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Sweet Smelling Dreams

July 29th, 2010

The FLHC

Have you ever put on your favorite perfume right before taking a nap? No?

Maybe you should. ScienceDaily shares that what you smell as you sleep can influence what you dream about. German researchers in a new study used different smells on their subjects while they slept, such as rotten eggs and roses. When the subjects woke, their dreams were often colored by the smell – when smelling something bad, the dreams were unhappy, while when smelling something satisfactory to the senses, their dreams were positive.

So next time you have a bad dream, remember this article – maybe you should have put on some perfume.

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Tags: bad dream, beauty brains, Dreams, german researchers, Perfume, right, rotten eggs, senses, Smelling, something, Sweet, taking a nap

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Why Do Women Get More Cavities Than Men?

July 27th, 2010

The FLHC

How many cavities have you had in your lifetime? It’s likely that you don’t really know. Well, according to ScienceDaily, a study done by an anthropologist from the University of Oregon says that your gender makes a difference. Women, upon reaching adulthood, are more likely to get cavities. Why?

For one, women’s hormones often cause cavities. High levels of estrogen during puberty and pregnancy change diets and support cavities. Also, women produce less saliva then men, which leads to more plaque buildup, because saliva removes food residue. During pregnancy, women’s chemical changes lead saliva to create less of important elements that prevent cavities. Another problem is that during pregnancy, women are likely to dislike meat, but crave sugary and fatty foods.
The next time your dentist says, “You’ve got a cavity,” curse your gender – and don’t forget to floss.

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Posted in Beauty

Tags: beauty brains, Cavities, chemical changes, fatty foods, food residue, gender, high levels of estrogen, more, plaque buildup, pregnancy, pregnancy women, saliva, than, Women

2 Comments »

Discovering New Perfume Ingredients

July 25th, 2010

The FLHC

Ahh, perfume. The sweet smell of femininity. You’ve probably put on perfume many times before, but have you ever actually thought of where it’s coming from? According to CosmeticsDesign, the scent is inspired by plants from all over the world! Givaudan fragrance chemist Roman Kaiser has investigated over 2,700 plants, and has been able to recreate about 550 when it comes time to sell.

Instead of taking the plants from their native habitats, Kaiser and his program, ScentTreks, have the technology to capture the exact scent of the plant until it can be used in the lab. Later, they’re able to use chemicals to recreate the smell with the help of their technology. This makes it possible to investigate highly endangered plant species and find very new scents. Occasionally, when the company is investigating certain plants, they find an entirely new fragrance chemical which can be patented and used to recreate more scents.
So the next time you’re in a particularly delicious-smelling garden, imagine bottling it up and putting it on – just as Kaiser and team are doing all over the world.

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Posted in Beauty

Tags: beauty brains, Discovering, femininity, givaudan, Ingredients, Kaiser, native habitats, new fragrance, Perfume, plant species, smell, sweet smell

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SunSense Bracelet Saves Your Skin

July 23rd, 2010

The FLHC

According to Inventorspot.com, this summer’s fashion icon won’t be quite so chic. What’s the product? It’s called a UV SunSense bracelet, designed to save your skin – literally.
Too often, we’re prone to just one coat of sunscreen, which won’t help us after a jump in the pool or lots of hours in the sun. Reapplying is usually not high on our list of to-dos. This bracelet is going to change that for us this summer.

It works simply: the next time you’re slathering on sun block, don’t spare the bracelet. Once your original coat has stopped protecting you, the normally purple bracelet will let you know by turning brown. And if your sun time is bordering on obsessive, the bracelet with turn pink to tell you to head inside.

So next time you’re heading to the pool, don’t forget your sunscreen and your UV SunSense bracelet. This summer, they’re going to be invaluable for your fun in the sun.

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Tags: beauty brains, Bracelet, fashion icon, fun in the sun, jump in the pool, Saves, skin, summer, sun, sun block, sun time, Sunscreen, SunSense

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Is The World Running Out of Cosmetic Scientists?

July 21st, 2010

The FLHC

Where are we going to find the next generation of cosmetic chemists? I bet that question is not often on your mind, but it might matter – a study published October 10th, 2008, says that girls who are especially gifted in math and science often choose other career paths based on the lack of importance American culture places on math, deficiencies in the public school system, and very few women role models.

According to ScienceDaily, data reflects the fact that top mathematicians in the country are, in fact, foreigners by birth. The US is starting to let other countries fill our needs when it comes to engineers, mathematicians, scientists…and cosmetic chemists. The study shares that both girls and boys in the US find their math and science talents overlooked, or worse, discouraged. Second-generation children of immigrants from a country where math is valued are more likely to have their gifts identified and nurtured.

In younger grades, girls are often as good as or better than boys in their math classes, but upon reaching middle school, they lag behind due to peer demands and society’s attitude. By the time they reach high school, girls with this ability are likely to fall even further behind due to more social expectations and failure of schools to challenge them appropriately.
What we need to do to insure the US the future of things like the Beauty Brains Blog and the chemists that run it is to change our attitude towards math and science now – so that in the future, the brains of beauty will not be lost.

