Moroccan Oil and Other Skin Care Secrets
Sarah Bellum says: While the other Beauty Brains are buying funny hats for tomorrow’s New Years Eve party, I’m reblogging our favorite skin care posts from 2009.
More Moroccan oil, please! This stuff is amazing (at least according to some people.)
Read this if you’re curious about the Clarisonic Brush.
Find out if acne treatments really do stop working over time.
Want a different kind of moisturizer? Learn the secret of H20 Plus Face Oasis.
Hey Sleeping Beauty! That silk pillow case really doesn’t do a damn thing for your skin.
Ouch! Women need skin care more than men.
Don’t spare the champagne on New Years- alcohol is not really bad for skin.
Hairy pits? Find out if Dove Visibly Smooth really works.
Can cellulite creams help you lose weight? (Here’s a hint: NO!)
Can Thermaclear really zap zits? (Another hint: YES!)
Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner Review
I love the idea of conditioner only washing, so I was really excited when I got the chance to review Wen’s Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner.
Washing your hair with Wen’s Cleansing Conditioners is a little different that what most people are used to.
After my husband read the back of the bottle, he about had a cow, because of how much conditioner you’re supposed to use.
With this cleansing conditioner you are supposed to use 16-24 pumps of conditioner, massage it into your hair, making sure to get all areas of your hair and scalp clean, splash with some water to foam, then massage for 1-3 minutes, comb through your hair, and then leave it on for 3-5 minutes.
After that comb through your hair again, then rinse while massaging the scalp.
It does take a little longer than my usual hair routine, especially since at first I followed the instructions to a T, and used a shower cap to make sure the conditioner didn’t wash out during the 3-5 minutes.
Although I had mid thigh length hair while I was using Wen, it is thin, so I only used 16 pumps.
I did try to use 12 pumps once, and I ended up with oily hair.
The previous times that I’ve tried conditioner only washing I’ve had to deal with a “breaking in” period of oily hair during the first week or two that I used the conditioner only method.
I was really glad that I didn’t experience this with Wen – my hair was clean from the beginning, which is especially amazing since I started using it on very oily hair, because I didn’t have time to wash my hair the day before.
Life with a newborn will do that do you.
I was able to wash my hair almost every day during the period that I was using the Wen Cleansing Conditioner.
I think I skipped 2 days, and my hair was a little bit oilier than it would have been when I was using my usual shampoo and conditioner.
Although the 12 oz size which I received is a 30 day supply, this only lasted about 3 1/2 weeks for me.
The last two days there wasn’t enough conditioner in the bottle to pump, so I had to shake it out of the bottle, and there’s probably enough for half a wash left in the bottle now.
I love the smell of mint so I was very pleased with the scent of the sweet almond mint cleansing conditioner.
I could smell it while it was on my hair, but it didn’t leave a noticeable fragrance after I got out of the shower.
I also noticed that even with the cold weather here, my hair was a lot less frizzy – I haven’t been able to get it to lok that good when out and about in the cold Minnesota air using any other products, so I was very pleased.
During the last few days that I was using the Wen, I noticed that the ends of my hair were a lot more tangled than usual, but I’m not sure if it was due to the conditioner, or due to something else.
I did have this problem the last time I tried the conditioner only method though.
Overall I was very impressed with the Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner, except for the tangled hair, which may or may not have been caused my the Wen.
If you’ve tried it, I’d love to hear about your experiences – did you have problems with tangles?
How long does a bottle last for you?
Oh – and I hope you’re having a great holiday season!
If you’d like to read about my previous experiences with conditioner only (aka CO) washing, check out these posts:
Conditioner Only Washing Experiement, Take 1
Conditioner only washing take 2 and 3 and 4
Conditioner Only Washing
Disclosure: Samples from the company or the representing PR agency were provided for this review. The opinons presented in this review are my own. I was not financially compensated for this review.
Mineral Makeup and Much More
Sarah Bellum here again, filling in for the other Beauty Brains while they’re outside making snow angels. Today I’m marveling at all the makeup memories we made in 2009.
Mineral makeup is still one of our hottest topics. Find out which one we think is best.
Big or small, clogged or cleared? Are your pores really weird?
Beauty science research shows that makeup really helps and that it actually improves your brain.
Socially conscious or just a scam? Learn about the lip gloss that prevents date rape.
You’d be surprised at how many women want a better false eyelash glue.
How those artful advertisers trick your brain with makeup madness.
History or HERstory? Find out what kind of makeup your great-great-great-grandmother wore.
Speaking of history, what’s the best lipstick of all time?
This stuff doesn’t work by magic – learn about the science of mascara.
Common sense about cosmetics safety: Foundations and Lip gloss are not giving you cancer.
Dry Shampoo, Dog Shampoo, Or No Poo At All?
Happy holidays from Sarah Bellum! Lefty and Righty are busy returning Christmas presents so I thought I’d write a couple year end posts to share some of my favorite posts of 2009 (Hey it’s either that or another boring news story from Mid Brain.) Sooooo, today I’m going to stroll down memory lane for shampoos.
The big news this year was shampooing WITHOUT shampoo. Or at least without any water. Dry shampoos and the No Poo method were hot topics.
Humans are not the only animals with dirty hair. Find the best dog shampoo to clean your canine.
Read this one if you need some clarity on how clarifying shampoos work.
Baby shampoos are safer than soup? WTF?
And if you’re out of soup and baby shampoo, you can always wash your hair with dish detergent.
You can forget Climategate – the real news this year was the Great Shampoo Scandal.
What’s your fave form – Liquid or solid shampoo?
Got zits? Try this Pimple-Poo.
Why does shampoo lather better the second time? Duh!
Is Pureology the perfect poo? (Ok, I promise that’s the last time I’ll say “poo” this year.)
What Does A Steroid Injection Do For My Face?
Elle inquires…What exactly are steroid injections and where can I get them?
The Right Brain Replies:
Steroids are a hormone-like chemical that can reduce inflammation in the body. They’re in the news a lot, usually related to some kind of abuse in the sports world, because certain types of steroids can be used to increase muscle mass. If you’re interested, read this general discussion of what’s good and bad about steroids.
In the beauty world, the hormone Triamcinolone has been used to treat scars to make them less visible. We’re assuming this is the type of steroid you’re interested in. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll have to check with your doctor or dermatologist to receive this kind of treatment.
You might also consider silicone patches
Beauty Science Proof That Make-up Really Helps
Many women spend countless hours a year putting on cosmetics and making sure they look just right before going out. Did you ever wonder if it was all worth it? Is the make-up really making you look that much more attractive? According to a team of psychologists out of the UK, it is.
In their study, they found that men are more attracted to women with more coloring on their face. And they suggest that there is a good biological basis for this fact. They theorize that women with higher levels of estrogen naturally have more color than those with lower levels. And a higher level of estrogen is indicative of a more fertile woman. According to evolutionary theory, men should be inclined to find more fertile women more attractive.
The experiment involved measuring hormone levels of a group of volunteer women and then having those women rated for attractiveness by another group of both men and women. It turns out that the ones who were rated highest in attractiveness were also the ones who had the highest level of estrogen.
Of course, you probably didn’t need a scientific study to validate the use of make-up. People discovered the benefits centuries ago. But we here at the Beauty Brains are happy to know that it really isn’t all just a waste of time. And it’s also nice to know that the chosen career of this Brain is playing a crucial role in the noble quest of successfully propagating a diverse population.
Rouge on people, rouge on.