Does tanning water work? and other beauty questions answered - episode 280

Perry Romanowski (0:00)

Hi, I'm Perry, and you're listening to The Beauty Brains.

Hello, and 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 280 I'm your host, Perry Romanowski, and with me today, all the way on the other side of the country, Valerie George. Hello, Valerie.

Valerie George (0:32)

Hi, Perry.

Perry Romanowski (0:33)

You're on the West Coast there, right? Or the other side of the coast?

Valerie George (0:38)

I think they also call that the best coast, but I think that's a personal opinion to some people, maybe.

Perry Romanowski (0:45)

What do we call in Chicago the second coast or something?

Valerie George (0:48)

No, I don't think anyone calls it that.

Perry Romanowski (0:51)

All right, that's right. It's a second city.

LA is the second city now. I think we slipped a third.

Well, Valerie, on today's show, we're going to answer some questions. Specifically, we'll be covering our thoughts about carboxy therapy, whether tanning waters work, whether you can apply too much vitamin C, topically, and can you protect your hair by taking shorter showers? Be interesting to hear your thoughts on that. But first, Valerie, out there in California, they had a little thing called Suppliers Day. How did that go?

Valerie George (1:30)

We sure did. That is our biennial show, meaning every other year, where suppliers, ingredient suppliers, or maybe manufacturers or testing companies display their wares and chemists descend upon the show in utter madness. I'm just kidding. We were pretty orderly. But anyway, it's just an opportunity for people to get out of the labs, out of the office, and just see what people have, connect. And I had a lot of fun.

Obviously, we haven't had the show in a couple years. So for me, it was really great to just be with the team and go to the booths, get our free tchotchkes.

Perry Romanowski (2:12)

I always liked the little candies.

Valerie George (2:14)

Yeah, all the spatulas, timers, bags, all that kind of stuff. So anyway, in all seriousness, it was so good to just get out and see other people and interact and laugh and go to dinner. And yeah, it was a great time.

Perry Romanowski (2:28)

It's been a while. Now that show is traditionally very crowded.

How did the crowd look during this time of the pandemic?

Valerie George (2:38)

It was actually pretty busy. I don't think as busier in previous years, a lot of booths actually, it was a bit smaller of a show than before.

And a lot of companies just didn't attend or didn't exhibit, but they came and walked the show anyway. So it was really nice. Not as busy as years prior, but definitely very good.

Perry Romanowski (2:58)

Well, I know they always have a good party after the first day or whatever. I haven't gone to that.

Well, those cosmetic chemists, they can party.

Valerie George (3:07)

Yeah, especially the fragrance companies. But anyway, we won't talk about that.

Perry Romanowski (3:11)

Absolutely. So if you're in the cosmetic industry, you certainly want to check out Suppliers Day in California, and they're actually going to have one in New York coming up in November.

Valerie George (3:22)

Coming up, yep.

Perry Romanowski (3:23)

Well, you know, Valerie, last weekend...

Valerie George (3:26)

You ran a marathon, right?

Perry Romanowski (3:27)

I did run the marathon.

Well, mostly ran the marathon. Well, you know, some days you got it and some days you don't. I actually had a pretty decent time as far as regular people go, and I did win the juggling division.

Valerie George (3:43)

How many people juggled the marathon?

Perry Romanowski (3:46)

Well, just me, but hey, that's first place.

Valerie George (3:50)

Did you get a lot of looks?

Perry Romanowski (3:52)

Oh, the crowd was what made the whole thing the best. You know, the cheers you get as a juggler in a marathon are just delightful. And of course, since I had decided early on that I was not going to set a personal record, a PR, so then I just started playing up to the crowd, doing tricks and stuff. So I had fun with it. It was a little hot and humid and windy, which is surprising for October.

I only dropped the ball two times.

Valerie George (4:26)

That's impressive.

Perry Romanowski (4:27)

Yeah, and I finished in three hours and 49 minutes, which is all right, I suppose, as far as marathons go.

Valerie George (4:34)

I think that's pretty good. I had a team member, a former team member of mine, Lily, who ran the marathon. She didn't see you.