

No questions and answers today. No beauty science news. Just a great big THANK YOU to all of the great people in the Beauty Brains community. Whether you’re an active commentator, forum poster, RSS feed reader, emailer, newsletter subscriber, or FaceBook fan, thank you for making the Beauty Brains a joy to work on each day. Just a great big THANK YOU to all of the great people in the Beauty Brains community. Whether you’re an active commentator, forum poster, RSS feed reader, emailer, newsletter subscriber, or FaceBook fan, thank you for making the Beauty Brains a joy to work on each day. Happy New Year everyone! Image credit: http://christmasstockimages.com/ (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Favorite Beauty Science Stories of 2012

thebeautybrains.com — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 06:03:25 +0100

We’ve recapped the most popular blog posts and Forum entries of the year but in case you’re curious, here are the Beauty Brains personal favorite beauty science stories of 2012: (Presented in David Letterman Top 10 Countdown style!) #10 Does the bird poop facial really work? #9 New hair repair technology really works #8 What happens when you mix sunscreens? #7 Safe or paranoid? #6 Did you know these 14 cosmetics are really drugs? #5 Do mole removing products really work? #4 Who else is sick of chemical free products? #3 Do beauty companies think we’re stupid? #2 Lipstick in lead: follow up study And the Beauty Brains #1 favorite beauty science story of 2012: #1 Salon vs Drugstore haircare: put it to the test (because it shows the collaborative nature of our community...

Beauty Science 2012: Our Fabulous Forum Fanatics

thebeautybrains.com — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 06:03:29 +0100

The Beauty Brains may be experienced cosmetic scientists but that doesn’t mean we’re the only ones who can dispense valuable beauty product advice. Our Forum if FULL Of questions and answers from some very smart people. If you haven’t checked out their Forum posts you’re missing a lot of engaging discussions that could impact which products you buy and which beauty routines you use. So we’d like to send a big THANK YOU to some of the more active contributors to our Forum (presented in alphabetical order): Alchemist Ally E. Bebelyn86 Bluecatbaby Elana44 Fitz Jenny Willams LindyGirl Moonshyne Rozy Zelda Bacon Thank you one and all! You’re providing a valuable service by sharing your knowledge and experience with the Beauty Brains community. Without y...

Beauty Science 2012: Our Most Talked About Posts

thebeautybrains.com — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 06:01:27 +0100

Here are the top 5 most talked about posts on the Beauty Brains in 2012: Proof that expensive salon products aren’t better than drug store brands Who else is sick of chemical free products? Do beauty companies think we’re stupid? A new hair repair technology that really works! The top 10 mildest body washes (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 19:04:51 +0100

This week we tried two new Kinerase products. The first is a makeup remover that “restores the skin’s natural protective barrier to help it regain and retain lost moisture.” Cleansers are typically not the best product to restore skin moisture. Some of the ingredients in this formula (like ceramides) would be more effective in a leave on skin cream. But the product certainly delivers on it’s promise of being a “soap-free” cleanser. Heads up: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is the primary cleanser so if you’re sensitive to this ingredient watch out. Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase HydraBalance Foaming Cleanser Ingredients Purified Water , Sodium Lauryl Sulfate , Cocamide DEA , Cocamidopropyl Betaine , Acrylates Copolymer , Sodium Laureth Sulfate , Kinetin , Ceramide 3 , C...

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Beauty Science 2012: The Beauty Brains in the News

thebeautybrains.com — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 06:01:22 +0100

Looking back over the year I’m reminded that the Beauty Brains have been quoted in some interesting publications: Oprah’s “O” Magazine Select Magazine (complete with misquote!) On Today.com (re. hairspray) On Today.com (re. face wash) On Today.com (re. anti-aging) And here are a few more from previous years… Science Magazine In the HuffPo In Psychology Today In the New York times The NY times again! In Russian! (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Burt’s Bees and Joey New York: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 18:31:06 +0100

Coconut is the theme of this post. If you’re looking for an absolutely delightfully coconut-scented foot cream then you should check out Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Creme. It’s really more of an ointment than a cream because it’s based on glycerine and olive oil instead of water. That means it will spread better across the dry, cracked skin of your feet. Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Creme Ingredients Vegetable Glycerin, Olive Oil, Oat Flour, Lecithin, Sucrose Stearate, Sucrose Distearate, Magnesium Stearate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Oat Kernel Oil, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E) (Vitamin E), Peppermint Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Fragrance We also tried a sample of the Joey New York Polynesian Coconut Water Beauty pads. Not sure what makes t...

Beauty Science 2012: The Buzz in the Beauty Brains Forum

thebeautybrains.com — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 06:01:05 +0100

I refuse to do any real work this week so I’m recapping the “best” of the Beauty Brains for 2012. In case you didn’t know, we have a Forum where you can discuss any beauty topics you wish. There are over 8000 registered users many of whom provide excellent advice on all kinds of products and problems. The Forum post with the most comments in 2012 Interestingly, the discussion that got the most buzz this year was a thread titled “Fat Can be Beautiful.” Image credit: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/ Join the discussion and register for the Beauty Brains Forum now! (Source: thebeautybrains.com)

Laura Mercier Shade Creme Lip Color: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

thebeautybrains.com — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:05:16 +0100

Laura Mercier has a new collection called Arabesque which features a blend of pinks, blues and neutrals. The lipstick is particularly delightful and has a “cushiony, lightweight texture.” Unlike a lot of lipsticks which rely on oils and waxes like Candelilla and Paraffin, this Mercier product uses a unique blend of esters and polymers to deliver rich color with “one smoothing swipe.” The effect feels great on lips although you may find it requires a coat of gloss to boost up the shine. Laura Mercier Shade Creme Lip Color Ingredients Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Octyldodecanol, Polybutene, Polyethylene, Diisostearyl Malate, Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate/Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dic...