Episode 387 - Inflammaging, eye lash glue, estriol and more

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Beauty Brains - Episode 387: Inflammaging, Eyelash Glue, Estriol, and More

Release Date: January 30, 2025

In Episode 387 of The Beauty Brains, hosts Perry Romanowski and Valerie George delve into a range of intriguing beauty-related topics, providing expert insights into the science behind popular beauty trends and products. This episode addresses questions about eyelash glues, the polymers used in tubing mascaras, the emerging concept of "inflammaging," the efficacy of estriol cream, and strategies for restoring hair's natural texture post-wash. Below is a detailed summary of the key discussions and conclusions.

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Personal Anecdotes and Listener Interactions

[00:01 - 05:40]
The episode opens with Perry and Valerie sharing personal stories, including Valerie’s experience with a black eye and Perry’s battle with allergic reactions to bug bites during his trip to Belize. These anecdotes serve to create a relatable and engaging atmosphere before transitioning into the main topics.

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1. Eyelash Glues and Occupational Hazards

Listener Question from Adriana [16:11]:
Adriana inquires about the safety of professional eyelash glues, especially concerning prolonged exposure to glue fumes for lash artists. She also seeks recommendations for masks that could filter out harmful chemicals during extended use.

Discussion Highlights:

• Health Risks for Professionals:
  Valerie emphasizes the importance of understanding the chemical composition of eyelash glues, noting that prolonged exposure to volatile compounds can pose occupational hazards.

  Valerie George [17:40]: “Eyelash glues are made to be volatile and evaporate... you're breathing in those things that evaporate.”

• Safety Measures:
  Perry and Valerie recommend using N95 respirator masks or other appropriate respirators with cartridges to mitigate inhalation of harmful fumes. Additionally, they stress the necessity of proper ventilation in workspaces to ensure safety.

  Perry Romanowski [20:02]: “You want to keep an eye on yourself for any kind of symptoms...”

• Regulatory Standards:
  They discuss the role of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) in regulating workplace safety and the importance of adhering to safety data sheets provided by suppliers.

Conclusion:
While consumers face minimal risk, professionals using eyelash glues daily should implement stringent safety measures, including the use of appropriate masks and ensuring excellent ventilation, to minimize exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

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2. Polymers in Tubing Mascaras

Listener Question from Lucia [21:18]:
Lucia asks about the specific polymers used in tubing mascaras and why certain mascaras are marketed as tubing while others are not, despite containing similar polymers.

Discussion Highlights:

• Functionality of Tubing Mascaras:
  Tubing mascaras utilize film-forming polymers that create water-resistant “tubes” around each lash, which can be easily removed with warm water. In contrast, non-tubing mascaras rely on waxes and pigments that adhere to lashes, requiring more intensive makeup removal.

  Valerie George [22:25]: “Between the end results... it’s just a marketing thing.”

• Marketing vs. Science:
  Valerie points out that the distinction between tubing and non-tubing mascaras is largely a marketing strategy, as both types may contain similar polymers. The perceived differences in performance often stem from how the products are marketed rather than substantial scientific variations.

  Perry Romanowski [24:22]: “There really is no scientific basis necessarily of this tubing and non-tubing. It’s just a marketing thing.”

Conclusion:
The categorization of mascaras into tubing and non-tubing is primarily a marketing tactic. Consumers should be aware that the fundamental polymer compositions may not differ significantly, and the performance claims should be evaluated critically.

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3. Inflammaging: Trend or Science?

Listener Question from Kiara [24:26]:
Kiara brings up "inflammaging" and its potential rise as a significant beauty trend in 2025, questioning its scientific validity and practical implications.

Discussion Highlights:

• Definition and Skepticism:
  Valerie expresses strong skepticism toward the term "inflammaging," deeming it a cringe-worthy portmanteau that oversimplifies the complex relationship between inflammation and aging.

  Valerie George [25:24]: “Inflammaging is my most cringe portmanteau... I hate it.”

• Scientific Basis:
  While acknowledging that chronic low-grade inflammation can contribute to the aging process by damaging cellular structures, both hosts argue that the concept is being exploited by the beauty industry to market new products without substantial scientific backing.

  Perry Romanowski [27:01]: “This really sounds like one of those beauty and wellness industry things where they tell you there’s some new problem and then they have a big solution to you.”

• Practical Advice:
  The hosts advocate for proven anti-aging strategies such as consistent use of SPF, maintaining a healthy diet, managing stress, and adhering to basic skincare routines over chasing unverified trends.

Conclusion:
"Inflammaging" appears to be more of a marketing buzzword than a scientifically robust concept. Consumers are advised to focus on well-established anti-aging practices rather than unproven trends.

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4. Estriol Cream: Efficacy and Safety

Listener Question from Alicia [31:39]:
Alicia inquires whether estriol cream lives up to its anti-aging claims.

Discussion Highlights:

• Claims vs. Reality:
  Perry and Valerie dissect various claims made by estriol creams, such as reducing fine lines and wrinkles by boosting collagen production. They highlight that creams contain multiple ingredients, making it difficult to attribute benefits solely to estriol.

  Perry Romanowski [32:04]: “...the creams contain petrolatum, occlusive agents, humectants...”

• Regulatory Concerns:
  Valerie raises concerns about estriol cream being marketed without proper prescription, noting its hormonal nature and potential risks if used without medical supervision.

  Valerie George [37:14]: “I would only use Estriol cream when prescribed by a doctor...”

• Market Availability:
  The hosts point out that despite being prescription-only, estriol creams are readily available on platforms like Amazon, indicating lax enforcement of regulations. They caution against using such products without consulting healthcare professionals.

  Perry Romanowski [33:46]: “Online, people can buy all kinds of stuff...”

