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The Beauty Brains
thebeautybrains.com
176
If you have beauty questions ask the Beauty Brains! We 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.
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Is GoodGuide a Good Place For Skin Care Information?

FK1221 asks…What do you think of the GoodGuide site and their skin care recommendations? The Right Brain replies: We weren’t aware of GoodGuide so maybe our readers aren’t either. F...

21 h ago 1 person likes this

EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 – Look at the Label

It’s summer so it shouldn’t be surprising that sun screen products are rising to the top of Amazon.com. This week EltaMD if number 7! EltaMD Ingredients Zinc Oxide (9.0%), Octinoxate (7.5...

1 day ago 1 person likes this

Is it Safe to Use an Expired Acne Product?

Ebony asks… Due to pregnancy and breastfeeding, I stopped using my acnefree severe set with main component BP 2.5/ 10%. Now I noticed the date on them is March 2012. Can these still be used? And if y...

2 days ago 1 person likes this

Does Vaseline Darken Lips?

Janelle says…Hi Beauty Brains! Let me start off my expressing how much I love your website! It’s informative, interesting, and best of all…SCIENTIFIC!! I am a college student, and l...

3 days ago 1 person likes this

What Kind Of Cosmetics Did Your Great-Great-Great Grandmother Wear On Memorial Day?

The Beauty Brains are taking the day off. We hope you enjoy this Memorial Day post from our archives. Happy Memorial Day to all the Beauty Brains community in the United States! We hope you’re ...

4 days ago

What’s the Best Way to Apply Coconut Oil to Hair?

CYW says…Is using coconut oil as a pre-poo or a leave in after shampoo/cond going to benefit my hair the most? The Right Brain responds: We’ve blogged before about how coconut oil is effe...

5 days ago 1 person likes this

What’s the Best Treatment for Stretch Marks?

Hyspin says…I have old stretch marks, from growth spurt in my teenage years and most sites say it is too late for me on that front. But is there really no way to fix them (on tan or dark skin t...

6 days ago 2 people like this

Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream: Look at the Label

Cetaphil is the 12th best-selling product on Amazon.com this week. It’s supposedly a mild moisturizer; does it live up to its hype? Let’s look at the label. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream In...

25 may 12 1 person likes this

Can Baking Soda Make Shampoo Work Better?

Bella begs to know…I recently read on Eco-Chick and a couple of other places that adding a little baking soda to shampoo can help get rid of styling residue and other gunk in your hair. How doe...

24 may 12 1 person likes this

The Surprising Scrubbing Secret of SoftSoap

Here’s an interesting product that I’m filing under my favorite topic: “Do beauty companies think we’re stupid?” The ingredients they tell us about… It’s a b...

23 may 12

Can Miessence Really Make Food Grade Cosmetics?

MidBrain asks…I noticed in the comment section on my post about a replacement term for “Chemical Free,” someone suggested “food grade.” She also provided a link to her s...

22 may 12 2 people like this

Vaseline Total Moisture: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

Have you tried the latest Vaseline Intensive Care lotion restage? According to the fine folks at Unilever (manufacturer of the Vaseline brand), this new product is different because it contains Strat...

21 may 12 1 person likes this

What’s The Best Product for Clogged Pores?

Jasmine says…I am an unfortunate victim of adult acne and I’m being bombarded with different advice from doctors, cosmetologists etc on different creams that all basically do the same thi...

20 may 12 2 people like this

Who Else Is Sick Of “Chemical Free” Products?

Here at the Beauty Brains, as well as other enlightened places across the beauty blog-0-sphere, there’s been a lot of discussion lately about the use of the term “chemical free” as ...

19 may 12 1 person likes this

Nair Brazilian Spa Clay: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

We received the following Nair products to evaluate so Sarah Bellum and I teamed up to give this review. New from Nair Nair Brazilian Spa Clay Shower Power Hair Removal Cream Depilatory for legs and ...

