The Surprising Reason Why You Should WANT Gray Hair
Submitted by Beauty Brains Blog
Mid Brain muses:
First we told you about a better way to get your gray hair dyed. Then we explained how stress causes gray hair. And most recently we we told you how to to get rid of gray hair forever. Now we’re blogging about why you should be HAPPY that you have gray hair. (Why all the posts about gray hair? Trust me, if you had to look at the Left Brain’s roots everyday you wouldn’t have to ask that question!) Anyway, the latest news is that gray hair may actually protect you from cancer!
Gray hair is good
Hair color is produced by cells called melanocytes which are in part controlled by stem cells. When the number of stem cells in hair follicles goes down, hair turns gray. Now researchers at Tokyo Medical and Dental University in Japan have discovered that radiation and chemicals that damage DNA can cause stem cells to permanently transform into melanocytes. Without the stem cells to produce more melanocytes, hair turns grey (Cell, vol 137, p 1088). Another researcher, David Fisher at Harvard Medical School, suggests this processes may help protect us from cancer, by preventing damaged stem cells from passing on mutated DNA. “One likely beneficial effect is the removal of potentially dangerous cells that may contain pre-cancerous capabilities,” he says. So there you have it gals, it’s Gray Pride Day!
What’s Your Price?
Submitted by British Beauty Blogger
http://www.beautifulmakeupsearch.com reports on Twitter that she’s been asked to buy a spot on another blogger’s blogroll! Repeatable words fail……
Perfume: The New Black
Submitted by British Beauty Blogger
Ok, so as I mentioned in Beauty Whispers a while back, a black fragrance has emerged - a world first (unless you count that mouldy bottle of Charlie circa 1971 that got left in the airing cupboard for a few decades). Black Afgano is created by Nasomatto (translated as Crazy Nose) headed by Alessandro Gualtieri. Controvercially, Black Afgano aims to capture the best qualities of hashish; a temporary state of bliss (like we’d know…ahem!). Why is it black? Because it contains tobacco, coffee, oud and hashish. I wanted to know if it stains the skin….apparantly not, but I won’t be putting it anywhere near my white silks. £98 at Liberty.
Men and Skin Care by Wild Natural Beauty
Skin care has been dominated by women for centuries but good skin and good health transcends gender. The pressure of beauty is now pushing men towards the once shunned beauty isle. And it’s not just men of a younger generation, but men who are in their 40’s and 50’s even 60’s are now asking their wives “what exactly are you putting on your face?” and “does it really work?”
For those men who have not embraced their metrosexual side and are not afraid to experiment a little, our lotions, crèmes, serums and no-soap cleansers are fragrance free and won’t leave him smelling like a vanilla rose garden. Crèmes are a good start for beginners to skin care. Wild Natural Beauty offers Refresh Natural Crème that’s packed with vitamin C. It’s great for rough spots on his elbows, hands, and feet. Even his face if he’s feeling really wild.
Even if Dad won’t be excited to unwrap a special collections assortment of beauty products, he may be willing to try one of our organic bar soaps or shower gels. Try giving him a Spice Bar Soap with woodspice and cinnamon or our Wild Natural Clean Bar Soap with tea tree essential oil, or perhaps Clear Organic Shower Gel. All of our bar soaps and shower gels are 100% organic.
We all want to hang onto youthful looking skin and find a healthy way to do it. Why choose a product with harsh chemicals if there was a safer alternative? Wild Natural Beauty’s wide assortment of skin care products is just as effective for men as they are for women. Wild Natural Beauty has a wide assortment of products that will still allow a man to smell like and feel like a man.
Beauty Science Answers Poll 41 – What makes you look older?
Submitted by Beauty Brains Blog
Either you are getting too smart or I’m not making these beauty science polls hard enough! A whopping 55% of you figured out that the headline about eating fruit was the fake. Read on for the explanations.
Divorce makes you look older – TRUE
Only 6% of you were fooled by this headline. The truth is that the stress of divorce does make you look older. According to a recent twins study published by Case Western Reserve University, people who had gone through a divorce looked 2 years older than their twin who hadn’t.
Researchers concluded that avoiding anxiety is a way to slow down your biological clock.
Losing weight makes you look older – TRUE
Only 5% of you believed this headline was fake but it’s real. According to more work done by Case Western Reserve University researchers, women who lose a lot of weight are perceived as older than their peers who haven’t. Of course, this only applies to women over the age of 40. Younger women will not look older if they lose weight.
Eating fruit makes you look older – FALSE
A full 55% of you figured out that we made this one up. While there is no evidence fruit makes you look younger, it is an important part of your diet and you should probably be eating more. The fake headline was inspired by this true story about how older people are not eating enough fruit.
Smoking makes you look older – TRUE
17% of you thought we were trying to fool you with this one but we weren’t. Smoking does make you look older! In fact, the term “smoker’s face” was added to medical dictionaries after a study demonstrated you could identify smokers from pictures of their faces.
Just another of the many reasons to stop smoking
Space travel makes you look older – TRUE
16% of responders thought this was fake but it’s true. I particularly liked the explanations in the comments about this story. According to astrophysicists, space travelers will be bombarded with radiation that will damage their DNA. This damage has been linked to accelerated aging.
So, did you get it right? Are we making these Beauty Science or BS polls just a little too easy? Leave a comment and let the rest of the Beauty Brains community know.
