Heather Hopes the Brains Can Help. Hi there. I’m a big fan of Lush products and the company’s responsible philosophy, but I have to wonder what exactly do they mean by “safe synthetics”? Are they non-toxic to humans, the environment, both? I’ve found conflicting information about the toxicity of ingredients like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (which Lush would call a “safe synthetic”) et al., and I’d love to know once and for all what’s safe and what’s not. Thanks!

The Right Brain Replies

Thanks so much for your question.  Unfortunately, the answer is not simple and depends mostly on your perspective.

Chemical Phobic

If you are the type that is naturally afraid of chemicals then you won’t believe there are any “safe” synthetics.  People like this believe that the best things come from nature and when we start modifying them, we make them less safe.  This is an extremist attitude but not one that is easily debated. The truth is, it is impossible to “prove” that any chemical is safe.  In science, you can’t “prove” a negative (e.g that a chemical won’t be dangerous).

But this doesn’t only apply to synthetics.  You can’t even prove WATER is safe.  And for some people, WATER isn’t safe.

In the cosmetic industry what happens is that raw materials (whether synthetic or natural) are tested for safety following validated protocols.  If the raw material passes these tests than manufacturers & governments feel confident to say that it is safe.  This doesn’t guarantee safety, but it does help weed out the chemicals that will cause immediate harm.

Chemical Fearless

Another type of person are those who don’t think about their chemical exposure at all.  These people will use any cosmetic or personal care product no matter what’s in there.  It’s all about product performance.  They trust that the government, industry, and industry watchdog groups are doing their jobs and protecting people from problems.
This is not an unreasonable position to take because for the most part, people have used cosmetics in the US for decades with minimal incidences of problems.  Some might disagree with this position and would suggest that there have been problems that we just haven’t seen yet, but there is little proof supporting these connections.

However, this position is extreme too.  We are all genetically different and will react differently to different compounds.  A chemical that is perfectly fine for Sarah Bellum might be horribly irritating to your skin.  Reviewing cosmetic ingredient lists can keep you aware of things to avoid.

Chemical Quizzical

Most people fall in between the two examples listed above.  What often happens is they will hear a sensationalized story about a raw material in the news media or on the Internet and become concerned.  When your well-meaning mom sends you an email telling you that SLS causes cancer or Propylene Glycol causes brain damage, it can make even the most caviler chemist nervous.
And because there is a rampant chemophobia in our society, people readily believe what they’ve read and don’t investigate further.  If they investigated more from reliable sources, they would find that claims of danger are more ambiguous than they’ve heard.

Consider also that the media only reports news that is scary.  Who would be interested in (or even believe) a story like “Lauramide DEA Shown Most Likely To Be Harmless”?  What would watchdog groups like the Environmental Working Group do if they couldn’t find anything scary about the chemicals in your cosmetics? Both have to exaggerate conclusions of the science just to preserve their own existence.

Safe Synthetics

In the United States, the FDA requires that all consumer product manufacturers sell only safe products.  They must do the appropriate safety testing or face recalls, financial penalties, and litigation.  The industry trade group, the PCPC, sets guidelines that legitimate companies follow to help ensure that ALL of the chemicals (whether synthetic or not) are safe.

The Beauty Brains Bottom Line

What are safe synthetics?  Based on the best available science, all synthetic compounds used in cosmetics are “safe synthetics.”  The Lush marketing department is taking liberty with the truth by implying that some synthetics used in cosmetics are not safe.  This is unfortunate.

Sofie searches for science: Thanks for running this blog and speaking so clearly about cosmetic chemistry! Having been here for a while, I thought to de-lurk and ask a question. While doing some research and looking around to figure out a better way to take care of my rather coarse, frizzy, curly hair, I came across the Curl Conscious shampoo for thick hair from Bumble & Bumble. They claim that their product contains an enzyme transglutaminase which is supposed to ”cross-link two amino acids in the hair to form stable, heat- and humidity-resistant bonds.” Sounds like exotic-speak for the purpose of shaking out people’s wallets to me, especially considering that amino acids have to already be chemically bonded to each other to make hair protein, but wanted to make sure whether my hunch is right or not.