18 may 12

Do Organic Preservatives Really Work?

Kaitlin asks…I recently read about this organic preservative (Arobocide.) I emailed the company (active micro) and they provided me with the information and testing along with their formulation...

17 may 12 1 person likes this

Sunscreen Danger or Irresponsible Beauty Science Reporting?

I was a bit perturbed at one of my favorite science news feeds recently. Science Daily is a site for which the Beauty Brains have great respect and they recently ran this headline: “Sunscreen i...

16 may 12 2 people like this

Is Astaxanthin A Good Sunscreen?

Jasmine asks…I actually saw that Eve Pearl uses astaxanthin in her make up which is meant to be a natural sunscreen. Apparently it doesn’t make you look whitish like other sunscreens and ...

15 may 12 1 person likes this

Kittenesque Perfume: In the Beauty Brains Bathroom

Spoiler alert: You won’t find any useful science info in today’s post. Have you smelled Flirt’s new Kittenesque fragrance? I got a sample in the mail this weekend and it smells grea...

14 may 12

Is Earthly Delights Shampoo Made With Wheat Germ Oil Soap?

Byjo asks…After reading rave reviews on a German hair board there are several topics on the subject of Earthly Delight shampoo, some questions spring to mind. The Right Brain responds: We did t...

13 may 12

What’s Wrong With My Rose Hip Oil?

Beccertron begs to know… I’ve been using 100% rose hip oil for some years now, and I’m interested in finding out the cause behind the formation of crystals around the neck of the bo...

12 may 12 1 person likes this

Do Beauty Companies Think We’re Stupid?

I know that beauty companies have to be increasingly creative with their claims and advertising in order to break through the clutter and entice us to buy their products. But sometimes I’m offe...

11 may 12 1 person likes this

Why Does L’Oreal Solar Sublime Spray Contain Hair-drying Alcohol?

Marysiaczek asks… I never use any “special” hair cosmetics to protect them during exposure to the sun. Recently I was given L’Oreal Solar Sublime Spray. Before I start using a...

10 may 12

Why Does L’Oreal Solar Sublime Spray Contain Hair-drying Alcohol?

Marysiaczek asks… I never use any “special” hair cosmetics to protect them during exposure to the sun. Recently I was given L’Oreal Solar Sublime Spray. Before I start using a...

09 may 12 1 person likes this

Will Follicleanse Shampoo Clean My Scalp Better?

Technochocolate asks…I’ve recently been interested in a shampoo called Follicleanse. It claims to thoroughly cleanse dry scalp and lift more oil than other shampoos. I don’t have da...

09 may 12 1 person likes this

When Does 2+2 Not Equal 4?

Ebony asks…Does mixing moisturizer SPF 20 and tinted moisturizer SPF 20 make SPF 40? The Right Brain responds: We have the smartest readers in the whole wide world. When this question came up i...

08 may 12 1 person likes this

GlossyBox: Look at the Label

The Beauty Brains are all about making you smarter shoppers. So most of the time Lefty and Righty geek out about the science of products. But sometimes I just want to say “screw it” and j...

07 may 12

Do Mole Removing Products Work?

Bluecatbaby asks…A salon in my town is offering a Groupon deal on a skin treatment called Rejuvi Spotaway. They advertise it as being able to remove brown spots and moles, and it is a topical p...

06 may 12

L’Oréal Majicontrast – Which Ingredient Lightens Colored Hair?

Fancyvi says…Normal haircolours can’t lighten up coloured hair, as peroxide brought the pigments together and can’t split them up afterwards. Which ingredient helps Majicontrast to ...

05 may 12

Lancome Visionnaire: What’s the Big Deal?

SarahF asks…Is there any science behind the effectiveness claims Lancome is making for their proprietary LR2412 (in the Visionnaire product) for wrinkles, pores and evenness? Any theoretical re...

04 may 12

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