• Mechanism of Action:
  There is skepticism about the ability of topical estriol to effectively penetrate thick facial skin to deliver meaningful anti-aging benefits.

  Valerie George [36:20]: “...if you were concerned about improving the appearance of your vagina.”

Conclusion:
Estriol creams do not convincingly live up to their anti-aging claims when used topically. The presence of estriol in over-the-counter products poses safety concerns, and consumers are urged to seek medical advice before use.

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5. Restoring Hair's Natural Texture and Manageability Post-Wash

Listener Question from Ariel [38:22]:
Ariel faces challenges in maintaining her hair's texture and manageability after shampooing and conditioning, despite using a blend of oils to mimic sebum.

Discussion Highlights:

• Sebum vs. Modern Hair Care:
  Perry explains that while sebum naturally conditions hair, modern hair care products aim for specific aesthetic outcomes, which may require different formulations.

  Perry Romanowski [39:06]: “Sebum is helpful... but modern science is here to help.”

• Product Formulation:
  Valerie suggests experimenting with different shampoos and conditioners, as conditioners often contain cationic surfactants and silicones that can impact hair texture. She also mentions that factors like water quality can affect product performance.

  Valerie George [41:14]: “If your conditioner has behentrimonium chloride...”

• Avoiding Heavy Oils:
  The hosts advise against using heavy oils like jojoba and olive oil for achieving texture, as they can weigh hair down. Instead, lightweight and volatile silicones are recommended for enhancing manageability without flatness.

  Perry Romanowski [42:15]: “Steer clear of the oils...”

Conclusion:
Achieving natural texture and manageability post-wash may require experimenting with different hair care products and formulations. Opting for lightweight conditioning agents and considering external factors like water quality can help in maintaining desired hair texture.

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Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Throughout the episode, Perry and Valerie underscore the importance of critical thinking in the beauty industry, cautioning listeners against succumbing to marketing hype without scientific backing. They advocate for evidence-based beauty practices, emphasizing the need for transparency and regulation in product formulations and claims.

Key Takeaways:

• Be Critical of Marketing Claims: Always evaluate the scientific validity behind beauty product claims rather than relying solely on marketing language.

• Prioritize Safety: Whether it’s occupational safety for beauty professionals or the safe use of hormone-containing products, prioritize informed and safe practices.

• Focus on Proven Practices: Stick to well-established beauty routines and products with proven efficacy rather than chasing the latest trends.

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Notable Quotes:

• Valerie George [25:24]: “Inflammaging is my most cringe portmanteau... I hate it.”

• Perry Romanowski [24:22]: “There really is no scientific basis necessarily of this tubing and non-tubing. It’s just a marketing thing.”

• Valerie George [37:14]: “I would only use Estriol cream when prescribed by a doctor because it really can play a role with your hormone levels.”

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Support and Engagement:

The hosts thank their listeners for support through Patreon and encourage audience members to submit their questions via email or social media platforms. They emphasize the value of positive reviews and active listener participation in sustaining the show’s independence from advertising.

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For more insightful discussions on beauty products and trends, subscribe to The Beauty Brains on your preferred podcast platform and follow them on social media.

Transcript

[Perry Romanowski]

Hi, I'm Perry, and you're listening to the Beauty Brains. Welcome to the Beauty Brains, a show where real cosmetic chemists answer your beauty product questions and give you an insider's look at the cosmetic industry. This is episode 387. I'm your host, Perry Romanowski, and with me today is Valerie George. Hello, Valerie.

[Valerie George]

Hi, Perry.

[Perry Romanowski]

Valerie, your mascara under your eye is a lot lighter today.

[Valerie George]

Oh, yeah. The black eye is healing.

[Perry Romanowski]

We'll also be healing some questions that people have, and they include today, what are our thoughts on eyelash glues? What polymers are used in tubing, mascara? What is inflammaging? And is it going to be a big trend this year? Does Estriol cream live up to its claims? And finally, how do you restore your hair's natural texture and manageability after you washed it? But first, some chitchat. Valerie. So your. Your eye is healing up nicely. Congratulations.

[Valerie George]

It is. It is. I still get a lot of stares. It is not as bad as it used to be, but obviously, I still have a giant bruise under my eye. And I. Actually, this is a funny story. It has to do with the last episode that we put out where I was telling the story how I got the black eye. I actually was invited to a breakfast with the president of my university. I'm very involved on the foundation board at Kent State University. And we walk in, it's 8 in the morning, and, you know, it's in Ohio. So he flew down to Texas and whatnot. And he says, well, the first thing he says to me is, well, I know how you got your black eye because I listened to your last episode of the Beauty Brains podcast, and I was like, whoa. He listened to the last episode. So that was really cool. And, you know, then we got to talking about Brooke Shields and her line, and so that was pretty neat.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, that is very cool. Now, I'm curious about the black eye. Are you doing any special treatments to it? Are you icing it? Or are you just letting nature take its course?

[Valerie George]

I'm letting nature take its course. I mean, I'm trying to do a little rubbing, but honestly, it, like, really hurts. It's like the worst bruise I've ever had, like, in terms of pain. And so you can only, like, palpitate it a tiny bit just to try to help push. Push the blood flow away. But I tried covering it up for an sec. Meeting in Florida I was at, and I just thought, this is stupid. I look like a car clown. So, yeah, it just, you know, so I'm just It is what it is. I have a black eye.

[Perry Romanowski]

There you go. But it's almost gone. Well, you know what I have?

[Valerie George]

What?

[Perry Romanowski]

Hundreds and hundreds of bug bites.

[Valerie George]

Oh, no. Is this on your vacation again? Is it the sand mites this time? What is it?