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Posted in Beauty

Tags: beauty brains, cosmetic, cosmetic chemists, generation children, high school girls, math, math and science, math classes, running, school, Science, scientists, US, women role models, world

5 Comments »

How To Cure Itchy Scalp

July 19th, 2010

The FLHC

Taya’s trouble…Dear Beauty Brains, I just read up on your article about smelly scalps and wanted to know if there are any causes or solutions to itchy scalps. My sister started developing an itchy scalp several months back and it would sometimes get so itchy she would have to shower twice a day and she would also itch her hair/head in her sleep! One time she was so desperate that she put socks on her hands to stop her from itching. The weather doesn’t seem to affect it and she doesn’t produce a lot of dandruff and her hair looks normal in every way just the itching. We have checked for lice and there are none. She also had two spots on her head before this. My conclusion maybe, that we have a faulty shower – which can get really hot – and my sister and mother are the only two who for some reason can deal with hot water. Which seems to be the most plausible explanation. At first I thought that buying her some deep-cleanse shampoo would do the trick but it didn’t really work. We don’t think it’s that much of a deal unless she actually makes her scalp bleed (which thank goodness has not happened), also worried if it might weaken her hair follicles? I told her if she keeps scratching she’ll become bald.

The Left Brain responds:

Taya’s question prompted an interesting discussion in our Forum where Lindygirl and SarahF, and Vanyel pointed out that itchy scalp can have multiple causes.

Itchy scalp: causes and cures

Frequent washing with hot water can strip oils from your skin which could be contributing to the dryness. Dandruff is another common cause of itching. And of course there could be other medical conditions like psoriasis. My first suggestion is to try an anti-dandruff shampoo like Head & Shoulders, Selsun Blue, or Nizoral. The active ingredients in these products will reduce itchiness if indeed dandruff is the cause. She should specifically avoid using deep cleansing shampoos like you described – these are likely to only make the problem worse because they are “stronger” cleansers and can strip additional oils from the scalp. Reducing shampoo frequency may also be helpful. She might benefit using a dry shampoo on the days that she skips washing. (And if that doesn’t work she can always try rubbing whipping cream in her hair, as the Curly Girl Handbook suggests…)

If these steps don’t help, she should probably check with a dermatologist to rule out other skin conditions.

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Posted in Beauty

Tags: anti dandruff shampoo, beauty brains, cure, hair, hair head, Itchy, itchy scalp, left brain, Scalp, selsun blue, vanyel

2 Comments »

The Reason Armpit Hair Doesn’t Grow Down To Your Knees

July 18th, 2010

The FLHC

Li longs to learn: How does hair know when to grow? When you shave your legs, it grows back but it stops growing after a certain length. If you shave it again, it will grow back to that length. What’s up with that???

The Left Brain leads her:
Li, actually your question is easy to answer once you understand two things:

3 stages of hair growth

The first thing to know is that hair goes through 3 different stages as it grows: Anagen, Catagen and Telogen phases. The Anagen stage (that’s Anagen, not Anakin!) is the stage where the hair grows like crazy. This stage can last a up to 4 to 6 years and can produce scalp hairs that grow to be almost 3 feet in length! (that’s 100 cm for our international readers). And if you think 3 feet is impressive, you ain’t seen nothin’! Human scalp hair longer than 5 feet has been reported! Yikes! We’d hate to see the bill from her stylist!

The Catagen stage follows the Anagen stage. This is basically a transitional stage which means the follicle is slowing down production of the hair, not much happens here.

The third stage is the Telogen, or resting, stage. The hair stops growing and just sits there in the follicle. When the cycle starts all over again with Anagen phase, the old hair is pushed out by the new hair. That’s one of the reasons you normally shed about 100 or so hairs each day – the old ones are getting replaced by the new ones.

Two types of hairs

Ok, second thing to understand is that there are two different types of hairs: Terminal and Vellus. Terminal are long hairs (the 3 footers we mentioned) and are thicker and have a longer growing cycle (growing season like flowers) 6 to 8 years. Meaning most of the time they are in Anagen phase. These are found on the scalp, mostly. Terminal hairs are the kind you have to cut because they get too long.

Vellus on the other hand are short hairs (a millimeter or less) they are very fine, and they have a very short life cycle, which means they spend most of the time in the Telogen phase. That also means they’ll never grow as long as scalp hair. These very fine hairs are found on “hairless” parts of the body like arms and legs. (Ok, those areas aren’t hairless, but they kind of look hairless because the hairs are so tiny and fine.)

So, to answer your question, that’s how hair knows when to grow – it’s determined by the type of hair and the stage of growth it’s in. Which of course is determined by hormones. Isn’t everything?

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Tags: Anagen, Armpit, Doesn’t, down, grow, hair, human scalp, international readers, knees, left brain, Li, Reason, scalp hair, scalp hairs, stage, terminal hairs, transitional stage

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The Number 1 Danger Of Mixing Your Own Cosmetics

July 17th, 2010

The FLHC

Crista’s question…I have a question on home made facial moisturizers. I’m a “make your own nut” with moisturizers, laundry soaps, miscellaneous cleaners, and add-ins for conditioners ( I’m big on coconut oil). Anyway enough with the jibberjabber. I start with Biosilk fruitcocktail as a base, (here’s a strange fact I was told by a cock fighting, i.e. fighting chickens, models hair dresser that it makes a good moisturizer) and then I add coconut oil and shea butter. It works for me. Just wondering your thoughts – Is it good? Bad? None of the above?

