The Beauty Brains

Send us Fan Mail Is bee venom a good anti-aging ingredient? Monika asks…Korean Bee Venom essence but it does seem to work. My question is the bee venom really magic or is there something else that removes the spots? RS: Thanks Monika…this gives me the perfect excuse time to remind listeners to go back to Episode 105 and listen […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Can you use diaper rash cream as sunscreen? Mari asks…Today a customer came into the retail pharmacy where I work and demanded that we sell him zinc oxide diaper rash paste so he could use it as sunscreen. I tried to steer him in the direction of actual sunscreens with listed SPFs, but he was […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail How can you find a cheaper natural lip balm? Abby says…I have a question about Bite Beauty’s Agave Lip Mask. It claims its natural formula smoothes, nourishes and moisturizes lips with a bio active combination of organic agave nectar, jojoba oil, vanilla co2 extract, and triple the amount of the antioxidant trans-resveratrol found in red […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Can hair straighteners stop your hair from being naturally curly? Sarah asks…Can straightening your hair for a long time change it from being very curly to being naturally straight? That’s like saying bleaching your brown hair for a long time will make you naturally blonde. It doesn’t work that way because you’re only treating the hair that’s […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Why isn’t everyone exfoliating with AHAs? Melissa says…I’ve been using an night cream with glycolic acid and I noticed that my skin is actually brighter, clearer, and softer. I’ve been using this product for years and I still love it but I worry that it may be too good to be true. Are there any […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail How does color changing makeup work? Julia asks…I’m a make up artist and my question is how does color adjusting makeup work? I’ve tried a few and they didn’t adjust very well. Also, what are both of your favorite ingredients to use on your own skin? Thanks for bringing this up Julia! Color changing makeup […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Are lotions with water actually bad for your skin? Veronica asks…I heard that using lotions with water is actually bad for your skin because as the water evaporates it removes the skin’s natural moisture and oil. Is this true? Veronica’s question is an interesting twist on a theme that we have discussed a couple of […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Is aloe lotion good for skin? Gemma asks…I am a huge fan of Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Fresh lotion. However, I have found another aloe lotion that is even cheaper: Perfect Purity. So I’m wondering can you tell me if the Perfect Purity will perform as well as my beloved Vaseline? Or should I just […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Can a patch test predict acne? Janelly asks…I would like to know if patch testing a product for acne can really work. I see this concept mentioned a lot on Reditt as a way to test if a new skincare product will cause acne. That’s a great question but patch testing for acne does NOT work. […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Should your cosmetics be biodegradable? Fabi asks about biodegradable products… I have an outdoor shower and it drains into the ground and everyone tells me I have to have biodegradable shampoo, conditioner, and body wash for the ground. Can you explain biodegradable products? It’s really hard to find them. What they’re all about and why […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail How can I tell if a store brand mouthwash is the same as the expensive name brand? Victoria says…My husband insists that all name brand products are stronger and better than store brands. He feels strongest about Listerine and his dentist agrees with him. Does it matter in areas other than cosmetics? When discussing store brands, […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail How does baby foot work? Leslie asks…Can you please explain how Babyfoot works and if it is truly safe to use. I have used it and my feet did peel but I really don’t understand how it works.  In case our listeners aren’t familiar with this product, it’s a special type of exfoliator designed just […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail How does Tresemme Beauty-Full Volume Reverse Wash haircare system work? Jess says…I just saw an ad for the Tresemme Beauty-Full Volume system. Is there really something to conditioning first and then shampooing or are they just convincing us to wash our money down the drain? Let’s talk a little bit about the process of reverse […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail What’s the deal with micellar water make up removers? Taylor asks…I’m a new listener and enjoy your show so much. (Gets me through the work day) I want to know the hype about micellar water and is this something new or just a mild makeup remover with a “fancy name.” Micellar waters are named after […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Is Charlotte Tilbury Multi-miracle cream really worth it? Jo asks…I love Charlotte Tilbury’s Multi-Miracle Glow product but I’m afraid I spent too much and I worry that it really provides any benefits. Can you tell me if it has any special properties and if not is there a more budget conscious version? Thanks for the question, […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Our plane just landed and I’m posting this from my phone while waiting for Perry who’s stuck in customs. Apparently they think his juggling balls are contraband. We’ll be home soon! In the meanwhile listen to this blast from the past about skin cleansers and active ingredients. Click this link to read the original show […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail I thought for sure we’d be back in the country by now but before we could board the plane Perry was detained by the police. I’m still not sure what’s going on but apparently it has something to do him getting robbed on the way back to the hotel.   Don’t worry though, you can still listen […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail I thought we’d be flying home from our tropical vacation today but it turns out Perry lost our plane tickets in a poker game last night. Looks like we’ll be flying stand by. Until we get this all sorted out, please enjoy this encore episode on fragrance allergies. You an find the original show notes here. […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail I was planning on coming back to work today but Perry just ordered another picture of margaritas. That means today’s podcast has to be another rerun. Check out our discussion of the Think Dirty app. Click here for the original show notes. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Perry and I are still at the beach but don’t worry he’s constantly rubbing me down with sunscreen. While we’re gone please enjoy this encore episode of our podcast about the odors of ovulation.   Click here to read the original show notes. Thanks and see you soon! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Perry and I are on summer vacation.  While we’re gone please enjoy this encore episode of our podcast about antibacterial soaps. Click here to read the original show notes about antibacterial soaps. Thanks and see you soon! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Do I really need to use 3 kinds of conditioner? Dev asks… Is it absolutely essential to use a leave in, a rinse out, and a deep conditioner? I’ve been washing my hair and appling a regular rinse out conditioner and then I leave it in until the next time I wash my hair about […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Can Coca Cola give you a better tan? Nanda asks…Will Coca Cola give you a better sun tan? When I first head this I thought it was an obscure, ridiculous rumor. But I was wrong. it turns out it’s a very pervasive, ridiculous rumor. Yeah, if you Google “using coca cola to tan” you get […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Does blotting oily sunscreen reduce SPF? Emma asks in Gmail…I don’t like the oily skin I get from using sunscreen so I blot off the excess with an oil absorbing sheet. Is this reducing the SPF of the sunscreen? Yes, blotting some of the sunscreen off your face will reduce the UV protection, to some […] Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Is the NIOD brand really “ultra-scientific?” Saania says…I have a question about a skincare brand that’s gained a cult status amongst serious skin care junkies. The brand NIOD, under the umbrella brand Deciem, claims to be “skincare for the hyper-educated”.  Their star product is called Copper Amino Isolate Serum. I wanted to know what you […] Support the show