[Perry Romanowski]

I'm actually traveling in Belize. And, yeah, we did a beach section of the trip and I was just sitting in a pool. And then the next day, I just am covered with bug bites. I don't know. Sand fleas. I don't know. There's these little black bugs that they bite me. I don't feel them. But then the next day I get these gigantic welts and I almost look like I have leprosy or something like that.

[Valerie George]

Oh, my gosh. And let me guess, your wife has zero.

[Perry Romanowski]

She has no bugs. Bug bites at all. How do they like me so much?

[Valerie George]

You're just a likable guy, I guess.

[Perry Romanowski]

They must love my blood type or something.

[Valerie George]

It must be all the Diet Coke in the blood.

[Perry Romanowski]

Probably. Is that. Well, I've been trying to not itch them, but it is very challenging not to itch them. Fortunately, I do meditation, so I'm able to, well, stop it momentarily. But no, it's very hard to stop.

[Valerie George]

Why don't you travel with hydrocortisone cream or something like that?

[Perry Romanowski]

Oh, it's not a beauty product.

[Valerie George]

It's like a little. Think of it as medicine.

[Perry Romanowski]

I know I don't think of stuff like that.

[Valerie George]

Well, the next time you tell me you're going to a beachy type trip, I'm going to remind you and your wife to pack the hydrocortisone cream.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, well, that would be helpful. Well, you know, also, Valerie, remember before I left on this trip, what was going on at my house?

[Valerie George]

The Cat in the Wall. I've been dying for an update. Have you seen him on video? I'm assuming you left food out for him and you didn't cut down all your drywall.

[Perry Romanowski]

I did. I ended up not cutting down all my drywall because I saw that he could easily come in and out of the wall when I wasn't looking. Because what I did was I set up cameras. So I have two cameras in my basement. And I would see him come out. He had kind of a routine. He would come out of the wall, he would go eat some food, and then if he heard a noise, he'd run back in the wall. And so since the temperatures were going to get really cold in Chicago, I mean, we were under zero Fahrenheit for like four days. So I opted. Instead of cutting him out and just throwing him outside, I just said, okay, I'll put out enough food and water for a couple of weeks. I'll put out multiple litter boxes. Yes, multiple litter boxes. And I'll let him have his home alone for two weeks. And I get to watch him on the cameras. But he's been out there eating the food, drinking the water, using the litter boxes, going into the windows, looking out the windows.

[Valerie George]

Oh, so he's having his best little cat life.

[Perry Romanowski]

I know. I'm gonna rename him Kevin after the home.

[Valerie George]

You should. Yeah. That's much better than Benito.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, anyway, so he's. In fact, I threw out some cat toys out there. He's been playing with the cat toys.

[Valerie George]

Oh, you're the best stray cat, dad.

[Perry Romanowski]

And incidentally, you know, last week, somebody said the word I love. They said, I love the tube. And we're like, what tube are they talking about? And they clarified. She meant. She said she loved the tune. Because I don't know if you. I mean, you do the show, so you don't listen to always the final show.

[Valerie George]

I don't get to the very, very end always.

[Perry Romanowski]

So at the very end, I've been putting out songs that sort of will summarize the show. And so I'm just experimenting with this little music creation thing. So it's just at the end that way, if people want to skip it, that's fine. But she liked the tune because the. I think that. Well, the latest tune was about Benitu being in the walls.

[Valerie George]

Oh, my gosh. You know, that's another thing the president of my university commented. He's like, you guys sure talk a lot about feral cats.

[Perry Romanowski]

We do.

[Valerie George]

We do.

[Perry Romanowski]

But we also talk about beauty news. So why don't we move on to that? Valerie, this one made the rounds last week or the week before or something. And it's interesting because I think they changed the headline, because the first time I saw this headline, I said, the top 10 most beautiful women according to science. Which I'm like, according to science. Like, come on. But then I look at it.

[Valerie George]

Yeah, it's totally subjective.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right. So that's impossible. So then I look at the headline. So it's interesting, the earl to this. And this is on boardpanda.com or something. But the earl to this still says that top 10 most beautiful women according to science. But their headline says, the top 10 most beautiful women in the world according to the golden ratio standard.

[Valerie George]

Oh, the good old golden ratio.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right, right. So this Dr. Julian Da Salva, who is a facial plastic surgeon, apparently did this study. They analyzed faces of supermodels and then got this perfect golden ratio, which is supposed to be the golden. The Greek golden ratio of 1.618 Phi, which is supposed to represent aesthetics and harmony and blah, blah, blah, according to Leonardo da Vinci. So I.

[Valerie George]

And they. They didn't just look at today's supermodels. They looked at supermodels going all the way back until the 80s, back when, like, the supermodel era was really, really booming. And so it looks at the measurements of the eyes, eyebrows to lips, the jawline, overall facial symmetry, and they do this little mathematical calculation, and they listed them in top 10 order of those who most closely align with the divine proportion.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, and I mean, of course, everyone on here is beautiful. I mean, they are supermodels. Right? So tenth place.

[Valerie George]

I'd like to see them without makeup to be hon.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, yeah, but of course, the makeup shouldn't. Wouldn't affect the golden ratio, which is kind of the problem here, because makeup does affect what a person looks like, right?

[Valerie George]

Yes.

[Perry Romanowski]

Like, with and without makeup, you're going to judge somebody whether they're beautiful or not differently. Right.

[Valerie George]

Well, I would say some of these people, I don't think, look as cute, not glammed up.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right.

[Valerie George]

Well, of course, they look more ordinary.

[Perry Romanowski]

They look like actual people. But doesn't that get to one of the biggest problems, this. If you could just reduce the. The entire thing down to math, then the makeup shouldn't matter.

[Valerie George]

Well, I would like to say that at least in the publication, they didn't talk about ordinary people like me. It would have been awesome if he took my picture and said, how close does Valerie fit the divine proportion? Because then I would say, all right, there's some meaning to this. I have no idea what's ordinary in terms of lips or chin or, you know, face shape. I mean, I'm not saying I'm a supermodel, but what I'm saying is I bet you a lot of ordinary people fit this mold more closely than we realize.