The Right Brain’s response:

Our first thought in response to your question is: Fighting chickens have hairdressers??? You’ve GOT to write back and explain that one! But let’s get back to your question.

Do It Yourself Danger

While we applaud your do it yourself attitude, you do need to be careful when mixing your own products. The number one danger is that the home made products typically are not properly preserved against microbial growth. That’s means your product could grow bacteria or mold that could end up giving you an infection. So be careful!

But for the moment let’s go crazy and ignore that danger. Does mixing Biosilk fruit cocktail with coconut oil and shea butter make a good hair conditioner? Mmmmmaybe. Coconut oil is one of the few natural oils that will penetrat hair, so it can have some benefit if you leave it on long enough. Shea butter can be helpful as a leave-on product but it won’t do much for hair is you rinse it off. So your home made mix might not be bad for your hair but we’d be surprised if it’s better than the products you can buy.

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Posted in Beauty

Tags: beauty brains, coconut, coconut oil, Cosmetics, Danger, facial moisturizers, fruit cocktail, fruitcocktail, hair, laundry soaps, Mixing, number, question, shea butter

4 Comments »

The Sound Of Smell

July 15th, 2010

The FLHC

Scientific American has an interesting article about research that, for the first time, shows a link between how our brains process scent and sound input.

Smound science

Research by Daniel Wesson and Donald Wilson at the Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research indicate the possible existence of a smell-sound sense (which they refer to as a “smound.”) They found that tubercle cells in mice brains respond differently to a combination of scent and sound than they do to either individually. This new research seems to align nicely with historical observations made in the mid-1800s by French perfumerist G. W. Septimus Piesse.

While the authors are thinking about pragmatic applications (like increasing the bomb-sniffing sensitivity of dogs) I can’t help but wonder what this could mean for the beauty industry. Just as restaurants recommend pairing certain wines with particular kinds of food, perhaps fragrance marketers will start recommending which songs to play while wearing a certain perfume?

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Posted in Beauty

Tags: beauty brains, Daniel Wesson, Donald Wilson, G. W. Septimus Piesse, kinds of food, Nathan S. Kline, psychiatric research, research, scent, smell, Sound, sound input, sound sense

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Is PRAIMordial Stellar Serum Really Made With Martian Minerals?

July 14th, 2010

The FLHC

Aussie Momma’s awesome question…Prai’s new Mordial Stellar serum is a new product that is getting raves on the beauty boards. Apparently it has an ingredient that is found on Mars. I think it is all marketing hype. What do you think?

The Left Brain’s awe-struck response:

This has to be one of the more bizarre claims claims I’ve come across. Here’s exactly what their website says:

PRAImordial Stellar Serum helps reverse this process by counteracting the loss of collagen as we age. Its luscious formula incorporates a customized blend of ingredients including Iron Rose Crystal derived from Hematite discovered on Mars, D-Galacturonic Acid, a powerful peptide/protein complex, and thirst – quenching hydrators, all working together to support, maximize and preserve collagen levels for younger-looking skin.

What is hematite and what does it do for skin?

Hematite is form of iron oxide, specifically iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3.) Its rust-red color makes it useful as a pigment in paints and even in blushes. But it’s not a good ingredient for providing skin moisturization benefits. In fact, in concentrated form it can be irritating to skin – the ancient Egyptians took advantage of this fact and actually used it to booby trap at least one mummy’s tomb. (According to Wikipedia, archeologists had to put on full body suits to protect their skin before entering the hematite filled chamber.)

Martian Mordial?

So it it true that hematite was discovered on Mars? Well, yes, NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor and the 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft both located the mineral on Mars through its spectral signature. But I fail to see how that’s relevant to the product proposition. The entire idea is laughable – do they really mean to imply that they mined the ore from the Martian surface and brought it back to Earth for use in this skin lotion? How absurd! So yes, Aussie Momma, this is marketing hyperbole!

Here are the rest of the ingredients in case anyone is interested:

PRAImordial Stellar Serum Ingredients

Propylene Glycol, Water (Aqua), Cyclopentasiloxane, SD Alcohol 40B, Cyclohexasiloxane, PEG/PPG18/18 Dimethicone, Octyldodecyl Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, C4 24 Alkyl Dimethicone/ Divinyldimethicone Crosspolymer/Isodecyl Isononanoate, Tripeptide 1, Tripeptide]10 Citrulline, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Lecithin, Polydiethyleneglycol Adipate/IPDI Copolymer, Hematite Extract, Galacturonic Acid, Dimethiconol, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Zingiber Cassumunar Root Oil, Carbomer, Sodium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Limonene, alpha]Isomethyl Ionone, Fragrance (Parfum), Silica (CI 77811)Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Tin Oxide (CI 77861)

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