Episode 389 - Fragrance trends, dye and dry shampoo, peptides and more

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

Valerie George (0:30)

Hi, Perry.

Perry Romanowski (0:32)

Valerie, we've got a big show. We did take a week off, but we were all back, and we've got lots of questions, including how does a dye shampoo work? How do you deal with excessive sebum? Are dry shampoos dangerous? How do companies sell azelaic acid products without requiring a prescription? Does SH polypeptide 9 stimulate capillary growth? And are natural fragrances toxic to aquatic life? But first, Valerie, I am right now in Florida. I drove all the way from Chicago down to Florida to get out of the cold.

Valerie George (1:08)

Wow. What are you going to do with Teddy the Cat? I felt like you've been gone so long already this year.

Perry Romanowski (1:14)

I know. You know what? We brought Teddy with us.

Pia (1:17)

Oh.

Valerie George (1:18)

What about the cat in the wall?

Perry Romanowski (1:20)

The cat in the wall is outside.

Valerie George (1:21)

Yup, that's right.

Perry Romanowski (1:22)

I have to say, I did put out a lot of extra food for my outdoor kitties, the Heatmizer, Popfers, Benitu, PK Clone, and Little Blue. But I am worried about them because it's so cold. I mean, I have shelters out there for them, but, you know, I'm gone for two weeks, and they're kind of on their own. My neighbors does feed them, so that's good. But, you know, the whole trip, I'm worried about them.

Valerie George (1:48)

Oh, how sad. I have a question. Are you sunburned?

Perry Romanowski (1:53)

Well, maybe. You know, I use sunscreen, but somehow, I like miss stuff.

Valerie George (2:00)

You mean like miss your whole face and neck?

Perry Romanowski (2:03)

No, I sprayed sunscreen on my face and neck, but, you know, and I wear a hat, and, you know, I don't usually reapply, so that's probably a problem. I don't know.

Valerie George (2:14)

Well, also...

Perry Romanowski (2:15)

Although, on the other hand, I am Polish, and I just have a natural red face.

Valerie George (2:20)

Well, you look perpetually red ever since your last vacation then. I think the spray sunscreens probably aren't it for you, and you need to put, like, a cream sunscreen in your bag.

Perry Romanowski (2:32)

I would agree with you. I do... I have to do that. Honestly, my sun protection strategy is usually just cover everything up. Like, I'm the guy sitting on the beach with a towel over him, bundled up, just my head is showing. That's it. But, you know, it works. But not 100%, because I did get some sunburn.

Valerie George (2:54)

Yeah, that's true. Well, it is a little cold in Dallas as well, but we've had some nice days. And I thought you would be interested to know that Pretty Kitty is now inside Curious.

Perry Romanowski (3:06)

What? I thought Pretty Kitty was gone.

Valerie George (3:09)

She's back. She's totally back. Yeah. Although one of her, well, two of her kittens have been missing for a long time. I think they're gone.

Perry Romanowski (3:16)

Yeah.

Valerie George (3:17)

Then there were two. Now they're bigger cats. And one of them was found kind of in multiple pieces. I guess there's like a coyote in the neighborhood. Yeah. Anyway, so Pretty Katie's back, and she has been coming up to the door and staring inside, and she will not move until someone comes to get me. She wants to see me. And so the other day, I was like, let me leave the door open. And she actually had her paws on the threshold, and the UPS driver came up, and she got scared and ran away. So we tried it again.

The next time, she was looking for me in the door with her bold stare. And she actually came inside, but then she saw Mr. Cosmetic Chemist, and this other chemist that I have came from outside, and she got scared and she took off. But she's been back to see me every day. You will just be working away, and all of a sudden, boom, her face in the window.

Perry Romanowski (4:14)

Well, that is exciting. I hope you're feeding her, and maybe get a trap and get her fixed so she doesn't have any more kittens.

Valerie George (4:22)

Oh, well, once we're going to trap her inside, that's for sure.