Real Scientists Answer Your Beauty Questions Real Scientists Answer Your Beauty Questions edited by Sarah Bellum brains publishing Brains Publishing – New York, Chicago Copyright © 2008 by Brains Publishing All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Brains Publishing. www.brainspublishing.com The authors have attempted to make this book as accurate and up to date as possible, but it may contain errors, omissions, or material that is out of date at the time you read it. Neither the author nor publisher has any legal responsibility or liability for errors, omissions, out-of-date material, or the reader’s application of the advice contained in this book ISBN: 978-0-9802173-4-6 Printed in the United States of America First Edition For Beauty Brainiacs everywhere ... Real Scientists Answer Your Beauty Questions Table of Contents Who are the Beauty Brains viii What’s the Purpose of The Beauty Brains? ix Section I Hair Chapter 1 Hair Products and how they work The shampoo secret companies don’t want you to know 1 Is Paul Mitchell making your hair break 3 Is Ojon Restorative Treatment any good 5 Two natural oils that make your hair shiny and strong 7 Is Pantene good or bad for my hair 8 Are salon products in stores the same as those in salons 10 Do curling shampoos really work 11 Chapter 2 Tips on Caring for Your Hair Drying dilemma – What’s the best way to dry your hair 14 Three simple secrets to save your scalp 16 Want shiny hair? Avoid the dirty dozen 17 How to tell if a dandruff shampoo will really work 19 You don’t have to use body wash to get yourself clean 21 Top 10 split end busters 23 How to clean your hair with conditioner 25 Hair extensions may be killing your hair 26 What everyone should know about straightening irons 28 How to kill lice and not your hair 29 The cause of smelly hair syndrome 30 Ten tips to stop smelly hair 32 Chapter 3 Hair Myths How to tell if you’re spending too much on conditioner 33 Will copper stop dandruff 36 Why do grey hairs look and feel different 37 Are silicones bad for your hair 38 Can you rebuild your hair 39 Is sulfate-free baby shampoo good for adult hair 41 Don’t rely on homemade moisturizers 43 Do you really need to put protein on your hair 44 Will hair dye give you cancer 46 Section II Skin Chapter 4 Skin Treatments – From Silly to Sublime The best skin moisturizing oils in the world 48 Three reasons why face and hand creams should be different 50 Do pore strips really work 51 Five things you need to know about Retin-A 52 An inexpensive natural wrinkle remover from the dairy case 53 Are oral supplements good for your skin 55 Is an aspirin mask good for skin 57 A safe way to make your skin look brighter and younger 58 Is Definity decidedly different 59 Cure warts with duct tape 61 Do shave minimizing lotions work 62 What’s the right way to apply sunscreens 63 Three ways to tell if sunscreen is bad 65 Chapter 5 Beauty Biology Four types of wrinkles and how to get rid of them 67 Five ways to reduce enlarged pores 70 What causes acne 71 Do Skintactix ingredients battle acne inflammation 73 How to pop a pimple 74 The red-faced regret of Rosacea 75 What’s the difference between antiperspirant and deodorant 77 Why armpit hair doesn’t grow down to your knees 79 Top five causes of darkened armpits and how to stop them 81 How to tell the difference between skin irritation and allergy 82 Section III Makeup Chapter 6 Marvelous Makeup Are you addicted to lip balm 84 Do eye creams really work 86 Do lip plumpers really work 88 Why Smashbox should be ashamed of O-Glow blush 88 Can a lip gloss help you lose weight 90 How mascara makes lashes look lovely 91 Is your lip plumper making you sick 93 Does Blinc Kiss Me mascara really work 94 Science and St. Valentines Day – The color of love 95 Jan Marini admits Age Intervention does not grow hair 96 How does eyeliner work 98 Why does my foundation make my skin photograph white 100 Scientific proof that makeup really helps 101 Do you make this major makeup mistake 102 What does Borax do in Lush lip balms 103 Chapter 7 Nail Knowledge You Need Don’t get ripped off by your nail salon 104 Four easy tips to longer, stronger nails 106 Five ways to ruin your finger nails 107 Is nail polish bad to breathe 108 Why does wearing polish turn my nails yellow 110 Why did my nail polish remover stop working 112 Chapter 8 The Science of Smell What makes some perfumes last so long 113 How important is fragrance in your life 115 Time travel for your nose 117 When chemicals attract - the science of pheromones 118 