Will Propylene Glycol in My Cosmetics Cause Cancer?
Kelly asks…I have a question for you. I am considering trying a product by a company called Riversol. I can’t help but notice their ingredients aren’t too exciting. I know there are a lot of concerns around Propylene Glycol and it’s link to cancer and concerns that is the similar to anti-freeze. I know conventional thinking believes that when used in very small amounts in cosmetics it is fine to use. But what if it is the third ingredient? If you are curious, the two ingredients before it are water and mineral oil (followed by petroleum, Cetearyl Alcohol, polysorbate 50 and Beta- thujaplicin (an anti-oxidant derived from cedar trees). What are your thoughts on this ingredient so high up on the ingredient list. It sure seems hydrating (and potentially pore clogging) based on my junior detective work.
Left Brain enlightens:
While there are a lot of Internet concerns about Propylene Glycol, scientists and toxicologists do not have any concerns. There is no evidence linking propylene glycol to cancer. In fact, propylene glycol is so safe it is a GRAS material (generally recognized as safe). You can see more about the actual evidence of propylene glycol here.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/egpg/propylene_glycol.html
The problem with doing detective work on the Internet is that anybody can write anything and any topic. If you do not know a subject well enough you can easily be fooled or mislead. Many “natural” companies rely on fear and misinformation to make you avoid buying perfectly safe products put out by their competitors. It’s really unfortunate but fear is a compelling way to get you to buy a product.
Internet “Research”
If you are going to research things on the Internet you should remain skeptical of anything you read, and be sure to get all sides of an argument. When you see a claim like “propylene glycol causes cancer” investigate it further. Look for people who make the counter claim. Read their arguments for why it is not true.
Always remember that there are people in the world who are trying to trick you. Usually, these people are trying to sell you something (like a product free from propylene glycol). But there are also people who are smarter than you on any given topic. The research you do on the Internet should not be seen as equivalent to the real work of scientists and professional researchers.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
In our opinion, when in doubt trust the majority of scientific opinion. The majority of scientific opinion on Propylene Glycol is that it is a safe ingredient and will have no harmful effects when used in cosmetic products. We’ve seen no compelling evidence to dispute that view.
What Does Your Hair Really Need?
Cubelixa’s question…Ok, thanks to you I have already learned that silicones are not as bad as some people say; that the first 5 key ingredients of shampoo and conditioner of different brands are often the same or at least similar; and that the herbal stuff they throw into their products don’t do much for my hair but are mostly there for selling/marketing reasons. Now my question is: what (ingredients) does my hair really need to stay healthy and grow as long as I want it to?
The Left Brain’s answer:
The truth is your hair doesn’t “need” any topical ingredient to keep it “healthy” and growing long.
No such thing as healthy hair
It’s a common misconception that hair can be healthy. Hair can be no more healthy than a shoe lace, a cotton blouse, or any other non-living fiber. The hair on your head is not living tissue. It is dead, keratinized protein. Hair cannot be healthy. Of course, it can look healthy or not-healthy but that’s not the same thing.
What does hair need?
So, hair doesn’t need any topical treatment. However, hair follicles (the living tissue below your scalp that makes hair) do need vitamins, nutrients, and other critical elements that it gets from the foods you eat. This is why it is important to eat a healthy diet to have healthy looking hair.
One other factor
Although there is no ingredient you can put on your hair to make it healthier or improve growth, the particular hair style you wear can have an effect on growth. If you wear pony tails, do a lot of heat styling, or otherwise physically damage your hair, it will negatively affect hair growth.
Read more in the Beauty Brains Forum thread on healthy hair.
Beauty Science Reporting Gone Bad: Warrior Blondes
I got a lot of crap last week for my post on “Why Guys May Like You Better If You Don’t Wear Perfume.” As one of our readers pointed out, it was supposed to be tongue in cheek but apparently I failed miserably. But even my lousy science writing wasn’t nearly as bad this beauty science story linking hair color and aggression.
Bad ass blondes?
According to the Times Online, a study at the University of California showed that women with lighter hair color are more aggressive and “warlike.” Shocking, eh? But before all the blondes in the audience start sending in hate mail, let me tell you the rest of the story.