[Perry Romanowski]

I think so, too. But you can't really rank beauty based on science or based on math. And I think the guy is probably just doing this for getting the clicks and getting attention. And congratulations, we paid attention to you. So I guess it works.

[Valerie George]

Exactly. Well, Allure had a little Interesting article. 8 best skincare ingredients for Mature Skin to Maintain a Dewy Glow.

[Perry Romanowski]

Oh, boy. Okay. Well, I mean, I'm curious. Are these eight things that won't Work for youngsters and they're just like old people or like, I. Sorry, mature people. But, you know, I was curious about this.

[Valerie George]

It's a little generic because this is basically like, stuff you find in all skincare products. So I was a little disappointed. And basically what they did is they didn't really go into, like, the science necessarily of the ingredients per se. I mean, they did a little bit, but this thing was so, so generic. But they essentially looked at retinol peptides, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, sun protection, niacinamide, ceramides, and growth factors. Pretty much the crux of, like, any, Any product. Right?

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, I'm. I'm trying to think, like, which big one did they miss? That's. That's pretty much all. I mean, is vitamin E. Maybe another one?

[Valerie George]

Yeah, I don't know. I think this is pretty much. Pretty much it. What I didn't like is they talked a little bit about retinol, but they didn't go into like, well, retinol is a retinoid. We think retinol is the best out of the retinoids because of these reasons. And.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right.

[Valerie George]

They didn't really go into the science of, like, how different peptides work in skin. And like, this would be the best peptide. I felt like it was a, a product pay to play where a brand, like, I'm not saying this happened, but for example, like they said the best vitamin c is SkinCeutical CE Ferulic at $182 an ounce. And yeah, the price has gone up. And I just thought, like, well, is vitamin C really the best vitamin C for mature skin? I don't know. So I was a little disappointed in this article. Felt like, let's just throw products out there.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right. They didn't get into any of the science. I was also interested to see that they only consulted dermatologists. And, you know, the dermatologist, they don't say this, like, the eight best skincare ingredients, like, over the counter. So wouldn't a dermatologist be able to say, oh, there's some prescription thing that's better for skin than what you can get at a drugstore?

[Valerie George]

Yeah, I think, you know, it's interesting because I once had a dermatologist speak to the Society of cosmetic chemists in 2015, and she was like, dermatologists are not skin care experts in term of product recommendations.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right.

[Valerie George]

They're experts, skin experts, in terms of, like, diagnosing diseases and finding drugs to help treat those diseases. And so I think we have this new Age of dermatologists that are interested in skincare ingredients. But I don't think they really understand how they work, because one dermatologist said hyaluronic acid is a hydration superhero capable of holding up to 1000 times its weight in water. It's like, oh, did they get that quote from Google?

[Perry Romanowski]

Right?

[Valerie George]

And, you know, he said it's essential for plump, moisturized skin. Well, if you really wanted plump, moisturized skin, you would. You know, glycerin would be like, the gold standard.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right.

[Valerie George]

Not all hyaluronic acid attracts water to the. To the topical layers of your skin. So.

[Perry Romanowski]

Sure, yeah. That's the one thing I saw is like, a dermatologist should know that glycerin is what you would use. You wouldn't be recommending hyaluronic acid unless you were trying to sell skincare. Right?

[Valerie George]

That's exactly. And it's perfect for those experiencing dryness. So I don't know. I just a little disappointing, but that's all right.

[Perry Romanowski]

We talked about growth factors before and how they can't penetrate enough to actually do what they would claim to do. Why doesn't a dermatologist know this?

[Valerie George]

Exactly. And the FDA doesn't like growth factors either.

[Perry Romanowski]

Exactly. So these are the ingredients that. They're very generic. I mean, you know, they're all probably fine. Out of all these, like, the retinol stuff is the most proven. Niacinamide has some decent data behind it, and vitamin C. The others are all just wild cards.

[Valerie George]

I like that they did recommend spf, because just because you have mature skin doesn't mean your skin is not going to continue to mature. Everyone needs to wear SPF protection, limit their time in the sun. And so I did like that they included SPF on the list.

[Perry Romanowski]

You know what would have been nice? If they would include insect repellent. That just can't be good for my skin. Right.

[Valerie George]

It's causing you a lot of stress. You're going to have worrying wrinkles on your face.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right. I'm gonna have welts on my side for weeks.

[Valerie George]

Oh, poor Perry.

[Perry Romanowski]

Ah, well, you know, at least I'm not freezing in Chicago.

[Valerie George]

That's true.

[Perry Romanowski]

There is one thing I did also want to mention. You know, we. The show does not take advertising, so we require support from our listeners, and we do that through Patreon. And if you want to support the show, go to patreon.com thebeautybrains and subscribe at any level. And I just wanted to thank some recent patrons who had just joined us. This year, they include Septa, Liana, Jesse Will work for Fashion, Lisa ck, and Benji. Speaking of answers, shall we move on to questions?

[Valerie George]

Our first question comes to us from Adriana. Hi. I was wondering what your thoughts are on professional eyelash glues. There's a lot of talk among lash artists about the dangers of prolonged exposure to the glue and fumes. I also wonder what types of masks one can wear to help filter out any chemicals if you're doing lashes all day, every day. Thanks.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, this is kind of, I guess this would be an OSHA question, right? Or like a workplace safety question, because I imagine from the point of view from the consumers, there's not, there really isn't any concern here about the glue and the fumes here because the exposure for the consumer is going to be so minimal that it's probably not a problem. But what about the people who are using this stuff every day, all the time?

