Episode 371 - Scalp serums, alcohol and hair growth

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

Valerie George (0:30)

Hi, Perry.

Perry Romanowski (0:31)

Valerie, so good to have you back on the show so we can answer some questions.

Valerie George (0:36)

I'm glad to be back, even though it's only been like a week and a half or something. I think we're still on pretty good timing for this year.

Perry Romanowski (0:45)

We are. That's right. Well, on today's show, we are going to cover lots of questions, including can a scalp serum or electric wand actually make your hair regrow?

Valerie George (0:55)

Whoa.

Perry Romanowski (0:56)

Is it okay to have alcohol in your hair products? You mean like tequila? What do we think of Mother Science and this special hyperpigmentation ingredient, melalazin?

Valerie George (1:12)

I think it's melalazin.

Perry Romanowski (1:14)

Melalazin? Like saison? Like is it an artist? All right, we'll get to it on that segment. What do we think of the skingredients products, and how does that color changing makeup work? But first, let's get to our famous chit chat. Valerie, you are looking well traveled because you were just back from New Zealand. Have you picked up an accent?

Valerie George (1:38)

Well, traveled is a polite way to say very tired. Thank you. I am very tired because I lived through Sunday twice, and I have not yet recovered from it.

Perry Romanowski (1:48)

So because you passed the International Dateline, you leave on Sunday and you return on Sunday or something like that, right?

Valerie George (1:53)

Yes, exactly. And not only were there long flights involved, but there were layovers involved. But I had a great time. I spoke at the New Zealand Society of Cosmetic Chemists annual meeting in Wellington, and I loved the people of the SCC there. They were very kind, polite, funny. I loved learning about the New Zealand beauty culture and their entrepreneurship. There's a lot of independent brands there. Really cool. Some New Zealand based ingredients. And I had a ton of flat white coffees. You may remember Perry, I went to coffee school. And I basically drank my heart out.

Perry Romanowski (2:36)

Wait, what is flat white? Is that like coffee with cream?

Valerie George (2:40)

Yeah, it's an espresso based beverage where you have espresso and a certain portion of milk is steamed into the drink. There is less milk than a latte, but more milk than a cappuccino, less foam.

Perry Romanowski (2:54)

If I recall, there are a lot of sheep or lamb in New Zealand.

Valerie George (2:58)

Both. Lamb is a very popular dish there. Mr. Cosmetic Chemist came with me. He was in heaven. Oh, was he? He loves lamb. He loves oysters, seafood, so he had a really good time there.

Perry Romanowski (3:11)

Wow. Well, that's great. But I was just wondering, do they use the lamb or the goats milk in the coffee? Or is it just the regular cows?

Valerie George (3:21)

I think it's regular cows milk, but they did have the plant alternative milks there. Of course, soy and oat.

Perry Romanowski (3:27)

Sure.

Valerie George (3:28)

Almond.

Perry Romanowski (3:28)

So it sounds like a great trip, and New Zealand is kind of far.

Valerie George (3:33)

Yeah, it's very far. I would describe it as very far. You don't realize how far it is until you type in Wellington, New Zealand, and then kind of zoom out at the Earth. And you're like, wow, it's pretty isolated.

Perry Romanowski (3:47)

It's pretty close to Antarctica too, which surprises me.

Valerie George (3:51)

It was winter there, or is winter there, I should say. And it wasn't too bad. I mean, I was cold, but also it is extremely hot in Texas right now. So it was a little nice to get away from the heat.

Perry Romanowski (4:05)

Well, that sounds wonderful. And we're glad you made it there and made it back so you could record the show.

Valerie George (4:10)

Even though I'm barely alive, I would like to point out I'm very tired.

Perry Romanowski (4:14)

I know. Well, you are a trooper for helping answer some of these key beauty product questions. I actually just got back from a trip to Kansas City.

Valerie George (4:24)

Oh, I love Kansas City.

Perry Romanowski (4:26)

You know what's confusing to me about Kansas City?

Valerie George (4:28)

What?