The Left Brain leads the way

Thanks for your kind words about our blog, Sofie. And I agree that Bumble and Bumble’s claims do sound highly implausible. To find out why, let’s take a look at the science behind transglutamase.

The truth about transglutamase

Transglutamase (or TG) is a type of enzyme that can react with biological tissues. It is involved in the chemical reactions that cross link proteins in hair and skin. Industrially speaking it is perhaps best known for its ability to act as a “meat glue” to improve the texture of processed meat products. It can even be used to create a “meat dress” as pictured above.

Does it have any application in hair care? Yes, in fact, US Patent 6267957 “Attaching Agents to Tissue with Transglutaminase and a Transglutaminase” by Green et. al., discusses the possibility of using TG to alter the structure of hair.

Can Curl Conscious reshape hair?

There are essentially two possible mechanisms by which TG could reshape hair: it could react directly with hair by altering its shape (from straight to wavy or wavy to straight). Or, it could bond thickening or bulking agents to the hair to thicken each individual hair fiber. However, based on its mode of action, it seems very unlikely that TG will have an effect on hair from a shampoo.

The first mechanism seems unlikely because reshaping requires that the hair be held in place in it’s new configuration while the chemical reaction is taking place. (Think of how a permanent wave works: the hair just doesn’t magically become curly, you have to wrap it around a curler of some kind.) The second mechanism doesn’t seem any more realistic because the shampoo is missing other chemicals that are required for that reaction to take place (you can read the patent link above for more details.)

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Curl Conscious may be a perfectly fine shampoo but it appears highly unlikely that the inclusion of transglutamase will have a significant effect on hair structure. My guess is that Bumble and Bumble is making a claim based on what TG can do, not necessarily what it actually does do in their formula. Of course, if they can provide test data showing their shampoo does reshape hair, I’d be happy to reconsider my position.

What do YOU think? Has anyone in the Beauty Brains community tried Curl Conscious? Or better yet, has anyone ever worn a meat dress?

Fiona’s fear: I use Pantene’s Brunette range of shampoos to maintain my dyed brown hair. This is met with huge scorn by my mother in law who insists that nothing is more effective at maintaining glossy brown hair than rinsing it with an espresso or two once a week. Is coffee an effective way to treat and prolonged coloured hair or is it as useful as the beer rinse (ie- not particularly).

The Left Brain responds:

I love questions like this because the answer can be easily proven by a simple test. But before I explain, let’s talk about products for brunette hair.

Brains on Brunettes

Products like Pantene’s Brunette Expressions and John Frieda’s Brilliant Brunette Luminous Color Glaze work because they contain a high concentration of dyes that stain the hair. These dyes won’t permanently color hair and they can’t lighten your natural hair color, but they can give your shade a boost that will last through several shampoos. There are lots of materials that will stain hair in a similar fashion, including fruit juices and coffee, but they won’t provide as much color as intense dyes.

Colorful chemistry

To find out if coffee will color hair I brewed up a pot of double strength espresso. Then I took a tress of bleached blond European hair. I used bleached hair for two reasons: the bleaching makes the hair more porous so it soaks up more of the coffee and the coffee color will show up better on light blond hair. As you can see from the “before” picture below, the hair is very blond. (This will vary depending on the color reproduction of your computer monitor.)

Pre-coffee

Then, I soaked the tress in coffee overnight to see how much the color would change. Here’s how the tress looked after soaking in double strength coffee for 12 hours. As you can see, the hair is a little bit darker, but not very much. (There’s a slight color shift due to the camera, but to the naked eye the hair color barely changed). If the effect is this slight on blonde hair, it will be almost impossible to detect on dark hair. So I’m afraid I’ll have to say that your mother-in-law’s assertion is incorrect.

Post-coffee

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Based on this quick experiment, I conclude that while coffee can stain hair the effect is too slight to be a practical hair treatment. (I realize that a larger scale test with multiple hair types is required to verify these results, but based on my prior experiences in the lab this color change is pretty typical.) So don’t expect to see a Starbuck’s Shampoo on your local supermarket shelf anytime soon.