[Valerie George]

Well, it's interesting you mentioned OSHA because that's the organization in the United States that's interested in protecting occupational work hazards.

[Perry Romanowski]

At least they were prior to 2025. So we'll see what happens in the future.

[Valerie George]

Who knows? But, and it's interesting, the industries, they like to focus on. But basically, yeah, you're working chemicals. These eyelash glues are, at the end of the day, chemicals or mixtures of chemicals, and you're around them all day. Similarly to, like a nail salon, you're around nail polish and different acrylic polymers all day. And so as Perry mentioned, if a consumer is exposed for an hour, it's not a big deal, but you're exposed all the time. And so it's important to understand what you're working with and what the risks are with that. So, you know, eyelashes glues, they're made to be volatile and evaporate because you want to put the glue onto the lash and have it evaporate and cure and dry and leave the lashes on.

[Perry Romanowski]

So it's more. It's kind of a polymerization reaction. Right. And so once it polymerizes, the glue is going to stay there, but the, the rest of the monomers or whatever, those are evaporating off. So before. So any sort of leftover stuff is evaporating off and just the glue portion is still staying.

[Valerie George]

Right. And if the things didn't evaporate off, the glue would never dry or cure. So it's really an essential process to glues, paints, adhesives, they all work the same in that fashion. So it's not that the industry is behind that's like literally what has to happen for this glue to remain. And so you are breathing in those things that evaporate and you know what they are? I'm not really sure. I'm not in the eyelash glue industry, but I know that for from, you know, they're definitely using polymers. They're probably using some alcohols or polyurethanes, different latexes, maybe acrylate polymers, certainly solvents and stuff that evaporate. Correct. And you know, I don't know what the exact exposures are, but I'm sure all day, all day long exposure isn't great. But what you can do is every product that you're working with has to come with a safety data sheet because you, as the person working with it, have to understand what your exposure is. And so you can request a safety data sheet from the supplier and read through what some of the exposure hazards look like, how, how you should protect yourself. You wondered if there's any masks that one could wear? There are certain N95 masks that have the ability to filter out general protection against fumes and little particles and stuff like that. But the mask would need to say N95 respirator on it. There are other respirators that you can wear that have like little cartridges that attach. I use those when I'm adding ammonia to hair color. But it's a bit much. It's like a, literally a big apparatus on your face. So I would start with the N95 respirator masks. And even if you don't feel like you have any adverse health effects and you work in this environment, I definitely would wear one because you just don't know what your cumulative exposure could look like. And I would make sure that your place of business has really great ventilation.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, that's important.

[Valerie George]

A lot of nail salons that smell don't have good ventilation. And that's a really good indicator that they don't is if you walk in and there's a really strong solvent smell. So I would just, you know, advocate to your landlord or if you own your place, make sure that you have your H Vac company come in and make sure you're getting enough turns per hour on the air in your room to filter out any fumes in the air.

[Perry Romanowski]

And taking regular breaks between application, you know, go outside and, you know, suck in the less polluted air was probably a good idea. Also, you want to keep an eye on yourself for any kind of symptoms, maybe your respiratory irritation or skin reaction and stuff, or headaches. And so if you have those, that's indicating that there might be a problem.

[Valerie George]

Exactly. Well be safe.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah. But again, for consumers who are most people listening, the amount of exposure you get from that is not going to impact your health in any noticeable way. Okay, next question comes to us from Lucia. Which kind of polymers are used in tubing mascaras and why? Why are other mascaras not tubing, even though they contain some of the polymers used in tubing mascaras? Thanks. Lucia or Lucia. How would you pronounce that?

[Valerie George]

I would say Lucia, but if it was Italian, Lucia.

[Perry Romanowski]

There you go. So if you're Italian. Well, that's how we met it. Well, you know, I'm not much of a mascara user, but so I was curious about this tubing and non tubing mascara, so I looked it up and essentially when we talk about tubing. Tubing mascaras use like a film forming polymers that supposedly wrap around each lash and they can create this water resistant tube that slides off easily with warm water. But the non tubing ones are these waxes and pigments that will coat the lash. And the basic difference, they require more makeup remover to get taken off. Is that your understanding of tubing and non tubing?

[Valerie George]

Yes, but I also think tubing mascaras are marketing hype. Just like micellar cleansers. Right. Like all cleansers are micellar.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right.

[Valerie George]

Because I think that's like a very technical difference. And honestly, I don't think a lot of consumers necessarily notice the difference.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right.

[Valerie George]

Between the end results.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah. I mean, basically the tubing is easier to remove than the non tubing. Otherwise it's the same.

[Valerie George]

Yeah. And I would say that's probably not the case all the time. Right. And you can find traditional mascaras that rely on a coating. They do contain polymers sometimes or different resins to help give the lash like a fatter look, a more volumized look. Whereas tubing mascaras maybe are more like water based, but they can still be water resistant. So I think a lot of it's just marketing language. And when they say things like, oh, the tubing mascaras just are easily removed by warm water and pressure as tubes slide off the lashes or whatever. That's not what's happening, guys. So I think it's just a new, exciting way to talk about updates in mascara technology.

[Perry Romanowski]

Now the interesting part of this question is why would a supposed non tubing mascara include polymers? And I think one of those reason is to make it easier to remove because you could actually get the polymer is the base coating and then the wax is on top of it. And if you get any moisture on that base thing, it'll be easier to remove. Theoretically, that would be my guess.

[Valerie George]

I don't, you know, I don't know. I'm not in, in the mascara formulation development, but I would again, I would say it's not always exclusive like that. I think that's what brands say the difference is. But at the end of the day, I don't know that, you know, a non tubing mascara, you know, I think Lucia's or Lucia is saying like they do contain some of the same polymers, but they're not tubing. And at the end of the day I think it just goes back to marketing.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right. Yeah. There, there really is no scientific basis necessarily of this tubing and non tubing. It's just a marketing thing.