Marc Jacobs: Lola
Submitted by British Beauty Blogger
A new fragrance from Marc Jacobs is always going to grab attention, and in this case, it’s more the bottle than the scent. While the scent is pretty enough…..more edgy and heavy than Daisy….it’s very floral with undertones of musk and vanilla to give it a vampish feel, the bottle - or more specifically the lid - is really quite something. The layered flower that composes the lid is unweildy, clunky almost, especially atop the smallest bottle (30ml), but nonetheless vibrant and immediately likeable. Only MJ could create chunky, bright waves of plastic vaguely fashioned into a flower and make it look instantly and utterly desirable.
Cotton Club: It’s Not Just Any Bath & Body Range….
Submitted by British Beauty Blogger
…It’s an M&S Bath & Body range! With prices starting at £3.50, I think it looks much more expensive and the delicate scents are really pretty, too. The packaging is so clean and simple and has an elegant New England feel to it. And, I think it looks far more expensive than it actually is…which is always good!
Reader Frontline: Testing So You Don’t Have To - Lab Series For Men
Submitted by British Beauty Blogger
I’ve put Chris hard at work testing a huge array of men’s products. Here’s his view on Lauder owned Lab Series:
Lab Series Skincare for Men.
‘Take Control, Reduce Shine, Prevent Breakouts, Improve skins appearance.’
That’s what Aramis advertise for their new range of Skincare products.I must say they are very good, I really felt my skin cleaner and fresher after using them. I really liked the Skin Revitalizer Lotion; it is unlike any Lotion/Moisturiser I have used before. Loved it, the 50ml bottle only did last about 2 weeks though, but made my skin feel so good, I already bought some more. It does not leave it greasy like other moisturisers and feels quite natural on the skin as is fragrance free. Brilliant !!
Lab Series Instant Moisture mask,
They are like real paper masks you put on your face, and they have a lovely fresh feel. And the good thing is, if someone rings on the doorbell, you can just rip it off real quick. My dog started barking at me when i put this on! My skin felt quite exfoliated and nourished after using it. Nice to use it before bed to make sure the skin is nourished.
Lab Series Invigorating face scrub.
This is a great scrub, it is fragrance free, and they advise to maybe use it only 3 times a week, it did feel quite rough on the skin, but I like that.
Is Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Worth The Money?
Submitted by Beauty Brains Blog
Cee Cee says…I usually wash my face with the cheaper drug store brands but my friends swear by the more expensive Clinique Liquid Facial Soap. Is there something about this product that makes it worth the extra money?
The Right Brain replies:
Clinique Liquid Facial Soap (which sells for $18.00 sells for 6.7 ounces) is formulated with sodium laureth sulfate, a milder cousin of sodium lauryl sulfate, as the primary cleansing agent. It also contains seven or eight additional secondary cleansers and conditioning agents. Here’s the ingredient list if you want to make a full comparision.
Clinique Liquid Facial Soap ingredients
Water purified, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium chloride, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, lauramidopropyl betaine, sodium cocoyl sarcosinate, TEA-cocoyl glutamate, di-PPG-2 myreth-10 adipate, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, PEG-120 methyl glucose dioleate, sucrose, sodium hyaluronate, cetyl triethylmonium dimethicone PEG-8 succinate, tocopheryl ethyl succinate ethyldimonium ethosulfate, butylene glycol, matricaria, hexylene glycol, polyquaternium-7, laureth 2, caprylyl glycol, sodium sulfate, EDTA, disodium EDTA, sodium benzoate, phenoxyethanol.
Are there other products that are cheaper? Sure. Freeman, for example, has a simpler primary surfactant and it’s about half the cost.
Freeman Foaming Facial Cleanser Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Chamomila Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Witch Hazel Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Rice Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Grape Seed Oil, Panthenol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamidopropyl PG Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Methylchloroisothiazoline, Methylisothiazolinone, Limonene, Linalcol, Fragrance
While the Freeman product contains multiple natural extracts, it’s cleansing system is not as sophisticated as Clinique’s. Plus, it contains fragrance which is a no-no for products designed for sensitive skin. Finally, Freeman’s packaging is not as upscale as Clinique’s shiny chrome pump and frosted bottle. So with Clinique you’re not only paying for a more sophisticated formula but also the aesthetics and style of the Clinique name.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
Clinique is a very well formulated and nicely packaged product even though it may be a bit expensive for some people. The good news is there are plenty of other alternatives. As always, we suggest you experiment with a few different products to determine what’s right for your skin. You don’t have to buy a more expensive product just because your friends tell you it’s better.
Science Sources – The Personal Care Products Council (PCPC)
Submitted by Beauty Brains Blog
While we here at the Beauty Brains answer your questions, we also hope to help you become smarter consumers. If you’re seriously interested in learning about beauty care products, here’s a great source of solid scientific information: the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) website. 
The PCPC (formerly known as the CTFA) is one of the oldest, and most respected, sources of information on cosmetic science. Much of this site is designed for those in the industry who are members and who can access ingredient dictionaries, Cosmetic Ingredient Reviews that show the regulatory status of ingredients, and other legal functions. But there are other sections open to the general public that our readers should find interesting. You might want to check out the following:
Cosmetic Ingredient Safety: here’s your inside scoop on the TRUTH behind cosmetic ingredients. Don’t believe the crap you get in emails and press releases, click here for the real science behind ingredient’s safety and efficacy.
Look Good Feel Better – a site that deals with using make up to counter act some of the effects of cancer treatments.
Work Your Image: a site that deals with how to use your beauty skills to get and hang on to , the job you want. Includes links to 25 Free Business Clothing Programs!
Site for Teens with Cancer:
We hope you never find yourself in need of this kind of information. But if you do, here’s where to go.
There’s much more, but you get the picture. PCPC online is one of our favorite resources. Check it out if you’re interested in learning about the products that you put on your body every day.