Living flowers make better fragrances 119 Special fragrance can make you look 12 pounds lighter 121 Cupid, cosmetics and aromatherapy 122 Section IV Beauty Industry Chapter 9 Scandals and Secrets of the Beauty Biz The three biggest lies cosmetic companies tell 124 Are you confused by organic products 126 How beauty brands control your brain 128 Five home beauty gadgets that really work 129 How salon brands get away with lying to you 130 Seven ways to hack your broken beauty products 132 Garnier Nutritioniste: Liar, liar pants on fire 133 Five fascinating facts about Max Factor cosmetics 134 Are Arbonne products the best skin care you can buy 135 Does technology make Arbonne different 138 Chapter 10 Cosmetic Surgery Buy better buttocks with a Brazilian butt lift 141 Can mesotherapy magically melt away fat 143 The top five causes of droopy eyelids 144 Are stem cells better than silicone 146 One hour to bigger breasts 146 How can you tell if someone has breast implants 148 Can Brava give you better boobs 150 Cosmetic surgery and the suicide connection 152 Chapter 11 Cosmetic Concerns & Perilous Products Are your cosmetics poisoning you 153 Common cosmetic skin irritants 156 Should you worry about pee in your makeup 157 The perils of parabens 158 Top five myths about mineral oil 160 Should you be worried about spermicide in your spa cream 164 What should you know about pregnancy and cosmetics 165 Five ways beauty products can go bad 166 Is radiation from cell phones and computers bad for skin 168 Is foreskin good for your face 169 Four ways to tell if your cosmetic has expired 171 Myths about antiperspirant and breast cancer 173 Will covering your body with antiperspirant suffocate you 173 Three reasons it’s ok to have toxins in your cosmetics 175 Are natural products better than processed 176 Appendix Beauty Brains Quiz 179 Useful Resources 183 Understanding Ingredient Lists 187 About the Authors 191 Who are the Beauty Brains? The Beauty Brains are a group of cosmetic scientists who understand what the chemicals used in cosmetics really do, how products are tested, and what all the advertising means. They have no cosmetics to sell so you can be sure that the information provided is the most unbiased beauty advice available. Left Brain The most hardcore skeptical scientist of all the Beauty Brains, the Left Brain peruses the world of science to bring you the latest developments and how they might apply to the cosmetic world. Right Brain Still scientific, but a bit less militant, the Right Brain has a good eye for the humorous, and human interest, side of science. The Right is particularly skilled in interpreting advertising claims. Sarah Bellum The more sensitive Beauty Brain, Sarah focuses on the aesthetics of the cos- metic world and is more likely to find stories on the pages of People than Pubmed. The Other Lobes The other Brains work behind the scenes researching questions, reviewing the latest beauty technology, and keeping up with the day to day business of running this website. As we continue to grow, you’ll be hearing from some of the other “lobes.” All of us use “brainy” nicknames because being anony- mous lets us blog about all kinds of products from many different companies without any bias. viii What’s the Purpose of The Beauty Brains? There are literally THOUSANDS of cosmetic products constantly bombard- ing you with confusing and sometimes, false information. The Beauty Brains was started in 2006 to help women understand the real science behind the beauty products they use everyday. We have taken questions from people around the world about all beauty topics including hair care, skin care, make up and even cosmetic surgery. We’re here to help you cut through the confusing, misleading and sometimes false information that the beauty companies bombard you with. Our goal is to explain cosmetic science to you in a way that’s entertaining and easy to understand. We believe the more information you have, the better you’ll be able to find products that you like at a price you can afford. So, you can listen to the advertising. Or advice from a friend. Or what your stylist tells you. But if you want to really understand cosmetic products in an unbiased, scientific way. In this book we’ve collected more than 100 of our best questions and answers to make learning about cosmetic science easy and entertaining. By giving you honest, unbiased information, The Beauty Brains can help you become a smarter shopper so you’ll be able to get the products you like at prices you can afford.