[Valerie George]

Exactly. Our next question comes to us from Kiara.

[Perry Romanowski]

I heard a wellness podcast host say that inflammaging along exosomes, I guess, is going to be a huge trend at 2025. That was not one of our guesses of 2025, but apparently we'll see. Okay, do you think there is some valuable research on the matter and whether there is sensible difference and therefore different approaches with just, well, aging or as I am personally inclined to believe, is it another dream to sell to people or real women? Thank you, Kiara.

[Valerie George]

Inflammate. Inflammaging is my most cringe portmanteau. I think inflammaging is the most cringe portmanteau in the beauty industry, in my opinion, and I even mentioned this at a talk I did in November, that I think it's just the worst. And it stands for inflammation and aging put together. I hate it.

[Perry Romanowski]

It's a little tricky to say inflammaging, but what's it supposed to communicate here? Obviously something about inflammation and aging. Then. I've heard for years that one of the primary causes of aging is there's inflammation in your body caused by oxidation reactions and such and those will go on to destroy your DNA or RNA or proteins that are already there.

[Valerie George]

Or if you're Tom Brady eating tomatoes, does it as well causes inflammation? Yeah, he doesn't eat anything tomato based, so I feel bad for his pizzas that he probably doesn't eat.

[Perry Romanowski]

But isn't he a vegan or something too? That's kind of jealous.

[Valerie George]

I don't, I don't think so. But yeah, it's this concept that inflammation contributes to, to accelerated aging within the body. And it's not new. As you mentioned, for years you've heard this. And I remember even when I came into the beauty industry 15 years ago, this was a big topic. It was on the front, you know, front cover of, you know, all the cosmetics trade publications. Yeah. And I then we never heard about it ever again. And now it's popping back up.

[Perry Romanowski]

Although. So the solution to inflammation I've always heard is antioxidants. Right. That's supposed to stop the inflammation. And that hasn't gone away. So everybody's always, oh, you gotta put antioxidant in here, antioxidant there. It's all kind of the aging thing. But how is that even anything different than just regular aging?

[Valerie George]

I don't know, because I think inflammation is about chronic, low dose inflammation, maybe. Inflammation? Yeah, inflammation. See, inflammating is getting me like confused on how to say I don't like it. But this inflammation we're talking about is like chronic low grade inflammation that impacts you over time. Whereas regular aging is just like, oh, you were out in the sun or you know, your dog passed away and you got like really stressed out or just like regular oxidative stress even.

[Perry Romanowski]

Sure, okay. Sort of clears it out. I mean, this really sounds like one of those beauty and wellness industry things where they tell you there's some new problem and then they have a big solution to you. So it's all simple. Comes down to a simple thing. Aging is inflammation. And this antioxidants will stop that inflammation. Boom. Your skin is going to look like you were in your 20s. But of course, nothing is ever that simple.

[Valerie George]

No, I mean, you're telling me Tom Brady looks that great because he stopped eating tomatoes? I don't, you know, no. He's obviously had Botox and fillers and whatever, so we'll never know the truth.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah. And really, is there anything to say? Say the inflammation part was taken away and you're just aging, just regular aging. What would a solution to that be? Would the solutions be any different? I mean, if you're trying to do skin care for anti aging, you're going to include an antioxidant because vitamin C shows up, retinol shows up as being effective. So obviously antioxidants are doing something. So how is inflammaging helping at all?

[Valerie George]

I don't know, because I think I can understand on the dietary side.

[Perry Romanowski]

Sure.

[Valerie George]

You know, avoiding some things for sure. And I think that probably has a bigger impact than anything topical you could put on your skin. Except for spf, which helps reduce inflammation from ultraviolet and visible light exposure. But you know, These new ingredients like exosomes, adaptogens, these peptides, they're all really, really, really new. And I don't think we really understand their role in the skin or if there truly is any efficacy. And at the end of the day, I think if you practice good SPF practices, you know, staying out of the sun and all that kind of stuff, and you have a good diet and good stress management and a very basic skincare routine to take care of your basic skincare needs. Cleansing, exfoliation, periodically moisturizing, and sunscreen. I think you're already doing pretty good.

[Perry Romanowski]

Now let me just ask you, does all this inflammation I'm getting from the sand flea bites affecting my aging?

[Valerie George]

Well, you know, you should take a picture. Well, do you have a picture before of your whole body? And then you could do one after and maybe in 10 years we'll never know.

[Perry Romanowski]

Maybe I'll just take a shot of this, but it's just gonna be. I look like I have chickenpox. Have you ever had chickenpox?

[Valerie George]

I don't think I have really. My brother and sister had it and they suspect I had it as the carrier who gave it to them because I, you know, it was summertime, so I was also like, oh, I have a couple mosquitoes, mosquito bites on my legs. But I never had chickenpox like most people had it. If I did have it, I had.

[Perry Romanowski]

Chickenpox in the 1970s, back when it was cool, I guess before there was a bad. Actually, my youngest brother, he had it when he was two weeks old.

[Valerie George]

Wow, that's good. Because he won't remember it, right?

[Perry Romanowski]

I mean, we had seven kids and so one got it and boom, poor mother. Oh my goodness. Totally. But anyway, I think this influen maging is mostly just a new way to talk about aging and a marketing problem solution thing that it helps simplify the message to consumers. But I don't think it really helps add anything to the landscape of anti aging products.

[Valerie George]

I agree.

[Perry Romanowski]

Our next question comes to us from Alicia. She says, short and sweet Estriol cream. Does it actually live up to its claims?

