In our modern world, life expectancies have dramatically increased. Now we’re not satisfied with just living longer, we want to live better – we expect to maintain a high quality of life as we grow old gracefully. And a new study shows that makeup can keep us happy as we age by actually improving the function of our brains!

Makeup secret

This amazing makeup secret is revealed in a research paper by Pola Chemical Industries and the Brain Functions Lab in Yokohama Japan which was published in the February 2009 issue of Cosmetics & Toiletries. According to the researchers, they have scientific measurements that confirm what some people have long suspected – that wearing the right kind of makeup can lead to better activation of your brain.

They studied the effects of a new makeup on a population of elderly women with a mild cognitive impairment that could signal the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. (Women in this condition are sensitive to improvements in brain function.) They hooked the women up to an electroencephalograph (EEG) and measured brain activity  before, during, and after makeup application. The women were treated with eyebrow pencil, lip rouge, and a new kind of foundation that contained a powder made from the same kind of light reflecting PET polymers used to make privacy curtains. The result is a highly transparent, light dispersing powder that is ideal for aged skin.

After the makeup application it wasn’t surprisingly that the women subjectively reported that they felt more beautiful and happy. But it was surprising that the brain scan showed that their electrical scalp potential was stabilized. Essentially their brains were “activated” in a way that improved local neuronal impairments.  I’m certainly not a neurologist but it sounds like this is the first time anyone’s measured the impact of cosmetics on brain waves. How exciting!

The Beauty Brains bottom line

This single study doesn’t really prove much but hopefully it will lead to further work that could help us understand the neurological benefits of using beauty products. That could make us all happier in old age. And nothing makes me happier than a new sale on makeup. Time to go shopping!