What do YOU think? Have you ever used coffee or other homemade hair colors? Leave a comment and share your colorful concerns with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.

Take a look at this video.  It features a fun way to learn about chemical reactions.

If only more videos like these were available when I went to school.  Perhaps more of my classmates would’ve taken an interest in chemistry.

Have you seen interesting science videos?  Leave a comment below and let the Beauty Brains know about them.

SPONSORED POST

As the years go by and medical techniques continue to improve, people seem to forget all about the risks involved. Thousands of women are outfitted with breast implants every day, and with statistics like that it’s easy to downplay the procedure’s intensity, but the fact is that it is invasive surgery. So, what’s the key to feeling safe about making the decision to undergo breast enhancement surgery?

The answer is: research. By familiarizing yourself with the risks involved you give yourself power, so do your homework and be exhaustive. Study up on everything from shapes and sizes to the pros and cons of saline vs. silicone. If you see motherhood in your future, look into what sort of procedure makes for the most successful breastfeeding later on.  According to The Breast Site,

“one of the most important steps a person can take in preparation for any cosmetic plastic surgery procedure is to carefully research and select a find a plastic surgeon certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS).”

This point may well be the most vital – a well-trained and knowledgeable plastic surgeon can mean the difference between disaster and success.

With improving technology, cosmetic surgery really is growing steadily safer and reducing its risks by leaps and bounds. Still, no surgery is really “minor,” and safety should be of top consideration wherever your health is concerned. But with an armful of information and a reputable surgeon at your side, a satisfying experience is wholly within your reach.

This sponsored post was not written by the Beauty Brains.

Hey everyone! Sarah Bellum here doing a little mobile blogging from the mall. Look what I just saw - a vending machine that sells Proactiv acne products! That just made me wonder, have any of you in the Beauty Brains community ever bought beauty products out of a machine? You can leave a comment; I’m on my way to Victoria’s Secret!

It looks like this one was a bit too easy for the Beauty Brains community.  Or maybe you’re just getting much smarter.  Over 40% of you picked the right answer in this poll which is quite impressive.  Let’s see what the real stories are.

1. Older men are happier than older women - [TRUE]

Only 21% of you thought this was fake but apparently it’s true.  According to a recent joint study by researchers at the University of Cambridge and the University of Southern California, women end up less happy than men. The primary problem is that women are less able to achieve their life goals.  By the time they are 48, women’s overall happiness is lower than that of men’s.  Of course, Left Brain would skewer me if I didn’t point out that this research is based on a survey so the conclusions are sketchy at best.

2. Facial wrinkles can be removed with lasers [TRUE]

18% of you were deceived by this yarn but it’s true. In a report in the July/August issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery scientists say they found carbon dioxide laser resurfacing can be effective for long term treatment of facial wrinkles. The way it works is that thermal damage from the laser prompts the skin to produce more protein collagen and fill in the wrinkles.

A better option than a face lift?

3. Male birds with makeup are more attractive to female birds [TRUE]

These are the kind of stories you have to love.  The scientists wondered if coloring the feathers of a New Jersey barn swallow with a marker would make them “chick” magnets.  In work published in the June issue of Current Biology researchers found that indeed using a colorant on a male bird’s feathers resulted in them mating more often.  The colored birds also had increased levels of testosterone.

Apparently clothes really do make the man (or bird anyway)

4. The French use more water for showering than any other EU country. [FALSE]

42% of you couldn’t believe this one and you were right.  It’s not the French that are water hogs, it’s the Brits. According to a water use survey in the Royal Society of Chemistry the British are most guilty of wasting shower water. They take longer showers than people in France, Germany or Spain.

I wonder how America would’ve faired in the survey.

So how did you do?  Did you get the right answer?  Leave a comment and tell the rest of the Beauty Brains what you think.

Sarah Bellum says:

According to Cosmeticdesign.com, you can now buy an intimate hygiene product for the special guy in your life. To which I reply: Ewwwwww!