[Valerie George]

We've talked about this before.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, I think we have. But it did prompt me to say, okay, what are the claims that it could live up to? So I went through and I found a bunch of claims that are made about Estriol cream. So let's go through some of these claims and talk about what it's living up to or not. Okay, so the first claim, it says it reduces fine lines and wrinkles by boosting collagen production.

[Valerie George]

Hmm. Well, I mean, I could see where, you know, when you're younger and your estrogen's in great production, you have fewer fine lines and wrinkles, but that does decline as you age. So I'm not sure that it could actually, if it did anything, reverse it to any magnitude that's meaningful.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right. And also, when you're talking about these creams, it's not just the Estriol in it. It's also made with, you know, petrolatum. It has occlusive agent, it has humectants, it has the standard skin cream, things that are also having an effect on your wrinkles. So you can't simply say, oh, it was the Estriol that was doing this.

[Valerie George]

Which, by the way, the estriol is a hormone. So I don't know why you would want to, without consulting a doctor, ask them if you should be taking this, but. That's right.

[Perry Romanowski]

It's. It's kind of weird how people are afraid of parabens because they might be estrogen mimics or something like that.

[Valerie George]

Yeah. I do have one more question. Are these prescribed or can you get this over the counter? Because I would think that the FDA wouldn't like you being able to just purchase this on your own.

[Perry Romanowski]

That's a very good question. Okay, well, I looked up, and, you know, if you do a search on it, you can find it on Amazon. You can find super drug online. Doctor. 0.01% estriol cream. Estriol cream is actually prescription only.

[Valerie George]

Then how can you get it on Amazon?

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, you know, because the regulations are loosey goosey and people can buy whatever they want, I guess.

[Valerie George]

Well, I don't think the regulations are loosey goosey. I think Amazon does a terrible job screening what they sell.

[Perry Romanowski]

Then you're right. That was poorly said. What's loosey goosey is the enforcement of these regulations. And so when that happens, I mean, online, people can buy all kinds of stuff. Geez.

[Valerie George]

Well, I'm going to report it to Amazon, but it could be really dangerous. Like you said, a lot of people are worried about these endocrine disruptors or increasing hormones in the body. I mean, that's what this cream is doing. I'm sorry to derail Alicia's question. Sorry, Alicia.

[Perry Romanowski]

It's okay. Well, they claim here, when applied daily, the estriol cream can provide relief from symptoms in just three weeks.

[Valerie George]

Oh, relief from symptoms. That sounds like a drug claim.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, they are specifically talking about symptoms of menopause, so.

[Valerie George]

Well, that would be A drug. You'd have to get that prescribed.

[Perry Romanowski]

Absolutely. That would be a drug which would indicate though, does it work for some things? Obviously it has been clinically proven because it does require a prescription. But the fact that we've got Amazon, there's a bunch of them on Amazon here.

[Valerie George]

Wow. Yeah. It'd be interesting to look at the dosing because I would imagine. I know these creams I used to work for. I'll call her an anti aging doctor, but she did a lot of work in like reproduction in older women and yeah, you know, hormone levels and that. And I organized all of her research journals and I know that she prescribed these hormone creams for people, but you didn't put them all over your face. So it's interesting that one of the claims is like fine line and wrinkle reduction because usually you put it on your forearm where the skin is super thin and penetration is high. Your face actually has like a lot of really thick skin. So I'm wondering if it's even getting through your skin at that point. I know like some hormones, you know, they have a shape that's favorable for penetration, but the reality is you have to get it through really thick dead layers of skin. Like on your cheeks, for example. That's really thick right there.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right. So maybe topical, I guess, since some of this is actually a vaginal cream too, so that that skin is a little more permeable.

[Valerie George]

But how would that impact fine lines and wrinkles unless you were concerned about improving the appearance of your vagina?

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, it's more for itching and dryness.

[Valerie George]

Okay.

[Perry Romanowski]

That's what it's.

[Valerie George]

But in terms of that, no beauty.

[Perry Romanowski]

No beauty benefits right off label, it's like, oh, I use it for that down there. Maybe it'll work on my skin somewhere. And so I think that's probably what happened here. So I'm looking at a product that's on. They have their own website called Life Flow. They have an Estriol balancing cream. And I'm looking at the ingredients on it. They say water, vitamin E, aloe, safflower, seed oil, panthenol, glycerin. And then if you keep reading down way at the bottom, they have the USP Estriol. So of course it's at a very low level. But if you're putting on a cream that has all those other things in it, those other things are giving you the main benefits.

[Valerie George]

The topical benefits.

[Perry Romanowski]

Correct, Right, exactly. So, yeah, as far as these skin and anti aging goes, you know, evening out skin tone, promoting Youthful glows. All of the claims that I've seen on it are pretty much standard claims that anti aging products make. And I don't think the estriol is helping at all topically for your skin.

[Valerie George]

I'm sorry, do you think it would help your welts? I'm really distracted. I saw your arm.

[Perry Romanowski]

Aren't they. I mean, they're just horrific.

[Valerie George]

That's. That's bad. Well, bottom line, I would only use Estriol cream when prescribed by a doctor because it really can play a role with your hormone levels should it penetrate, which it can. And I wouldn't use it off label for other purposes, because even if. Well, if they did the things, the claims that said they did in terms of anti aging, that would be great, but we don't know that that's the case. And then you would be exposing yourself to more hormones than intended.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right, Right. So it's probably. Unless a doctor says you should avoid it. Look at that. We have time for one more question comes to us from Ariel. Hey.

[Valerie George]

I've been encountering an issue whenever I shampoo and condition, and I can't seem to figure out how to fix it. When my hair dries after I shampoo and condition, it seems to lose much of its texture and manageability. I thought it was because of the lack of sebum, like oil on the hair. So I made a mimicking blend using olive oil, squalane jojoba oil, and isoamylorate. But now, even when I had tried applying lesser amounts, my hair just looked flat. So if it's not just about adding oils, I'm wondering how hair gets its soft, not silky, manageable and textured look and feel. And if there's a way to replicate it using a simple routine.

