by theglamscientist | | cyclomethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, foundation primer, silicone oil |
As you may already know, I’m an avid tweeter (can I say that?! lol). I primarily follow people who share my interest in beauty, makeup, skin care and fashion. So you can imagine my twitter feed is on fire on #makeupmonday. Periodically, I will do a post explaining the science behind one or more of the tips from #makeupmonday.
This post was inspired by a new twitter friend of mine, @AnonamusPoetry who suggested the use of Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder-Gel as a foundation primer. So I already know what you’re thinking… “Isn’t Monistat for yeast infections?” Yes and no. Monistat makes yeast infection treatments, but the chafing relief gel is not such a product. The key to a great makeup primer is silicone oil. The Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder-Gel contains plenty of silicone oils! The results of the Monistat product as a foundation primer have been compared to that of Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. Let’s compare the ingredients:
Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder-Gel
Cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone, crosspolymer, silica, tocopheryl acetate and trisiloxane.
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propylene Glycol, Water, Grape Seed Extract, Kolanut Seed Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
Do you see the similarities? Both are heavy on the silicones ie cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, cyclomethicone. Remember, when reading ingredients lists the ingredients are listed in descending order with the most abundant ingredient first. Silicone oils are most often found in conditioning products. They have a slick, velvety texture which makes them a fantastic ingredient for makeup primers.
In comparing the two products, the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer does have a much more impressive ingredients list due to ethylhexyl salicylate (sun protection) and the various extracts which are high in antioxidants. However, if you are already using a great moisturizer (which you should be, shame on you if you’re not) then the Monistat product will serve it’s purpose well plus, it’s a much cheaper alternative. For those of you that are wary of using an intimate care product on your face, remember this– your lady parts are much more delicate and sensitive than the skin on your face.
Here’s to the Glam Life!!!
by theglamscientist | | dry skin, lip gloss, lip products, occlusive agents, softening oils |
So, lip gloss makes me happy and I’m not ashamed :-)I have about 5 glosses in my purse at the moment and I still feel like that’s not enough. Don’t worry, I’ll be adding to my arsenal soon with a couple brands I’m working on and one that my good friend Kim Riley has developed. I digress…
The real purpose of this post is to discuss the properties of the lips and why all lip products are not created equal. Like the rest of our body, our lips are covered with 3 layers of skin: stratum corneum, epidermis and dermis. The stratum corneum is the outer most layer of skin that protects the epidermis. The stratum corneum on the lips is much thinner than that on the rest of our bodies. Thus, the stratum corneum of our lips is much more delicate and requires more specialized care. Another significant difference in the skin on our lips and our bodies is that our lips do not have sebaceous glands. Since our lips don’t excrete any necessary oils or moisture, lip care products are a must. Also, the amount of melanin in our lips is considerably less than that of the rest of our skin. Sun damage is real and devastating to our beauty, our lips need and deserve a good sunscreen.
One major problem I have had with several lip products on the market is that they cause my lips to peel. I think that is extremely gross and unsightly. The reason behind this peeling phenomenon is actually pretty simple and easy to avoid. Some lip care products are heavy in occlusive ingredients. Occlusive products, also known as barriers,are characterized as products meant to lock in moisture. Knowing that our lips don’t produce moisture, what is an occlusive product actually doing? Trapping dryness and making your lips even more dry!
So what ingredients should you avoid? Primarily mineral oil and petrolatum. Other natural occlusive agents may be used in lip balm products which is what gives them their stiff/dense consistency. Ingredients like beeswax, candelilla wax and carnauba wax are not too bad when other skin softening, emollient ingredients are used. Some good ingredients to look for are jojoba oil, almond oil, coconut oil and olive oil. These oils will easily absorb in your skin and provide some much needed nutrients and moisture.
So back to my love of lip gloss… because of the typical consistency of lip gloss, it can easily avoid overusing occlusive agents and can maximize all kinds of amazing oils and extracts.
