Episode 337 - Is Mascara Toxic? PFAS in Cosmetics & other beauty questions answered

Perry Romanoski (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 337 I'm your host, Perry Romanoski, and with me today, all the way from sunny California, Valerie George. Hello, Valerie.

Valerie George (0:33)

Hi, Perry.

Perry Romanoski (0:35)

So good to see you, and good to talk to you about today's questions. On the show today, we're gonna answer questions about eyebrow lamination.

We're gonna talk about PFASs in mascara and whether they're dangerous. We're gonna talk about how epsom salts may affect your hair. We'll talk about bond builders and whether they strengthen hair's cortex. And finally, what is hexyl resorcinol doing in your skincare? But first, a little chit chat.

Valerie, what's going on with you? You got a dog? Is that a dog I hear there?

Valerie George (1:09)

We got two dogs, so the clickety-clacks will be back in the background, although not today because I'm hiding from them. They're two brothers. We rescued them from the kennel. We were feeling a little empty nested, especially after our two previous dogs that we had for 13 and 15 years passed away.

So we got them. They are Rottweiler Boxer Mixes. One is a very good boy, Butch, and Frank is a very bad boy.

Perry Romanoski (1:38)

Wow, so they knew each other, they kind of got along already.

Valerie George (1:41)

Well, they're litter mates.

Perry Romanoski (1:43)

Oh, okay. Well, they're siblings.

Valerie George (1:44)

Lifelong friends, yeah. And they couldn't be separated. So we said, okay, we'll take both. We've done the whole bonded litter mate thing before.

And we're enjoying them, except Frank has a little problem with his five finger discounts. He's a thief, a petty thief.

Perry Romanoski (2:03)

Does he steal food or stuff?

Valerie George (2:06)

Stuff.

Perry Romanoski (2:07)

Oh, okay.

Valerie George (2:08)

Not even to do it. He just steals it to steal it.

Perry Romanoski (2:12)

Oh, well, that'll be fun for you.

Valerie George (2:14)

It's from his street days.

Perry Romanoski (2:16)

I'm curious, how old are they?

Valerie George (2:18)

A year and a half.

Perry Romanoski (2:20)

Oh, okay.

Valerie George (2:21)

They lived for eight months in the shelter and they really are sweet. They do have a lot of basic training skills, but it's just a little bit of an adjustment. And they're very big. They're 70 pounds.

They're the boss. Yeah.

Perry Romanoski (2:40)

You know, it's different than big dogs. Little tiny kittens, which are all over my yard this morning.

Valerie George (2:49)

Oh, who had them? Is it tuxedo, porch? I mean, who's having them?

Perry Romanoski (2:55)

Blue had it. So blue, I call her blue. She's a black cat, but she was a black cat who was from her mother, which was named Lou. So I call her blue.

But now she's mama blue, right? Because mama blue had a little baby that looks exactly like hers.

But I have to come up with names. She had that one, and she had a little Captain Marble, which is a marbly cat.

Valerie George (3:22)

Yeah, the ugly one.

Perry Romanoski (3:23)

Who has like a mask.

Valerie George (3:23)

He'll be cuter when he gets older.

Perry Romanoski (3:25)

Yeah, he'll get cuter. But they were walking around, so cute.

Yeah, my cat is, my insore cat, he's not happy with the attention that I paid to the kitten, so.

Valerie George (3:35)

Oh, Ted's jealous, huh?

Perry Romanoski (3:37)

Indeed, indeed. You know what else I've been keeping me busy? I got on jury duty.

Valerie George (3:43)

Wow, you're so lucky. What an honor.

Perry Romanoski (3:46)

Well, yeah, but listen to what I've, now that I've commuted to, it's like I'm on, it's a grand jury, and of course I can't talk about what goes on in it, because it's all secret.

Valerie George (3:55)

Until afterwards, right?

Perry Romanoski (3:57)

No, not even that, it goes to your wrist.

Valerie George (4:00)

Oh my goodness, so annoying.

Perry Romanoski (4:02)

But, so I have to go, it's like I have a new job now, because I have to go every Tuesday and Thursday, and sometimes Monday from nine to five, and just listening to cases. I guess through, and that's through the summer, and so you go listen to cases for hours, you say yes, you can prosecute, and you know, yesterday we went through like 30 cases.

Valerie George (4:24)

You know, if I were facing a jury, especially a grand jury, and I were innocent, I would want someone like you on there. If I were guilty, I would not want someone like you on there.