[Perry Romanowski]

Well, I do like the strategy of kind of mimicking sebum if you want your hair to look the way it's supposed to naturally look, which is flat and greasy, because that's what sebum does, right? Exactly. It's heavy oils. Right. And if you're adding oils to your hair, that's what's gonna happen. I think people have to understand that the way that the modern human looks is not the way that we looked.

[Valerie George]

A hundred years ago.

[Perry Romanowski]

Right. When we lived on the savannah or we were evolving, so we evolved. Sebum is helpful. I mean, we used to be, I don't know, mammals that had more hair. And the oil was helpful for keeping it clean and keeping it waterproof. And as we lost our hair, kind of the sebum we don't really need it to do that anymore. So it's not going to give you just because it's natural, it's not going to give you the optimal beauty look for your hair. And that's why we have modern science.

[Valerie George]

When it comes to your shampoo and conditioner. It's using that modern science. But, you know, it could be not the right science for your hair texture. You mentioned that once you shampoo and condition, you lose your natural texture. And so that tells me whatever is in your shampoo or conditioner may be coating the hair in a way that's not favorable to your current shape. Like maybe if you have curly or coily hair and it seems to be pulled flat, it might be depositing too many things. So I would not only look at changing your shampoo and conditioner, but actually looking for different chassis. So, you know, a lot of conditioners use the same conditioning agents. Behened, trimonium chloride, behentramonium methyl sulfate, stir, aminopropyl, dimethylamine. And so if your current shampoo and conditioner is using, let's say, if the conditioner has behem trimonium chloride in it, I would look for a conditioner that uses something totally different to see if that helps with the change in texture.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, I don't think the oils are going to help much for making your manageable and textured look and feel. It's just going to weigh your hair down. So you're going to have to look for or cationic surfactants, cationic polymers, and even silicones can help in that regard.

[Valerie George]

Yeah, good luck. I mean, honestly, a lot of it is experimentation because with shampoos and conditioners, the formulas can be very complex, at least if you're a really good formulator. And so it's hard to pinpoint exactly what it is. And sometimes you just have to find one that works. And God forbid you move and your water quality changes for the better or for the worse because that impacts the way products rinse off the hair. And all of a sudden your favorite shampoo and conditioner maybe doesn't feel so great. And it could be the difference in water. I used to bring products I formulated with me to Europe and I'm like, wow, I really love this product. And then I would go to Europe and it just doesn't rinse from the hair the same. So.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah.

[Valerie George]

And when I moved to Texas, you know, my favorite shampoos and conditioners, I just. They're not for me anymore. My hair even looks different. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, maybe Ariel could even be your water quality that's changing. It's so hard to say because hair is chemically alive, so anything you put on it, it's gonna, you know, interact with the hair fiber and change the way its properties are.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah. It's about experimenting. But I would steer clear of the oils if making your hair look flat, because there are thin things that can help to condition your hair that don't weigh it down the way oils do.

[Valerie George]

And you could even try some lightweight, volatile silicones like cyclopenta, siloxane, something something. Try something different.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah. Speaking of something different, do you hear that music?

[Valerie George]

Are those the invisible sand mites? No. Everyone, we are out of time for the show. Thanks for listening.

[Perry Romanowski]

You know, that would actually be a good band name, the Invisible sand mites, because, man, the music is biting.

[Valerie George]

Oh, my gosh.

[Perry Romanowski]

How long do you think it's gonna take for these to go away?

[Valerie George]

Probably a week or so.

[Perry Romanowski]

Probably. Probably long enough for me to chase the cat out of the wall out of my house. I bet you. Do you think he's gonna even want to leave when I get home? He's probably just having the time of his life.

[Valerie George]

You're gonna have to file a lawsuit to a victim. He's changed the locks already.

[Perry Romanowski]

I have a new squatter.

[Valerie George]

If you get a chance, head over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review that's going to help other people find the show and ensure we have a full docket of beauty questions to answer. But only if the reviews are positive, because if they're negative, people aren't going to want to ask us questions.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, so. Well, you know, if it's negative, it's too much trouble, but if it's positive, we love that. Speaking of questions, if you want to have a question answered, just record it on your smartphone and email it to thebeautybrainsmail.com or you can just use the form in the show notes on this episode. Incidentally, the beauty brains are also on Patreon. If you like what we do and the fact that we don't take advertising and we can say what we want about whatever product you ask about. That's only because we're supported by our listeners. And you can do that by going to patreon.com thebeautybrains that subscribe at any level. You get your code questions higher priority to be answered. And we also have a transcript.

[Valerie George]

Also, don't forget to follow us on our various social media accounts. On Instagram, we're at the Beauty Brains 2018 on X. We're at the Beauty Brains on Blue sky. We're at the Beauty Brains. We have a Facebook page, and unfortunately, we still have a Tik Tok. I think I was the only person excited that it was shut down and seeing all the people super distressed, even though everyone knew this was coming. Unfortunately, it's back up and running. So.

[Perry Romanowski]

Yeah, I think it's still kind of precarious if you're a brand and you're using it and such, or somebody's running, because there's still, like, the law in the books and it's like a $5,000 per user fine. So I'm not sure how long it'll stick around even though it's back.

[Valerie George]

Well, we're not gonna get involved, so.

[Perry Romanowski]

We are not.

[Valerie George]

And we haven't, so why now?

[Perry Romanowski]

Unless. Unless. Unless we get an intern and they put up our TikTok stuff.

[Valerie George]

Well, thanks again for listening, everyone. And remember, be brainy about your beauty.

[Perry Romanowski]

Thanks, everyone. All right, kittens.