Feminine hygiene

In the past I’ve written about all sorts of cosmetic science advances for our dainty pubular regions. There’s the Bikini Kitty intimate shaving system to keep us hair free, there are female enhancement creams to keep us on fire, and let’s not forget about the Go Commando patch that lets us banish panties. But until now I haven’t had an equivalent breakthrough to share with our male readers.

Penile product

Enter Man Junk Intimate Wash, the first product to tackle the “sensitive issue of male private hygiene.” The claim to fame of this product appears to be that it removes bacteria that can lead to a bunch of problems including sexually transmitted diseases and increased risk of penile cancer. (Double ewwwww!) I don’t know where Lefty and Righty weigh in on this topic, but I find it hard to believe that a fancy-schmancy crotch wash will protect against venereal disease any better than plain old soap and water. (And if your guy’s hygiene standards are so low that he’s not even using bar soap, then good luck getting him to use Junk Wash!)

Foreskin formula

According to Cosmeticdesign.com, this product is based on natural and organic ingredients including aloe vera, lime essential oil, tea tree oil, jojoba oil and Totarol, which is a New Zealand tree extract. (Tree extract, hmmm. I’ll let you fill in your own joke here about getting “wood.”)

Anyway, I’m really curious to how this company spins advertises this product without making drug claims - they CERTAINLY can’t claim to stop penile cancer!

What do YOU think? Is Man Junk a scam or would you buy it for that special hygienically-challenged man in your life? Leave a comment and tell the rest of the Beauty Brains community all about your man’s junk!

Top Button knows the secret to abolishing your tiger-striped faux tan. Goodbye kitty cat, hello bronzed goddess!

StyleBakery.com shops fall’s new borrowed from the boys trend.

Smarter Fashion shows us how to get a Derek Lam Resort 2009 look for less!

SheFinds is surprised to find out that butt-sculpting FitFlops are not at the top of everyone’s list.

SeenON! shows us how to get the look of The Hills season 4!

Autumn prints and patterns add just the right amount of punch to Girlawhirl’s Fall 08 wardrobe.

Feeling artsy? Be careful! The Beauty Brains warn us about a dangerous way to make your own cosmetics.

Julie’s curl curious: Do the ingredients in the products sold at www.jessicurl.com really “offer a specific benefit to your curly hair,” as they claim? I’ve seen so many great testimonials for their products, but before I make a purchase, I want to make sure the claims have a scientific basis!

The Right Brain’s Jessicurl justification:

There’s no single specific technical approach to formulating products for curly hair. Instead, it’s all about finding the right balance. Here are 3 things to look out for:

Amount of Conditioning

Some women want lighter weight conditioning that won’t rob their fine, thin hair of curls. Others need heavier conditioning to tame unruly curls.

Jessiicurl appears to offer shampoos for both ends of the conditioning spectrum with their Gentle Lather Shampoo and Hair Cleansing Cream. Their Too Shea! Extra Moisturizing Conditioner is based on shea butter which is an excellent emollient for skin but it’s not substantive to hair. While it provides a catchy name for the product, it does little from a rinse out application.

Level of Hold

Jessicurl’s styling products include Confident Coils Styling Solution which is built on a fairly standard backbone of polymers including vinyl pyrrolidone and Vinyl Acetate. These provide a nice, firm hold but are not very humidity resistant. Her inclusion of magnesium sulfate is an interesting addition because of the texture and crunch it can give to curly hair. However, it won’t be very long lasting because this kind of film is relatively easy to disrupt.

Sensory Styling

Suprisingly, her Rockin’ Ringlets and Gelebration spray are based on flax seed extract which we have not seen used in styling before. This ingredient will not give long lasting hold but it could provide a very different feel and texture to the hair.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

If you’re a curly queen and you’re haven’t had luck with mass brands and salon products, you might give Jessicurl a try. While there’s no breakthrough technology here, these products could deliver a different look and feel for your curly hair. Based on our review of their ingredients and the benefits they claim, we’d say this is worth a shot.

What do YOU think? Have you tried Jessicurl? Leave a comment and share your curliousity with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.