Thank god for science bloggers like Ryan Sager at True Slant who do their homework. Ryan questioned the results in the Times article so he sent an email to the author asking for clarification. It turns out the author DID NOT publish the study in question. The author told Ryan, and I quote, “I’m afraid you, and thousands of others for that matter, have been badly misinformed. I have never done any research that shows blondes are more aggressive, entitled, angry or ‘warlike’ than brunette or redheads.” In fact, when the author did break his data down by hair color in actually showed the opposite effect! Apparently the Times Online were sloppy fact checkers, to say the least.
So, there are two things you should take away from today’s post: blondes are not more aggressive then brunettes and red heads and you should always be skeptical when you read science reports in the press. Even when they come from the Beauty Brains!
Thanks to the Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcast for introducing us to this story.
Is Collagen In Coffee Good For My Skin?
Julie says…I don’t know if it’s available in the States, but in Malasia there’s is a coffee with collagen that supposedly has anti-aging effects. Is this product really good for my skin?
The Left Brain responds:
The product that Julie is referring to is the Nestlé’s “Nescafe Body 3-in-1 Coffee with Collagen.” According to what I read it is sold only in Singapore but Nestle has experimented previously with similar products in Japan. This is one of several new Nescafe products that promote “beauty from within.” But does it really work?
Collagen quandary
On one hand, there does appear to be some science behind this. According to at least one study (Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2009 Apr 23;73(4):930-2. Epub 2009 Apr 7.) daily ingestion of collagen peptide can help control UV-B induced skin damage and photoaging. In this particular study, subjects ingested 0.2 g of collagen peptide per kilogram of body mass per day. That’s approximately 11 grams of collagen per day for a 125 pound woman. On the other hand, coffee doesn’t appear to be an effective way to administer that much collagen. The Nescafe product contains about 200 mg (or .2 grams) per cup, so you’d need to drink about 55 cups of coffee every day to achieve the benefits that the collagen study identified. (You’d also need to drink 26 glasses of wine to calm down from all that caffeine!)
The Beauty Brains bottom line
Based on a quick review of a single study, there does appear to be a possibility that ingesting enough of the right kind of collagen may be beneficial for your skin. But don’t fall for the marketing hype of collagen coffee.
How Do Volumizing Treatments Work?
Chrissy’s quote…After years of limp hair, I am seeking a hair routine that actually works. How do volumizing treatments work? What ingredients should I look for in a product like shampoo?
The Right Brain’s regrettable response:
Chrissy, allow us to put this delicately: Remember when your parents told you about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny? And you thought that was SO AWESOME? And then you found out that they weren’t real, that they were just a made up fantasy? Remember that?
Turn down the volume
Well, volumizing shampoos and conditioners are kind of like that. There is no real ingredient technology that can volumize hair from a shampoo or a conditioner. At best, a shampoo or conditioner can help volumize hair a little bit by NOT weighing it down. That’s because some shampoos, and all conditioners, work by leaving a residue on hair. That’s great if you need conditioning, but this residue can weigh hair down and rob it of volume and body. “Volumizing” products are designed to leave less stuff on your hair so you keep more of the volume you have. Make sense?
Oh, it’s also possible that you could say shampoos volumize because they’re getting dirt and oil off your hair that is weighing it down. So if that’s all the volume you want, any clarifying shampoo will do that.
Pump it up
If you really need to ADD volume, your options are limited. You probably already know that mousses, gels, etc help you get the volume you want in your style and hairsprays and spritzs help lock in volume. But you might not know that coloring your hair is a good way to add volume too because the coloring process damages the hair shaft and causes it to swell. Many women comment that their hair feels fuller after they have it colored. It’s not a great solution because it is damaging, but you might like the end results.
The Beauty Brains bottom line:
There’s really nothing a shampoo or conditioner can do to add volume to your hair. But that doesn’t mean you can’t believe in Santa Claus.
The Beauty Brains Blog Blast
Enjoy these brainy beauty blasts by beau coup blogs.
All Lacquered Up is up for OPI’s ogre-based Shrek nail polish collection.
Base Note’s Fragrance Project is like American Idol for perfume.
Beauty and Fashion Tech is eyeballing ecoTOOLS’ eye brush kit.
Beauty Blogging Junkie shares the secrets of a successful clothing swap night.
The Beauty Brains have pissed off the universe over ovulation.