Episode 354 - Do Microneedles Work for Skincare?

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 354 I'm your host, Perry Romanowski, and with me today is Valerie George. Hello, Valerie.

Valerie George (0:32)

Hi, Perry.

Perry Romanowski (0:32)

Hey, Valerie, we have a great show today. On today's show, we're gonna cover some questions that were sent in, including, what is our opinion about micro needle patches?

How do we know that a study can be trusted? What makes a hair conditioner condition?

Is EFG, epidermal growth factor, worth the hype? And why do companies include lots of ingredients in their formulas that they just don't talk about? But before we get to those questions in the news, Valerie, a little bit of our famous chit chat. How's it going?

Valerie George (1:08)

I am hanging out in this arctic vortex that is happening in the United States right now. It's very cold in some parts. It's only about 23 degrees for the high here today, Fahrenheit.

But coming from California, my blood is so thin, I cannot handle this cold.

Perry Romanowski (1:29)

Yeah, well, you know, if I were in Chicago right now, it would also be cold and snowy. But I am in a new country, Antigua.

I had a trip planned with my brother-in-law and a couple other friends. And yeah, we're just here hanging out in the warm, sunny weather right by the ocean.

Valerie George (1:47)

Well, you sent me some photos. It is stunning there.

Perry Romanowski (1:51)

Yeah, it's very nice. I always love coming to a warm place during the winter. What I don't love are the ton of bug bites I have on my legs.

How do I forget to use bug spray when I come to these things?

Valerie George (2:05)

Especially because you get so many bug bites. They love your blood.

Perry Romanowski (2:09)

I know. I mean, I must have three dozen bug bites right now.

And I'm trying not to itch them while I'm talking here. But you know what? The thing that's the worst? None of my friends have any bug bites.

Valerie George (2:23)

Really?

Perry Romanowski (2:23)

Yeah, I'm the only one who gets them all.

Valerie George (2:26)

Oh, you must be getting all of them. That's why you have so many.

Perry Romanowski (2:29)

I guess so. I do not know why am I particularly singled out by these insects.

I guess they just like the sweet nectar of my own blood, I suppose.

Valerie George (2:40)

The sweet nectar. I bet you there's a study for that online.

Perry Romanowski (2:43)

There should be.

I'll have to look this up. I wonder if anybody out there in Beauty Brains audience has afflicted by bug bites as much as I am when they come to the Caribbean.

Valerie George (2:54)

You know, I have a friend that's a hematologist, which is a blood doctor, so maybe they would know. Or maybe they'll be annoyed with my persistent questions.

Perry Romanowski (3:04)

Well, we'll double back on the next show. All right, we're ready for some beauty science news.

Valerie George (3:16)

Yeah, I think we kind of saw some of the same stuff this week.

Perry Romanowski (3:20)

Yeah, I saw this study. Well, it's not a study. I just saw this news report and I wanted to talk about it because, you know, it's about there's a skin care craze that has hit tweens, but it's actually worth it. That's the question.

And so basically what's happening is people are going on TikTok. Influencers are telling teenagers and preteens that they need to do stuff for their skin. And so these kids are going to Sephora and spending all kinds of money. And this article just looked at and said, Hey, do kids really need to do this skin care stuff?

And I'm just looking at it. I'm like, No, this is ridiculous. Why are kids doing skin care like this? But maybe that's just my perspective. What do you think of this?

Valerie George (4:07)

Well, first of all, when I was growing up, my parents would have never given me enough money, I should say, to go buy these skin care products. I was lucky if I could get a dollar for lunch when I was growing up.

But anyway, I saw some things on the Internet, YouTube, TikTok. People are outraged that these 10, 11, 12, 13-year-olds are going into Sephora, some people even younger, and they're just going crazy in the store, making a big mess and honestly making it an undesirable shopping experience. You know, people go to Sephora because they have premium and prestige beauty care, and then a 10-year-old is ransacking a sample and then snatching some stuff up to buy it. So, you know, downgrades the shopping experience a little bit.