So now that I’ve given you the skinny… do the glam thing and give yourself a little lip service 🙂
by theglamscientist | | Colipa, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, parabens, preservatives |
This past February, I did a post discussing parabens– what they are, what the rumors are and whether or not the rumors were true. You can find that post here: Parabens
New research has been released that shows parabens don’t cause any hormonal activity in the body. Florian Schellauf of Colipa (The European Cosmetics Association) recently presented research regarding propyl- and butylparabens that were introduced both orally and topically in laboratory rats. The study showed that the parabens are significantly absorbed orally, but only partially through the skin. Although there is some absorption through the skin, the research shows that the parabens are fully metabolized BEFORE they reach the blood stream. As proof of this finding, blood plasma tests were conducted that showed only the presence of the paraben metabolite p-hydroxybenzoic acid (pHBA) not the parabens themselves. These findings held true whether the parabens were introduced orally, dermally or subcutaneously (by injection just beneath the skin’s surface). Thus far, pHBA is not known to have any estrogenic effects and can be found in our food and plant life naturally. That means, you are already ingesting the paraben metabolite more than likely on a daily basis. IF pHBA is causing trouble via your cosmetics, then it would be causing problems via the food you eat too. Think about it…
So the final word on this research study as put forth by Colipa is:
“The study confirms the results of a number of research studies, which concluded from their work that parabens are metabolised rapidly and to a large extent in living organisms and therefore cannot exhibit any adverse effects,” –Colipa.
Based on the science, I still see no harm in the use of parabens– especially in the extremely low concentrations that are used in cosmetic preparations. We shall continue to see how the story unfolds. For now, if you are a consumer that has chosen to steer clear of parabens, there’s no harm in caution. Just know, the science is on their side.
For more information on this study, view the original article here: New data on parabens
by theglamscientist | | baby oil, mineral oil, petroleum, vaseline |
Mineral oil is a standard ingredient in many skin care applications including lotions, baby care products and cold creams. The verdict is still out on whether or not mineral oil is a natural ingredient. Mineral oil is the by-product of petroleum distillation for the process of making gasoline. Vaseline is also a by-product of this process. In skin care, mineral oil is said to work as a thin coating on the skin to help trap moisture. It does NOT draw moisture to the skin from the atmosphere. Mineral oil is not easily absorbed by the skin and thus is possibly comedogenic meaning it can clog the pores. Clogged pores slow the skin’s ability to eliminate toxins which is never a good thing.
Aside from the cosmetic problems mineral oil can cause, there are some more serious implications. Once mineral oil is absorbed by the skin, it is metabolized and travels through the intestinal tract. Mineral oil will absorb fat soluble vitamins from the body and carries them out with it in bodily waste. Essentially, mineral oil has the potential to steal vital nutrients from our bodies. There have actually been some cases of [lipoid] pneumonia that were found to be caused by mineral oil.
by theglamscientist | | FDA, fragrance, fragrance free, unscented |
With so many allergies, sensitive skin problems and the growing desire to “go green”, consumers are opting for products that don’t contain any added fragrance– or so they think. Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of ambiguity on the part of the FDA regarding appropriate wording for products that contain no added fragrance.
My twitter friend, Krissy90220, noticed that one of her personal care products was labeled “unscented” but had “fragrance” listed in the ingredients. Krissy, like most consumers felt that the label was misleading and illegal even… but, according to the FDA, this is quite alright.
There is no documented FDA definition for “unscented” or “fragrance free” which means the terms can be used freely on product labels. The FDA does, however, require that if fragrance is used in a product it be listed in the ingredients. Generally speaking, unscented is used when a product contains fragrance only to mask the chemical smell of other ingredients in the formula. Fragrance free is most often used when no fragrance exists in the formula at all. It’s not likely that leading brands will have truly fragrance free products due to the number of synthetic ingredients that are typically used. Small handmade product lines that are labeled unscented or fragrance free are more likely to be authentic. If you find a product that is labeled unscented or fragrance free, does not list fragrance in the list, but still smells scented, it is probably misbranded. Misbranding is subject to penalty by the FDA and should be reported due to the possible implications.
If you have sensitivities to fragrant chemicals and seek a product that undoubtedly contains no fragrance, the front label will not give you all the assurances you need. Always read the ingredients list on the back label of a product to be sure that what you perceive is what you will receive.
Until next time… Here’s to the glam life!
