Episode 387 - Inflammaging, eye lash glue, estriol and more

Perry Romanowski (0:01)

Hi, I'm Perry, and you're listening to The Beauty Brains. 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 387 I'm your host, Perry Romanowski, and with me today is Valerie George. Hello, Valerie. Hi, Perry. Valerie, your mascara under your eye is a lot lighter today.

Valerie George (0:37)

Yeah, the black eye is healing.

Perry Romanowski (0:39)

We'll also be healing some questions that people have, and they include today, what are our thoughts on eyelash glues? What polymers are used in tubing mascara? What is inflammation? And is it gonna be a big trend this year? Does Estriol Cream live up to its claims? And finally, how do you restore your hair's natural texture and manageability after you washed it? But first, some chit chat. Valerie, so your eye is healing up nicely. Congratulations.

Valerie George (1:09)

It is. It is. I still get a lot of stares. It is not as bad as it used to be, but obviously, I still have a giant bruise under my eye. And I actually, this is a funny story. It has to do with the last episode that we put out where I was telling the story, how I got the black eye. I actually was invited to a breakfast with the president of my university. I'm very involved on the foundation board at Kent State University. And we walk in, it's eight in the morning, and, you know, it's in Ohio. So he flew down to Texas and whatnot.

And he says, well, the first thing he says to me is, well, I know how you got your black eye because I listened to your last episode of The Beauty Brains podcast. And I was like, whoa, he listened to the last episode. So that was really cool. And, you know, then we got to talking about Brooke Shields and her line. And so that was pretty neat.

Perry Romanowski (1:59)

Yeah, that is very cool. Now, I'm curious about the black eye. Are you doing any special treatments to it? Are you icing it or are you just letting nature take its course?

Valerie George (2:08)

I'm letting nature take its course. I mean, I'm trying to do a little rubbing, but honestly, it like really hurts. It's like the worst bruise I've ever had, like in terms of pain. And so you can only like palpitate it a tiny bit just to try to help push the blood flow away. But I tried covering it up for an SCC meeting in Florida I was at, and I just thought, this is stupid. I look like a car clown. So, yeah, it just, you know, so I'm just it is what it is. I have a black eye.

Perry Romanowski (2:36)

There you go. And but it's almost gone. Well, you know what I have? What hundreds and hundreds of bug bites. Oh, no.

Valerie George (2:45)

Is this on your vacation again? Is it the sand bites this time? What is it?

Perry Romanowski (2:49)

I'm actually traveling in Belize. And yeah, we did. We did a beach section of the trip. And I was just sitting in a pool. And then the next day, I just am covered with bug bites. I don't know. Sand fleas. I don't know. There's these little black bugs that they bite me. I don't feel them. But then the next day, I get these gigantic welts. And I almost look like I have leprosy or something like that.

Valerie George (3:16)

Oh my gosh. And let me guess, your wife has zero.

Perry Romanowski (3:19)

She has no bugs. Bug bites at all. How do they like me so much?

Valerie George (3:24)

You're just a likable guy.

Perry Romanowski (3:26)

I guess. They must love my blood type or something.

Valerie George (3:29)

It must be all the diet coke in the blood.

Perry Romanowski (3:31)

It probably is that. Well, I've been trying to not itch them, but it is very challenging not to itch them. Fortunately, I do meditation, so I'm able to, well, stop it momentarily. But no, it's very hard to stop it.

Valerie George (3:46)

Why don't you travel with hydrocortisone cream or something like that?

Perry Romanowski (3:51)

Oh, with that, with that.

Valerie George (3:53)

It's not a beauty product. It's like a little, think of it as medicine.

Perry Romanowski (3:57)

I know. I don't think of stuff like that.

Valerie George (3:59)

Well, the next time you tell me you're going to a beachy type trip, I'm going to remind you and your wife to pack the hydrocortisone cream.